Moving in new directions. Thinking outside the box. Doing things that have never been done before. This bold approach earned Applications Specialist Mike Blake the President’s Award 2021, the highest honor that Automotive Sales bestows each year.
Flame barriers and fire protection play an important role in electric mobility. With the patented pressure compensation valve DIAvent and with heat shields, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) is already ensuring the safety of battery systems. The right seals can also make electric vehicles safer by sealing off the gases generated in the event of a “thermal runaway,” to cite just one example.
Blake began the development work on these types of seals and marketed them successfully in the first customer projects. “This was challenging because there were no seals like these in the auto sector. There was no division or Lead Center focused on these kinds of products in automotive either. These are new materials and new vehicle applications that have vague or unknown product requirements,” Blake said.
Substantial support came from the aviation experts in Tillsonburg’s business unit. After all, safety and fire protection are also top priorities when the travel takes place at high altitude. Blake praised the level of cooperation with the Canadian facility. “They are amazing to work with and extremely talented and knowledgeable. So was the T&I team in Plymouth that helped create materials and test stands to make these products possible.”
When asked about future prospects for the products, Blake cited a number of major automakers. The President’s Award is recognition of that.
