At the conclusion of our webinar, Standard vs. Custom Battery Packs: Decoding the Power Play, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Anton Beck, Battery Product Manager at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.
Q&A From Our Live Battery Webinar
Quick Links:
- Is the four-week lead time for standard battery packs the delivery timing?
- When you refer to UL, which specific norm are you referring to?
- If I order standard battery packs, why would I need a prototype?
- What type of wire harnesses and connectors are available for the standard option batteries?
- You mentioned enclosures for custom battery packs. Can you design them?
- Are you able to design with fuel gauging options?
- Where on your website can I see the standard packs offered, and do you have a sales brochure I can view for the standard packs?
- I thought standard battery packs came with UN certification.
Watch the Recording Below:
Question: Is the four-week lead time for standard battery packs the delivery timing?
Answer: No. It’s typically the manufacturing time that it takes us to build the packs. We have to account for shipping and until the UN38.3 is in place, it will be ground shipment, most likely Class 9. So, for lithium, that's our manufacturing time.
Question: When you refer to UL, which specific norm are you referring to?
Answer: The standard UL requirement for the battery pack would be UL2054. The cell we would select would be a UL-listed cell (UL1642), but the battery pack would then require testing and certification to the UL2054 standard if that were what your product would require.
As identified in our webinar and on our website, we can manage the UL certification and various others, we would just need to know what level certifications you will require at the beginning of our engineering discussion so we can design the appropriate safety levels to meet those certifications.
Question: If I order standard battery packs, why would I need a prototype?
Answer: Keep in mind that the standard packs BMS is slightly customized for parameters that we discussed prior to producing to support your application. You need time to do the testing on your device and confirm it meets form, fit, and function before we get into production. Even if it's not a lithium pack, you still want prototypes and they're highly recommended to ensure that it's form, fit, and function.
Question: What type of wire harnesses and connectors are available for the standard option batteries?
Answer: Well, we have many options and that's kind of determined upfront with a customer discussion before we even start. So, we do have options. We just have to dial it in at the beginning of the program.
Question: You mentioned enclosures for custom battery packs. Can you design them?
Answer: Yes, we can design and that's typically part of the design process, so we can collaborate with the customer for internal features on the enclosure that support the battery and pass all regulatory and the battery doesn't get too hot, etc. So, yes, that's part of our process.
Question: Are you able to design with fuel gauging options?
Answer: Yes, that's typically driven by the customer as well. But if not, we have multiple options, and we'll select something based on the application and the functionality that the customer needs.
Question: Where on your website can I see the standard packs offered, and do you have a sales brochure I can view for the standard packs?
Answer: Epec standard battery packs are not an off-the-shelf item. We produce based on your request and design for your application. We use standard cells and a standard model BMS that we tailor to your performance requirements. We do not stock battery pack models. Check out our website regarding the standard versus custom batteries. That may help clarify as well.
Question: I thought standard battery packs came with UN certification.
Answer: Some lithium battery packs from stocking distributors may have UN certifications, but you need to specifically ask to confirm. Epec standard battery packs are not an off-the-shelf item. We produce based on your request and design for your application. We use standard cells and a standard model BMS that we tailor to your performance requirements which makes it unique and, therefore, will require UN certification.
