Batteries Demystified by Ramesh Natarajan

Are you weighing your battery plates before assembly? Are you under the impression that weighing unformed plates and segregating them helps improve your battery quality? Is it just another fad that you are blindly following? Is it useful & affordable for small and medium businesses?  In today’s episode, I shall try talking about this popular phenomenon that adds no value and is an unnecessary...

You must have heard the buzzword BUSINESS STRATEGY. Is it just another buzzword that big companies throw around? What does it mean for smaller businesses?  How can a strategy help small and medium-sized businesses grow and stay ahead of the competition?  In today’s episode I shall try to break it down in simple terms, talking about  what strategy is,  why it’s important,  how you can create a stra...

Lead-acid batteries, a process-oriented product, is not as simple to manufacture as it seems.  Battery manufacturers must know What Not To Do  which is as important as What To Do This podcast episode is a case study with a twist. The battery manufacturer was losing tons of money for a simple fault of his The identification of the problem was difficult. Listen till the end and enjoy this interestin...

The lead-acid battery industry is going through turbulent times. Battery manufacturers have to contend with new battery chemistries entering the market. Lithium-ion batteries are taking away certain applications that were the preserve of lead-acid batteries. The battery manufacturers are competing with each other and getting into a price war - with many manufacturers shutting down shop. The custom...

In today’s episode, I have a dear friend, Mr. Achim Lulsdorf, to discuss an important aspect of battery manufacturing. Your response to the previous two episodes featuring Mr. Achim has been fantastic, and I’m sure you’ll benefit from listening to him today as well. In a previous episode, I highlighted the importance of battery charging. That was in April 2023 ‘Secret Revealed – The Key To Long-La...

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that my dear friend Mike - Dr. Michael McDonagh, decided to contribute to my podcast. During our conversation, he generously shared a wealth of his expertise on GEL batteries. Dr. Michael McDonagh is a battery industry veteran from Wales in the UK. He completed his PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science in 1977. That same year, he joined Crompton Batteries...

Lead-acid batteries, that last long and perform well need good-quality active materials. Active materials have to be made using good-quality Lead Oxide. Understand the difference between Ball Mill Oxide and Barton Pot Oxide. Listen to Mr. Francesco Marfisi talk about how a good quality ball mill can give you savings in power, good quality adhesion of paste to the grid, better acid absorption, envi...

Lead-acid batteries, a sustainable product, conforming to a circular economy are made using recycled lead. All used batteries are collected as scrap for melting and smelting. These scrap batteries are recycled. They are smelted and refined. The refined lead is combined with other metals to be used again in the future. The recovery of lead from scrap batteries is one of the major advantages that ma...

Dive into the fascinating world of battery technology with our latest podcast episode! Learn about the crucial role of paste additives in enhancing battery performance. Discover how fiber, barium sulfate, carbon, and other additives improve battery efficiency. Explore the intricate details of paste mixture components and their functions. Understand why additives are essential for maintaining batte...

For fifty episodes, I have tried to be your trusted navigator unraveling the mysteries of batteries with my expertise and experience. From the fundamental principles to the latest innovations, each episode has been a captivating journey, offering invaluable knowledge and practical insights to enthusiasts, professionals, and curious minds alike. Through engaging discussions, expert interviews, and...

Are you sure that the grids you use are suitable for pasting? What are the parameters to be monitored & controlled at various stages of mixing and pasting and flash drying? How important is the temperature of the mix at various stages of mixing? What are the minimum and maximum temperatures of the paste mix? Is the paste mix to be continuously cooled or should it not be cooled throughout? What...

आज का पॉडकास्ट एपिसोड सुनें जिसमें बताया गया है कि बैटरी डिजाइनिंग और परीक्षण के समय तटस्थ इलेक्ट्रोड का उपयोग क्यों किया जाना चाहिए। यह एपिसोड पॉजिटिव से नेगेटिव एक्टिव मटेरियल निर्धारण के अनुपात के संबंध में मामले पर केंद्रित है। यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए विषय पर विस्तार से चर्चा की गई है कि के एक्टिव मटेरियल असंतुलन के कारण बैटरी की विफलता से बचा जा सके। यह एक एक्टिव मटेरियल के रूप में इलेक्ट्रो...

Listen to today's podcast episode which explains the reason why a neutral electrode must be used at the time of battery designing and testing. The episode dwells on the matter as regards the ratio of positive to negative active material determination.  The topic has been discussed in detail to ensure that the failures of batteries due to an imbalance of active material can be avoided. It also...

Listen to today's podcast episode which clarifies the reasons for the failure of active material filling in tubular bags/gauntlets.  The episode dwells on the various reasons for the variation of filling of active materials and suggests measures to be taken to manufacture good quality tubular plates. The topic has been discussed in detail to ensure that the failures of batteries due to incons...

Listen to today's podcast episode in which I share my thoughts on the subject of the survival of lead-acid batteries. The episode dwells on the hot topic of discussion that bothers lead acid battery manufacturers. A topic that crops up whenever the battery manufacturers meet.  The question is – Will lead acid batteries survive the era dominated by Lithium-ion? Please do share your thoughts on...

Listen to today's podcast episode which clarifies the reasons for failure of batteries due to bursting of tubular bags/gauntlets. The episode dwells on the various reasons for failure and lists out the requirements of various characteristics of a good gauntlet. The outline of the process of manufacture of gauntlets also forms a part of this episode. The topic has been discussed in detail to e...

Listen to today's podcast episode as we clear the confusion as regards warranty & guarantee. This podcast episode is for the battery user as much as it is for the battery manufacturer and dealer. The questions posed and answered are –  What exactly is meant by Guarantee & Warranty? What is a pro-rata warranty? Is the user of the battery better off not availing of the pro-rata warranty...

Listen to today's mind-boggling podcast episode as we delve into the baffling claims for warranty replacement of batteries. This is another case study similar to the earlier one on the mysterious case of the Pasting Machine.  The questions are –  Why are only the separators getting damaged so badly? Why are the plates comparatively in a good state? Why do even the new batteries have internal...

During my tenure at UNIK, (a company that manufactures machines for battery manufacturers) I had an interesting encounter with a battery manufacturer who purchased one of our pasting machines. Initially, everything ran smoothly, but when they ramped up production, the machine took an unexpected turn. Imagine a seemingly perfect pasting machine suddenly behaving oddly at noon...  Join me on this in...

You are surely making an excellent-quality stationary battery. Are you still handling a lot of customer complaints, service requests, and warranty claims? Are these warranty returns eating up a major chunk of your profits? Do you feel frustrated after all the hard work and efforts that you have put in when you are saddled with, all these avoidable claims and loss of earnings? To get in touch with...

सील्ड मेंटेनेंस फ्री बैटरियों का निर्माण फ्लडेड इलेक्ट्रोलाइट वेंटेड टाइप पारंपरिक लेड एसिड बैटरियों के निर्माण जितना आसान नहीं है। हो सकता है कि बैटरी को सावधानी से असेम्बल किया गया हो • बैटरी प्लेटें वजन की एकरूपता • असेंबली की उचित पिच • विभाजकों का एक समान संपीड़न • सही बस बार की मोटाई और चौड़ाई   आदि आदि।, उपरोक्त सभी के बावजूद आपको अभी भी वारंटी संबंधी समस्याएँ हो सकती हैं।  इस समस्या का समा...

मेरे पॉडकास्ट के इस एपिसोड में, मैं बैटरी निर्माण की एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रक्रिया के बारे में बात करूंगा। यह प्रक्रिया इतनी महत्वपूर्ण है कि इस प्रक्रिया के दौरान जरा सी भी लापरवाही बैटरी की विफलता का कारण बनती है। यहां तक कि इस प्रक्रिया में गलती के कारण उत्कृष्ट सामग्री के साथ इकट्ठी हुई बैटरी भी विफल हो जाती है। बैटरी का प्रदर्शन और जीवन दोनों ही इस प्रक्रिया पर काफी हद तक निर्भर हैं। वास्तव में, यद...

Manufacture of Sealed Maintenance Free batteries is not as easy as the manufacture of Flooded Electrolyte Vented type conventional lead acid batteries. The battery may have been assembled with care as regards Uniformity of plate weights Proper pitch of assembly Uniform compression of separators Correct bus bar thickness & width etc. etc., but it can still create problems in service leading to...

Processing of filled tubular plates is an operation not given its due importance. It is necessary for manufacturers to understand how battery life and performance can be affected due to a casual approach in this department. Improper processing of filled tubular plates:  can result in inconsistent sulfation reaction can raise temperatures to dangerous levels and damage the plates may cause inconsis...

In this episode of my podcast, I shall be talking about an important process of battery manufacture. This process is so important that any neglect during this process leads to battery failure. Even batteries assembled with excellent materials fail due to a mistake in this process.  Battery performance & life both are dependent to a great extent on this process. In fact, the best of batteries c...