OK Guys I will give you my 2 cents on making batteries, since I have
actually been inside battery manufacturing operations world-wide and was a
supplier of a key ingredient in the automated battery making process.
50 years ago a key step in the battery making process was the hand soldering
of the straps between the cells with a very strong chloride acid soldering
flux. The acid flux had to be cleaned off the straps by hand because, if
the residue was left on the straps, eventually, it would destroy the straps
thereby reducing the life of the battery.
Along came an inventor who created an automated procedure to solder the
straps which could have revolutionized the industry. However, they could
not figure out how to clean the straps automatically until they replaced the
acid flux with a non-acid flux which allowed the automated production to
become successful. The maker of the machinery sold the flux under their
name, so as a young international sales rep looking for more business in the
lines he carried, I searched for battery makers who bought the machinery
outside the USA and convinced them to buy the flux from the maker. Over the
next 50 years, the worldwide industry converted the battery making to use
this process, and other makers of the machinery were created. Some were not
interested in buying our flux and created their own with questionable
results. Most of the time, I was successful in convincing the actual users
of the equipment to use our non-acid flux as the cost was a minor part of
the production process, until a bean counter would disrupt the production by
buying a local product on the cheap.
The Johnson Controls battery making operation has been operating in
Monterrey, Mexico for over 30 years in cooperation with local firms. As the
American automotive manufacturers produced more and more cars in Mexico the
battery makers in northern Mexico became larger and larger. So I set up a
distributor in Monterrey to supply many of the battery makers
(Accumuladores) in Northern Mexico including Johnson Controls. It has been
over 10 years since I retired and my client, the maker of the Non Acid
Battery making flux, took over the business. Who knows what flux Johnson
and other Accumulators are now using!
At any rate, almost all makers of batteries or the makers of other products
use the same or similar equipment and anywhere along the production line,
changes can create problems which they do not know about until the rate of
battery failure increases which may be 5 years later. If Johnson Controls is
not supplying batteries to GM, Ford, Chrysler and so on of high quality and
reliability in Mexico and the cars are being sold in the USA and Canada,
they would be in deep you know what. I do not know if Interstate Batteries
are still being made by JC or some other Accumuladores in Monterrey as I
have no longer any contacts in the business.
I do know that I do not have to buy a new battery every September as my
father did for our 1953 Chevrolet Belair so the car would start in the
winter. In addition, my 5 year old Duracell Battery bought at Sams Club is
still turning over my Healey, not because I drive it every day! It is
because I charge it every 30-60 days to make certain that sulfides on the
plates do not reduce the life of the battery, and the batteries on my 2
sailboats are lasting 5-10 years because of using a particular battery
charger which has automated that process. I tend to think that much of the
returns on batteries is the result of limited use of the vehicle, and all
those energy sapping sensors in the new cars reducing the life of the
battery. Again, since I no longer go to the IBMA (Independent Battery
Manufactures Association) yearly meeting, I impart to you what is going on
in the industry today.
Best regards to all,
Bob Begani
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