电池包上盖与下箱体用什么尼龙?上盖走塑料,减重最明显

应用领域 发布时间: 2026-09-16 4732 阅读

What kind of modified nylon is used for the upper cover and lower case of the 151 battery pack?

The two routes of the battery pack casing

Battery pack housing (upper cover and lower case) currently has two routes: the metal route (steel or aluminum,

High strength, good shielding, mature process) and composite material routes (SMC glass fiber reinforced, or modified nylon reinforced systems).

The weight reduction effect is most obvious when using plastic for the upper cover (the upper cover does not bear weight and mainly serves a sealing and protective function), so the upper cover is the first place where composite materials are introduced.

The lower case is still mainly made of metal for now because it needs to bear weight and resist stone impacts.

On-site reconstruction: A selection review prompted by a housing unit that fails the airtightness test

At the end of the year before last, a supplier that makes battery pack housings ran into trouble: the new batch of lower housings continuously failed the airtightness test on the production line, with a leakage rate three times the standard. The production line was stopped for half a day, and the process, mold, and material teams held a joint consultation.

A slight collapsed corner was found on the flange surface during the mold-side inspection, while on the material side, an earlier foreshadowing was revealed — to meet the deadline, this batch of material used a new grade, and the crystallization shrinkage rate differed from the old grade by three ten-thousandths, causing the flatness of the flange surface to drift accordingly.

The solution is divided into two steps: in the short term, switch the stock of the old grade back to the production line to ensure delivery; in the long term, recalibrate the mold temperature parameters for the new grade and add two reinforcement ribs to the flange surface. After one and a half months, the new grade plan passed all validations, and the airtightness pass rate returned to over 99%.

A materials engineer's remark at the review meeting was written into the procedure: The shrinkage rate of the casing material is the root of sealing; when changing materials, first calculate the dimensional chain.

The value of this matter lies in that it restores 'airtightness' from being a testing problem back to a material problem. Many factories attribute air-tightness failures to the sealing ring or assembly force, but in fact, the flatness of the flange surface is the primary cause, and the flatness is determined by the material's shrinkage behavior. Only when the chain is straightened can the problem be corrected in one go.

The four rigid requirements of the top cover

First, flame retardancy — internal components of the battery pack usually require UL94 V-0 and must be low-smoke and halogen-free (because smoke toxicity is secondary damage during battery thermal runaway). Second, airtightness — the top cover must meet IP67 or higher sealing, relying on sealing strips and flange surface flatness. Third, resistance to thermal cycling — alternating temperatures from -40°C to 85°C must not deform the flange surface to cause air leakage. Fourth, stone impact resistance — in the chassis area, the top cover needs to have certain toughness to withstand stone impacts. Among these four, flame retardancy and airtightness are hard thresholds.

Plan for the modified nylon cover

The cover of the modified nylon battery pack usually uses a continuous glass fiber reinforced or long glass fiber reinforced system (the strength and impact resistance of ordinary short glass fibers are insufficient), combined with halogen-free flame retardant.

The mainstream practical solutions are SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) or GMT (Glass Mat Reinforced Thermoplastic) — both of which have stiffness and impact resistance superior to injection-molded parts.

The pure injection-molded modified nylon top cover is mostly used for small battery packs or hybrid vehicle batteries.

Flange surface and sealing design

The failure points of IP67 sealing are almost all at the flange surface — warping of the fiberglass-reinforced material can cause 0.3-0.8 mm wavy deformation on the flange surface.

Three countermeasures: first, use low-warp minerals as filler or a long glass fiber system; second, design the flange with increased thickness to improve stiffness;

Third, use flexible sealing strips instead of hard seals, relying on the compression of the sealing strips to absorb deformation.

In addition, the spacing between bolts should be reduced (usually 80-120 mm).

The necessity of airtightness testing

The battery pack cover must undergo 100% airtightness testing on the production line (usually using the pressure drop method or helium testing).

This means that the design must include a reserved airtightness testing interface, and the material itself must not be permeable—

The gas permeability of PA is higher than that of metal, but far below the sealing requirements, and it is usually not a problem.

The real problem is microcracks — microcracks formed during molding or assembly will be exposed during the air inspection.

Deeper: The trade-offs behind the four hard requirements of the top cover

The four stringent requirements for the battery pack's top cover—strength, flame retardancy, insulation, and sealing—require trade-offs to be balanced. In terms of strength, the top cover must withstand stone impact and top compression; glass fiber reinforcement is fundamental. However, glass fiber makes electrical insulation sensitive to humidity, causing volume resistivity to drop in hot and humid environments. If the flame-retardant system contains halogens, it will further exacerbate the deterioration of electrical performance.

A mature formulation is a ternary system of halogen-free flame retardant, glass fiber, and toughening agent, where the three components restrain each other, and every adjustment in the ratio requires a full re-evaluation of all items.

Flame retardancy is the most expensive requirement among the four. The addition amount of halogen-free flame retardants is generally around 20%, which directly dilutes the impact toughness of the base material. Toughening agents make up for it, and the cost jumps three levels.

A common misconception in the industry is that the higher the flame retardant rating, the better. In fact, according to regulations, vertical burning tests are required, and it is sufficient for just the casing to meet the standard. Overdesign is the number one cause of cost overruns. I once saw a client’s plan where the flame retardant rating was one level higher than the standard requirement, which increased the cost per unit by four yuan, and over a year, that adds up to pure profit unnecessarily spent.

The sealed contact point is on the flange surface. The upper cover flange surface must maintain flatness even after aging, and the sealing condition after ten years is determined by the two data points: permanent compression deformation and creep. When selecting materials, it is much more practical to ask the supplier for the flatness change data after aging than to look at the initial data.

As for insulation, the top cover also needs to meet the specified insulation resistance value. The insulation data in wet conditions is the real benchmark; good-looking data in dry conditions doesn't count.

Extended Judgment: Hidden Variables of Battery Pack Housing

There are three hidden variables that are most easily overlooked. The first is the performance during thermal runaway—when the battery undergoes thermal runaway, the top cover should not melt or crack in a short period of time (giving occupants time to escape), which is part of the safety design.

Second is coolant compatibility — if there is a liquid cooling plate inside the battery pack, the top cover may come into contact with the coolant (ethylene glycol aqueous solution), so compatibility verification is required.

Third is maintenance access — the battery pack requires maintenance access, and the seal on the top cover should be reusable or easily replaceable.

Engineering field measurement: 4 mandatory tests

Test 1: Flame retardant UL94. Halogen-free flame retardant long glass fiber PA reaches V-0 (1.6 mm), while smoke density Ds < 100.

Test 2: Airtight IP67. The scheme with elastic sealing strip and reinforced bolts passed IP67, while the hard seal scheme failed after the 30th temperature cycle.

Test 3: Temperature cycling -40~85℃ 100 times. Low-warp system flange deformation < 0.2 mm, general GF30 up to 0.7 mm.

Test 4: Stone impact resistance. The toughened system did not perforate under a 5 J impact, while the non-toughened system cracked.

Boundary Declaration

Operating conditionRecommended materials
Top cover (main push)Long glass fiber / SMC / GMT Halogen-free flame retardant
Lower boxMainly metal (load-bearing, stone impact resistant)
Flange faceLow warpage system elastic sealing strip
Bolt spacing80-120 mm dense spacing
maintainabilityResealable design

Engineering Memo

The reduction effect of the battery pack top cover is the most obvious, making it the first position where composite materials are applied. Among the four strict requirements, flame retardancy and airtightness are the thresholds.

Flange warping is the main reason for IP67 failure—rely on a three-piece set of low-warpage material + elastic sealing strip + dense bolts.

Practical Case: Common pitfalls and correct answers

Pitfall One: Choosing materials according to traditional automotive thinking ignores electrical safety requirements. Correct answer: The first criterion for plastic parts in new energy vehicles is often electrical performance—CTI (compared to trace index), flame retardant rating, arc resistance. These are hard thresholds here, not important in traditional cars. Pitfall 2: Only looking at flame retardant rating, ignoring marks from prolonged damp heat. Correct answer: Flame retardancy is behavior during fire, CTI is performance over long-term operation—both. 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," ignoring alternating hot and cold and damp heat. Correct answer: The battery pack contains a composite environment of temperature alternating + humidity changes + coolant; verify that a combination test of temperature shock + damp heat + coolant compatibility should be conducted. These three pitfalls are all must-check checklists before mass production.

Follow-up Triple Questions: Three Frequently Asked Questions by Battery Pack Housing Readers

First Question: Is the combination of modified nylon top cover and metal lower casing reliable? This is one of the current mainstream combinations. The plastic top cover reduces weight by about 40%, insulation naturally meets standards, and the lower box uses aluminum for structural strength and heat dissipation.

The key to verifying the combination solution is the thermal expansion difference at the flange connection. The two materials have different expansion coefficients, so the preload of the fastening solution should be calculated based on the worst-case temperature difference.

Second question: What is the temperature resistance rating for the top cover? According to the battery pack thermal management specifications. The standard package operating temperature limit is about 60 degrees, but under thermal runaway propagation conditions, local temperatures spike. The top cover material must withstand short-term high temperatures without melting droplets. This is the practical significance of the flame retardant rating.

Third question: If the airtightness test fails, what should be checked first? Check the flatness of the flange surface; 80% of airtightness issues stem from this. Measure the flatness data and then decide whether to modify the mold or replace the material—this is much faster than blindly adjusting the process.

Reverse Case: A set of top covers without thermal runaway conditions

A Customer's top cover was designed and verified according to conventional operating temperatures, and all items passed. During the vehicle's thermal runaway test, the internal temperature of the package instantly surged, the cover material softened and deformed, and sealing failure appeared prematurely. The rectification plan raised the short-term temperature resistance to 250 degrees and replaced it with a heat resistance modification system for recertification. In the battery pack's operating condition table, thermal runaway must be included in the line of the condition.

Addition: Practical questions from three other readers

Fourth question: How to use creep data for housing materials? The preload force of flange fasteners decays over time, and the creep curve determines the tightening cycle and gasket selection. Designing creep compensation into sealing structures, such as elastic sealing grooves, is more effective than simply thickening flanges.

Fifth question: Should the material plan for the upper cover consider recyclability? More and more automakers include recyclability in designated requirements. Single-material casings are more recyclable, while multi-material composite materials require assessment of separation difficulty. Putting recycling issues on the table during the design phase is much more relaxed than declaring materials at designated locations.

Sixth question: Is there a relationship between scraping the bottom of the battery pack and the upper cover? Indirectly, yes. The structural strength design of the whole pack determines the amount of deformation during scraping, and the sealing state of the top cover is affected after the package body deforms. The strength surplus of materials selected for the top cover should be checked according to the deformation conditions of the entire pack, not just by looking at the condition table.

Group of On-site Judgments

Judgment One: A shell that meets airtightness standards does not guarantee lifetime sealing. Flatness drift after aging is the key to a ten-year seal. Checking aging retest data during acceptance is more valuable than checking the factory certificate.

Judgment Two: For complaints about cracked upper covers, first look at the fracture location. Fractures near bolt holes are mostly due to assembly pre-tightening issues; fractures in the middle span are mostly due to excess or insufficient structural strength. Different locations require completely different rectification directions.

Adds a set of on-site numbers

Number One, regarding weight reduction on the top cover. Plastic top covers are about 40% lighter than metal top covers. Assuming an 8 kg cover per pack, the weight reduction is just over 3 kg. The vehicle is calculated based on battery pack weight reduction pricing, and the gains from weight reduction can cover more than half of the price difference for the cover material. This is worth discussing during targeted negotiations.

Number Two: About airtightness determination. The leak rate standards for package airtightness vary by manufacturer, ranging from tens to hundreds of Pa per minute. Before accepting orders, write the determination diameter and test temperature into the technical agreement to reduce acceptance disputes by 90%.

Number Three: About the cost of thermal runaway verification. The cost of a set of thermal runaway propagation tests can be in the hundreds of thousands. Solidifying short-term temperature resistance data on the materials side can help customers reduce repeated test rounds as required by automakers. The thickness of the material file is the customer's discount coupon for verification costs.

Conclusion

Material is the same material, but the process is two sets — the earlier you ask about material selection, the easier it is.

For these types of pieces, material selection and mold trial can be discussed together

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