The Next Big Thing in Battery Testing

Smart and flexible options for the future of battery testing.

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To doubt the growth of the battery market is equivalent to taking the wind out of your own sails. With the massive growth in EV, new factories are being built all over the world. By 2030 it is estimated that China will build an additional 150 factories, Europe is looking at 38 new factories and capacity in North America will go from 55 gigawatt-hours to almost 1,000 gigawatt-hours annually.

Though it may be the automotive market that is currently getting all the attention, they are far from the only industry using them. Medical devices, for example, heavily rely on batteries as more and more tools are becoming portable. Power and battery management is the key to the success of any industrial application and for consumer electronics…who hasn’t panicked about their phone battery at 2%?

So how does one efficiently get all these batteries out the door safely?

Flexibility in Battery Testing

Many tests need to be performed to ensure industry compliance, guarantee safety, and deliver high quality to battery users. An ideal test station will include:

• Multiple controlled bidirectional DC power sources
• Auto-switching for higher currents (up to 240 A)
• Means to measure temperature, voltage and current
• Power management for extensive electrical tests
• Optical inspection
• Thermal chambers for temperatures ranging between -40°C – 150°C (for R&D)
• Cooling/heating simulator to emulate low-high temperatures and pressures and check for any leakages

Of course, the testers must check each unit for failures. These can include overheating, external short-circuiting, punctures and leakage, swelling, over-discharging, thermal runaway, dendrite formation and others.

In a dynamically developing market, it is clear that the most efficient tester will be able to meet these technological demands and be adaptable to the different battery types. For example, the test chamber in the climate cabinet must not only allow the simulation of different ambient conditions but should also accommodate different modules. The tool design and the contacting devices of the module carriers should be designed to precisely match different battery types including round cells, pouch cells and prismatic cells. This can be achieved with detachable fixtures.

Use an Established Test Framework

As with any final product, batteries are a combination of different parts. A complete battery is made of individual cells, and these cells are then packed into a module. Multiple modules are combined to achieve the intended battery power and that forms a full pack, the final product. All modern (Li-Ion) batteries have a battery management system (BMS) that ensures the battery can’t be under or overcharged. It also confirms that all the cells and modules are working properly and are balanced correctly, and all temperatures are in operational range. Each of these components, along with the final assembled product must be tested.

Working with an established framework like batterieinspektor enables a seamless integration of a cell tester and other essential testers into comprehensive battery testing architectures. This can be carried through an entire manufacturing process, from the cell to the modules and battery management unit (BMU – which controls the BMS) to the finished battery.

Keep the Test System Smart

In addition to the inspection and testing technology, the right solution should integrate well into the corporate network as well as cloud-based structures. For this purpose, standardized interface adapters such as quality assurance (QA) specific formats, SAP connection, database adapters, and industrial protocols should be considered. In short, the framework that is selected must be IoT ready. This industry is only moving forward and must fit with what is to come. Company-wide networking ensures that all measurement and test results can be processed for QA reporting and other operational application fields. Look for a framework that meets all IoT requirements for automated and digitized battery manufacturing and quality assurance to create a secure foundation for the smart factory of tomorrow.

For questions on developing a flexible battery test framework, please contact Averna.