Lucerne, 15 June 2018 – Sekisui Alveo, European manufacturer of high-quality polyolefin foams, presents the latest application of its product Alveolen NL LV. This specially formulated foam is being used by automotive component supplier Linecross in the UK to make air ducts for the LEVC TX, the new range extended electric taxi.

The TX is the iconic black cab of London. The latest model is an advanced electrically driven vehicle equipped with a petrol range extender. Capable of transporting up to six passengers with the highest possible levels of comfort, it’s designed mainly for use in cities and therefore needs an efficient and lightweight climate control system. A sophisticated system of air ducts is required in order to distribute climatized air to key points throughout the vehicle to ensure passenger comfort.

The material of choice: Alveolen NL LV
Automotive component supplier Linecross UK is making the air duct system for the new TX. Alveolen NL LV foam was the company’s first choice for producing many of the key parts. Sekisui Alveo Business Unit Manager Thomas Ross explains why: “This material is fine tuned to the needs of twin-sheet forming companies producing air ducts for automotive applications. It offers the exceptional combination of fast heating and welding at low temperatures with high stiffness – which makes for fast and easy conversion.”

Special foam designed for automotive ducts
Alveolen NL LV was developed specifically for use in an advanced vacuum twin-sheet thermoforming process in which two layers of foam are simultaneously formed and welded into a lightweight and flexible air duct. Not only is the material optimized for vacuum forming, it complies with the automotive industry’s stringent standards for emissions, flammability, and chemical & temperature resistance. The LV designation stands for low emissions.

Technical properties
The very low thermal conductivity of Alveolen NL LV has been achieved through a combination of special resins and a high degree of material expansion. By varying the resins, thickness, and density, Sekisui Alveo can optimize its foams in terms of conversion (cycle times, deep draw, welding, assembly, etc.) and application-related properties (weight, insulation value, stiffness, acoustics, emissions, etc.). The company’s in-house Application Services Lab, specialises in testing and fine-tuning products to perfectly meet the needs of customers’ specific applications.

Foam outperforms solid plastics
Foam was chosen for key elements of the air duct system because the material offers many advantages over solid plastic traditionally used for automobile air ducts. The excellent thermal insulation of foam improves the response time of the climatecontrol system, saves heating/cooling energy, and eliminates any problems with condensation. The light weight air ducts, reduce the car’s weight, improves vehicle efficiency, and allows more payload.

Foams can be designed stiff enough to provide reliable form stability of the ducts. Because they are more flexible than rigid materials, the ducts can be squeezed and bent without being damaged during assembly. This allows foam ducts to be designed in longer pieces than solid ducts – which makes for fewer parts, easier mounting, and cost efficiency.

Quieter interiors
Noises within electric vehicles are more noticeable as they are not masked by the constant rumble of an internal combustion engine. Foam air ducts enhance the quieter ride of electric vehicles by reducing the mechanical noise of the system transmitted through the ducting (up to 5dB less than with solid ducts) and damping vibration along the duct walls. Also, there is less rattle and squeak noise from the ducting touching other components when driving, which enhances the quality of the car and comfort of passengers.

Next generation taxi
Built by LEVC using cutting-edge body structure technology widely adopted by high-end automotive, motorsport & aerospace industries, sophisticated electronics to optimize battery performance and life, and advanced materials such as Alveolen NL LV, the new TX represents the next generation of electric vehicles. Running cleaner, quieter, and smoother, it promises a premium experience for passengers.