Automotive and Electric Vehicles

Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories produces an extensive range of sustainable, adaptable refractory solutions for the automotive industry, with a focus on electric vehicles and equipment such as ceramic rollers, vessels, plates, saggers and furnace components used in the production of materials like CAM powder for car batteries and in the hot-forming process.

Electric Vehicles

We offer a range of solutions for the electric vehicle (EV) industry and deliver products for the thermal processing of lithium battery powder and the production of specialized metal components; sustainable and long-lasting rollers and saggers provide excellent resistance against product contamination and pollution.

Rollers for CAM production

Saint-Gobain plays a key role in the EV battery supply chain. We support battery manufacturers and producers of cathode active material (CAM) powder for electric vehicles, whether NMC, LFP, NCA, or other specialized formulations. The selection and optimized production of the most appropriate cathode active materials increases the performance and structure of batteries, extends service life, and improves safety levels. Leading industry players produce CAM powder in specialized high-temperature furnaces in a challenging, and sometimes corrosive, environment. This is where Saint-Gobain brings value to the process.

Our silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic rollers are ideal for use in furnaces where production rates, product quality, and minimized downtime/interruptions are crucial. Using advanced silicon materials enables the reliable production of the most effective and dependable products necessary for lithium-ion car batteries.

In short, Saint-Gobain develops products that bring maximized value to the components that car battery manufacturers require. As such, we must provide these at the highest quality.

Saggers for CAM production

Additionally, we are involved in sagger production for CAM powder sintering and processing. Our ceramic saggers protect CAM powders from contamination, which would otherwise impact the performance and safety final li-ion batteries, while improving heat transfer uniformity (final product consistency). Our unique, drop-in design supports increased throughput while reducing early failure due to thermal shock, increasing the average lifetime of the sagger. Ultimately, use of Saint-Gobain saggers result in increased CAM product quality, consistency, and throughput while reducing the overall energy use of the process and ceramic waste streams through increased cycle life.

Hot Forming Rollers

Our specialty advanced ceramic products and advanced silicon carbide materials are seen as the industry benchmark in solving a range of processing challenges from chemical processing to heat exchangers, sandblasting to semiconductor wafer processing. For the automotive industry, we leverage our vast ceramic materials portfolio to manufacture the rollers used inside furnaces and kilns to provide outstanding shape stability, thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, defined flatness, and surface finish.

We maximize the sustainability of our products through an optional proprietary retake and refurbishment process, reducing the cost to the user and minimizing the raw ceramic material required to support production. These are all features that make this material an ideal solution for the automotive market.

What are the advantages of employing LO-MASS® kiln furniture in DPF, filter and substrate manufacturing?

Employing LO-MASS^® components in the firing of diesel particulate filters (DPF) and automotive substrates can significantly reduce costs. LO-MASS^® components increase productivity for DPF, filters and substrate manufacturing while reducing energy consumption; while the production of thin, lightweight plates and profiles provides more efficient utilization of the furnace and maximum cost benefit per kiln unit.

Its high mechanical strength at high temperature allows a high load of filters per plate, as well as the potential to design an energy saving system.

In addition to offering increased strength and output, LO-MASS^® components provide the sustainability every company strives for. Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories is the industry leader in the development of silicon carbide materials, which are resistant to oxidation at higher temperatures.

Kiln furniture for use in the manufacture of DPF, filters and substrates is primarily based on Advancer^®, N-Durance^® or Hexoloy^® materials. These products offer excellent performance and chemical resistance to the fired product.

Leveraging the power of the proprietary KilnWorks^® custom analysis software, Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories’ engineers can design and develop kiln furniture ideal for the customer’s specific application.

When given a choice between traditional or LO-MASS^® kiln furniture, LO-MASS^® silicon carbide components are the obvious choice.