After sharing some early technical findings at our Charged virtual conference, Sumitomo Bakelite has released additional information about its eAxle research project.

Sumitomo is developing an 80 kg eAxle demonstrator that it expects to be finished in late Q1 of 2022. Based on the company’s plastics, the eAxle has stator encapsulation that replaces traditional paper insulation with over-molded thermally-conductive composite materials to reduce stator temperatures. The company also says the eAxle’s lightweight parts let the 150 kW IPM motor run cooler than industry standards.

The demonstrator will undergo testing and validation in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute as well as academic institutions in Italy and France, and the company will provide updates on performance and Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) based on test data.

“With the new eAxle project we are focusing on novel design configurations just as much as our materials, asking how we can provide manufacturers with validated efficiency improvements and increased design flexibility. Our materials combined with the new design options developed, really do deliver a powerful one-stop solution,” said Chief Innovation and Technology Officer of Sumitomo’s Belgian subsidiary Vyncolit NV Hendrik De Keyser.

Source: Sumitomo Bakelite