Battery Supply Chain > Battery Testing Equipment
Battery Testing Equipment
Battery manufacturing is a yield and safety business. This page is an equipment-focused directory that catalogs the primary tool and equipment classes used for metrology (measurement), inspection (defect detection), and testing (functional proof) across battery cell and battery pack production. It is intentionally vendor-agnostic and organized for factory design, equipment selection, and ramp planning.
Where these tools sit in the manufacturing stack
- Cell manufacturing: tool emphasis is on electrode uniformity, contamination control, and electrochemical screening during formation and aging.
- Pack manufacturing: tool emphasis is on joining quality, leak-tight thermal integration, enclosure sealing, and HV safety validation.
- Factory ramps: instrumentation and test throughput often gate output more than automation density.
Primary equipment classes
The table below lists the primary equipment classes used to protect yield and safety. “Applies to” indicates whether the tool is typically used in cell, pack, or both.
| Function class | Primary equipment types | Applies to | What it protects | Ramp / yield impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inline dimensional metrology | Thickness and coat-weight measurement, width and alignment metrology | Cell | Electrode uniformity and downstream yield | Very high |
| Optical surface inspection | High-speed vision, defect classification, edge and burr inspection | Cell, Pack | Early defect detection and assembly verification | Very high |
| Moisture and environment monitoring | Dew point sensors, particle counters, ESD monitors, environmental telemetry | Cell | Electrochemical stability and safety | Very high |
| Joining and joint quality monitoring | Weld signature monitoring, joint resistance measurement, torque traceability | Cell, Pack | Low-resistance, reliable electrical joints | High |
| Leak detection and flow verification | Pressure decay testing, helium leak detection, flow measurement and verification | Pack | Thermal circuit integrity and enclosure sealing | High |
| Electrical safety testing | Hipot, isolation resistance, continuity, HVIL validation, functional interlock testing | Pack | HV safety and compliance | Very high |
| Electrochemical testing | Formation cyclers, aging racks, capacity testing, impedance analytics | Cell | Early failure screening, performance grading, lifetime risk | Very high (time-gated) |
| EOL functional testing | EOL stations, BMS flashing and calibration rigs, communications validation | Cell, Pack | System correctness before shipment | High |
| Traceability and quality data systems | Serialization, genealogy tracking, SPC, MES interfaces, parameter capture | Cell, Pack | Containment, root cause analysis, ramp learning loops | Foundational |
Cell vs pack: where each equipment class is used
This table clarifies where each tool class typically appears and what it verifies at that point in the line.
| Equipment class | Common placement in cell manufacturing | Common placement in pack manufacturing | Primary acceptance criteria examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inline dimensional metrology | Coating and drying; web handling; after calendaring | Pack enclosure build (limited use) | Thickness uniformity, coat-weight stability, alignment tolerances |
| Optical inspection | After coating/drying; after slitting/notching; assembly verification | Seal bead inspection; assembly verification; connector placement | No pinholes/streaks; burr limits; correct routing and placement |
| Moisture and environment monitoring | Dry room; electrolyte handling; assembly zones | HV assembly zones (select) | Dew point targets; particle limits; ESD event controls |
| Joining quality monitoring | Tab welds; enclosure sealing joins | Busbar and interconnect joins; torque-controlled joints | Joint resistance limits; weld signature windows; torque traceability |
| Leak and flow testing | Cell sealing leak checks (limited) | Cold plates, manifolds, coolant circuits; enclosure sealing | Leak rate thresholds; flow balance; purge completeness |
| Electrical safety testing | Cell-level safety screening (limited) | Hipot, isolation resistance, continuity, HVIL verification | Isolation resistance thresholds; hipot pass/fail; interlock function |
| Electrochemical testing | Formation, aging, capacity and impedance grading | Pack-level functional validation (select) | Capacity bins; impedance limits; self-discharge outlier detection |
| EOL functional testing | Cell grading and binning closeout | Pack EOL safety + BMS commissioning | Correct firmware and parameters; comms pass; safety checks pass |
| Traceability systems | Cell serialization and genealogy; tool parameter capture | Pack serialization and genealogy; EOL records and parameter capture | Complete genealogy; audit-ready parameter records; rapid containment ability |
Bottlenecks
Several production constraints are driven by test cycle time, data handling, or physics-limited screening. These are the test-driven bottlenecks most likely to cap output as volume ramps.
- 1) Formation and aging capacity (cell): time-based electrochemical screening consumes floor space and capital.
- 2) HV safety EOL throughput (pack): hipot and isolation testing must be thorough and can require parallel test lanes.
- 3) Leak testing cycle time (pack): cold plates and sealed enclosures require reliable verification; failures are expensive to rework.
- 4) Join quality verification (pack): resistance and weld monitoring must be fast and discriminating to protect yield.
- 5) Inline coating inspection accuracy (cell): conservative line speeds may be necessary to keep false escapes low.
Testing Equipment Vendor list
List of manufacturers that make testing equipment for electric vehicle batteries:
| Manufacturer | Product | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Admiral Instruments | Cell tester | Tempe, AZ |
| Arbin Instruments | Cell/mod/pack tester | College Station, TX |
| Bitrode Corporation | Cell/mod/pack tester | St. Louis, MO |
| Chroma ATE | Cell Cycler, Formation, Validation, Test | Irvine , CA |
| CSM Products | Electrical Systems | Auburn Hills, MI |
| Digatron Power Electronics | full-stack mfg and test equip | Shelton, CT |
| Liminal Insights | Other | Emeryville, CA |
| Maccor | Cell/mod/pack tester | Tulsa, OK |
| Nexceris | Gas detector | Lewis Center, OH |
| Novonix Battery Testing Services | Test system | Dartmouth, NS |
| TA Instruments | Thermal analysis; mechanical testing | Lindon, UT |
| TA Instruments | Thermal analysis; mechanical testing | Eden Prairie, MN |
| Titan Advanced Energy Solutions | Cell tester | Salem, MA |
