Battery parts: where quality starts
Lee Quinney, country manager at Banner Batteries (GB) Ltd, discusses the importance of optimum CV battery components
Quality is king, whichever way you look at it. But where does overall product quality emanate from? It simply doesn’t materialise overnight. In essence, it’s all about piecing together the best possible components, in the best possible way, to deliver the optimum end result.
And when it comes to components such as the battery – used to get the CV not only up and running but in full flow – this is all-important.
So what parts of the CV battery are key and why? Most battery manufacturers, certainly those that have earned a reputable OE reputation, go to the ends of the earth to design, develop and source materials that not only deliver power that is required when it’s needed, but time after time.
Lead content
Batteries are heavy, and this is largely attributable to their lead content. However, given that lead is a costly commodity, and one that has increased significantly over the last 12 months, some manufacturers attempt to limit the amount used to reduce costs.
Indeed the mean weight of a premium OE product when compared to that of a private label product of the same size and specification is a good quality indicator. This translates into the use of smaller, thinner and fewer plates, all of which have a negative impact on reliability, specification, performance and lifecycle.
The acid balance
The acid concentration within batteries centres on delivering equilibrium to proceedings. Acting as an electrolyte, the acid density of a fully charged, sealed battery should be: 1.28-0.01+0.02 kg/l. For those manufacturers who again want to ensure that battery performance remains uncompromised, using the optimum concentration of sulphuric acid is all that counts.
However, this is not always the case; in some instances it is used in a more concentrated form as a substitute for the amount of lead and plate numbers used. This is discussed in more detail below.
Plating up
When it comes to the OE pedigree suppliers, stepping up to the plate is taken as read.
It’s not just about ensuring that the optimum numbers of plates are inbuilt into the batteries design; it is the type used that can make a real difference.
Manufacturers such as Banner Batteries use a continuous ConCast process for the production of negative mesh – used in two of the CV Buffalo Bull family of batteries – with the resulting advantages consisting of increased frame stability and enhanced production tolerances.
Such a mesh and plate design provides optimum electrical conductance and ensures that the battery is insensitive to high current loads. This helps deliver full cold start performance under all operating conditions.
In certain instances, where battery plate numbers may have been compromised in an attempt to reduce costs, increasing acid strength is often an adopted practice; however this creates a mere sticking plaster effect, as ultimately it will result in increased corrosion with negative results.
Indeed, whether it’s plate numbers or lead content being reduced, or acid strength increased, each stage of a battery’s life cycle – formatting, peak and decline – are all compromised.
Stay protected
Whilst ensuring that batteries deliver optimum and reliable starting performance is central to the whole aspect of product quality, so too is the technology used to deliver greater safety. It is here that special surge protectors have their own part to play in proceedings.
Those used across the Buffalo Bull family not only safeguard against acid leaks under cases of extreme vibration or vehicle tilting, reliable backfire protection is integrated into the surge protectors, thereby fulfilling the first fit demands of most leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
The best possible shape
Finally, it comes down to how a battery shapes up overall. This can contribute significantly to working/operational safety.
For example, the deployment of a four-chamber leak protection design and central degassing that also incorporates integrated, captive backfire protection, safety screws and innovative ‘PinFin’ short circuit protectors serve to round off a battery’s safety package.
