车载充电机 DC-DC 壳体用什么改性尼龙?密封和散热两头难

应用领域 发布时间: 2026-09-15 4521 阅读

What type of modified nylon is used for the housing of the 154 vehicle charger and DC-DC converter?

Operating conditions of OBC and DC-DC

On-board chargers (OBC) and DC-DC converters are power electronic components of new energy vehicles.

Common operating conditions: internal power devices generate heat (case temperature 70-100℃), require IP67 sealing, need electromagnetic shielding, need flame retardancy, long-term vibration.

These requirements combined make the casing a design challenge—it needs to provide both heat dissipation and sealing, which is inherently contradictory.

On-site Reenactment: A Tug-of-War Between Heat Dissipation and Sealing

At the beginning of last year, a company that makes in-vehicle chargers spent three hours arguing in a meeting over the casing material for a new platform. The heat-dissipation camp advocated using thermally conductive plastic to directly carry away the heat from the heating components; the sealing camp reminded them that thermal fillers can compromise melt flow and make it difficult to ensure the quality of the casing's sealing surfaces. Both sides were correct, and the contradiction lay in how to satisfy both requirements at the same time.

The final solution is a compromise sample: the main body of the casing uses a conventional flame-retardant reinforced grade to handle sealing and strength, and a thermal-conductive embedded plate is designed in the heat-concentrated area, connected to the casing with screws. The plastic casing is responsible for sealing and insulation, while the thermal-conductive plate is responsible for lowering the hotspot temperature; each handles its own job.

The hotspot temperature during machine installation testing is two degrees lower than that of the all-plastic thermal conductivity solution, and the sealing pass rate is also significantly higher. The company's hardware manager summarized: heat dissipation and sealing are not opponents; it's a matter of division of labor. Forcing one material to do two things results in neither being done well.

After the scheme was finalized, there was still an interlude: the fastening holes of the heat-conducting plate became loose during the vibration test, so a layer of thread-locking adhesive and anti-loosening washers were added. The final step in selecting housing components is always vibration, and the in-vehicle environment is no exception.

How to resolve the contradiction between heat dissipation and sealing

Sealing requires that the casing have no openings, while heat dissipation requires that the heat be released. There are three industrial solutions: first, the casing itself conducts heat (using thermally conductive modified nylon or metal); second, the outer casing is equipped with heat-dissipating fins (to increase heat dissipation area, but limited by space); third, internal potting with thermally conductive material and outer casing heat dissipation (the potting conducts heat to the casing wall). The mainstream solution is the third one—thermally conductive potting glue with metal or thermally conductive plastic casing. Pure plastic casings are usually only used for low-power models.

Flame retardant and electrical requirements

The housings of power electronic components must be UL94 V-0 flame retardant and low-smoke halogen-free (for closed spaces inside vehicles).

Electrically, attention should be paid to CTI (although the voltage is lower than high-voltage connectors, 400V or above is still required) and arc resistance.

In addition, if the casing is to provide shielding, using a conductive system or metallized coating – conductive fillers will affect the flame retardant rating, and combination verification is required.

Moisture and heat resistant and sealed

OBC is usually installed inside the vehicle or on the chassis and must pass IP67 and alternating humidity and heat tests.

PA moisture absorption and expansion can affect the flatness of the sealing surface, so a low water absorption system or mineral filling should be used.

The compression set of the seal strip is key (seal failure after long-term compression), and a 1,000-hour compression set test should be conducted, usually requiring less than 25%.

In addition, temperature changes can create negative pressure inside the casing, so a vent valve must be installed to balance the pressure.

Vibration requirements

OBC and DC-DC need to pass random vibration testing (according to the whole vehicle or component specifications, usually several tens of hours of random vibration).

The failure modes of the plastic housing in this test are fixed-point cracking and thread stripping.

Three countermeasures: first, add metal inserts at fixed points; second, locally thicken and add stiffeners at fixed points;

Third, heavy internal components (transformers, inductors) must have independent support and should not let the enclosure bear the entire weight.

A deeper look: The overall machine logic behind the vibration specifications of the OBC housing

The vibration requirements for the car charger housing sound like mechanical specifications, but behind them is the reliability logic of the whole device. Vehicle vibrations are broad-frequency random vibrations, and the welds, terminals, and magnetic cores on the housing all shake along with the housing. If the housing lacks rigidity, the shaking is amplified and transmitted to internal components, reducing the fatigue life of the welds.

A considerable proportion of after-sales failures of chargers in industry data comes from solder joint cracks, with the starting point of the root cause chain often being insufficient rigidity of the casing. Therefore, the modulus index of the casing material should be deduced according to the vibration specifications of the complete machine, with a common range for glass fiber content being 30% to 40%.

Flame retardancy and insulation are the regulatory aspects of the housing. In-vehicle chargers have specific installation regulations, and the housing's flame retardancy requires a vertical burning rating. The insulation coordination is determined by the working voltage to set the electrical clearances and creepage distances. These two distances are accommodated by the structure of the housing, and the material's CTI rating determines how much the creepage distance can be reduced.

CTI is high-level, and the casing can be made one size smaller. Sometimes the benefits of miniaturization are more valuable than the material price difference—this is a typical example of translating material specifications into design gains.

Resistance to heat and humidity is related to lifespan. When the charger is working, the temperature inside the casing rises significantly, and after shutdown, it cools down, causing the air inside the casing to repeatedly move in and out, along with moisture. The dimensional stability of the casing material in heat and humidity cycles, along with the permanent compression deformation of the seals, together determine the sealing condition after ten years. During testing, subjecting the entire unit to combined heat and humidity cycles and vibration is the method closest to assessing the actual vehicle lifespan.

Extended Judgment: Hidden Variables of the OBC Housing

There are three hidden variables that are easiest to overlook. The first is the bonding between potting and the housing—potting adhesive generally has ordinary adhesion with PA, so a matching primer should be selected or surface treatment should be applied.

Second is condensate — in a hot and humid environment, condensation will form inside the enclosure, so drainage or drying design is required.

Third is the orientation of the thermal conductive filler — in injection molding, the thermal conductive filler aligns along the flow direction, resulting in differences in thermal conductivity in different directions by 2-3 times. This should be taken into account in heat dissipation design.

Engineering Test: 4 Mandatory Tests

Test 1: Thermal conductivity. Modified thermal PA 1.8 W/(m·K), general PA66 0.25 — a difference of 7 times, but the anisotropy is obvious.

Test 2: IP67 Wet heat alternation. Low water absorption system - elastic seals passed, general GF30 leaked after 40 cycles of alternation.

Test 3: Compression set 1000 h. Silicone rubber sealing strip 18%, ordinary rubber 38% (requirement < 25%).

Test 4: Random vibration. The scheme with metal inserts at the fixed points passed, while the pure plastic fixed points cracked at the 12th hour.

Boundary Declaration

Operating conditionRecommended materials
Small power model casingThermally conductive flame-retardant PA66 (V-0, halogen-free)
High-power modelMetal casing thermal conductive potting adhesive
Sealing surfaceLow Water Absorption System Silicone Rubber Sealing Strip
Fixed pointMetal insert Locally thickened
Pressure balanceInstall a breather valve (anti-negative pressure)

Engineering Memo

OBC housing heat dissipation and sealing are inherently contradictory — the mainstream solution is thermally conductive potting adhesive, with metal or thermally conductive plastic housings, while pure plastic is only used for low-power models.

In vibration testing, cracking at the fixed point is the main failure, requiring metal inserts.

Practical Case Study: Common Pitfalls and Correct Solutions

Pitfall 1: Choosing materials according to traditional automotive thinking ignores electrical safety requirements. Correct answer: The primary criterion for plastic parts in new energy vehicles is often electrical performance—CTI (compared to trace index), flame retardant rating, arc resistance. These unimportant indicators in traditional cars are hard thresholds here. Pitfall 2: Only looking at flame retardant rating, ignoring the electric marks caused by long-term damp heat. Correct answer: Flame retardant is the behavior during fire, CTI is the result of long-term operation—both are needed. High-voltage parts usually require CTI ≥ 600V and flame retardant V-0; missing one means long-term hidden dangers. Pitfall 3: Simply interpreting battery conditions as "high temperature" ignores alternating hot and cold and damp heat. Correct answer: The battery pack is a composite environment of temperature alternating + humidity changes + coolant. Verification requires a combination test of temperature shock + damp heat + coolant compatibility. These three pitfalls are all must-check checklists before mass production.

Follow-up triple question: Three frequently asked questions from charger case readers

First question: Is thermal conductive plastic worth using? Look at the heat flux density. For low-power modules, thermal conductive plastics can be used directly, eliminating the thermal conductive plate; In high-power solutions, the upper limit of thermal conductivity for thermal plastic is insufficient; embedded metal plates are more practical. First measure the heat flux density before choosing the route; don't be led astray by the material supplier's spec list.

Second question: How to determine the flame retardant rating of the case to avoid waste? According to the vehicle specifications for installation location, most charger compartments require vertical combustion, and higher grades are only selected when explicitly specified. Each higher grade raises material costs, and excessive flame retardant is the most common waste in casing costs.

Third question: How do sealing rings and casing materials match? Neoprene, silicone rubber, and fluororubber have varying compatibility with PA66 series casings. Matching verification requires soaking the sealing ring in a standard test piece of the casing material for aging to confirm no precipitation or swelling. This matching test is cheap and fast, but many teams overlook it, and any missing parts are collected after after-sales service.

Reverse Case: A new housing without vibration retesting .

A company reduced the glass fiber content in the shell from 40% to 30% to reduce costs, only did the initial sine sweep in the vibration specification, and did no random vibration retesting. Complaints about abnormal magnetic core noise appeared six months after installation, and disassembly found solder joint fatigue was premature. The material cost was less than ten yuan per unit, and recalls and rework costs six figures.

After the housing was modified, vibration verification had to be done from scratch—this red line can't be skipped.

Supplement: Another practical question from three readers

Fourth question: Does shell wall thickness affect material grade? Yes. Thin-wall design increases injection molding difficulty, and the requirements for material fluidity and thermal stability also increase. Reducing wall thickness from 2.5 to 2.0 narrows the range of grades available. Structural design should determine wall thickness first, then material, and don't reverse the order.

Fifth question: How to conduct a realistic temperature rise test for the charger casing? Run the temperature rise curve under full load conditions, and place the thermocouple at the hotspot for actual measurement. Simulation provides direction, actual measurement determines the conclusion; if the difference exceeds ten degrees, first consider the simulated boundary conditions.

Sixth question: Where is the annual reduction potential for housing components? Optimizing bulk packing ratios, compliant use of sub-brand materials, and improving mold efficiency are industry norms. Hard pressing material unit prices cause batch fluctuations, and the cost of these fluctuations ultimately returns to the manufacturer. A reasonable annual reduction pace protects both parties.

One-on-site judgment

Judgment one: Half of after-sales charger faults can be found on the casing. When dismantling, first check the sealing surface condition and fastener tightness; these two abnormalities often appear before electrical faults.

Judgment two: Material upgrades and structural optimization should be evaluated together. Changing materials or changing structures separately can easily overlook one side; putting both into the same verification plan solves two problems in one round of testing.

Supplement a set of on-site numbers

Number One: regarding the space for housing temperature rise. Under full load conditions, the housing hotspot temperature rise is generally controlled within 40 degrees; exceeding this number, the internal electrolytic capacitor degrades into the accelerated zone. The heat resistance grade of the housing material is selected by the hot spot plus 20 degrees of surplus, which is a common steady-state condition.

Number 2, regarding vibration life conversion. The vehicle's fifteen-year vibration cycle is compressed to several hundred hours on the bench according to the strengthening factor, with different definitions for the strengthening coefficient. Fully validating the vibration of housing components in one go is two orders of magnitude cheaper than market rework.

Number Three, a ten-year test on sealing. The sealing ring compression permanent deformation plus housing creep is superimposed to calculate the sealing margin after ten years. If the margin is below 30%, it is worth redesigning the sealing groove; this experience is derived from multiple after-sales cases.

One more thing before the end

charger casings are typical small-batch, multi-variety parts, with multiple power levels and fast platform iterations. These parts depend most on the supplier's quick response and small-batch flexibility. When selecting suppliers, include the sample production cycle and minimum order quantity in the evaluation sheet, which is more realistic than just unit price.

Final Note

One last fun fact: The grounding continuity of the charger housing is also related to the material. The contact position of the grounding spring on the plastic shell should avoid the release agent residue area. If the contact resistance between the spring piece and the shell exceeds the standard, the whole machine will fail to meet safety standards. Both the mold and the material should pay close attention to this part.

Conclusion

After sending the sample—the earlier you ask about material selection, the easier it is.

For material selection and mold trials for these types of pieces, you can chat together

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