The capacity of battery cells determines both the performance and range of electric vehicles. Passenger safety also depends on the reliability of these batteries. Sika’s innovative solutions enable the automotive industry to produce efficient and safe batteries. And Sika’s fire protection technology is the industry benchmark.
Exceed the Standard with Sika
China is the first country to have issued binding fire protection standards for battery casings. Sikagard® fire protection coating helps customers not only to meet but to exceed the standard.
"Batteries of electric vehicles rarely catch fire. But if they do, Sika fire protection solutions delay the spread. This gives passengers enough time to get out of the vehicle safely." Nicolas Morel, Business Development Manager E-Mobility
Sikagard® provides highest Protection
In the event of a fire, Sikagard® acts as a protective shield. The millimeter-thick fire protection coating applied adheres immediately. The work requires just a few seconds, which facilitates an efficient production process. What’s more, Sikagard® is significantly lighter than other fire protection agents, which helps to reduce weight of the battery.
If heat builds up in a battery because the cells are generating a lot of power or are being charged rapidly, a fire can break out. The same is true if a battery is damaged in an accident. Effective fire protection is therefore hugely important.
Together with Chinese bus manufacturers, Sika developed an efficient lightweight solution for delaying the spread of fire and toxic smokes in battery packs for as long as possible, thereby making electric buses safer. Since 2017, with the large increase of EV builds, the Sikagard® intumescent coatings have been used in Chinese produced electric cars. Their performance exceeds China’s regulatory requirements for battery casings.
Thanks to progress in battery technology, electro-mobility is developing further.
Effective Heat Management
Electric vehicle manufacturers all around the world are now adopting these rigorous fire protection provisions. It is the first time that China has led the way in security requirements for the automotive industry. Thanks to the fire protection technology developed by Sika, the very highest safety standards are now being put in place throughout the automotive sector. The global increase in the production of electric vehicles is opening up considerable market potential for Sika. Thanks to Sikagard®, vehicle manufacturers can be sure of meeting security requirements in all markets..
The Sika product range for battery components guarantees the highest level of safety and improves the performance of battery systems.
Modern battery systems are constructed in such a way so as to avoid a fire in the first place. On the one hand, this is achieved through effective heat management. This involves the heat produced being rapidly routed to an external cooling system. On the other hand, battery modules have to be assembled in an extremely stable way in order to avoid being damaged in the event of an accident. Sika covers both these requirements with structural adhesives and gap fillers that exhibit outstanding thermal conductivity capabilities while at the same time increasing battery module stiffness.