Freudenberg has acquired activities of Frictins GmbH from Wolnzach including its technology to increase the friction coefficient. This allows lightweight, more compact component designs and transmission of upto 5-times higher torque and shear forces. The features are useful for applications within e-mobility and its requirements for connection of parts.

"In the future, Freudenberg will offer the global automotive industry a cost-efficient, hard-particle coated nonwoven solution – ideally suited for the realisation of new powertrain designs and lightweight concepts," said Dr. Frank Heislitz, CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials.

The technology combines a unique hard-particle coating process with a special nonwoven from Freudenberg. It is utilised by automotive manufacturers and suppliers in engine, chassis and powertrain applications. It generates an increase of the friction coefficient up to a factor of 8. This allows for a significant improvement in the performance of screw joints and press fits. By increasing the friction coefficient in such a way, many new and innovative material combinations become possible.

Currently, the products are manufactured in pilot production scale in a facility near Munich (Wolnzach), Germany. Freudenberg has acquired all assets and will set up an industrial scale production within the next few months.

The patent pending solution is using a multi-step-process to coat hard particles in various dimensions onto the surface of a special nonwoven. When applied in the friction joint, the hard particles penetrate into both parts of the joining components and create a micro interlock. Compared to existing technologies on the market, Frictins’ technology offers a greater flexibility in the design process, e.g due to lower material thickness, while also providing a much higher friction coefficient. By using 100 per cent inert materials, this new technology cannot cause any corrosion between the joining parts.

The Frictins technology has already won two awards: The German Innovation Award from the German Design Council in 2018 as well as the Materialica Design and Technology Award in 2017.

Freudenberg Performance Materials is a leading global manufacturer of innovative technical textiles offering differentiated value propositions to a broad range of markets and applications such as apparel, automotive, building materials, energy, filter media, healthcare, hygiene, building interiors, shoe and leather goods as well as specialties.