AEA Battery Systems to open new technology centre in Scotland
12th November 2002
AEA Battery Systems is to locate its battery charger business new manufacturing base for the BOWMAN battery pack charging units in Glengarnock, near Glasgow.
Part of the Technology Centre being developed by its parent company AEA Technology, the centre will house the manufacturing division of AEA Battery Systems' battery charger business.
AEA Battery Systems, located at Thurso in Caithness where the battery packs are produced, recently won the contract to supply batteries and chargers for the Ministry of Defence's BOWMAN communications project. The decision to locate the charger business at the site near Glasgow was part of the company's plans to build a strong base in Scotland, Glengarnock was chosen due to the high technical skills base of the local population and its excellent transport links.
Dave Loughborough, Managing Director of AEA Battery Systems commented:
"By developing this centre in Glengarnock, AEA Battery Systems will be well prepared to meet the demands of the defence industry for increasingly lightweight, high performance batteries and fast charging units.
"Our world-leading scientists in Li-ion technology are working in partnership with a range of customers who recognise the potential benefits they can achieve by considering power supply early on in the design process. Based here in Scotland we can now deliver a lithium-ion solution that combines the best operational performance with excellent whole life costs."
The centre is scheduled to open in autumn 2003 and will initially create up to 100 jobs over the first 3 years.
--Ends--
Notes to Editors
Battery Systems
AEA Battery Systems designs, develops and manufactures the world's most advanced portable power systems for markets where performance and reliability are critical. Its reputation and world-leading 'Kaizen' cell derives from its role in the invention of Lithium-ion technology and its partnership with Japanese battery experts, Japan Storage Battery Co., Ltd and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Among the company's 172 employees in the UK are some of the world's leading scientists in Li-ion technology. AEA Battery Systems currently has 2 bases comprising headquarters in Thurso, Caithness, and a technology centre in Culham, Oxfordshire.
AEA Battery Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEA Technology plc.
AEA Technology
AEA Technology is a technology and consultancy-based business, which has built on its UK public sector strength to develop increasingly in the UK private sector and abroad. It focuses on two growth markets, Rail and Environment, to which it provides customers with a portfolio of advanced technology consultancy, products and services. In addition, AEA Technology has a portfolio of smaller businesses, among which is AEA Battery Systems.
Military market applications
The current UK military battlefield communications system, Clansman, relies on traditional Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries which do not have the same advanced performance characteristics. The Li-ion Kaizen cell, which will be used in the Bowman system, will enable portable radios, handheld computers and encryption devices to last longer and function in extreme environments while weighing substantially less - all critical factors in modern battlefield conditions.
For military forces to operate successfully in hostile unfamiliar terrain, often in small units and effectively isolated from others, the importance of secure and reliable communication as well as accurate location position is critical. The Kaizen Cell meets the requirements of modern warfare.
It operates in the most adverse conditions (+75 degrees centigrade and - 51 degrees centigrade). The cell has been designed specifically to meet the extreme requirements of rugged applications and thanks to its hermetic sealing and no memory effect, even after periods of inactivity, it will still deliver full performance.
The temperature performance of the Cell will end the practice of "shirt stuffing" whereby the existing Ni-Cd battery is carried next to the skin in an attempt to keep it warm. In addition, the Kaizen Cell is one-third the weight and one-third the size of those currently used by the British military man-pack radio, reducing the pack weight of the soldier and improving his ability to perform covertly. Overall the key advantage offered by the battery to the military is to create 'less stress for tired soldiers' by creating a battery that soldiers can have confidence will work regardless of the conditions.
The benefits to customers, both military and non-military, of the Kaizen cell is its reliability, increased performance and life cycle which means customers will have to buy fewer cells, giving a tremendous cost benefit. It has a cycle life in excess of 1200 charge and discharge cycles. This is typically three to four times better than that of other currently available cells.
Non-military market applications
AEA Battery Systems can supply very advanced battery technology, packaged into intelligent systems specifically suited to customers' requirements and enabling them to make their products world beating.
Medical equipment has to be completely dependable as well as being compact for ease of use and transportation. In addition it must be able to perform fully wherever and whenever it is needed. Li-ion batteries with their high power to weight ratio are the ideal battery type for this equipment. The Kaizen cell offers Homeland Defence operations lightweight, compact power with reliable performance essential for the communications equipment required.
In the marine market, in particular the sub-sea environment which is extremely hostile, equipment has to operate autonomously for long periods of time and totally reliably. Size is also a key factor. Again, the Kaizen cell, with its high energy density and reliability proven from widespread land based application, is the ideal battery type for this equipment. The Kaizen battery has already been used in the growing market for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for which its high performance and rugged construction have made it particularly suitable.
The use of Li-ion batteries is also being exploited in the space sector where the combination of reliability, low mass, low volume, high specific energy, high energy density and high thermal efficiency specifically address the market needs.
The Kaizen cells will be manufactured by AGM Batteries which is based at AEA Battery Systems state-of-the-art factory in Thurso, Scotland. AGM Batteries is owned by AEA Technology [60 per cent], Japan Storage Battery Co., Ltd [22 per cent] and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation [18 per cent]. AEA Technology provides the technological expertise, Japan Storage the production technology expertise and Mitsubishi Materials the materials expertise.
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