Shanghai. Evonik has announced the opening of its PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab during an inaugural ceremony at the CHINAPLAS international exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry. Built to serve the needs of major Chinese and Asian markets, the lab will focus on research and innovation for polyether ether ketone (PEEK) powder-based applications for electric motors, especially for new energy vehicles , which are hybrid-electric or fully electric-drive vehicles, and constitute a growing segment of the regional and global automotive market.
“The NEV industry chain in China and across Asia Pacific is rapidly moving upmarket and globalizing, raising the bar for performance limits and delivery speed of critical materials,” said Jinhong Zhang, Vice President and General Manager of Evonik’s Asia-Pacific region, High Performance Polymers business line. “This lab will support our work with partners to advance the large-scale adoption of VESTAKEEP® PEEK solutions in electric-drive systems, magnet wires, and equipment. The aim is to further develop our range of VESTAKEEP® PEEK solutions to withstand even higher temperatures, higher voltages, and more demanding operating conditions—and as such, provide strong support for improved efficiency and enhanced reliability of NEV electric-drive systems.”
Among other tasks, the Evonik PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab will focus on key technical challenges in magnet wire applications, including processing-parameter optimization, coating-structure design, improved adhesion performance, and control of dimensions and concentricity. In collaboration with third-party organizations, the lab will carry out reliability tests on key electrical properties such as breakdown voltage (BDV), partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV), corona resistance, and oil-aging resistance, providing material assurance for safe, long-term operation of NEV electric-drive systems. The lab will also be used for sample preparation, validation of new PEEK formulations, and benchmarking against standard products, helping customers accelerate new product development and qualification.
As NEV drive systems evolve toward higher power density, higher efficiency, and greater reliability, magnet wires used in motors place increasingly stringent requirements on heat resistance, electrical performance, and long-term stability of insulation materials.
“By establishing this magnet wire application laboratory, Evonik lays the foundation hopes to work more closely with customers and value-chain partners,” said Felix Teng, Director of Innovation Management in Evonik’s Asia-Pacific region, High Performance Polymers business line. “Our aim is to translate the material performance advantages that VESTAKEEP® PEEK has in motor magnet wire applications into full-system solutions that can be verified through testing and scaled up for mass production.”
The Evonik PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab is set up to cover the full process chain, from copper conductor pretreatment and PEEK extrusion coating to in-line dimensional inspection and final winding. Additionally, the new pilot extrusion line uses internationally leading core components and is designed and integrated locally, combining high quality and high reliability with flexibility.
For more information on Evonik’s PEEK polymers for industrial applications, please visit: https://industrial.vestakeep.com/en.
