Coolant for hybrid vehicles: the Movingfluid plant

In this article:

• The new coolant with low electrical conductivity: a new specification that threatened to halt production
• Before handling it, one must know it
• A fully customised automotive fluid distribution system
• A fully functioning system, unique on the market

Fluid distribution for hybrid vehicles intended for China: a challenge that anticipates the market 

What do you do if, at some point, one of your main export markets changes product regulations and introduces new requirements that impact production? There are two possibilities: give up right away or prepare to run to meet the required criteria as quickly as possible. 

 This is what a company specialising in luxury vehicles did recently, when the Chinese market mandated the use of a specific coolant called G15 with low electrical conductivity for hybrid or electric vehicles. A change that forced the company to act quickly on its liquid filling plant – already built by Movingfluid – to upgrade and complete it with a whole new branch. 

All without a solution yet existing in the industry that could handle the fluid and meet the stringent quality parameters. Leading the way on impervious and as yet untaken paths does not frighten us, quite the contrary: this is also why the company in question approached us again. 

The new coolant with low electrical conductivity: a new specification that threatened to halt production  

The automotive sector has undergone several developments in recent years, and China has distinguished itself internationally by its growing interest in hybrid and electric cars. This interest was also met by Europe and the United States, which opened up new sales channels in Asia. An idyll that is now in danger of being undermined by the country’s new obligations – still being formalised but already being applied. 

These include, the introduction of the coolant known as G15. The main difference between this and conventional refrigeration fluids is the electrical conductivity. Chinese regulations require this parameter to be less than or equal to 100 microsiemens per centimetre to ensure the safety of the vehicle and electrical components.

The challenge was therefore multiple and layered: an almost unknown fluid had to be integrated into an already operational line, monitored properly and ensured that it met the set values during storage and filling. 

Time provided to do it: about six months, from project start-up to implementation. In fact, the company’s request came around February 2025 with a non-negotiable deadline: by September of that year everything had to be up and running to avoid production stoppages. 

The first thing we did? Study the liquid, the starting point of all our projects.    

Before handling it, one must know it 

Before that time, no one within the automotive group, or among the competitors, had developed a delivery system for G15, and all we had was a rather vague product sheet. But we needed certainty about the behaviour of the liquid and its compatibility with the components used for its distribution. 

In order to fill the information gap and obtain reliable data, we carried out numerous tests ourselves by subjecting various materials in use in the plant to prolonged baths. In addition to the reactions of the various materials, we also observed the physical properties of the liquid. Thus we were able to detect a fundamental aspect: it tends to degrade when standing still for a long time.   

In parallel, we set out to find advanced sensors capable of detecting the conductivity of the fluid with extreme precision. After a thorough selection process, the choice fell on a German company, a leading manufacturer of sophisticated technologies for industry. The sensor technology identified is the same that is usually used in water purification plants to measure pollutants and that we, being the first, have successfully applied to the automotive industry.    

Finally, we took over our own project, namely the multi-filling plant that we built in 2016 and that the company asked us to intervene on to add the G15 distribution line. This step was essential to get into the details of the operation and make improvements to the whole system, which already had a high degree of customisation. 

Starting with its location: for reasons of space, in fact, the multifluid system is suspended above the production line. By means of a series of connected guns arranged on the ground, operators are able to activate different dispensing cycles at the same time: 

1. brake oil circuit;
2. air conditioning gas circuit; 
3. windscreen washer circuit; 
4. engine cooling circuit;
5. suspension oil circuit. 

And, as of today, also that of the coolant for hybrid cars destined for the Chinese market, which we managed to integrate even overcoming several logistical obstacles.

A fully customised automotive fluid distribution system 

So, in sum: at the beginning of the year, we were faced with the need to include a new branch in a customised plant that involves the handling of a liquid (almost unknown to the industry) with special characteristics. Here they are, summarised: 

1. during filling, the liquid must comply with very precise electrical conductivity values, which require reliable and compatible sensors; 
2. space available in the plant is extremely limited; 
3. the takt time of the company’s production must be respected; 
4. it is important to provide quick and easy controls in case of malfunctions detected during fluid delivery. 

Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, combining ingenuity and engineering, in just a few months we found the right solution to reconcile all these aspects, tested it and got the green light from the company, which is already thinking of adopting it for other lines as well. 

Double recirculation system to preserve the quality of the liquid 

In order to avoid stagnation of the product in the pipes and prevent its potential degradation, we have fitted a double recirculation system to keep the liquid moving when not in use: 

1. the first is positioned outside the plant, where the pumping station (fluid farm) is located, and is activated at predefined intervals; 
2. the second is located inside the actual plant: this is also timed and independent, and is connected to the electrical conductivity measurement sensors. 

All sensor equipment was isolated as much as possible to minimise the influence of external factors such as ambient temperature. The parameters are measured in real time while the vehicle is being filled, in order to have immediate feedback on the tightness of the product and to verify that it is within the permitted tolerance range. 

All collected values are also filed and saved: an essential database is thus created for the customer with the aim of guaranteeing the quality of each vehicle.  

Calibration cart for quick and accurate preliminary tests and inspections 

Everything always runs smoothly on paper, but only facts can confirm (or not) that what has been designed really works. That is why we needed to test and fine-tune the system directly on the vehicles. However, the hybrid cars travel along the company line according to an irregular schedule and the test would therefore have taken too long.

An issue that was overcome thanks to the development of a calibration cart that physically simulates the circuit of the vehicle which we used for all relevant checks. 

This tool, valuable in the preliminary phase, remained with the company afterwards: in addition to allowing an effective testing process, the calibration cart is also used by internal technical services to perform periodic checks and, above all, to investigate the origin of any faults. If problems are detected during dispensing, all the attendant has to do is run the filling cycle on the cart to determine whether the problem lies with the system or the vehicle.

Spaces exploited to the very millimetre and operational efficiency 

The suspended box housing the multi-filling plant did not have enough space to accommodate the new production branch as well. To add the extra cyclic we therefore opted for a custom-made cabinet on board the line, functional and aesthetically pleasing. In spite of its rather small size compared to standard, all components necessary for operation are contained inside.  

In addition, we have designed and built a new gun station that also includes a coolant station: an opportunity to further implement plant ergonomics and facilitate manual operations. In fact, the Movingfluid system communicates with the company’s central server, which sends a light signal to the guns to be activated, depending on what vehicle is travelling along the line. In this way the risk of errors is practically nil. 

Routine and predictive maintenance 

Routine maintenance is carried out by the company itself, but Movingfluid takes care of the six-monthly inspections of this and all other systems built for them and the annual calibration, including that of the calibration cart. A service in addition to the existing service of remote assistance and monitoring.   

Furthermore, in view of the forthcoming increases in production, we are evaluating a switch to predictive maintenance i.e., aimed at preventing breakdowns by planning interventions on the basis of actual production rates and the components installed on individual plants.  

A fully functioning system, unique on the market 

In the intensive weeks leading up to the commissioning of the plant, the company subjected the system to stress tests and analysed samples of the delivered fluid to verify its parameters. The quality and efficiency were passed with flying colours, and between November and December 2025 the company started the first G15 hybrid vehicle exports.  

The success of the project, within such a tight timeframe, was no ordinary challenge and we know that others are trying their hand at similar ventures without succeeding in finding the right fit. On the other hand, if we are the only Sfigasolver in the market, there is a reason.  

We offer abundant capacity, speed and precision: if you don’t know us yet, maybe now is the right time. 

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE!