By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: GÖPEL electronic has launched a battery cell tester that determines quality, charging efficiency and reliability on up to five high-voltage battery cells at the same time. The unit is available now and sits alongside the company’s existing end-of-line system, which tests the complete pack.
Key engineering takeaway: The battery cell tester runs two standard measurements. Open circuit voltage (OCV) reads the cell voltage with no load applied, giving an indicator of state of charge. Alternating current internal resistance (ACIR) determines internal resistance under AC excitation, which GÖPEL electronic says indicates the performance, ageing state and quality of the cell.
Why it matters: Pack-level end-of-line rigs catch a suspect cell only once it has already been built into an assembly. A compact battery cell tester that couples to automated handling equipment and returns repeatable results in seconds moves that judgement upstream to incoming inspection and cell grouping, where rejecting a cell costs a fraction as much.
High-voltage batteries for e-mobility have become highly complex systems consisting of numerous components. The market for these batteries is becoming increasingly dynamic, and technologies are constantly evolving: innovative battery cells with new chemical compositions are being introduced. Automotive suppliers and manufacturers therefore require a tailored and flexible testing strategy for battery cell quality assurance, both in development and in production. Only in this way can suppliers compete in the market with more powerful batteries, higher levels of automation, and optimized workflows.
To address these challenges, GÖPEL electronic has developed a high-performance and quickly configurable battery cell tester that features a modular design and high flexibility. This allows for the quick and transparent determination of quality, charging efficiency, and reliability in up to five battery cells simultaneously. The tester complements the product portfolio, which includes, among other things, GÖPEL electronic’s EOL battery test system, which performs comprehensive test routines for the entire battery pack.
What the battery cell tester measures
The new battery cell tester covers standard safety tests that evaluate the condition of the cells: The OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) value indicates the voltage of a battery without a load (open circuit) and serves as an indicator of its state of charge. For the ACIR (Alternating Current Internal Resistance) measurement, the tester uses a test method to determine the internal resistance of the battery cells. This internal resistance under alternating current provides information about the performance, state of aging, and quality of the battery cell.
Where it fits in the production flow
The main advantage of the new, smaller tester from GÖPEL electronic lies in its fast and reproducible test results: By interfacing with automated equipment, highly efficient batch testing can be performed in a matter of seconds. This is ideal, for example, for incoming inspection or cell grouping.
The new battery cell tester is now available from GÖPEL electronic.
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