Valmet Automotive says that the 1,500m2 expansion of its Battery Test Center (BTC) in Bad Friedrichshall, Germany, is progressing well. The installation of six extra fireproof test rooms is nearing completion, with testing scheduled to begin in September this year.
Builders are completing work on Hall 3, which previously housed the prototype department but will now feature several climate chambers instead.
Valmet says it will extend its capacity for endurance and lifecycle testing of batteries at the BTC by covering the full gamut of high-voltage batteries. Furthermore, a newly built test station will ensure the required system tightness, which is a crucial requirement for the battery system to work as intended. At the new testing sites, cells, battery modules and complete battery systems will be put through a range of tests to validate environmental compatibility, function and safety.
The expansion is due to Valmet’s need to increase its testing capacity to keep up with growing customer demand. The delivery, installation and commissioning of test rigs are scheduled for this summer, with test operations expected to start later this year.
“The focus of our testing activities is clearly on the Tier 1 business of Valmet Automotive,” commented Mathias Würges, VP of engineering. “With the extension of our battery test center at the Bad Friedrichshall site and the expansion of the test center in Weihenbronn with a focus on abuse testing, we can support this at its best.”
The testing site is being expanded in tandem with the construction of Valmet’s first battery production site in Kirchardt near Bad Friedrichshall, with the plant scheduled to begin production in 2022.
