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NORMA Group won order for emission-reducing connector in South America

Maintal, Germany/Atibaia, Brazil, April 30, 2020 – NORMA Group, a global market leader in engineered joining technology, has been awarded to supply connectors for fuel transport lines by a leading international car manufacturer. Starting in late 2021, around 4.2 million vehicles are to be equipped by 2027. The NORMAQUICK MK connector has been designed to significantly reduce permeation rates Thus, it contributes that the vehicles fulfil the PROCONVE P-8 emission standards coming into effect in Brazil in 2022.

“The global megatrend of climate change results in increasingly stricter emission regulations around the world, posing a challenge for car makers to comply with them,” said Dr. Friedrich Klein, Chief Operating Officer and member of the management board of NORMA Group. “We support our customers by offering tailor-made solutions according to individual specifications regarding application, vehicle platform as well as safety and emission requirements. This new order shows that our expertise in emission-control solutions is exactly in-line with customer needs in the face of new regulations.”

The NORMAQUICK MK connector consists of two components, a main body plus a weld ring, and safely connects the plastic fuel tank with the fuel transport system. The main body of the MK connector mainly responsible for the excellent permeation performance is made of polyamide reinforced with glass fiber. The weld ring is made of an unreinforced polyethylene showing a good adhesion to the polyamide component as well as to the fuel tank. Body and weld ring are joined in an injection molding process in which the polyethylene component is overmolded by the polyamide component. The result is a reliable, high-strength connection. Existing standard joining solutions on the market are prone to a high permeation rate and show a tendency to cause micro leakage. With the advanced material and design concept of the MK connector, NORMA Group significantly reduces these risks.

Permeation is the process of molecular penetration and happens when a liquid or a gas imbues through a solid material: first, molecules are absorbed at the surface of a solid and then diffuse from high to low concentration through the solid via molecular gaps. Finally, the permeate escapes as gas on the other side of the solid material. In the case of fluid transport in vehicles, permeation can lead to micro leakage of fuel gases from the transport system. NORMA Group’s MK connector has been designed with focus on highly impermeable plastic material to prevent permeation at both the tank interface and the tube connection side.

NORMA Group will deliver the connectors to the car manufacturer’s plants in South America. Each year, MK connectors are planned to be installed in around 700,000 vehicles in the scope of this order.