CeramTec showcases its ceramics for electromobility at eMove360°
CeramTec Group, Plochingen, Germany, showcased its solutions for electromobility at eMove360°, an international trade fair for Mobility 4.0. The event, which took place from October 17-19, 2017, in Munich, Germany, featured innovations in connected and autonomous driving, urban mobility and vehicle design. CeramTec demonstrated key ways in which ceramic materials are taking on a key role in innovative drive concepts. The company presented advanced ceramic components for use in fuel cells, systems for generating, transmitting, storing and distributing energy, and in power electronics and temperature management.
Ceramic materials are distinguished by their mechanical strength and tribological properties, as well as their electrical insulation and thermal conductivity. This enables ceramic components to be applied in areas in which traditional materials such as metals and plastics have limited suitability. Ceramics also offer resistance to changes in temperature, chemicals and corrosion. CeramTec processes a wide range of materials and combinations of properties, making it possible to offer customised solutions across the entire spectrum of e-mobility, including for automobiles, electric bicycles and electric motorbikes.
CeramTec uses piezoceramics in the production of very small ceramic components which, it states, are already widely used in the automotive industry. Piezoceramic parts generate an electrical charge when mechanically deformed, and are also capable of converting electrical signals into mechanical movement or vibration. As a result, they can be used in sensor and actuators, in power transducers or in intelligent engine management systems, among other applications. They also play an important role in safety applications such as distance sensors, parking aids and airbags.
CeramCool®, CeramTec’s air or fluid heat-sinks, are used to enable drives in electric vehicles to deliver the highest possible electrical power. The challenge here lies in controlling this power on the smallest of spaces, consistently and reliably over long periods of time. The surrounding temperature plays an important role; CeramCool air or fluid heat-sinks present extremely low thermal resistance during cooling, while at the same time possessing electrical insulation. This is also reported to make CeramCool suitable for use in applications such as thermal management for batteries, voltage converters, drive control systems or braking energy recovery.
Acquisition by BC Partners
CeramTec Group was recently acquired by a consortium led by funds advised by private equity firm BC Partners. The consortium, in which the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan both hold a stake, reached an agreement to acquire CeramTec Group from its current owner, Cinven.
Henri Steinmetz, CEO of CeramTec, commented on the transaction, “We are delighted to welcome the BC Partners-led consortium as our new owners. Over the past four years, we have invested substantially in our operations and our people. We have doubled our ceramic implant capacity in Marktredwitz, we have simplified the organisational set-up and we have created a leading platform in piezoceramics with a UK acquisition.”
“In partnership with Cinven, we have started our journey from a German-centric technology leader towards a true global market leader. We are looking forward to continuing on this journey together with our new owners,” he concluded.
Stefan Zuschke, Managing Partner of BC Partners, stated, “We believe CeramTec has great potential to achieve profitable and sustainable growth, both organically and through acquisitions, and we look forward to working together with the company’s management team and its employees.” The acquisition is subject to approval by anti-trust and foreign investment authorities.
