Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

Selecting the right battery pack cell type requires balancing electrical requirements, physical constraints, cost, and chemistry performance. Each chemistry, such as lithium-ion, LiFePO4, or NiMH, offers different tradeoffs in energy density, cycle life, and safety.

Working with an experienced battery pack manufacturer ensures the optimal combination of performance, reliability, and cost for your application.

The shelf life of a rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery will vary depending on the storage temperature and the size of any attached load. The battery shelf life will also vary by manufacturer. Panasonic recommends the following for their NiMH battery cells.

Determining the cost of a battery pack with fuel gauge technology will vary depending on the accuracy of the battery fuel gauge required. The overall size of the battery pack will also have an effect on the final cost. For example, if a high-accuracy gauge is required on a small multi-cell battery, it could potentially double the cost. The good news is that the cost of battery cells becomes relatively small when factoring in the added value received from implementing a fuel gauge.

Developing a custom battery pack involves more than designing the final product. The process moves through a series of development stages that help ensure the battery pack meets the application's technical, performance, safety, and production requirements.