It is not a new realization that all the heat that a motor and its systems produce must also be dissipated again. But the specific requirements have become much more complex. In modern high-tech drives, for example, the average operating temperature must be permanently low or, in particular, regulated. Increased temperatures can affect the exhaust gas level, which in turn can lead to faulty engine control.

For engines that generate little heat themselves, the system must heat the occupants in winter and cool them in summer. Not to mention that perfectly functioning engine temperature control can result in CO2 savings of up to 4%. All of these factors require an intelligent thermal management system. Added to this is the demand for higher performance and efficiency with less installation space.

For a long time, we have been focusing on developing and optimizing these system requirements. Thermostats, and more recently thermal management modules found in the modern combustion engines, provide this temperature regulating function. These components consist of plastic-made housings required to sustain significant long-term mechanical loads as well as being resistant to chemical attacks from the coolant (water-glycol).

Plastic components that carry the water-glycol in these systems need to offer properties required to cope with the long-term exposure to this medium. In case of electric vehicles (EVs), the temperature control (i.e. of the battery system) is also of paramount importance, both for efficiency and safety reasons.

While classic designs are developed for extreme heat and vibration loads, they often have little ability to withstand the unusual situations that most engines face during their lifetime.