For more than 20 years, Battery Technology Source (BTS) has been delivering some of the world’s fastest and most reliable lead-acid battery assembly and finishing lines. Here the company explains how its technology is making battery manufacturing easier.
Built with automation in mind, BTS machines can handle more than 10 motorcycle and 5-6 car batteries per minute. By reducing human intervention, customers can save labour costs, while significantly improving workplace safety and increasing productivity and efficiency.
But in an era of smart, connected devices, speed and automation are not enough, and the Taiwan-based supplier is now committed to bringing Industry 4.0 standards to the battery industry. The result of that effort is an integrated vision that combines bold design choices and game-changing improvements both on the software and hardware sides.
The first step in this direction was the introduction of the servo-controlled inter-cell welding technology. One of the leading experts in the field, BTS spent years developing features like a patented squeeze distance control formula. In 2017, it pioneered the use of servomotors that smartly adapt to the straps’ quality, dramatically reducing defects at this crucial stage.
Heat sealing technology
After servo-welding, BTS engineers set their eyes on heat sealing. As every battery-maker will know, heat-sealing can easily become an assembly line’s bottleneck. The new generation of BTS heat-sealing machines uses an innovative layout that allows it to reach— and even surpass— the capacity of two independent machines in half the space, without sacrificing convenience. In fact, the changeover process has been simplified to the point where operations that used to require manually changing more than 10 spacers can now be achieved with a single tap on the touchscreen HMI. Instead of pneumatic cylinders, a servomotor system is used to position both the batteries and the platen.
A smarter assembly line needs a more powerful brain— that is, a top-of-the-line (Mitsubishi, Siemens or Allen-Bradley) PLC and network module that can take advantage of the possibilities offered by state-of-the-art sensors. Feedback pours into the CPU from every inch of the line, providing a more accurate picture of the situation on the factory floor and saving valuable time if problems arise. The possibilities are endless; live production reports can be synced to the factory’s servers in real time, and BTS engineers can remotely access the machines for software update and technical assistance purposes.
Testing stations (like the pre- and post-ICW short-circuit and internal resistance tests or the leak test performed after heat sealing) are equipped with an additional PLC for data processing and export, as well as an extra memory card. They can automatically reject batteries that fail to meet certain criteria: for example, some customers may want to connect a weight cell to the PLC to detect any batteries that are lighter or heavier than the current model; a CCD camera can also be used for similar purposes.
Every machine has a user-friendly, high-resolution touchscreen that is also network capable and has extensive PLC industrial communication protocol support, enough memory to handle real-time feedback, and can be linked to up to four devices simultaneously.
Smart software
On the software side of things, smart manufacturing features mean that maintenance and production have never been easier. It is possible to set production goals and calculate the FPY (approved battery percentage) while the machines are still functioning. Automatic alerts will inform the operator once the previously set goals for a shift or a day have been achieved, and remind the user to replace consumable parts like the welding tips, once a certain number of cycles has been reached. If the batteries have been marked with a QR or Data Matrix code, a scanner can be used to track them.
Any review would not be complete without mentioning the BTS mobile apps.
On the one hand, the BTS E-monitoring app provides a comprehensive overview of all the available production data: detailed reports for each shift or batch (including rejected and approved battery percentages, and whether previously set production goals have been achieved); hour, weekly, monthly and yearly statistics; error logs for troubleshooting; detailed information (such as welding parameters and test results) for each individual battery. The E-maintenance app, on the other hand, is a personalised technical assistance hub where customers can quickly access a detailed history of each installed machine and report issues, or ask technical questions.
Of course, most of these features are also available for other types of equipment, such as filling and formation lines. It is not by chance that BTS has become the partner of choice of some of the world’s largest battery makers for such critical processes.
BTS finishing lines are built with accuracy and reliability in mind, and can withstand years of intensive exploitation, even in the harshest conditions. All components and materials are carefully sourced and thoroughly tested, and covered by the company’s signature “1 + 3 warranty” (1 year overall, 3 years on specific critical parts and components). Machine frames are entirely made of SUS-316— not cheap substitutes like recycled stainless steel. Other parts of the machine use advanced, aerospace-grade ceramics that are corrosion resistant and exceptionally durable.
Wide range of solutions
Over the years, BTS has developed a wide range of acid filling solutions that can meet the needs of every customer, from simple, semi-auto, gravity filling machines to fully automated vacuum fillers. The latest generation of BTS acid-filling machines uses a highly precise servo pump system— designed in-house by BTS engineers. Of course, no metal parts are used inside the pumps themselves (or in any other parts of the machine that may come in direct contact with the electrolyte solution) to avoid contamination.
As they enter the line, the batteries are identified with a scanner and weighed; they will be weighed again after filling to detect any deviations from the desired filling volume. Optionally, individual cell flow meters (from Keyence and other industry-leading suppliers) can be used for more granular control. If any issues are detected, the affected batteries are sent to a dedicated rejection area.
Acid level check and levelling machines, equipped with state-of-the-art optical sensors, can also be integrated in a filling and finishing setup that will meet even the most demanding requirements— followed by a high-rate discharge test machine that takes full advantage of the line’s smart features. Test results are automatically processed and sent to the factory’s QA department’s computers as ready reports, live or at regular intervals.
Best of all, every machine is modular and upgradable. Each software update brings new features and improves existing functionality, and hardware components can also be easily retrofitted or expanded to keep pace with technology and market developments.
