Customer
A leading U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer.
Application
Sealing and testing VDA coolant connections on batteries, motors and inverters.
Challenge
The customer needed multiple solutions for the same type of port due to clearance constraints and testing requirements. One application was not easily accessible by a human operator. The other, where they are testing thermal dynamic loops, required a manual quick connector.
Project Goals
- Create durable, fast, repeatable, and accurate solutions.
- Create a connection that could be mounted and pneumatically actuated.
- Create a connection that allows the operator to make quick and seamless connection by hand
Solution
The FasTest engineering team worked directly with the customer to develop the new VDAP connection tool, a pneumatically operated fully automated connector that can be mounted on an actuator to be used without any human intervention. The automated connector also includes FasTest’s ICON technology that gives a visual green light verification that gives the engineer visual feedback that a proper and safe connection has been made. This tool also allows the customer to collect valuable point of connection test data. In the manual setting FasTest developed its VDAM connection tool which allows the operator to make quick and seamless connection by hand to any VDA port commonly found on batteries, motors, and inverters.
Results
As a result of integrating this technology the customer was able to conduct their testing and filling applications more efficiently, accurately, and safely. The customer experienced a significant process improvement over their prior method which overall increase their product quality and production rate.
