Benchmarking Systems for high-gradient heating and hot particle blasting for fire testing of housing and functional materials for EV battery casings

Kick-off: July 15^th 2025
Duration: approx. 9 months

Battery Casings for electrical vehicles, both for ground and air transportation, offer huge economical potential. All kinds of materials, steel, aluminum and composites are used to manufacture components of the battery casings. For all components, independent if used in the surrounding box/lid structure or as functional elements within the casing, the characterstic behaviour under thermal runaway conditions are essential criteria to test and to comply with legal and OEM-standards. AZL is renown for developing and operating test setups to provide evidence on the suitability of materials for application in battery casings.

What will you get?

Joint definition of test scenarios of relevance available at the market and expert assesment of testing results by implementation and comparison. Opportunity to co-define requirements for improving test procedures to further increase representativity for real thermal runaway events including testing results of your materials and comparison with other materials.

• WP1: Analysis of currently available test setups, providers and knowledge regarding testing of materials for structural and non-structural components of battery casings
• WP2: Implementation of relevant test setups of interest and benchmarking of test results.
• WP3: Development and implementation of improved systems for high-gradient heating and hot particle blasting

⏬ Download the flyer

If you are interested and would like to receive more information, please get in touch with:

Philipp Fröhlig
Head of Industrial Services | AZL Aachen GmbH
Phone: +49 241 475 735 14
Mobile: +49 176 80488799
Email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de

Proving and showcasing Eco-Design for and with recycling using thermoset and thermoplastic composite solutions 

Kick-off: July 15^th 2025
Duration: approx. 9 months

Battery casings for electric vehicles typically consist of a box structure and a lid. Both components require significant material use and must meet numerous demanding requirements. Thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials are particularly well-suited for these massproduced and high-value components. Regulations mandate that OEMs ensure the recyclability of battery casings and lids, including incorporating recycled materials. Due to their substantial size and weight, these components are well-suited for collection and reuse, making them an excellent source of postconsumer recyclates. Their size also enables innovative design and processing opportunities for integrating recycled materials locally. To maintain and reinforce the image of composite solutions as recyclable, it is crucial to effectively demonstrate the techniques and advantages to decision-makers in the automotive industry.

What you‘ll get:

AZL has a proven track record in designing composite-based, multi-material battery casings. Additionally, AZL offers extensive infrastructure for processing various composite materials, from small-scale coupons to full-scale component production. The project will specifically focus on demonstrating „Design for and with Recycling“ for thermoset and thermoplastic battery casings.

• WP1: Detailed engineering and CAE activities to design box and lid structures that integrate recyclates and facilitate part recycling.
• WP2: Develop and implement an experimental methodology for efficient and applicationoriented characterization of material and design options at coupon and sub-scale levels.
• WP3: Refine structural designs based on experimental results and produce variousdemonstrators to showcase competitiveness concerning all required key performance indicators (KPIs).

⏬ Download the flyer

If you are interested and would like to receive more information, please get in touch with:

Philipp Fröhlig
Head of Industrial Services | AZL Aachen GmbH
Phone: +49 241 475 735 14
Mobile: +49 176 80488799
Email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de

Global screening and use case identification for cost and CO₂ reduction in large-scale production of high-priced injection moulded parts

Kick-off: July 16^th 2025
Duration: approx. 7 months

Thermoplastic tapes offer excellent mechanical properties compared to short- or long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics (SGF, LGF). In particular, glass fiber tapes have already reached a cost level comparable to GF compounds. Carbon fiber tapes, however, still come with a significant cost premium—both compared to CF and especially to GF compounds. In addition to their established use in laminates, thermoplastic tapes can also be selectively integrated in small fractions into injection- and press-molded parts. It has been proven that local reinforcement with just a few percent of tapes leads to significant cost, weight, and CO₂ footprint reduction all without requiring changes to existing production systems. Additionally, this technology supports the use of recycled materials, facilitating compliance with recycling regulations. Together with partners, AZL has developed an method to verify the application‘s suitability to foster the benefits of the technology.

What you‘ll get:

Insights into the quantified impact of local tape reinforcements on cost, weight and CO₂ footprint for high volume applications manufactured today by injection- and press-moulding. Structural and non-structural applications across all industries, from home appliances to automotive. Usage in the context of design with recycling.

• WP1: Market analysis for short-/longfiber reinforced high volume parts, screening and rating of candidates.
• WP2: Re-design of a large number of candidates including detailed part and process engineering, evaluation of KPI‘s.

⏬ Download the flyer

If you are interested and would like to receive more information, please get in touch with:

Philipp Fröhlig
Head of Industrial Services | AZL Aachen GmbH
Phone: +49 241 475 735 14
Mobile: +49 176 80488799
Email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de

Development and benchmarking of design for-manufacturing-strategies to optimisematerial efficiency and cost

Kick-off: July 16^th 2025
Duration: approx. 9 months

Hydrogen Pressure Vessels for mobile and stationary applications offer a huge economic potential for the composite value chain. Due to higher demands for material recyclability and advantages in production, a large interest in substituting thermoset by thermoplastic resins exists. A compensation of the higher material costs is only possible, when rethinking the design and manufacturing strategies. Processing options offered by thermoplastic composites can lead to new highly efficient designs and better utilization of these valuable materials, and by that reduce cost- and increase storage efficiency.

What will you get?

Expert assessment and evaluation of Design for Manufacturing Strategies for Pressure Vessels based on thermoplastic resins. Cylindrical and non-cylindrical designs will be coverd.

• WP1: Screening of research landscape and market situation for thermoplastic pressure vessels for mobile and stationary applications (gas storage, transportation, utilization – vehicles, aerospace, industrial, energy).
• WP2: Development of alternative designs and manufacturing sequences for (sub) components/sections of thermoplastic type 4 and type 5 pressure vessels in a concurrent engineering approach. Technologies concerned e.g. winding, ATL, patching, fiber steering, braiding, forming, compression moulding, injection moulding, glueing, welding, tapes, LFT, sheets,…
• WP3: Cost- and performance benchmarking of the analysed strategies

Download the flyer

If you are interested and would like to receive more information, please get in touch with:

Philipp Fröhlig
Head of Industrial Services | AZL Aachen GmbH
Phone: +49 241 475 735 14
Mobile: +49 176 80488799
Email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.dewil