Backer
With proven technology, Backer takes the step into the automotive industry
Backer has been developing electric heating systems for over 70 years, and now they are bringing their knowledge and technical solutions to the automotive industry. Prevas has supported them with test management and validation to meet the industry's high quality requirements.
Backer takes the technology further
Backer, a company in the NIBE Group, has its headquarters and production facility in Sösdala outside Hässleholm with approximately 300 employees. The company has extensive experience in developing electric heaters that function as backup in heat pumps, and also for various applications in the process industry. They are now focusing on the automotive industry where they see great potential for their technology.
“We have developed heating systems for the cab and also for heating and temperature control in the vehicle’s battery pack,” says Victor Almblad, Technical Director at Backer. For heavy electrified vehicles, there are requirements for resistors that handle excess energy during braking. When it is not possible to utilize the energy that occurs during braking for the battery, our system is activated and produces heat that is used in the cab or dumped into the air.
The technology in Backer's electric heaters is well-proven and very efficient – in principle 100 percent of the electrical energy used is converted into heat. The solutions are also compact, which is a prerequisite in many applications, not least for integration into modern vehicles. Backer, on the other hand, had limited experience of product development for the automotive industry, and that is where Prevas could come in and support.
“It is a demanding industry, and for us as new suppliers on the market, there is a lot to get to grips with,” says Victor Almblad. There are several regulations to deal with and it is important to have access to the right expertise. When we entered the project, there was a need for extra resources and, above all, expertise in test management.
There was already a previous relationship with Prevas, who had provided expertise in handling requirements in other product development projects. After discussion with Linus Amoli, consulting manager at Prevas Test & Measurement, the new role of validation lead was added for Backer's focus on the automotive industry. An experienced Prevas consultant took on the assignment, which involved responsibility for planning, coordinating and leading the work of testing and validating the new products.
High-performance solutions but new to the automotive market
This has significantly streamlined the work, and our test engineers have been able to focus on the testing itself.
Victor Almblad, Technical Manager at Backer
- It has also made the validation process more predictable in terms of time and resource requirements, continues Victor Almblad.
Continued partnership
The reinforcement with test management gave very good results in Backer's development work and during the work Prevas added more resources, including additional validation leads and test engineers. In total, Prevas has had about ten consultants at Backer who have supported with different parts of their product development.
“We have been able to offer consultants with the combination of a good overview of the whole and a high level of detailed understanding of technical requirements and measurement technology,” says Linus Amoli at Prevas. It has been great fun to be able to contribute to Backer's launch of a good product, from development and certification to production.
Several of Backer's sub-projects are now in their final stages and a number of products have entered production. At the same time, development is underway for new customer applications. The products are designed with a modular concept that provides flexibility and scalability for future needs, and Prevas is also involved as a development partner in the continued work.
- By broadening our offering, we can create growth in the company so that we stand strong in the future, says Victor Almblad. Prevas has always been able to meet our needs, and they always deliver what they promise. They have provided us with resources that have the right skills and who have also come in with positive energy and worked well in our teams.