Adding Battery Testing Capability to a Laboratory
Adding battery testing means cell and pack cyclers, environmental chambers and — for abuse testing — dedicated, contained test rooms with fire suppression and ventilation. Performance testing is far easier to bring in-house than abuse and transport safety testing.
What is this capability?
Battery testing covers capacity, cycle life, rate capability and impedance (performance), plus abuse, safety and transport tests.
Typical equipment (categories)
- Cell and pack cyclers
- Temperature chambers rated for battery testing
- Impedance / EIS analysers
Supporting equipment
- Data management for long-duration tests
- Fire-resistant storage
- Abuse test equipment (crush, nail penetration, short circuit) where in scope
Facility considerations
Hazard assessment, fire detection and suppression, off-gas ventilation, segregated storage and emergency procedures. Abuse testing requires purpose-built containment.
Calibration and service
Cycler voltage/current calibration, chamber temperature checks and thermocouple calibration.
Before bringing it in-house, decide
- Which methods and standards you must run, and whether customers require accredited results
- Realistic annual sample volume and how steady it is
- Who will operate, calibrate and maintain the equipment — and who covers when they are away
- Whether the space, utilities and environmental control are adequate today
- Whether outsourcing until volumes are proven is the lower-risk first step
Common questions
- Should we do UN 38.3 in-house?
- Many organizations outsource UN 38.3 and abuse testing because of the facility, safety and accreditation requirements.
- Does Laboratory Vortex supply the equipment?
- No. Laboratory Vortex is a discovery and request platform. Submitting a lab project helps identify equipment suppliers and service providers; you contract with them directly.