Although lithium batteries are often criticized for their low energy density and limited cycle life, battery safety is the primary concern. When lithium batteries have safety defects, the consequences of fires and explosions are always alarming.
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Therefore, lithium batteries must be rigorously tested before they leave the factory. This is where the lithium battery testing system becomes extremely important.
01
A lithium battery testing system refers to the equipment used to test battery cells and finished batteries. The purpose of the testing is to confirm whether the various indicators meet the process standards or factory standards, and to prevent accidents caused by negligence.
Therefore, a qualified lithium battery should meet the following safety performance conditions:
It should not explode due to fire, whether under conditions of short circuit, overcharge, needle puncture, flat impact, or combustion.
Lithium battery testing systems can be classified into different categories according to different classification standards:
Depending on their intended use, lithium battery testing systems can be categorized into cell testing systems, module testing systems, and lithium battery pack testing systems.
Depending on the application area, lithium battery testing systems can be divided into mobile phone battery testing systems, laptop battery testing systems, power tool battery testing systems, electric bicycle battery testing systems, electric vehicle battery testing systems, etc.
Based on the battery pack assembly and testing process, lithium battery testing systems include cell sorting and testing systems, charge and discharge testing systems, protection board testing systems, wiring harness testing systems, BMS testing systems, module EOL testing systems, battery pack EOL testing systems, and operating condition simulation testing systems.
02
The lithium battery testing system industry chain is shown in the figure below:
The upstream suppliers are mainly electronic components and chassis racks.
These manufacturers primarily supply related electronic components and parts such as chassis and racks.
Electronic components are the core parts of battery testing equipment, therefore they have high technological content and added value. Other components, such as chassis and racks, have lower added value because their processing and manufacturing technology is less demanding.
The midstream sector is the lithium battery testing system industry.
Lithium battery testing equipment manufacturers need to supply corresponding testing equipment based on the different types of batteries that battery manufacturers develop and produce, in order to achieve the goals of testing product safety and reliability and research and development.
Generally, customer requirements vary, exhibiting characteristics of diversity and customization. Companies in the lithium battery testing system industry all need to redesign their methods based on existing products. Therefore, lithium battery testing systems and the lithium battery manufacturing industry are closely linked.
Among global lithium battery testing system manufacturers, those with larger scale, higher brand recognition, and greater market share include Bitrode (USA), Digatron (Germany), AV (NASDAQ-listed), PNE (South Korea), and Kataoka Seisakusho (Japan). Domestically, there are more than 10 lithium battery testing system manufacturers, including Hangke Technology, Lead Intelligent Equipment (Titan), Xingyun Technology, Hengyi Energy, Jingjieng Energy, and Ruineng Energy.
Because foreign companies started their domestic research and development earlier, their equipment is more mature in terms of precision, automation, performance, and technology.
Downstream customers are lithium battery manufacturers.
Lithium battery manufacturers obtain testing systems from lithium battery testing equipment manufacturers to conduct battery testing.
Lithium battery testing systems are a post-processing step performed by lithium battery manufacturers after the synthesis of battery cells, and their value accounts for approximately 30%-35% of the lithium battery production process.
The testing process includes cell formation, capacity testing, testing, and sorting.
Formation is the process of activating the battery cell through the initial charging. Its purpose is to activate active materials, form a stable SEI film, and remove gaseous byproducts and substandard cells. The most important piece of formation equipment is the formation machine.
Capacity testing involves charging and discharging the completed battery cells according to design standards. The core equipment for capacity testing is a charge/discharge machine.
Abroad, some lithium battery manufacturers use separate chargers and dischargers, but in China, they generally use a charge-discharger that combines charging and discharging functions for capacity grading. Therefore, the charge-discharger is sometimes also called a capacity grading machine.
During charging and discharging, the charger not only charges and discharges the battery cell but also records relevant data and graphs, such as current, voltage, and time. This data can be used to determine whether the lithium battery is up to standard.
After charging and discharging, the battery cell is in a self-discharge state and needs to be left to stand for a period of time. This standing process typically requires a separate storage room that meets specific environmental conditions. Testing the cell's voltage and internal resistance before and after standing allows for a more accurate assessment of the cell's quality.
Sorting, also known as grading, is the process of classifying and selecting well-formed and capacity-tested battery cells according to certain standards; it is also called grade sorting. In addition to distinguishing between qualified and unqualified products, sorting also involves combining battery cells according to requirements. This is because lithium batteries are often used in parallel, series, or a combination of both in parallel. Selecting battery cells with similar performance will help maximize the overall performance of the battery.
For individual battery cells, this allows for the differentiation of battery quality, the elimination of defective products, and the fulfillment of shipping requirements. For battery packs, the key is to ensure consistency in cell matching, grouping batteries with similar performance together to assemble them into battery packs, reducing the negative impact of the "weakest link" effect on the battery pack, and ensuring that the batteries operate well.
Finally, the finished lithium batteries undergo other specialized tests, such as aging tests on cells and modules, performance tests, and safety tests (mechanical safety, environmental safety, and electrical safety), etc. These specialized tests are conducted using dedicated testing equipment.
Currently, the most well-known lithium battery manufacturers include international companies such as Samsung and LG from South Korea, Murata, BAK Power, and Tianjin Lishen from Japan, as well as domestic companies such as CATL, BYD, and Guoxuan High-Tech.
03
The lithium battery testing system industry is closely related to the lithium battery manufacturing industry. As an upstream industry of the lithium battery industry, the development scale and level of the lithium battery industry determine the development scale and level of the lithium battery testing system industry.
Currently, lithium battery testing systems are mainly used in 3C products (computers, communications and consumer electronics), new energy vehicles, power tools, electric bicycles, energy storage and other fields.
According to relevant data, from 2013 to 2018, the global lithium battery shipment volume increased from 57.6 GWh to 189 GWh, with a compound annual growth rate of over 25%. In 2014, the global shipment volume of lithium batteries for new energy vehicles was only 10 GWh, while in 2019, the demand for lithium batteries for new energy vehicles reached as high as 111 GWh.
Clearly, in the past few years, the booming new energy vehicle industry has contributed significantly to the growth of the lithium battery market.
Currently, the market demand for lithium batteries in 3C products, which consume the largest amount of lithium batteries, has reached saturation. Future demand for consumer lithium batteries is expected to maintain a steady upward trend. The next phase will see rapid development in the new energy vehicle and energy storage sectors, driving a surge in lithium battery demand. Consequently, the market size of the lithium battery testing system industry will also expand rapidly.
According to statistics and estimates from the my country Chemical and Physical Power Sources Industry Association, the global market demand for lithium battery testing systems in 2014 was only 4.4 billion yuan, while the Chinese market demand was approximately 2.6 billion yuan. Looking ahead, with the explosive growth in demand for new energy vehicles, some organizations predict that by 2020, the global market demand for lithium battery testing systems will exceed 11 billion yuan, and the market potential for lithium battery testing systems in my country will reach 6.6 billion yuan.
04
In the 1950s, lithium batteries were successfully developed.
Soon, with the gradual maturation of lithium battery manufacturing, charging and discharging technologies, and testing technologies, the application scope of lithium batteries was expanded.
In the 1980s, computer-controlled lithium battery testing systems began to emerge, and software systems became an important supplement to these systems, promoting the development of the lithium battery testing system industry. During the same period, companies producing energy-efficient charging and discharging systems appeared in my country.
In the 1990s, well-known foreign lithium battery testing system companies, such as Decathlon and BCE, entered my country. At that time, lithium batteries were mainly based on single cells, and lithium battery testing systems were mainly used for single cell testing, including compression, impact, nail penetration, charge and discharge tests, and protection board tests.
With the advent of the 21st century and the widespread adoption of 3C electronic products, the demand for lithium batteries has risen rapidly, leading to the emergence of manufacturers of lithium battery testing equipment such as Nebula Electronics and Chengde. Furthermore, as single-cell batteries become less common, the application of battery modules is increasing, prompting further breakthroughs in testing technologies for battery modules.
In 2010, lithium batteries began to be used in small and medium-sized power tools, new energy vehicles and energy storage. my country's lithium battery testing technology began to advance by leaps and bounds, with the emergence of energy feedback charge and discharge testing systems, high-power high-precision operating condition simulation systems and BMS testing systems. The industry is moving towards automation and systematization.
Currently, the localization rate of formation and capacity testing equipment in the battery testing process of Chinese lithium battery manufacturers has reached 80%-90%. However, because the lithium battery testing system industry is still in the early stages of its life cycle, the industry concentration is low. Most domestic battery testing system companies have annual revenue of less than 10 million yuan, and companies with revenue of over 100 million yuan are very rare.
Compared with foreign lithium battery testing system companies, there are still some gaps in terms of scale and technology. In short, my country's lithium battery testing system industry has huge potential for future development.
Hangke Technology (688006): Formerly known as Hangzhou Reliability Instrument Factory, it was founded in 1984. In 2011, Zhejiang Hangke Technology Co., Ltd. was established, primarily focusing on the R&D, production, and sales of consumer batteries. With the rise of new energy vehicles, the company has entered the supply chains of Samsung, LG, Murata, and CATL (Atelier Technology). Currently, it supplies power batteries to LG, while its power lithium batteries for Panasonic and Samsung SDI are still in the prototype evaluation and testing stage. The company is one of the very few domestic manufacturers capable of exporting complete sets of equipment and closely cooperating with major lithium battery manufacturers in Japan and South Korea, while other domestic competitors mainly serve domestic customers. According to statistics from the Gaogong Industry Research Institute, the market size of lithium battery post-processing equipment in my country was approximately 6.2 billion yuan in 2018, with the company holding a 20% domestic market share. Currently, it possesses core technologies and capabilities in the R&D and production of core equipment for post-processing systems such as charge/discharge machines and internal resistance testers, and can supply complete solutions for lithium battery production line post-processing systems.
Lead Intelligent Equipment (300450): Its subsidiary, Zhuhai Titan, is a professional manufacturer of lithium battery back-end equipment. In 2017, the company acquired Zhuhai Titan, a professional manufacturer of lithium battery back-end equipment specializing in R&D and manufacturing of energy recovery-type formation, capacity grading, sorting, automated warehousing and logistics, and lithium battery cell and module testing equipment. Zhuhai Titan's advantage lies in its fully independent development of high-frequency energy recovery technology. From product introduction to output, the entire process is independently developed. Its high-frequency energy recovery technology can be flexibly transformed into different products, with modular products and large-scale production, enabling it to launch products that meet market demands in the shortest possible time and satisfy the customized needs of the battery industry. Currently, Zhuhai Titan primarily serves well-known domestic lithium battery companies such as BYD, Shuangdeng Group, Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy, CATL New Energy, Camel Group New Energy, and CALB.
Xingyun Technology (300648): Founded in 2005, Xingyun Technology is a high-tech company specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of lithium battery pack testing equipment, bidirectional converters, and intelligent manufacturing solutions for lithium battery packs. The company's main products include seven categories: lithium battery protection board testing systems, lithium battery finished product testing systems, lithium battery pack BMS testing systems, lithium battery pack charge/discharge testing systems, lithium battery pack operating condition simulation testing systems, lithium battery pack automated assembly systems, and power lithium battery module/battery pack EOL testing systems. These products boast high precision, accuracy, and stability. They have been recognized by battery and terminal manufacturers such as CATL, BYD, Guoxuan High-Tech, Huawei, Feimaotui, Farasis Energy, and Sunwoda; vehicle manufacturers such as Geely, Dongfeng Electric Vehicles, Nanjing Golden Dragon, SAIC-GM-Wuling, GAC Group, and NIO; and testing and research institutions such as Beijing Institute of Industrial Design Co., Ltd., Chongqing Vehicle Testing Center, my country Automotive Technology Research Center, and Beijing 201 Institute (my country Northern Vehicle Research Institute).
