The companies Sensor-Technik Wiedemann (STW), based in Kaufbeuren, and Isabellenhütte Heusler from Dillenburg have joined forces to develop a battery management solution for utility vehicles featuring hybrid drive technology. The two firms have now signed a co-operation agreement that will pave the way for further joint efforts in development and production of key components for electric drives.
The current trend in hybrid drive technology is the focus on efficient electrical energy storage systems. An increasingly important energy storage system in this context is the lithium-ion battery, which boasts high energy density coupled with high power density.
“For a lithium-ion battery to work efficiently, a well functioning battery management system (BMS) with precision voltage and current sensors is needed. By joining forces with Isabellenhütte, we are now working with one of the key leaders in the field of automotive current measurement. The joint development work will open up new possibilities for us“, comments Wolfgang Wiedemann, CEO of Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH who also took over as Chair of the AMA Association for Sensor Technology in mid 2009.
Sensor-Technik Wiedemann looks back on many years of experience in the development of battery management systems for automobiles. As part of its many projects, a host of utility vehicles such as compact delivery vans, small-sized lorries and buses have been fitted with hybrid drives and lithium-ion batteries.
“We are very happy about our partnership with STW, one of the key players in hybrid drive technology, and are hoping that the co-operation will help us gain further market shares in this sector,“ states Dr. Felix Heusler, Sales Director for Precision Measurement and Alloys, as well as member of the management board at Isabellenhütte Heusler.
Isabellenhütte was the first company in the world to achieve the ultra-precise measurement of current, voltage and temperature in automobiles using its ISA-ASIC sensor. The BMS is based on a sensor module (“IVT“) made by Isabellenhütte that is able to measure a minimum voltage drop across a measuring shunt in the busbar of the traction network with a high degree of precision. “Our sensor modules are 100% configurable to the user’s individual needs. Thanks to co-operation with STW in the early product development phases, we were able to fully exploit this advantage,“ adds Dr. Heusler.
About Isabellenhütte Heusler
Isabellenhütte Heusler GmbH & Co. KG has its roots in more than 500 years of metallurgy and metalworking. The first documented reference to the company is from 1482. In 1827, the company was transferred into the hands of the Heusler family.
Today, it is a global leader in the production of low-impedance precision and power resistors. In 1987, Isabellenhütte Heusler was the first company in the world to produce SMD mOhm current sensing resistors. Another global first for Isabellenhütte came about in 2002, when the company developed precision measurement technology for current, voltage and temperature measurement in automotive applications.
This success led to the creation of the most recent sector of precision measurement which designs, produces and sells measurement modules for current, voltage, resistance and temperature. The third and oldest business area includes the production of thermoelectric and resistance alloys.
The head office and production site in Dillenburg (Hesse) employs a staff of approximately 500.
About Sensor-Technik Wiedemann
Founded in 1985 by Wolfgang and Katharina Wiedemann, Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH (STW) expanded its original product range of sensors and measuring equipment to include control engineering for mobile applications in 1989. Since 2001, the company has had offices in the USA (Atlanta and Portland) and the UK (Sharnbrook), and has been involved in co-operation with numerous partners worldwide. Today, the Wiedemann Group, which is made up of STW and KMW, employs 370 staff at its HQ in Kaufbeuren/Germany alone.
In addition to sensor equipment and control engineering, STW also pursues a third business area – mobile electrical energy technology – and boasts a number of new product and technological developments in this area:
Today, customers are already fitting their vehicles and systems with STW’s drive components and electronic systems for batteries and fuel cells. In fact, STW covers all the key components that will be needed to equip state-of-the-art vehicles and mobile working machinery with electric motors and diesel-electric hybrid powertrains in the future.
Source : Wasserberg PR for Industrie & Technologie GmbH
