TAU and Axalta at the literal core of e-mobility: electrical steel To perfect the curing and subsequent bonding of the magnetic steel core of electric motors and optimize process efficiency, Axalta partners its Voltatex® self-bonding enamels with Tau Industrial Robotics’ LILIT® in-line, real-time curing process control. How the lack of insight scares steel mills and punchers alike For greater sustainability, industries such as e-mobility and renewable energy are advancing the development of higher performing, lighter and more reliable motors. The optimization of the magnetic steel core of electric motors plays a crucial role in these efforts. Steel mills, punchers and motor producers require superior quality of electrical insulation to minimize so-called iron losses in the electric motor and thus guarantee its higher output power and energy efficiency. Precise control of the curing level is therefore essential but has so far been impossible. Let's have a look at the reality of two protagonists in the production of electrical steel: Frank, a steel mill operator, and Michael, a punching line operator. Frank’s day-to-day work is to ensure his team fully masters the compliance of what they produce, steel coil coated with pre-cured bonding enamels, with the quality requirements provided by his downstream customer, Michael. Michael, in turn, punches specific shapes out of the coil and stacks them using enamels to build the electric core of the motor that matches the requirements of the electric motor producers, his ultimate customers. Every day, Frank’s line produces electrical steel coils at over 70m/min. A few times each day, Frank has a small sample cut from the production and taken to the laboratory to test the curing of the applied self-bonding paint. Testing then takes a few hours, during which Frank worries about that day’s production quality. Usually it is all good and he can end his shift relieved and happily send the pre-cured coils to Michael. But then every once in a while, it is not. Then all production of the day must be assumed to be of insufficient quality and must be discarded; and Frank gets the blame for the amount of scrap and wasted resources – imagine that the length of an electric steel coil may easily exceed 10 km! Usually all goes well though, and the steel coil arrives at Michael’s punching process. Frank sent him all the specs with the compliance report – so far so good. Michael adjusts his line to these specs and now punches the desired shapes from the coil. To build the magnetic core of the motor, the punched shapes are stacked one over the other like a layered cake (where the cream is the insulating varnish) and baked in a curing oven. But today, when he tests one of the cores they produce, Michael realizes that it doesn’t have the required strength. The bonding hasn’t really worked – the curing level of at least some parts of the incoming coil must have been different to what Frank’s specs said. As a result, the magnetic cores are under or over-cured and will not comply with the specifications of the motor producer. When an upset Michael then gets on the phone with Frank to complain about the curing defects, an embarrassed Frank replies “Look, Michael, I really tested as often as I could in the laboratory and you know it is usually all fine – I wish I could test 100% of our production, but I just don’t know how!” Axalta and TAU partner up to get the most out of electrical steel coating Axalta’s self-bonding paint is actually a brilliant concept: Voltatex®, this new, one-component, self-bonding varnish, allows the creation of a seamless magnetic core without any defects to the lamination stacks. Since the self-bonded magnetic core is more rigid and mechanically firmer, it provides better heat dissipation, prevents the generation of harmful eddy currents – localized electric currents that damage the efficiency of the iron core – and eliminates humming noise, which happens when steel laminations are poorly joined. So far so good. The tricky issue is that the correct curing window for the self-bonded core sheet has very limited tolerances: an under-cured varnish can be squeezed out of the stacking, while the over-cured varnish might no longer bond the laminations. An optimized, uniform curing level and process control is thus paramount. LILIT® now delivers just that: a peace-of-mind curing control in real-time, in-line and non-destructive – at the steel mill and at the punching line. It uses ordinary spectroscopy but jacked up with industry 4.0 artificial intelligence data analysis to identify relevant inconsistencies and defects of the coating. This allows Frank and Michael to set correctly or adjust their production parameters according to the target product specifications. It minimizes the possibility of poorly cured self-bonding composites and provides accurate insight (more than 95 percent) into the electrical steel coil coating. No more time-consuming and destructive laboratory tests. And thanks to Axalta and Tau, Frank, Michael and the electric motor producer are happy with the motor cores of bonded stacks made out of steel coil. Shedding light on curing of self-bonding paint – making it work Every steel mill and every puncher have their individual process requirements for the core sheet manufacturing, stacking and laminations. So tailoring is key. It consists of three steps: installation, calibration and education. For installation, TAU engineers come on-site to work hand-in-hand with the plant’s process operators. After evaluating the premises and addressing the real operational and environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, luminosity), they indicate the right positioning for LILIT® and propose an optimal architecture of the process. The installation is then easily done by TAU within days depending on the number of control channels the user wants to run simultaneously. Electrical and network connections are provided by the plant operators. The LILIT® itself is just the size of a larger shoebox. “Simplicity aligned with performance are the key aspects of how we try to upgrade the existing test reality. Our intention was to bring to life an automated process assessment and reporting tool with artificial intelligence capabilities that could continuously analyze operational data of curing to provide a concrete action for the electrical steel value chain – contributing to peace-of-mind of operators”, says Piero Degasperi, TAU’s CTO. LILIT® relies on contactless spectrometric analysis to detect fluctuations in the curing level of self-bonding varnishes. The position of the probe must be as precise as possible. TAU work on-site until such precise calibration is complete and the probe firmly attached with the supporting holder. Nominal production parameters like core sheet speed, oven temperature and ventilation for the selected Axalta Voltatex® varnish are set up by the user. TAU engineer selects this signal as a reference spectrum. The acquired spectrum of one line can later be used for further channels in case of multi-channels installations. The education step is the speed-run: LILIT® is taught how to define whether the polymeric surface is undercured, overcured or just properly cured. This is done in close collaboration with the user’s quality department. From a range of curing samples for each type of Voltatex®, LILIT® can learn the qualitative difference between good and bad curing level of the core sheet. The system is now fully operational and able to identify relevant coating inconsistencies and repetitive defects in real time. Any minimal variation from the target characteristics will be recognized in less than 15 seconds and result in a call for corrective action by the user. Incoming quality values are continuously correlated through the AI engine – and all this without any physical interference or damage caused while testing. LILIT® is capable of quality tracking on both fixed and moving surfaces assessing coating uniformity across the entire coil. Immediate feedback reduces start-up time e.g. after varnish changes or coil changes. Crucially, operators can use cloud-based remote access to get comprehensive, real-time insight into their production flow within selected period of time and have access to it anytime and anywhere! Its operating software is aimed at simplifying production process management and quality control by providing ongoing but lightweight feedback on curing characterization. It generates values online and creates visualized data reporting that can be automatically clustered, backed up and filed. Once operational, the system’s ongoing machine learning based on the operational data assists the steel mill or the puncher to improve curing processes and eventually allows predictive suggestions for production adjustments, coil changing, maintenance activities or general planning. “Our joint industry innovation efforts for electric mobility and renewable energy are aimed at delivering higher quality motors with reduced resource consumption and higher productivity, moving from traditional to a sustainable and smarter manufacturing. To simplify the work life of operators is at the core of what we do”, say Axalta’s Global Manager Electrical Steel Coatings Andreas Vendler and Tau’s CCO Filippo Veglia.

Electric mobility and advanced materials venture to accelerate product development and strengthen team Turin/Berlin/Wesel, March 4, 2020 – Turin-based e-mobility and advanced materials venture Tau has secured a €4.5m series A equity investment by the corporate venture arm of ALTANA Group, the German specialty chemicals company. The visit of Tau R&D site in Turin in July, 2019 “We are excited about welcoming ALTANA Group as an additional investor who shares our vision for the core of e-mobility by achieving the transition of wire coating towards a sustainable process and by delivering disruptive change in form of next generation technologies and high-performance materials”, says Dr Daniel Rutz, Chief Development Officer of Tau. Tau’s proprietary DryCycle® and LILIT® technologies meet the demands of electrical automotive engineering for ever smaller, lighter and yet more powerful and reliable electric motors. DryCycle technology offers higher performance, greater sustainability and stronger reliability in wire enamelling. By using only solvent-free polymers, DryCycle reduces the production of harmful VOC during the coating process and lowers carbon dioxide emissions. “We at Tau believe in bringing peace-of-mind to different stakeholders in electric mobility”, explains Francesco Taiariol, Tau’s CEO and co-founder. “To the rapidly changing electric vehicles producers, we bring the electrical, mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance that they demand. Think of high voltage, SiC powered, partial discharge and high filling factor for electric drive trains. To production process operators, we bring simplicity, flexibility in terms of rectangular, square or round geometries, state-of-the-art controls, the elimination of harmful substances and the reduction of scrap that they crave for. And to our children, we bring a minimized carbon footprint, a generally sustainable use of resources and an overall contribution to the change that we all think is necessary.” ALTANA’s division ELANTAS, a global market leader in the field of enamels, will help accelerate Tau’s product development and contribute their knowledge and experience in the synthesis and analysis of polymers used as electrical insulation materials. “Tau’s technological solutions are spot-on with the increasing demand by electric mobility for higher performance wire, and we are excited to work with them. The investment reflects our continuous desire to be at the forefront of innovation and to embrace change towards sustainability. Our collaboration with Tau will contribute to our ability to assist our customers’ transition to greener and more efficient processes”, says Volker Mansfeld, Head of Business Development of ALTANA AG. The series A financing builds upon Tau’s rapidly growing momentum with product development and with automotive and energy OEM & tier 1 suppliers. As part of the transaction, ALTANA AG invests up to €4.5 million for a minority stake and a board seat, and its division ELANTAS enters a joint development agreement with the venture. About Tau Tau brings unparalleled performance, sustainability & reliability to the core of electric motors. Focused on applications for automotive, energy and agriculture, Tau makes protective coatings for copper, aluminium and steel wire more durable, resistant and light, optimizes underlying production processes for environmental friendliness, pairs artificial intelligence with peace-of-mind operating simplicity, and incubates exciting technologies such as in smart sensors. Tau has some 35 employees across offices in Turin (Italy) & Berlin (Germany). For more information, visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About ALTANA ALTANA is a global leader in true specialty chemicals. The Group offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions for coating manufacturers, paint & plastics processors, the printing & packaging industries, the cosmetics sector and the electrical & electronics industry. The product range includes additives, special coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins & varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments. ALTANA's four divisions, BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS, and ACTEGA, all occupy leading market positions with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation and service. Headquartered in Wesel, Germany, the ALTANA Group has about 6,400 people, 47 production facilities and 60 service and research laboratories worldwide. In 2018, ALTANA achieved sales of €2.3 billion, about 7 percent of which are invested in research and development every year. Its high earning power and high growth rate make ALTANA one of the most innovative, fastest growing, and profitable chemical companies in the world. www.altana.com

OEM and Tier 1 to use Tau’s carbon-conscious high-performance wire in electric motor development Turin/Berlin, 22 July 2021 – Coinciding with the milestone of delivering prototype winding wire to the automotive industry, Tau concluded its financing round with additional funding from Finindus, a Belgium-based investment company financed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region, and a top-up by German specialty chemicals company ALTANA. Tau develops high-performance wire that combines minimized partial discharge, high filling factors, greater temperature resistance, high-voltage and frequency optimization. This enables global producers of electric motors, cars, buses, trucks and aircraft to double the power output of future traction motors while keeping their size. “Years of research have allowed us to be developing coated metal wires and sustainable manufacturing technologies with a radically reduced environmental footprint. Our fast-growing team of electrical, chemical, quality and mechanical engineers relentlessly optimizes our processes with exciting new polymers and data analytics from production to achieve our goal to set the new global standard for wire coating”, says Piero Degasperi, Tau’s CTO and co-founder. Tau’s DryCycle® solvent-free process eliminates emissions of harmful volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases, and minimizes the use of resources, energy consumption and waste. LILIT® controls the insulation quality of winding wire and electrical steel. “Enabling transformational change essential to decarbonize energy requires a sustainable mindset for all our stakeholders: employees and their families, customers, suppliers, investors and nature. For Tau this means creating solutions for the electrification of transport and industry as well as embracing environmental responsibility, ethical leadership, personal growth and continuous learning”, explains Daniel Rutz, CDO of Tau. Finindus joins the existing investor group including ALTANA, the leading sovereign wealth funds of the Middle East and other individual and financial investors. “Tau’s dry coating technology offers the ability to apply coating systems of diverse chemistries in an environmentally friendly way on metal wires with advanced geometries. This has the potential to unlock significant performance for electric motors especially in e-mobility applications”, confirms Hans Maenhout, Investment Director at Finindus. About Tau Tau is a technology and sustainable manufacturing company at the core of the electrification of transport and decarbonization of energy. Its research, development, incubation and patented technologies pair environmental responsibility with superior performance and peace-of-mind operating simplicity. Tau focuses on carbon-conscious protective coatings for high-performance and standard copper, aluminium and steel wires. Tau has offices in Turin (Italy) & Berlin (Germany). Visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Finindus Finindus is a Belgium based investment company funded by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region and is linked to OCAS, a world class metal research centre with campuses in Zelzate and Zwijnaarde (Belgium). Finindus provides early stage and growth financing to innovative technology companies active in the field of materials (including material processing), sustainable manufacturing and industry 4.0. Finindus invests across Europe, with Flanders as a home base and sweet spot, and across the globe for investment opportunities in technologies at the centre of our core domains and in line with the strategic interests and areas of expertise of our shareholders. www.finindus.be

On February 22-24, Tau took part in the 9th Advanced E-Motor Technology Conference in Berlin to discuss the emerging electric motor technologies and the global trends in e-mobility industry. The market for electric vehicles continues to grow. What’s missing are the next generation technologies to advance electric driving. One of the most awaited topics of the conference covered some of the relevant strategies for future electrical motors and possible innovations through higher operating voltage in powertrains, improved resistance and power efficiency. It was said that shifting towards 800-1600 Volt motors could be the breakthrough that would finally allow electric vehicles to be charged faster and go further on one charge. Expectations are also changing in terms of the physical aspects of electric motors and their components. There is now greater importance placed on reduced weight and design optimization including insulations and use of alternative materials. “I was very happy to be a part of a network that is changing mobility and glad to ascertain the strong positioning of Tau’s customer value proposition. In the end I would like to thank IQPC for the flawless organization and the opportunity to finally meet peers in person after two years of pandemic limitations”, says Filippo Veglia, co-founder and CSO of Tau. In addition, Tau’s high-performance magnet wire for transport electrification has attracted great interest from different players including OEMs, Tier1 and Tier2 companies during the networking sessions. The dielectric performances way above any competing wire and the highest thermal class in the market make Tau’s wire the perfect fit for e-mobility. This, in fact, helps reducing the size of motors along with optimizing their efficiency. Smaller and lighter motors will allow to have additional space for batteries. Mr. Veglia said that Tau will continue the discussion on potential cooperation and supply of its magnet wire to become the de facto standard in winding industry. About Tau Tau is a technology and sustainable manufacturing company at the core of the electrification of transport and decarbonization of energy. Its research, development and incubation have resulted in patented technologies that pair environmental responsibility with superior performance and peace-of-mind operating simplicity. Tau focuses on carbon-conscious protective coatings for high-performance and standard copper, aluminium and steel wires. Tau has offices in Turin (Italy) & Berlin (Germany). Visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Automotive IQ Automotive IQ is a web-based global community of industry professionals, automotive experts and senior decision makers. Our exclusive insights, news and trend spotting is shared to our members through presentations, articles, webinars, reports and more, enabling solution providers to demonstrate year-round thought leadership in specific automotive areas in a cost- and time-effective way. For more information visit www.automotive-iq.com/

On September 22-23, Tau featured its high-performance magnet wire for e-mobility at Coiltech 2021 in Pordenone, preparing to build electric motors that are twice more powerful than current models. Disruptions towards sustainable manufacturing are impacting the automotive industry. The demands of e-mobility have triggered a rethink of electric motor designs and technologies. Largely unchanged for decades owing to the limits in conductor performance, electric motors have now moved into the focus of engineers who work to develop the next generation of electric motors. On top of their wish list: winding wire with unparalleled performance that has the potential to unlock massive performance for electric motors especially for transport electrification. After several years of research, Tau has unveiled the next generation magnet wire with such superior performance. Last week Tau premiered its DryCycle®️ magnet wire for e-mobility and grid applications at the Coiltech Italia 2021 fair in Pordenone. In a continued effort to move forward electric machine technology, Tau wire was designed to make motors twice as powerful, reducing its size and weight and allowing significant increases of operating voltage, frequencies and temperatures. It features partial discharge resistance that is up to 5 times higher compared to standard magnet wire and superior to wire currently used for motors in electric vehicles. “The e-car of the future will be faster, more comfortable, cheaper and with a longer range than petrol ones. To do so every electric component need to step-up. We are proposing a dramatically better magnet wire and are ready for this step”, says Filippo Veglia, co-founder and CSO of Tau. Although electric transport is a step towards sustainability, the underlying manufacturing processes have still an impact on climate and thus represent another challenge. To make it greener, Tau was guided by resource efficiency and low-carbon principles when creating its DryCycle coating process. Its strict use of solvent-free polymers eliminates the emission of harmful VOC, while a simplified production minimizes the use of resources and reduces energy consumption and waste. Tau underscored its seriousness about electrification - among the priorities of the company is the further development of grid wire for renewable energy generation. But ultimately, Veglia said, the company also wants to elevate every day of domestic life in a smaller, but not less exciting application – wire for smart home appliances. To see the very latest technologies designed for the winding industry, visit Coiltech Deutschland 2022 in Ulm on April 6-7, where Tau will be exhibiting at Booth 6-D36. About Tau Tau is a technology and sustainable manufacturing company at the core of the electrification of transport and decarbonization of energy. Its research, development and incubation have resulted in patented technologies that pair environmental responsibility with superior performance and peace-of-mind operating simplicity. Tau focuses on carbon-conscious protective coatings for high-performance and standard copper, aluminium and steel wires. Tau has offices in Turin (Italy) & Berlin (Germany). Visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Coiltech Coiltech Italia is an annual international exhibition for the coil and winding industry that gives an excellent opportunity to keep up with the materials and methods innovation for further improvement of efficiency in production, distribution, transformation, and consumption of electrical energy. For more information visit https://www.quickfairs.net.

The homogeneity of the Backlack coating plays an extremely important role in the production process of companies that punch electrical steel strip as it effects the adhesive strength and emission values of the Backlack. Up until now, monitoring compliance with the relevant customer specifications involved a complex testing process. Reliably testing the entire length of the core of a coil was nearly impossible due to the fact that taking samples destroys the material. As a development partner, Waelzholz has now integrated the innovative LILIT© system – as a contactless, complete inspection – in ongoing operations. Hagen, May 28, 2020 - Backlack offers clear advantages when used to bond electrical steel strip lamination stacks, especially for electric motors used in electric vehicles, because it offers both outstanding performance and high comfort. Daniel Dunker, electrical steel strip specialist in materials technology at Waelzholz in Hagen, explains: “Backlack really shines in applications where the motor manufacturer’s specifications need to be met exactly.” This involves questions surrounding the ability to process the electrical steel strip with a Backlack layer both during the punching process as well as subsequent baking. For example, Backlack’s adhesive strength and emission values are relevant in this regard. According to Dunker: “The manufacturers want the Backlack layer to be highly uniform over the entire length of the core of a coil and across batches. After all, this is the basic requirement for achieving consistency in further processing steps.” Reliable Testing Without Sampling The term polymerization describes how long the molecular chains in the Backlack coating are. It is a key factor that has an effect on Backlack’s adhesive strength and emission values as mentioned above. When used to coat electrical steel strip, however, Backlack’s degree of polymerization during the hardening process may vary due to local variations in drying. The conventional analysis of random material samples is not enough to make a comprehensive statement about the degree of polymerization over the entire length of the core of a coil. According to Dunker: “This is why we were looking for a way to reliably test the entire length of the core.” The company has now achieved this with the innovative LILIT© system, which the developer TAU Industrial Robotics has adapted to Backlack testing together with Waelzholz. The main advantage of this testing method is that it can be used during ongoing production without the need to take samples. The LILIT© testing system operates based on the principle of UV spectroscopy, in which a light source emits UV light that is reflected or partially absorbed by the Backlack. The reflected light spectrum is then measured, and the degree of polymerization is determined based on this information. According to Dunker: “Using the ‘light in-line insulation test,’ we are able to very accurately determine the uniformity of the hardening process. To achieve this, we previously determined the correlation of the reflected light spectrum to the material properties in a series of tests, and we can now use this knowledge to make very accurate statements about the properties of the Backlack’s layer.” This allows Waelzholz to ensure that the electrical steel strip’s Backlack coating has an optimum degree of polymerization with consistent homogeneity – over long periods of time and numerous batches. Dunker concludes: “We make sure that our customers can fully leverage Backlack’s potential for their products. This applies both to the performance and comfort of the future electric motor and to the cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing processes. We strive to achieve total reliability here, which we implement to the benefit of our customers through the maximum level of quality characteristic of a complete inspection.” This article has been written by Waelzholz. To view the original text, visit: https://blog.waelzholz.com/en/products-applications/spotlight-on-backlack/ About Waelzholz The family-owned company Waelzholz, founded in 1829 and headquartered in Hagen, Germany, employs 2,400 people worldwide. At production sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia, the technology leader manufactures approximately 780,000 tons of high-quality cold rolled steel strip and profiles annually. With a wide range of steel materials, Waelzholz offers innovative solutions for customers from the automotive industry, the energy sector, and the industrial goods sector, such as thin electrical steel strip for environmentally friendly electric drive systems or high-strength spring steel for seat belt systems. The technology leader advises its customers individually and manufactures steel materials with precisely tailored performance characteristics. For more information, visit www.waelzholz.com.

Tau paves the way for transport electrification at Coiltech Italia 2022, the international coil winding exhibition, held in Pordenone on September 28-29. Electric car manufacturers are racing to launch more advanced models at a rapid rate. Most importantly, industry experts are mastering innovative winding technologies for high voltage motors featuring high-power density. This helps to improve the electric vehicles’ efficiency, range and reduce recharge time. After successfully passing laboratory testing, Tau has now unveiled a new hairpin stator prototype for automotive e-traction developed in partnership with Additive Drives, a manufacturer of state-of-the-art e-motor components for mobility, automotive, industrial and racing sectors. One of the highlights of Tau winding wire is that it has all the characteristics that future mobility requires. Its partial discharge resistance and voltage resistance are 60% higher than that of competing products. In comparison to modern conductor solutions, the Tau wire delivers a higher power output and is suitable for applications above 800 volts. “We are proud to be partnering with Additive Drives to deliver our shared vision of the next level electric motor technology. At the current stage of pre-production development, we have a rare opportunity to shape decisions on product design and material sourcing based on our product performance. This milestone is of the utmost importance for Tau, now and in the future, as we want our magnet wire to play a key role in the energy transition”, said Filippo Veglia, co-founder and CSO of Tau. Tau’s magnet wire characteristics - electrical, mechanical and chemical - have been tested by FAPS and PEM Institutes in laboratory settings. Having successfully passed all tests, Tau further partnered with Additive Drives and built the first stator with Tau wire. This confirmed that Tau wire can be processed and allows for a smaller bending radius of the wire in the stator, lower friction, and a higher electrical fill factor. By rethinking traditional coating methods, Tau is leveraging the benefits that “from scratch” approach gives to put in place more sustainable practices. The DryCycle® solvent-free coating process significantly reduces any negative impact on the environment owing to the use of solid-state dry varnishes preventing VOC emissions. "We use only the materials we need and no more. Our one-layer insulation has already demonstrated very good mechanical robustness and superior dielectric strength, so we don't need to apply more polymer to obtain better results, which reduces not only the manufacturing cost but also carbon footprint. And we want to do much more than that. Our DryCycle coating is the only technology that allows 100% copper and thermoplastic polymer recycling - thus making our high-performance wire more environmentally friendly," added Veglia. The company will continue its partnership with Additive Drives to deliver an end-to-end e-motor solution that weighs less, consumes less energy and resources, and achieves the absolute maximum power density and range, Veglia said. To see the very latest technologies designed for the winding industry, visit Coiltech Deutschland 2023 in Ulm on March 29-30, where Tau will be exhibiting at Booth 7-D09. About Tau Tau is a technology company at the core of the electrification of transport and the decarbonization of energy. Its patented technologies reconcile the necessity of sustainable manufacturing with the power, reliability and performance that electrification requires to enable smaller, greener and more powerful motors, transformers and generators. Tau focuses on carbon-conscious protective coatings for high-performance and standard copper, aluminium and steel wires. Visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Coiltech Coiltech Italia is an annual international exhibition for the coil and winding industry that gives an excellent opportunity to keep up with the materials and methods innovation for further improvement of efficiency in production, distribution, transformation, and consumption of electrical energy. For more information visit https://www.quickfairs.net.

On April 06-07, Tau took part in the Coiltech Deutschland 2022 in Ulm, the fair dedicated to the supply chain of coil winding, electric motors, generators and transformers industry. For this occasion, the company showcased its unparalleled high-performance magnet wire coated with fluoropolymer to enable future electric motor architecture. Today’s battery-powered electric cars are significantly heavier than combustion vehicles and thus have high energy consumption. This represents the biggest challenge for transport electrification. OEMs and Tier1 companies strive to improve performance and efficiency of their upcoming models. The move towards 800V technology ensures faster charging and wider range. However, higher voltages stress primary insulation even more and cause partial discharge leading to the motor failure. Modern design concepts use rectangular wires in hairpin or wave windings with a thicker insulating layer. Filippo Veglia, Tau’s co-founder and CSO, speaker at the fair’s World Magnetic Conference, pointed out that with increased insulation thickness, made to withstand higher voltage, the slot fill factor has to be reduced. This lowers power density and efficiency of the motor. Since voltage and fill factor are two competing parameters, motor designers must find an optimal equilibrium which depends on the primary insulation resistance to partial discharge. “The use of special polymers like PEEK and PI, both already highly resistant to partial discharge, allows to increase the voltage without jeopardizing the fill factor of the motor. Nevertheless, fluoropolymers such as PTFE and PFA have the lowest relative permittivity among the insulating polymers and demonstrate superior partial discharge performance compared to commonly used polymers. And this advantage becomes even more evident at the usual operating temperatures of electric powertrains. A wire coated with a fluoropolymer is calculated to work with three times the voltage of the equivalent wire enameled with PAI and almost two times the equivalent wire coated with PEEK”, says Veglia. This represents a game-changing advantage for systems of 800V and more. However, fluoropolymers are rather soft materials and have relatively poor resistance to abrasion and minor clamping force. They show low adhesion and are difficult to extrude. Therefore, traditional technology of wire enameling and wire extrusion was unable to work with fluoropolymers. Tau answered these requirements with its self-developed, proprietary DryCycle technology, which guarantees operational peace of mind when coating with PFA, PTFE, ETFE and other fluoropolymers, with no solvents or primers. Based on the recent report by PEM Motion, Tau’s PFA coated wire has a much lower level of partial discharge – 75% less than PAI-coated and 30-40% less than PEEK-coated wire. Tau will again be displaying its high-performance wire for e-mobility and grid applications at Coiltech Italia 2022 in Pordenone on September 28-29, at Booth 7-A31. Save the date! About Tau Tau is a technology and sustainable manufacturing company at the core of the electrification of transport and decarbonization of energy. Its research, development and incubation have resulted in patented technologies that pair environmental responsibility with superior performance and peace-of-mind operating simplicity. Tau focuses on carbon-conscious protective coatings for high-performance and standard copper, aluminium and steel wires. Tau has offices in Turin (Italy) & Berlin (Germany). Visit www.tau.group or follow Tau on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Coiltech Coiltech Italia is an annual international exhibition for the coil and winding industry that gives an excellent opportunity to keep up with the materials and methods innovation for further improvement of efficiency in production, distribution, transformation, and consumption of electrical energy. For more information visit www.quickfairs.net.