Tech Focus: New elastomer connector seals streamline modern battery packs

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has unveiled new elastomer-based connector seals designed to simplify and strengthen modern battery pack architectures. The German manufacturer claims the seals support the latest electrification trends across electromobility, humanoid robotics and consumer devices by integrating multiple functions into a single component. Modern battery packs face mounting pressure to become more compact, robust and powerful while keeping costs down, but conventional designs often treat electrical contacting, sealing, mechanical fastening and environmental protection as separate tasks. FST argues that this piecemeal approach increases complexity, tolerance risks and expenses. The new connector seals are built around modular cell connector plates made from nickel-plated or tin-plated copper, overmoulded with elastomer. The elastomer layer delivers high electrical insulation and can incorporate custom seal geometries for housing, cell interfaces or other protective needs. By bundling contacting, sealing, insulation and mechanical guidance into one platform, the system reduces interfaces, shortens tolerance chains and lowers failure risks. FST stresses that the concept is not limited to lithium-ion chemistry; it can be applied regardless of cell type, pack architecture or end use. The platform also includes Freudenberg Adhesive Clean Technology (FACT), a bonding system that permanently adheres the elastomer to cell connector surfaces without wet-chemical pre-treatment. This eliminates extra processing steps, cuts reliance on bonding agents and gives designers virtually complete freedom to tailor sealing, conductivity, insulation, weldability and resistance to electrolytes and other battery-specific fluids in a single integrated part. Martin Knoll, head of R&D for integrated moulding components at FST, said the goal is to treat battery systems as a unified architecture from the outset, which optimises both cell connectors and the overall system for efficiency and cost. The announcement was made on 18 August 2026.