Federal-Mogul Corporation, a leading global supplier of powertrain, chassis and safety technologies. has announced its contributions to the groundbreaking 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle.
Federal-Mogul innovations include protective coverings from the company's Systems Protection group for the lithium-ion battery pack cooling system, braking system and high-voltage electrical system, as well as a number of powertrain and other electrical components.
The liquid-cooling system for the Volt's lithium-ion battery pack uses Federal-Mogul's FlexFit and FlexGuard hose coverings for abrasion protection, while TwistTube 2420 - a product pioneered for the protection of complex electrical systems - protects the vehicle's high-voltage cable system against abrasion.
The self-locating ShrinkGard covering completes the array of Federal-Mogul's System Protection products by providing additional abrasion protection to the brake lines.
"Federal-Mogul is proud to be the primary supplier of systems protection products to the Chevrolet Volt," said Ramzi Hermiz, senior vice president of Vehicle Safety and Protection. "FlexFit, FlexGuard, ShrinkGard and TwistTube are innovative products that facilitate improved packaging solutions with exceptional conformability, durability and weight savings."
Federal-Mogul's comprehensive range of Systems Protection products, which also are sold under our Bentley-Harris brand, includes solutions for electromagnetic shielding, electrical and mechanical protection, and thermal management.
The FlexFit and FlexGuard protective coverings used on the Volt are expandable tubular sleeves that provide exceptional, flexible protection against abrasion, said Federal-Mogul. Both Flexfit and FlexGuard are designed to conform to the routing contours of hoses and lines, which can take a number of twists and turns, even in a well-designed and highly-efficient engine compartment.
The products are used on the Volt's coolant hoses and supporting components for the vehicle's liquid-cooling system, which maintains a consistent temperature for the lithium-ion battery pack. FlexFit and FlexGuard products also protect components of the Volt's HVAC system.
The ShrinkGard conforms to the Volt's metal brake line tubes when heated and provides excellent abrasion resistance for wear against other components. Because of its conformability and tight fit, ShrinkGard can help optimize the component design, location and protection.
Federal-Mogul's textile-based TwistTube 2420 provides abrasion resistance. TwistTube was originally developed to provide a wraparound, abrasion-resistant covering with extremely high conformability to bends. Federal-Mogul System Protection now has developed this unique material to meet the industry's high-voltage color standards.
TwistTube also is available in a version that protects against electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI is the unintentional generation and reception of electromagnetic disturbances traveling through a circuit or wiring harness that can cause computer-controlled systems to power-up, power-down or create a variety of other unwanted effects."As part of a complete range of wiring and electromagnetic shielding solutions from Federal-Mogul, TwistTube is well-suited to hybrid and electric propulsion systems, which rely on greater electrification," said Jan Maiden, vice-president and business director for Federal-Mogul Systems Protection. "The electrical and electronic architectures of these vehicles must be properly engineered and that includes proper shielding against EMI."
TwistTube is manufactured with a proprietary material technology that can be easily installed on existing electrical/electronic architecture used in instrument panels, engine compartments, vehicle interior systems or other electrical and electronic devices. The sleeving is available in tubular and self-wrapping varieties.
The material technology of TwistTube achieves a balance of low- and high-frequency shielding because its metal strands are twisted together with filler materials, resulting in a high-strength material. When woven or braided into sleeves, the materials achieve an optimized blend of metal content and coverage that is lightweight, flexible and durable.
Other shielding techniques on the market, such as foil wrapping or full wire mesh over-braiding, can limit harness flexibility and increase weight. Federal-Mogul's polyester and metal wrap solutions offer a nearly 30-percent weight savings over metal overbraids, an approximately 40-percent decrease in bundle diameter and a 55-percent increase in overall flexibility.
