HODENHAGEN, Germany, January 10, 2024 – ITW Automotive, a global leader in thermal management solutions, announces the launch of a new battery safety valve to protect EV batteries from coolant leakages. This innovative valve has been nominated by one of the premium OEMs in Europe for their next generation BEV platform. As the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rises globally, prevention of thermal runaway and battery safety is becoming an important priority. The ITW patented battery safety is designed to switch off coolant flow to the battery in the event of critical failure. One of the key advantages of ITW’s solution is its ability to operate without external power. This means that even in the event of a power-supply failure, the valve’s safety function remains active, safeguarding the battery by ensuring uninterrupted protection.
KEY CUSTOMER VALUES
• Increased Safety: The valve delivers a failsafe mechanism, ensuring the safety function remains active even during power-off mode.
• Advanced Thermal Management: ITW’s patented software-controlled valve utilizes holding current <5% of industry requirement, resulting in reduced vehicle power consumption and increased range.
• Customizable Design: The valve’s modular architecture allows for customization to match different OEM requirements for space, geometry, and coolant circuit architectures. It can be used as a stand-alone component or integrated into an existing thermal module.
• Precise Thermal Management: The valve has an option to be utilized as a proportional valve for battery thermal management, providing precise temperature regulation.
• Leakage Sealing: ITW’s patented sealing technology ensures coolant leakages are lower than 1 mL/min during valve operation.
• Sustainable and Compact: ITW’s battery safety valve is designed with sustainability in mind, with main parts made from over 60% recycled plastic. Its compact size ensures compatibility with tight space requirements in vehicle designs.
This product represents a significant milestone in our commitment to providing cutting-edge thermal management solutions for the rapidly growing EV industry. With its advanced features and customer-centric design, our battery safety valve will contribute to the safety, performance, and longevity of EV batteries.
ITW has 50+ years of experience in providing thermal management components for internal combustion engines and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The manufacturing giant showcases its ability to keep up with the fast-paced BEV market with in-house actuator development and its global presence. The valve was an intercontinental effort of multiple divisions within the company: NEV Intelligent Mobility Center, Thermal & Fluid Management Division of China, Thermal & Fluid Management Division of North America, and ITW’s Smart Component Group. The battery safety valve is developed at ITW’s state-of-the-art R&D center in Hodenhagen, Germany, and produced at the company’s Czech Republic facility, which currently supplies over one million parts per year to leading European car manufacturers.
