Alexander Battery Technologies GmbH
Hanauer Landstraße 287
60314 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Kontakt:
Tel: +44 (0)191 587 2787
Email: sales@alexandertechnologies.com
Website: https://www.alexandertechnologies.com
Time: Mon – Fri: 08:30 – 17:00 (UK Time)
Handelsregister:
Amtsgerichts Frankfurt am Main | HRB 132112
CEO:
Mark Rutherford
Steuernummer:
DE 363569020
Electronica – Munich, Germany
Market-leading custom battery pack manufacturer Alexander Battery Technologies will be exhibiting at Electronica on the 12th and 15th of November. Those who visit the stand in Munich will have the opportunity to discuss with industry experts the benefits of working with Alexander Battery Technologies for their next custom battery pack project.
The show will give Alexander Battery Technologies the ideal platform to showcase its battery pack manufacturing capabilities for a variety of bespoke applications.
The company is delivering on its mission to design and manufacture industry-leading custom battery packs through its latest investment the EV Flex laser. The EV Flex laser, the first of its kind in Europe, will provide the company with unrivalled speed and accuracy of individual welds across all the packs manufactured. The double laser technology ensures that no excess residue will leak from any weld, guaranteeing market-leading quality built into their packs.
The team will be on hand to demonstrate the continued mission to deliver industry-leading battery packs. This journey started with the recently opened Battery Technology Centre (BTC) and continued with the EV Flex laser welder. The BTC houses 12 state-of-the-art research and development labs where expert engineers work on developing and optimising state-of-the-art battery packs.
Leon Wanless, Director of Sales and Marketing had the following to say when asked about Electronica.
“Electronica allows us to demonstrate our world-class manufacturing capabilities to a wider audience all demanding different requirements from their battery pack projects. We are excited to demonstrate our flexibility in designing packs with unique requirements whilst still delivering market-leading battery packs.”
If you would like to book a meeting with Alexander Battery Technologies for The Electronica, please fill out the contact form.
A global battery technology supplier, headquartered in the North East, has welcomed 10 apprentices to the business.
Alexander Battery Technologies (ABT), which designs and manufactures customised rechargeable battery packs for a range of industries, has developed apprenticeships across the business in various departments such as administration, engineering, and marketing. The apprentices work on live projects, working closely with customers and ABT’s wider supply chain network.
The training programmes are designed to bridge the current skills gap in the battery technology sector, particularly in electronics engineering. By offering permanent employment opportunities post-apprenticeship, the Peterlee-headquartered manufacturer is not only investing in the professional development of young, local people but also ensuring a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
The international company, which operates in key sectors including robotics, telecommunications and e-mobility, currently employs more than 120 people and expects this to grow significantly in the next few years.
Amy Jefferson, HR manager at Alexander Battery Technologies, said: “As a people-led organisation, our apprenticeships are a cornerstone of our long-term strategy to futureproof our workforce in the fast-changing battery technology industry.
“Each division within the business hosts an apprentice who is given structured development and mentorship support as they progress throughout their training. Over 10% of our workforce are actively involved in training programmes – something we’re really proud of.
“By investing in apprentices, we’re not just filling immediate roles but helping to maintain our competitive edge globally too.”
Apprentices are enrolled in a variety of courses, ranging from degree apprenticeships to Level 3 and Level 4 apprenticeships. ABT has established key partnerships with local training providers who provide classroom learning with on-the-job skills gained at ABT’s facilities.
For example, the company’s engineering apprentices attend classes at East Durham College one day per week and spend the remaining four days working at ABT. Conversely, administration apprentices engage in online learning modules while on the job. Other training partnerships include those with University of Sunderland, Teesside University, Paragon Education and Skills and QA Training.
To further enhance the success of its apprenticeships, managers at ABT are involved in an apprentice mentoring course. This initiative aims to refine their mentoring skills, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development across the organisation.
Ellie Filip ,19, an engineering apprentice at ABT, said: “I’m enjoying my apprenticeship and learning so much whilst getting a lot of support from the wider engineering team.
“It’s not just about the technical skills I’m acquiring but also about the confidence they instil in me to tackle challenges.
“Every day is different and exciting which motivates me in my role and continued career path – I really look forward to coming to work.”
If this career path sounds exciting to you, fill in the form below to learn more.
In the fast-evolving landscape of smart, digitalised factories and warehouses, the integration of mobile robots is pivotal for achieving efficiency, maximising throughput, ensuring safety, and minimising operating costs. This surge in automation, particularly with various mobile robots like AGVs and AMRs, underlines the critical role of an industry-leading robust battery pack. Alexander Battery Technologies provides 40 years of expertise and insights into the essential considerations and best practices for acquiring the right battery pack for mobile industrial robots.
Meeting the 24/7 Operational Demand
Mobile robots possess a distinct advantage, operating tirelessly without breaks. This perpetual functionality necessitates a dependable and durable battery pack capable of sustaining continuous output without premature failures or depletion of charge. To address these specific application requirements, a bespoke custom battery pack tailored to factors such as capacity, size, durability, peak power output, cycle life, and temperature tolerance is often indispensable.
Navigating Technical Trade-offs in Battery Specification
The abundance of lithium chemistries introduces a matrix of trade-offs that demand careful consideration. Parameters like energy density, peak power output, operating temperature, cycle life, nominal output voltage, and maximum charge rate vary across different chemistries. The selection of optimal trade-offs is contingent upon the specific application. For instance, smaller AGVs or AMRs, where battery size and weight are critical, may favour NMC cells for their high energy density. Conversely, larger lifting platforms may opt for LFP cells, prioritizing longer cycle life over energy density.
Beyond Chemistry: Features and Approvals Matter
The battery pack selection extends beyond chemistry to encompass features critical for efficient operation. Thermal management features play a pivotal role in dissipating heat efficiently, ensuring safe operating temperatures. Data can help manage a felt of AGV’s through the use of wireless connectivity integrated into advanced custom battery packs. Wireless connectivity such as Bluetooth & low energy radio can provide real-time data about charge status and temperature to efficiently manage your fleet.
Upholding Quality and Reliability in Production
Once the chemistry and features are determined, the battery pack manufacturer initiates a design that undergoes rigorous testing and approval before entering production. Quality and reliability are not merely end-of-line considerations but integral to the entire manufacturing process. Starting with the selection of high-quality lithium cells from reputable manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and E-One Moli Energy, meticulous attention is paid to assembly details, particularly critical elements prone to failure, such as welds.
Alexander Battery Technologies emphasizes transparency by inviting customers to inspect manufacturing facilities, fostering confidence in the production process. Incorporating quality principles ensures swift validation and certification of battery packs, aligning with the stringent standards prevalent in industries like automotive.
Embracing a New Era of Mobile Robotic with Reliable Battery Solutions
The paradigm shift towards digitalized and smart manufacturing practices necessitates a substantial increase in mobile robot deployment. Ensuring uninterrupted 24/7 operations relies significantly on the reliability of the battery power supply. By meticulously selecting the right cell and battery specifications, designing with precision, and choosing a dependable pack manufacturer, industrial operators can ensure consistent and predictable performance throughout the robot’s operational life. The battery power supply emerges as a cornerstone, guaranteeing seamless operation and peak efficiency for a mobile robot in the new era of industrial automation.
This is only a small summary from a technical in-depth piece titled ‘How to procure the right battery pack for a mobile industrial robot’. If you would like to read the full in-depth article, please fill in the contact form below to receive it via email.
Long cycle life, high energy density and resistance to shock and vibration are common requirements in AGVs and other types of mobile robots. How do they affect the choice of chemistry, cell, and battery pack design?
Efficiency, maximisation of throughput, safety and operating cost reduction are the watchwords of today’s smart, digitalised factories and warehouses. To meet these business objectives, industrial companies are automating ever more processes, and deploying more robotic devices, particularly various types of mobile robots. These include devices such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) used in materials handling and other applications, automated mobile robots (AMRs) for last-mile deliveries (see Figure 1), and frame climbers in automated warehouses.
One of the advantages of mobile robots in comparison to their human counterparts is the ability to continue working 24 hours a day without the need for breaks. But this calls for a portable battery power system that can maintain a continuous output, without running out of charge, or failing prematurely because of a fault or breakdown.
This highlights the importance of specifying a mobile robot’s battery pack the right way. In nearly all cases, a mobile robot will require a custom battery pack, to meet the application’s requirements for capacity, size, durability and ruggedness, peak power output, cycle life, temperature tolerance, and other factors. This means that choosing the right custom battery pack manufacturer is also a critical decision.
Lithium-based batteries have become the most common choice for new industrial batteries today, because of their high energy density and capacity, giving much longer run-time between charges than any other battery chemistry. In fact, many types of lithium chemistries may be used in battery cells, and the technology and production of battery cells and packs is constantly advancing, giving OEMs the benefit of improved specifications year-on-year.
So what is the latest best practice for battery pack specification, and what are the key considerations that mobile robot OEMs should be taking into account today when specifying the cell type, pack design, and quality criteria?
Fig. 1: AMRs are beginning to be used to replace human drivers for last-mile deliveries of packages to homes and offices.
Specifying a battery pack: balancing the technical trade-offs
The proliferation of lithium chemistries, and of the components such as battery charge controller ICs that support lithium battery packs, mean that a robot OEM can be faced with a complex set of trade-offs to consider. Cell chemistries such as NMC (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide), LFP (lithium iron phosphate), LTO (lithium titanate), LMO (lithium manganese oxide) and LCO (lithium cobalt oxide) vary on a range of parameters:
• Energy density, affecting the size and weight of the battery pack
• Maximum peak power output
• Maximum safe operating temperature and susceptibility to thermal runaway
• Cycle life
• Nominal output voltage
• Maximum charge rate
The decision about the best set of trade-offs needs to be made on an application-by-application basis. For instance, in a small AGV or AMR carrying light loads, the battery pack will typically make up a large proportion of the total robot’s weight and take up a large space relative to the robot’s enclosure: here, high energy density is a key requirement, to produce the smallest and lightest possible battery, a requirement that would generally call for the use of NMC cells.
On the other hand, in a large mobile lifting platform capable of shifting loads of as much as 1,000kg, the battery pack will make a negligible contribution to total size and weight. Here, energy density is of little importance, so the platform OEM could instead choose LFP cells: their energy density is at least one-third less than that of NMC, but cycle life is much longer – more than 2,000 cycles, compared to as few as 500-600 cycles in some NMC implementations. LFP cells also operate safely at much higher temperatures than NMC, easing the design requirement for thermal dissipation, thermal monitoring, and safety circuitry.
Cycle life and charge time are crucial parameters for many mobile robots: AGVs in a smart warehouse, for instance, might work 24/7 all year round. A typical configuration uses a removable battery pack, allowing the AGV to return to a charging point for the removal of a discharged pack and its replacement by a newly charged pack. In this case, packs are continually cycling through the charge/discharge process. In this case, the cells in the pack need to be able to withstand many charge cycles, and to withstand fast charging so that they are available for use quickly after removal from an AGV in a discharged state.
A reputable battery pack manufacturer will be able to provide detailed guidance about the these and every other performance attribute of each lithium chemistry, and to advise on the best choice for the OEM’s mobile robot application (see Figure 2).
Fig. 2: many custom battery packs for robots are assembled with 18650 (black) or 21700 (green) lithium cells. (Image in the public domain.)
Features and approvals: getting the battery pack specification right
The choice of chemistry is just the start of the process of procuring the right battery pack for a mobile robot.
The evaluation of a custom battery pack manufacturer will normally be centred on the questions of features and quality.
The pack manufacturer should support the robot OEM’s application with the appropriate set of capabilities and features. These could include:
• Thermal management features – as they discharge, batteries generate waste heat, which needs to be dissipated to keep the pack at a safe operating temperature. Sophisticated designs use innovative cell array configurations to draw heat out efficiently, reducing or eliminating the need for a heat sink. This saves space, weight and cost. Equally, mobile robots that operate in a cold environment, such as a refrigerated warehouse, need to take account of the battery temperature: a lithium cell cannot normally be charged when it is colder than 0°C. This might require the use of active in-pack heating technology to raise cell temperature above 0°C in preparation for charging. In many applications, active heating is a better solution than depositing the pack in a space at room temperature, and waiting for it to draw heat from the ambient air.
• Telematics – a factory operator can exercise control of a fleet of AGVs or other mobile robots more effectively if it has access to data about each battery pack’s state of charge and state of health. Advanced custom battery packs can include wireless connectivity such as a Bluetooth® Low Energy radio, configured to provide real-time data about charge status, battery temperature, and other key parameters.
• Regulatory compliance and approvals – the regulatory framework in which a battery design is made will depend on the countries or regions in which the pack is intended to be used. Regulation is a fast-moving field on which the battery pack manufacturer should be able to provide up-to-date advice. For instance, changes to US regulations have tightened the compliance requirements for cells and battery packs in mobile robots such as AGVs, bringing them into line with the regulations applying to battery electric cars. A custom battery pack manufacturer’s design should provide a smooth path through testing, approval and certification for any part of the world in which the robot OEM intends to market its products.
Quality and reliability: how to evaluate the production process
After specifying the cell chemistry and the right set of features, the battery pack manufacturer will generate a pack design. When testing and approval of final prototypes have been completed, the pack will go into production. At this point, the OEM is at the mercy of the battery pack manufacturer – there is no second source for a custom battery pack.
So how is an OEM to assure itself of the quality of the battery pack that it has specified?
In battery pack manufacturing, quality is not a bolted-on feature, or a control process applied at the end of the production line: if quality is not built into the entire process from the start of its design, there will be shortcomings in the production units coming off the line.
Attention to quality starts with the choice of lithium cell: the world’s three largest manufacturers – Samsung, LG and E-One Moli Energy – test all cells for compliance with all relevant safety and compliance requirements. There is a unit cost premium to pay for the quality and safety of the best cells compared to cells from unbranded cell manufacturers, but this up-front cost is more than recovered in the longer lifetime and superior safety assurance of the more expensive cells.
Alexander Battery Technologies has secure supply arrangements with the three premier cell manufacturers, and its packs use cells only from them.
The application of quality principles should also be evident throughout the production process. In assembly, high-quality pack manufacturers will pay particular attention to the elements of the structure that are most prone to failure, such as welds: for instance, advanced optical inspection techniques should guarantee that welds exceed high minimum thresholds for size and integrity, ensuring that the pack’s electrical connections remain sound even when exposed to the extremes of shock or vibration specified in the application.
Some manufacturers will follow the practice that Alexander Battery Technologies has instituted, of inviting customers to inspect its manufacturing facilities in detail. Modern ERP (enterprise resource planning) software systems may also be used to enable the customer to perform unit-by-unit monitoring and inspection of production output of their packs.
High-quality design and production also support rapid, first-time-right validation and certification of battery packs according to industry standards (see Figure 3).
Battery pack production for a new era of mobile robotics
The advance of digitalised and smart manufacturing and warehousing practices is leading to a rapid increase in the number and variety of mobile robots deployed in industrial settings. Operators rely on these robots to maintain unbroken operation 24/7; unforecast downtime severely impairs throughput and efficiency.
The battery power supply can be as reliable as any other component of a mobile robot: the guidance above shows how careful attention to cell and battery specification, design and production, and the choice of a dependable pack manufacturer, can ensure reliable and predictable performance for the life of the robot.
Alexander Battery Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of custom lithium battery packs, today announced a breakthrough for the battery assembly industry with the installation of the world’s most advanced laser welding machine at its factory in Peterlee, UK.
The EV Flex laser welder, an IPG Photonics product, uses machine vision technology and configurable optics to produce micrometer-accurate welds between the terminals on a battery cell and busbar. Employing optical Laser Depth Detection (LDD) technology, the EV Flex accurately controls the area and depth of every weld in large battery packs. Thanks to the EV Flex’s 4kW laser, Alexander Battery Technologies’ batteries benefit from ultra-high quality welds which have no residue, no spatter, and zero porosity.
The high weld strength and quality mean that Alexander Battery Technologies’ production output of batteries for e-mobility and other applications achieves industry-best reliability and performance, thanks to the batteries’ very high resistance to shock, vibration and temperature cycling.
Mark Rutherford, CEO of Alexander Battery Technologies, said: ‘The installation of the world’s first EV Flex machine continues a pattern of capital investment by Alexander Battery Technologies that is making us the most technologically sophisticated manufacturer of embedded battery packs in the world. In batteries that Alexander Battery Technologies makes for products such as automated guided vehicles, automated mobile robots, e-bikes and electric motorcycles, we are achieving quality standards matching those specified by premium electric vehicle manufacturers.’
EV Flex supports production of large, high-voltage e-mobility battery packs
Alexander Battery Technologies is the first company in the world to install an EV Flex laser welder, underlining its commitment to leading-edge production technology. The capability of the EV Flex machine to log and inspect detailed data about each laser weld enables the company to surpass the production quality standards commonly achieved in the battery industry. Alexander Battery Technologies will use the EV Flex to produce high-voltage packs containing hundreds of cells in high volume, while meeting high automotive quality standards.
The EV Flex at the Alexander Battery Technologies factory in Peterlee, in the north-east of England, complements the advanced high-voltage battery testing and validation laboratory at its Battery Technology Centre, as well as its state-of-the-art logistics facility and highly trained technical workforce. Offering the capability to build high-voltage batteries for e-mobility applications, Alexander Battery Technologies is attracting orders from manufacturers of mobile robots, automated materials handling equipment, mobile lifting platforms, e-bikes and electric motorbikes.
To find out how our dedication to become the quality and reliability market-leader for custom battery packs through our investment of the first EV Flex laser welder can benefit your latest battery project, click here to fill out the contact form.