29.06.2021. Seco/Warwick will deliver its CAB technology to Suzhou Ruitaike Machinery (ReTeK), the Chinese manufacturer of parts for condensers and evaporators intended for refrigerators, freezers, 5G base station coolers and air-conditioners. This new line for brazing under protective atmosphere will be dedicated to the manufacture of parts for electric vehicle battery coolers. Thus, ReTeK will expand their portfolio with an innovative product designed to develop quality products far into the future.
Growth of the electric vehicle industry in China
The equipment will be installed in the plant in Suzhou — one of the most dynamically developing Chinese cities. The order stems from ReTeK managements recognition of the great potential for the growth of the electric vehicle industry in the Chinese market. With flourishing e-mobility, electric vehicle batteries, other similar components intended for these cars, The company projects a huge increase in production numbers. The line ordered by ReTeK includes a pre-heating chamber, radiation furnace, cooling chambers and a dedicated control system. The CAB line will be used for brazing large-size coolers for vehicle batteries.
This is yet another Seco/Warwick Group customer from this region that, during the recent months, placed an order for a CAB line. This proves that the interest in electric vehicles is on the increase in this region. In 2020, a total of 3.24 million BEV and PHEV vehicles were sold, an increase of 43 % compared to the previous year. According to analysts, the trend will continue in 2021, estimating that in total, 4.6 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are going to be registered.
“For approx. 10 years now, we have been seeing growth in the electric vehicle sector. Our protective atmosphere aluminium brazing lines are perfect for manufacturing the parts, specifically battery coolers, intended for these vehicles. ReTeK is another Chinese company that has recently placed their trust in us, and ordered a CAB line. It is an honor, and testifies to our strong position in this sector”, said Piotr Skarbiński, Vice-President, Business Segment Aluminium Process and CAB, Seco/Warwick.
CAB solution
A key to the success of Seco/Warwick’s CAB line is the uniformity of temperature across the entire 1.9-m-belt. An additional innovation in these systems consists of the unique design of the curtain section and cooling chambers. The entire design results from the cooperation between Seco/Warwick and the largest automotive companies.
“This the first time we have worked together with Seco/Warwick, but we have had the opportunity to observe the achievements on the Chinese market the Group has made when it comes to CAB technology. We knew that this partner will be perfect for us, since they have experience in the design of lines for processing large-dimension aluminium coolers. The new equipment will enable us to expand into the battery cooler market. We will also use the new CAB line for the manufacture of heat exchangers for 5G base stations, which are a strong part of our portfolio”, said Mr. Guodong Yue, General Manager of Suzhou Ruitaike Machinery.
Chinese 5G infrastructure
China is currently the most-developed country in terms of 5G infrastructure. It already has hundreds of thousands of 5G base stations. When it comes to the deployment of the infrastructure for the new wireless connectivity standard, China has obviously outdistanced other countries. And they do not intend to slow down. In Beijing itself, many new transceivers will be built by the end of the year. This year only, China intends to erect as many as 6,000 new 5G BTSes. Interestingly, at the end of 2020, their capital already had installed 37,000 of them. The plan assumes reaching the ultimate goal of 60,000 BTSes. This is thus a huge market, which enables companies such as Suzhou Ruitaike Machinery to have an optimistic outlook for the future.
(Source: Seco/Warwick)