Avocet Steel are making the transition from a Trading and Service company to becoming a manufacturer. This is an undertaking like marriage – not to be taken lightly. It’s easy to say but very daunting to do. So why do it?
It’s not often that an opportunity presents itself that even warrants a discussion about producing a product in the UK given that most products are already produced by someone somewhere and if not there then certainly in China. This too was the case with battery tabs. Avocet steel has for several years been a key supplier of foils for lithium ion battery cell manufacture. The foils are used to produce the anode and cathode parts of the lithium ion pouch cells. The battery tab materials are aluminium and nickel plated copper which are the metal bases that form these connectors that allow the pouch cells to be harnessed together to comprise the power units for Electric Vehicles. Avocet’s customers, delighted with the quality of the foils also wanted to buy tabs. Â At first these tabs were sourced in the Far East. As they were required infrequently and only in small volumes in the period up to 2020 this was not a problem.
The Covid pandemic and the advances being sought by Manufacturers in battery technology changed the landscape. Covid has demonstrated to us all that long supply chains are neither sustainable nor desirable. They are prone to disruption and also environmentally damaging.
Avocet was asked to consider making these battery tabs in the UK and accepted the challenge.
It is indeed a challenge, manufacturing in the UK will be invaluable to the UK and European supply chain for battery manufacture but the greater challenge is in meeting the quality demands created by the sought after improvements in pouch cell performance. Battery tab materials are key to achieving these improvements in pouch cell performance which in turn deliver the rewards of greater mileage per charge and faster charging speeds.
The innovative battery tabs being produced by Avocet will deliver efficiency in electrical transfer throughout pouch cell power units. Avocets R&D in cooperation with its customers is focused on optimising the battery tab materials that are used to make the battery tabs at the Avocet UK centre of excellence.
Avocet will deliver bespoke quality battery tabs through a short, environmentally conscious and sustainable supply chain to UK and European battery manufacturers.