Li-ion battery packs give SMEs custom solutions without the non-recurring engineering costs

Varta Storage has introduced a new lithium-ion battery pack configuration service called CellPac BLOX, which offers the flexibility of a full custom battery pack but with shorter lead times and very low engineering costs. The new service offers system designers a range of lithium-ion cells, Protection Circuit Modules (PCMs) and connectors which can be combined to produce lithium-ion batteries ranging from 150mAh up to 7800mAh. More than 50 combinations of cells and PCMs have been tested and validated by the company to guarantee safety, and almost any standard wire/connector assembly can be added to create a semi-custom lithium-ion soft pack. A detailed handbook allows for easy selection of compatible components. All cells carry UL 1642 recognition, and all packs are tested for transportation according to the UN 38.3 standard. Additional options are available, such as IEC 62133 certification, or the use of non-standard connectors. The introduction of the service is aimed at SMEs for which the NRE and unit costs of a full custom lithium-ion pack are often too high but where time-to-market is also critical. The service allows them to configure a battery pack which closely matches the electrical and mechanical requirements of their application and to implement it quickly in their end product design, drawing on detailed technical data to estimate its performance and lifetime in their application’s operating conditions.