Cymat announces progression to prototypes and testing for automotive components

MISSISSAUGA — Cymat Technologies Ltd. announces that it has commenced with the production of prototype automotive components to be followed by physical impact testing for an electric vehicle manufacturer.

Cymat has been working with this OEM for almost a year to develop a composite solution for the underside impact protection of a new electric vehicle’s (EV) battery enclosure. The traditional industry solution has been a reinforced, high-strength steel plate. The OEM engaged Cymat when its own solution, a machined high-strength steel plate, failed to meet its testing criteria. Cymat, together with its design partner, Tesseract Structural Innovations, Inc. (Tesseract), has developed an advanced aluminum foam sandwich structure featuring an ultra-thin version of high density SmartMetalTM aluminum foam.

The component is engineered to protect the battery box from an impact force of 120 joules from an object the size of a trailer hitch ball which is equivalent to a collision at 48 miles per hour. Cymat’s design reportedly offers a slim profile that is 40% lighter and more economical than the traditional steel solution. Lightweighting is critical in EVs as a vehicle’s range is directly proportional to its mass.

Cymat and Tesseract have designed the component utilizing computerized simulations performed by an independent laboratory. These simulations have illustrated that this component exceeds the OEM’s rigorous standards for impact protection. The next phase physical impact testing is intended to further validate these simulation results. Upon the successful completion of these tests, Cymat anticipates that it will commence negotiations with the OEM to manufacture the component for the new electric vehicle, scheduled to be launched in late 2024/early 2025.

Cymat has exclusive ownership of this design concept, which has relevance to virtually all other electric vehicle battery enclosures. The Company intends to utilize these test results, including high-speed video of the component’s performance, to market its design to other electric vehicle OEMs and parts manufacturers.

Cymat’s CEO Michael Liik commented, “This is the first time that Cymat has advanced to the prototyping and physical crash-testing stage with an automotive OEM.” He went on to say,” I am particularly excited about the ability to market this innovative design concept to other automotive companies and parts suppliers who are all faced with the same battery enclosure challenges.” He added, “This development further validates our strategy of focusing on developing technology to enhance the performance of battery enclosures for electric vehicles, an area still very much in its infancy.”