Freudenberg-NOK adjusting to growing electric vehicle market

BRISTOL — Employees of Freudenberg-NOK have expressed concern that the nation’s move away from fossil fuels could lead to the loss of jobs and the possible closing of plants, such as the former International Packings Corporation facility, the town’s largest employer.

The company is making changes to support alternate technology in automotive and general industries, such as energy, process seals, and chemical operations, according to Cheryl Eberwein, director of media relations. At the same time, Freudenberg “will continue to support our internal combustion engine customers through the evolution that is taking place in the automotive industry. Many of the materials and products we have developed for alternate powertrain systems can be, and have been, applied to internal combustion engines as well. So, we continue to support ICE requirements as well as requirements for new mobility vehicles.”

Freudenberg expects internal combustion engine powertrains to remain crucial in the near term. But, by 2025, the company projects that pure electric vehicles will make up a significant portion of the market. All of the major automakers announced in 2021 they hoped to have electric vehicles — including battery electric, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid vehicles — account for 40-50% of their inventory by 2030, in order to move the nation closer to a zero-emissions climate goal.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ Chief Executive Officer Claus Moehlenkamp acknowledged two years ago that the company could potentially lose 70% of its automotive sales if it did not embrace new e-mobility and fuel cell capabilities. During the 2018 Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars conference in Traverse City, Michigan, Moehlenkamp said Freudenberg, one of the world’s largest seal producers, was adopting strategic initiatives that included “internal realignment, new partnerships, technology transfer across industries, renewed investment in core competencies, and an entry into new markets and technologies.”

“Any supplier who is heavily focused on the powertrain systems derived from the internal combustion engine is at risk and will be challenged in the long run,” he said.

Freudenberg has specialized in friction-free seals and gaskets that must be re-oriented to address the unique challenges of battery-powered and fuel cell systems. Moehlenkamp said that sealing technologies which lower friction, increase power and efficiency, and address lightweight and compact design requirements will be important in an era of new mobility.

“We were in the process of transitioning to alternate fuel scenarios even before this speech, but our customers’ needs in this space were driving us to transition more rapidly with new products, engineering services, and testing,” Eberwein said.

President Joe Biden announced in September 2022 that his goal is to have 100% of new, light-duty federal vehicles be zero-emission by 2027. 

He said, in order to provide made-to-order products for electric vehicles, the company reorganized internally and is pursuing lithium-ion battery and fuel cell technologies through external partnerships.

The company established a dedicated e-mobility sales and marketing organization and expanded its product portfolio to include the unique seals necessary for thermal management, higher safety standards, electrical transfer, electromagnetic shielding, and a longer service life.

The company also established a Battery and Fuel Cell Division with an eye toward commercial trucks and buses and marine and energy industries. It acquired the Munich, Germany-based fuel cell system manufacturer Elcore, and holds a significant interest in Michigan-based XALT Energy, which develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery cells, power electronics, and battery management systems.

With the automotive industry’s evolution to alternate powertrain systems, there are more opportunities to adapt existing technologies to the challenges of electric vehicles.

Apart from a lack of charging stations, which is being addressed through the federal infrastructure act, one of the biggest challenges in the movement toward electric vehicles is the problem of what to do with the used lithium batteries. Freudenberg has been working on a separation process that allows for direct recycling of manufacturing scrap electrode materials into new battery electrodes. The process could reduce the need for the raw material used in production. Supply chains for nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide are being established, and advanced recycling could significantly reduce the volume of materials being globally shipped.

Locally, the company opened a dedicated engineering service center in Ashland. The 3,100-square-foot Ashland service center has state-of-the-art test rigs and other equipment that can track pressure, temperature, frictional torque and speed capabilities to assist in leak detection and failure analysis in seals and sealing components.

Eberwein said the company is looking for hourly employees, “as so many companies are,” and plans to transition its current workforce into new e-mobility-related manufacturing work.

One means of obtaining those new employees is a newly formed partnership with the Newfound Area School District to sponsor a career day and have students visit the Bristol plant. Freudenberg also provides financial support to Newfound Regional High School’s robotics program, and is working with Lakes Region Community College and ApprenticeshipNH to develop a curriculum that provides essential skills for today’s manufacturing needs.

In addition to the Ashland and Bristol plants, Freudenberg-NOK operates manufacturing facilities in Manchester and Northfield, making it the largest employer in the entire Granite State.