Material Management for Custom Battery Pack Manufacturing

To achieve our goal of manufacturing world-class battery packs, we rely on an efficient materials management system. We deploy a FIFO (First in, first out) approach to inventory management, a vital practice in maintaining the quality and reliability of our battery packs. To fully maximise this approach, we exclusively use tier-1 suppliers to provide every component or material within our battery packs. With a robust supply chain that can withstand socioeconomic pressures which are otherwise out of our control, our materials management system contributes to our world-class battery pack defect rate of 0.04%.

By fostering long-term partnerships with our tier-1 suppliers, we ensure consistency in the materials and components used across production runs, even over multiple years. For each project, we select suppliers through our supplier approval process. This approach ensures we identify the most suitable suppliers, guaranteeing customer satisfaction with their product. Once approved, the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) begins. ABT collaborates with the supplier to manage the process and minimise variation to the greatest extent possible. We conduct visual and dimensional inspections of the materials to confirm they have the measurements required to meet specifications.

We conduct rigorous quality checks on all suppliers to maintain these high standards, including a 100% inspection of the first three deliveries from any new supplier. This approach not only helps us meet our customers’ stringent quality demands but also streamlines our processes. By sticking with the same suppliers, our operators become highly familiar with the materials, making defect detection more efficient and minimising the need for re-training on new materials.

Through 40 years of battery pack manufacturing, we have built a network of global tier-1 suppliers to ensure continuous delivery no matter the circumstances. These strategic partnerships allow us to source high-quality components with flexibility, mitigating the risk of disruptions.