BONN, GERMANY (August, 2021) – Kautex Textron GmbH & Co., KG (Kautex), a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced plans to expand production capabilities at its plant in Pinghu, China with the recent purchase of a direct-long-fiber thermoplastic molding line including a 5,500-ton press. The production line will produce Kautex’s latest automotive innovation, the Pentatonic battery system.
Pentatonic is a lightweight, customizable battery system solution for hybrid and full-electric vehicles manufactured from thermoplastic composites or composite-metal hybrid materials. The system’s one-shot production process enables structural and thermal management components to be integrated directly into the plastic shell, simplifying the bill of material and reducing the need for additional manufacturing steps.
Customer sampling activities on the new Pinghu line are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022, and the company anticipates that it will support more than 5 local customers.
“Kautex is committed to providing innovative solutions to our customers at all stages of their journey to electrification,” said Felix Haas, director, Pentatonic product development. “The addition of this new production line is a critical step forward in our preparation to design and produce battery systems for customers in China.”
“We are pleased that Pinghu has been selected as the first site for this important expansion,” said Wayne Shen, Kautex’s president, Asia and vice president, China customer business unit. “Kautex’s first compression molding production line complements the additional investments we have made in Pinghu, including our forthcoming Asia Tech Center that will house e-mobility and fuel test technologies. The team in Pinghu is proud to represent Kautex as it expands its capabilities to compete in the emerging EV segment.”
