Page 65 - North American Clean Energy July August 2015

he inal key to long- John Connell is the vice president of Crown Battery’s SLI Products Group. Crown Battery manu-
lasting AGM batteries
factures all its advanced technology batteries at its ISO-9001:2008-certiied Fremont, Ohio plant.
AGM battery checklist
is formation, an initial
Don’t compromise -- be sure the manufacturer charging session that Crown Battery | www.crownbattery.com
converts lead sulfate
discloses how their AGM batteries were made:
and maximizes capacity.

• Plates are heavy and gravity-cast;
Many companies
accelerate formation
• There’s more lead, even though lead prices are with higher currents
rising;
to shorten production

• The company invests heavily in R&D, testing time. But this
“shortcut” results in
equipment, and automated manufacturing;
less usable material and
a shortened lifespan.
• Batteries use recycled (and recyclable) lead;
Batteries which use a
• Solar and wind energy are used at the lower current formation
manufacturing plant;
process will have longer
a lifespan.
• Lead oxide mixing, plate curing, and formation
charging are computerized to maximize
What else to look
performance and eliminate variables;
for?
A battery’s internal
• Automated plate wrapping and high-
performance separators eliminate plate short- components and
construction are
circuiting;
vital to longevity and
performance, but they
• No hand-welding -- instead, robotic cast-on
strap (COS) welding is used for every one of the mean little without
proper quality control.
manufacturer’s products (not just at showcase Quality control is
plants);
crucial at every stage

• The manufacturer tests batteries from the of battery production.
production line, not the lab;
Better facilities use
computerized welding
• Vision systems review other hands-on and
and heat sealing,
automated quality control; and
machine-testing
for short circuits,
• There haven’t been any major recalls.
and vision systems;

advanced image
capturing and software
that automatically
inspects parts for defects humans might miss. Recommended manufacturers will use

advanced quality control at all their plants, not just at plants they advertise.
Finally, a manufacturer with recent recalls or defects generally indicates poor
engineering and design, improper material selection, and inadequate quality control.
Knowing how to sort through marketing hype and technical specs makes it easier to

choose the right renewable energy battery for any system. Call the battery manufacturer
or distributor, or visit their website to compare manufacturing materials and techniques.
his will ensure the longest life, best value, and highest performance for an RE system.

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