Case Study: Scaling UAV Battery Pack Manufacturing for a Growing Product Portfolio
How ABT helped a UK UAV manufacturer prepare multiple products for higher volume manufacture.
This case study is based on a real customer project. To respect their confidentiality, we’ve anonymised some identifying details.
A growing UK UAV/UAS manufacturer approached Alexander Battery Technologies seeking support for battery pack manufacturing, as it prepared its existing battery designs for larger-scale production. By combining engineering collaboration, manufacturability reviews and certification guidance, ABT helped the customer improve production readiness, traceability and confidence ahead of volume manufacturing.
Sector
Aerospace
Application
Unmanned aerial vehicles and systems (UAV/UAS)
Challenge
Scaling internally designed UAV battery packs for reliable higher-volume production
Battery Chemistry and Format
Lithium-ion pouch
Service
Design-for-manufacture support & build-to-print manufacturing
Regulatory Scope
UN38.3 lithium battery transport submission support
The Challenge
Following a rise in the commercial UAV market, a UK-based UAV manufacturer contacted us seeking external support to assist with product development and prepare critical components for larger-scale manufacturing. The customer had designed their own custom battery packs before using external support for assembly. This worked at lower volumes, but the process needed to become more controlled as production requirements increased.
A senior project manager at the British UAV/UAS manufacturer said:
“We needed feedback from a battery manufacturer on how the packs would translate into production at higher quantities. Manufacturability became an important topic.”
Our Solution
To support the customer’s transition, we worked closely with them to refine and industrialise their battery pack designs. Rather than simply manufacturing to their design specification, our engineering team collaborated directly with the customer’s to review the designs from a production, testing and safety perspective, helping ensure the packs could be manufactured consistently and reliably at higher volumes.
The senior project manager said:
“From our first introductions with Alexander Battery Technologies, we could tell the team knew what they were talking about. For example, we were talking directly with engineers from the outset, and they didn’t just take out design choices at face value. They wanted to make sure that what we had specified was used correctly, efficiently and safely as we moved forward.”
Not only did we assist with the design qualification, we also provided guidance around battery certification and compliance, particularly for the UN38.3 transport safety standard required for lithium-ion batteries. Including support with mechanical shock and vibration considerations, helping the customer to have improved confidence before submitting the packs for formal testing.
Alongside design and compliance support, our team introduced improved production controls, traceability and scalable testing processes to help prepare the battery systems for industrial-level manufacturing.
Mark Rutherford, CEO at Alexander Battery Technologies (ABT) said:
“The customer came to us with a clear understanding of what its aircraft needed from the battery packs. The next stage was about looking at those designs from a manufacturing, testing and certification point of view.
“That is where a specialist battery manufacturer can add value. We focus on working with OEMs to test the assumptions in their design, identifying what needs to change before production and making sure the final pack can be built and tested consistently.”
Results
The client initially had three battery projects that they were planning to outsource to various manufacturers, in order to spread operational risk. However, following the success of our initial project with them, Alexander Battery Technologies were awarded all three battery manufacturing projects.
The UAV project manager said:
“From working with Alexander Battery Technologies we have built a solid relationship built on trust from the technical feedback we receive and the traceability of each project. The first showed us that ABT was the right company to work with, which made the transition from one project to all three an obvious choice.”
Key Outcomes
Improved manufacturability
Increased confidence ahead of UN38.3 testing
Established scalable production controls measures in place
Traceability and testing processes introduced
We successfully secured all three projects, establishing a long term partnership
Ready to Scale Your UAV Battery Production?
Complete the form below to provide as much information as possible about the battery application, specifications, volumes, and timelines. A member of our team will be in touch to discuss your project in more detail.
Why OEMs choose us
Proven capability 40+ years in battery manufacturing.
15 million battery products supplied globally.
Quality and compliance ISO 9001 certified.
Battery Passport ready with traceability via IFS Cloud.
Integrated services
Full in-house design, testing and assembly.
Trusted by OEMs across Europe, US and Canada.
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