Boston Power is a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries and
operates a complex manufacturing process.The company’s
Declan Shalvey explains how a specialised in-line x-ray
inspection system enables the company to guarantee the
safety and reliability of its products

Acomplex manufacturing process
means safety testing and quality
control is crucial in delivering reliable
products. There are many things that could
go wrong in the manufacture of batteries,
especially in relation to the anode and
cathode inside the battery.While simple
electrical tests can pick up significant faults,
latent faults inside the battery where
elements may only be slightly misaligned,
can be a huge problem and dangerous for
users as these latent faults are exacerbated by
real world use. Of course, as part of the
manufacturing process there is extensive
testing on the batteries to ensure that no
faults, latent or otherwise, slip through the
net. However, these tests can be very
inefficient.What we wanted to do as a
company was to institute a method of testing
that provided 100% in-line inspection,
improving efficiency, and guaranteeing the
manufacturing integrity of each and every
product on the production line. Our
customers get a three year guarantee on
Boston Power battery products – this
necessitates a stringent inspection policy in
our manufacturing plants.

X-ray scanning can be used to see inside
the batteries – to check on the internal
structure and to ensure that there are no
problems with each battery. There are over
40 features within the electrical assembly of
each battery that need to be checked in order
ensure the absolute safety of each product.

Moreover, in-line testing means these checks
have to be done in real time, with a seven
second window to inspect every aspect of
each battery.

As a result we were looking for the fastest,
but also the most accurate x-ray system for
our production line.We approached 3DXRAY
as it was able to provide high quality
analysis to the process.Moreover, it was able
to provide a system that could be tailored to
our specific needs.We tasked 3DX-RAY to
install a full in-line inspection system in our
facility in Taiwan; its flexible technology and
expertise was key to the successful
installation of the inspection system.

3DX-RAY designed and built the system
from scratch within eight weeks and it was
installed in the Taiwan facility within
another two weeks. The system not only
included bespoke software but has also been
built with flexibility. This flexibility was
crucial in two respects: the battery inspection
can take place at various stages in the
production line, and we have several battery
shapes, with the potential for more in future.

3DX-RAY’s equipment has been designed
and built with the capability to not only be
positioned at various stages of production
but to handle any number of battery form
factors.

3DX-RAY’s equipment is now running
24/7 in our Taiwan facility.We are
producing hundreds of thousands of units
per month, with plans to ramp to millions,
and everyone is screened using our in-line
inspection system. Following the installation
we have received ongoing support from
3DX-RAY. This has included use of an inbuilt
support system enabling the company
to change system parameters remotely as we
refine our manufacturing processes more
and more.

The equipment has enabled us to
guarantee the absolute safety and reliability
of our products to our
customers. As we continue
to grow our company and
our production volumes,
manufacturing integrity
simultaneously becomes
more important and more
challenging to maintain.

Having high quality,
tailored equipment such
as 3DX-RAY’s means that
we can continue to
deliver the highest
standards of product
reliability.