The electrification of vehicles is driving a massive transformation in the automotive industry and beyond. A critical factor in achieving this transformation lies in the availability and production of better batteries. Never has one component held such far-reaching implications for the quality, safety, and performance of the final product. Recognizing this, NI and the Battery Innovation Center (BIC) are collaborating to enhance battery quality and yield through research on test utilization in the battery manufacturing process and the effective management of test data throughout the battery lifecycle.
Batteries present a unique challenge when it comes to testing due to their distinctive coverage requirements. “You could argue that testing a battery is closer to testing a human body than testing a circuit board,” said Ben Wrightsman, CEO of BIC, during the NI Connect 2023 conference. “Batteries, like humans, are highly dynamic as their conditions change based on our usage in their environment and each one behaves a little differently.” Moreover, batteries come in a wide variety of form factors, sizes, chemistries, and capacities, necessitating test systems that are not only highly capable but also incredibly flexible.