Replacing conventional aluminium and rubber systems on liquid and suction refrigerant lines, TPRL’s multilayer polymer construction offers up to a 60% weight saving, making it ideally suited to the needs of vehicle electrification.
Drawing upon 30 years’ experience of multilayer tube design and extrusion, TI Fluid Systems has developed TPRL to meet customers’ performance requirements while being flexible, light and cost-effective. It uses a combination of materials to yield optimal refrigerant resistance on the inside of the line, while materials on the outside of the line ensure it is resistant to environmental exposure.
Unlike conventional aluminium and rubber refrigerant lines, which are made up of several smaller tubes joined together using a crimp assembly process, TPRL eliminates the rubber hose and crimp assembly components, which helps to achieve weight savings. It is also claimed to lead to improved system efficiency and lower risk of leakage, which tends to occur at the joint between two components.
TI Fluid Systems says that these combined product benefits position TPRL within the electric vehicle (EV) segment, where lightweighting is crucial to the overall efficiency and performance of the vehicle. As such, TPRL is expected to be of significant interest to global vehicle manufacturers across the sector and has already been specified by one for its next generation EV.
Replacing the conventional aluminium and rubber components with thermoplastics is said to be significantly less energy-intensive than that of aluminium lines, while it is also safer to manufacture than an equivalent rubber and aluminium solution.
Hans Dieltjens, President and CEO of TI Fluid Systems, said: “Our new TPRL technology is a leading development in the market and is a direct result of our Take the Turn electrification strategy. This development is a testament to our expertise and innovation in fluid handling for refrigeration, validated by the high level of interest shown by OEMs to adopt this economical and weight saving technology.”
TI Fluid Systems’ Take The Turn strategy will see the business enhance its EV capabilities in line with customer demand and deliver flexible systems that are more economical and energy efficient. It includes the opening of several E-Mobility Innovation Centers (eMICs) across the globe, the first of which was opened in Rastatt, Germany, earlier this year.
