TI Fluid Systems took us on a tour of its e-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt, Germany, where we found exactly what an e-Mobility Centre is and how digitalisation has a major part to play in the push for electrification.

As the automotive industry transitions to becoming all-electric, a wave of large batteries will be needed to power and run such vehicles. But if you know anything about batteries, you know they have the tendency to heat up, which is not ideal when driving from one place to another. Therefore, it is imperative that there are other components within the car that help maintain the temperature of the battery.

In fact, tucked away in a German town between Frankfurt and Stuttgart lies a facility opened by the fluid handling specialists TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) dedicated to developing systems to help manage this temperature rise, thus increasing the battery’s efficiency, safety and lifetime.

The Rastatt E-Mobility Innovation Centre (e-MIC) is the first of five centres worldwide that will comprise six competencies in developing thermal management systems for EVs of the future: virtual engineering, design, processing, prototyping, product testing, and vehicle testing, to develop thermal management systems and components for electrified vehicles, all under one roof.

Engineers and mechanics at the Rastatt site are also using simulated utilisation tools to digitalise hardware prototypes. This allows them to test and analyse the tolerances of the components and whether they meet particular requirements outlined by its customers.

Regarding the company’s overall vision with its EV strategy, TIFS hopes the Rastatt centre will help its engineers develop some of the most advanced modular systems in the world, using pioneering techniques, components, and solutions such as its virtual simulation platform.

TI Fluid Systems also commits to growing its business more sustainably, and it believes that Rastatt e-MIC is a “perfect example” of this. There are already 31 EV charging points installed outside the building, and inside there are several green energy initiatives in place, from electrical power management to a water-cooled air-conditioning system and LED lighting.

The company has further plans to deliver even greater efficiencies by the end of 2022 and to introduce further e-mobility innovation centres in the US, China, Japan, and Korea over the next few years to enhance its capacity and capabilities globally.

свернуть