BCI YEARBOOK - 2017

Jacksonville, Florida, USA • April 30-May 2, 2017

& Special Pre-2017 Convention Report

• The review: the year ahead, the year behind • Thorsby: Lead threats thwarted • Follow our full convention session analysis • Squaring up to new lead price prospects • Recycling on the agenda ... again

www.batteriesinternational.com

BC I

Bringing the industry together

IN N FU OV LL AT LI ION ST A IN W GS A R

DS

• New convention and power mart features

power to you!

A G E Expanding the FTF-HP Ex M

Advanced energy solutions to meet your growing needs for testing, conditioning, simulation and lifecycling.

• Up to 1MW with available vailable ble option Advanced Energy Technology Applications · EV / HEV/ PHEV Pack Testing · Inverter, UPS, Generator & Flywheel Testing · Microgrid Battery Conditioning · Drive Cycle Simulation · Bidirectional DC Power Supply · Super and UltraCapacitor Testing

for parallel testing up to 2MW (up to 700V) V) 4MW

• Single or dual circuit uit models available • New over-current,, under-current, over-voltage and under-voltage rd protection standard on all models

1 MW 900 am p 1000 volts per c irc uit

program • Infinite number of program n conjunction conjjunction with steps when used in VisuaLCN software • Remote Binary Protocol available for control via 3rd party software • Discharge power recycled to AC line for cooler, more energy efficient operation • Current Rise Time (10-90%) less than 4ms with zero overshoot • Optional Zero Volt testing capability

Bitrode is currently tl seeking ki sales l reps and distributors around the globe.

Visit our website for more details! info@bitrode.com © 2017 Sovema Power Electronics

• Other FTF options and custom hardware/software capabilities available. Contact Bitrode to discuss your requirements

www.bitrode.com is an operating unit of

Group.

CONTENTS

BCI Yearbook & Special Pre-2017 Convention Report

Battery Council International’s 129th Convention and Power Mart Expo, looks yet again to be the hottest meeting of the North American lead (and more) battery community this year. With an exciting agenda covering many issues that urgently need to be discussed, and not forgetting the newly introduced innovation awards, the 600 plus delegates heading to Jacksonville, Florida should find much to talk about.

4

Editorial

2

Welcome to Jax: historical heart of the Sunshine State

4

The BCI viewpoint: the achievements of a year gone by

6

Muddled thinking resolved after BCI helps adjust Californian law

9

The outlook for lead pricing for the year ahead

17

Find us! Power Mart flat plan for the exhibitors

22

The BCI innovation awards

6

17

50

www.batteriesinternational.com

27-43

NorthStar

28

Aqua Metals

30

Hammond

32

Advanced Battery Concepts

34

Daramic

38

Remy Batteries

40

Gridtential

42

The BCI story

44

The great and the good: the membership directory

46

Battery heroes and veterans: the quarter century club

48

All the fun of the show

50 Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 1

EDITORIAL Mike Halls • editor@batteriesinternational.com

Lead lumbers on and on This year’s BCI meetings comes once more at an important juncture in the lead battery industry. Despite news of lithium this or lithium that the lumbering dinosaur of the lead battery market charges on.

Survey after survey continues to show lead battery sales advancing steadily. The automotive battery market continue to increase across the world as an emerging middle class in developing countries move up to driving cars.

And in the developed world although the number of new car sales fluctuates with the economy, the number of cars on the road continues to climb — between 1960 and 2016 the US alone added an average 3.7 million cars to the number on the road every year. And, of course, every car needs a new battery every few years...

And though the lithium-this, lithium-that of the media continues to chatter, the fact is that electric vehicle sales are still minimal.

(And, of course, as a plus they generally have a small 12V lead battery for the car electrics.)

Where there needs to be concern about this lumbering giant of an industry comes from two directions.

The first is geographic, new battery manufacturing continue to slide eastwards to Asia, an economic imbalance that at some point will be unsustainable.

The second is in terms of capability. The huge growth in renewable energy is generating a vast demand for largescale energy storage. And, despite huge advances being made in lead acid battery technology, when a project is looking for a 10 year guarantee on its energy storage capability, lead isn’t up to the job.

Publisher: Karen Hampton, karen@batteriesinternational.com +44 779 852 337 Editor: Michael Halls, editor@batteriesinternational.com +44 7977 016 918 Assistant sales manager: Jade Beevor, jade@energystoragejournal.com +44 1243 782 275 Business development manager June Moultrie, june@batteriesinternational.com +44 7528 503 714

Reception: +44 1 243 782 275 Subscriptions and admin manager: Claire Ronnie, subscriptions@batteriesinternational.com admin@batteriesinternational.com +44 1243 782 275 Special reports editor Wyn Jenkins, wyn.jenkins@serenglobalmedia.com +44 1792 293 222

2 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Or not yet anyway. Each year with limited budgets compared to their lithium R&D counterparts the lead battery industry pushes forward. The latest version of the UltraBattery, for example, can match many — but not all — of what lithium batteries can do.

Cycle life is taking leaps forward with firms such as Advanced Battery Concepts or Gridtential pushing ahead with new battery ideas. And players such as Hammond leaping forward the capabilities of regular batteries with new paste formulations.

But it’s still not enough and so this year, we again welcome the BCI initiative of seeking those in the industry pushing innovation in whatever form it can take.

Staff reporters: Philip Moorcroft, Jane Simpson, Debbie Mason

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No unauthorised translation or reproduction is permitted. ISSN 1462-6322

Design and production: Antony Parselle, aparselledesign@me.com +44 1727 811 842

© 2017 Mustard Seed Publishing, UK company no: 5976361. Printed in the UK via Thisismethod UK

International advertising representation: advertising@batteriesinternational.com

Disclaimer: Although we believe in the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this magazine, Mustard Seed Publishing makes no warranties or representation about this. Nor should anything contained within it should be construed as constituting an offer to buy or sell securities, or constitute advice in relation to the buying or selling of investments.

www.batteriesinternational.com

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE

BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo April 29 – May 1, 2018 The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa 3800 East Sunrise Drive Tucson, AZ 85718

330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2000 | Chicago, Illinois 60611 Phone: +1.312.245.1074 | info@batterycouncil.org | www.batterycouncil.org

BCI 2017 YEARBOOK

Welcome to Jax The Sunshine State’s finest surprise!

Jacksonville is a fascinating spot to hold BCI’s convention writes Louise Wright Jacksonville may be the biggest city in the US — it’s twice the size of New York — but that’s relatively new. A century ago it had a population of just 25,000.

Although the population may have been small, Jacksonville and its surrounds have a long and occasionally brutal history.

The French claimed discovery of the area in the 1560s (to the puzzlement of the native Seminole Indians who had always known it was there).

Over the next three centuries it changed hands repeatedly — often with great cruelty — between the Spanish, the French and the British.

That went on until 1822 when

America took it over for good and immediately decided a name change was in order.

The British — original as ever — had named the place Cow Ford, because that’s where the cows … But when the Spanish won it back, in an act of spite immediately changed it to Vacapilatca (Cow Crossing).

The Americans knowing that 11 other US states had towns called Jacksonville thought that situation unfair and decided to rectify the matter.

(Why couldn’t

Florida, they reasoned, have it’s own Jacksonville too?)

The rest is history. Or at least until recently when modern America with its hatred of unnecessary effort reasoned there were too many syllables in its name. It’s now known as Jax. Jax is also a city of numerous rare and wonderful firsts. Elvis’ first iindoor concert was played in the city, it was the birthplace of the first home computer, it’s where Joseph LaRose invented the modern lady’s shoe and much more.

Out and about in Jacksonville Something’s brewin’ baby…

The Friendship Fountain

Culture vulture

R&D is a vital part of any Batteryman’s working life.

Given that the local craft beer scene has doubled within recent years an in-depth investigation of Jax’s new micro-brewery area, — centred within The Five Points district — should prove suitably challenging. (Intellectually of course.)

Our five of the best in terms of cultural stimulation (and also award-winning breweries in last year’s Best Florida Beer Championship) were: • Engine 15 Brewing • Intuition Ale Works • Aardwolf Brewing • Veterans United Craft Brewery • Pinglehead Brewing Company

Bare minutes away from the convention hotel — just cross the bridge on Main Street — is the Friendship Fountain. It provides a captivating example of 1960s architecture and is one of Jax’s must-see attractions.

When built in 1965 it was billed as the tallest fountain in the world and it’s still one of the largest fountains of its kind. It can pump up to 6,500 gallons of water per minute to aweinspiring effect: 265 lights illuminate the arcs, creating a shimmering mist.

For those who haven’t clasped hand to heart and pledged allegiance for a couple of hours, don’t miss out on the special “patriotic soundtrack” display between 8pm and 10.20pm most evenings. You can also enjoy the breathtaking views of downtown Jacksonville from Friendship Park. It’s also next to the Museum of Science and History on the Southbank Riverwalk and the Jacksonville Maritime Museum.

If you know what you like about art — or gardening for that matter — then the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a must-see. Founded in 1961, the museum’s permanent collection includes over 5,000 works of art dating from BC2100 to this century.

The collection and the gardens were bequeathed by Ninah Cummer, wife of the lumber tycoon. The museum’s acquisitions include works by Rubens, Thomas Moran, and Norman Rockwell. There are also a number of special collections, ranging from Japanese prints to works depicting Indian Seminole traditions of the 1930s.

Don’t forget the Jax Brew Bus which gives a tour of all of the local craft breweries, including our five of the best. Sit back and sample as your Brew Bus guide tells you all about the brewmasters, home brewing, and of course the beer.

The four hour tour costs $55 and includes tastings at three breweries, a personal tour guide, and 10-15 samples of craft beer...

4 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

www.batteriesinternational.com

Out and about in Jax ax And how do you like your fried cow sir?

Golf, glorious golf

Two areas worth an early evening stroll and just minutes away from the ho hotel are oteel ar re the thhe districts of San Marco and the Five Points. inntss.

Tired of all that talk about electrons, anodes and other mysterious science thingies? So where would a good ol’ boy convention be without a golf course close by? Thankfully there are clubs galore within minutes of the hotel.

The best — the Hyde Park — is one of the most historical, palatial even.

Set amid a backdrop of pines and oaks, the course offers the same challenges today as when it was first designed in 1925 by Donald Ross — he of the World Golf Hall of Fame and designer of 400 courses around the US. But also check out the Blue Sky Golf Club which is more casual and relaxed — no dress code here so even humble battery professionals will be warmly welcomed.

San Marco pays tribute to Venice, adding a to touch ouc uchh of o EEuropean urop urop ur opea eann ea elegance to this diverse and popular area of Jacksonville. acks ac kkssson oonnvi villlllle. e W e.

Within itithi hinn the tree-lined San Marco Square, you’ll discover ver er IItalianate t lilian ta anat an ate at te sc scul sculpture u pt ul p urre as well as restaurants, galleries and boutiques. s. s.

It’s also home to the San Marco Theater, which icchh ooffers fff er ers a tr ttrip ipp bback acck inn time for movie going. Established in 1938, it’s tth the he ol oldest lde dest st ccommunity oom mmuni muni mu n ty t theater in the country, and was featured as one ne of of tthe hee 1100 BBe Best est Classic Cinemas by USA Today. i t ddi i t i t iit’s t’ more On the other side of the river is the Five Points district; cosmopolitan, more Bohemian. Enjoy a Cuban tapas — more than a million Cubans live in Florida — such as a Vaca Frita.

It may not sound so good in English — fried cow — but try it!

It’s where steak is marinated in oregano, parsley, coriander, garlic, cinnamon, and red vinegar, then braised until fall-apart tender. It’s served along side lime-infused onions and peppers…

For entertainment, there’s the Florida Theater, which offers a programme as diverse as the district itself, or the Jax Symphony Orchestra for something more traditional. Stores include Five Points Antiques, who sell everything from figurines to furniture, and the Alewife Bottleshop and Tasting Room, where you can sample mpl p e an andd educate yourself in American craft beer.

San Marco Square

San Marco Theatre

Ain’t nothin’ but the blues (‘n’ jazz too)

Hyde Park Golf Club

Blue Sky Golf Club

In 1901 Jacksonville was devastated by the Great Fire.

The damage was huge — $15 million in money at the time; about $2 billion today. It erased the colonial past making way for a functional and modern cityscape.

• Jacksonville Beach hosts the annual Springing the hee B Blues lues lu es festival, one of the largest in the country nd Du D ke • Jazz legends Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke ililla l la Ellington have all performed at the Ritz Theater inn La VVilla • A teenage Ray Charles played at The Ritz for a year ear a • Jacksonville’s Jazz Festival is the second largestt of its kind in the US You can catch live blues and jazz at The Jazzland Café, é, Downtown, close to the Southbank.

John Wellborn Martin (pictured left) eft) has a lot to answer for. Or at least to the citizens of Jacksonville. The centre of the world’s movie industry could have been in Jax not Hollywood but for him. During his time as mayor — 1917-1923 — he made life so unpleasant for movie makers that the city known as ‘The Winter Film Capital of the World’ fled to California. Efforts to recolonize Florida’s film industry, just think of the abomination best known as Orlando, have been only partly successful.

From monsters ... to the Fab Four • “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” was shot here • The city’s highest point is only 40’ above sea level • Jax has only been hit by one hurricane since 1871, despite being in a hurricane hot spot • The Beatles refused to play Jax in ’64 due to segregation laws.

THE VIEW FROM BCI Batteries International interviewed Mark Thorsby, EVP of Battery Council International for his reflections on the work undertaken in 2016 and his plans for the year ahead.

Challenging accomplishments 2016 will be remembered as yet another difficult year for the lead battery industry but also one of a couple of remarkable successes by BCI in changing legislation and perceptions of the value of lead acid batteries.

Mark Thorsby, executive vice president of BCI, says he looks back on the year as being a sometimes hectic one but one with solid achievements.

“It’s been a highly productive one in many ways,” he says. “One of the most high-profile victories was the way that we modified a California legislative proposal that would have had devastating consequences on lead battery recycling in California.”

The main issue was a piece of Californian legislation called the LeadAcid Battery Recycling Act of 2016 or AB2153, introduced in January by Californian Assembly member Christina Garcia.

The aim she said was to increase recycling and reduce the public costs for the end of life management of lead acid batteries.

In reality the recycling charge was less about improving recycling rates but was to rapidly finance a $176 million lead acid battery recycling clean up fund. This would be available to finance clean-ups of residences near smelters and other lead-contaminated areas in California.

Assembly member Garcia’s district lay between Exide’s contaminated and closed plant at Vernon and the still operating Quemetco’s smelting plant in the suburb of City of Angels.

Key elements of the bill included a fee of $15 to $20 to be charged on every lead acid battery sold in the state and a 75% tax on the payments a lead-battery retailer received for returning used batteries to the manufacturer.

“We saw immediately that this 6 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

“We saw immediately that this would be crippling legislation to the lead battery business. It was a knee-jerk reaction to the contamination scandal that had happened at Exide’s recycling plant in Vernon” would be crippling legislation to the lead battery business,” says Thorsby.

“It was a knee-jerk reaction to the contamination scandal that had happened at Exide’s recycling plant in Vernon.

“It was simplistic and missed the point completely — as we’ve been publicly pointing out for some time,

lead batteries are almost completely recycled already!”

BCI’s approach was to get close to the assembly staff members drafting the legislation and assembly members and explain the basis for the high recycling rate.

“But we went beyond simply talking about recycling and instead gave them a better understanding of the industry and made several suggestions that we thought would improve the bill, which Assemblywoman Garcia readily accepted and incorporated in to the proposed legislation,” he says.

“We were also able to show how lead batteries were reducing emissions and greenhouses gases in start-stop vehicles.”

There is also an initiative under consideration by California’s Department of Toxic Substances to put lead on a list of restricted substances — similar to the REACH legislation in the EU. “But we’ve argued that these stricter standards should be limited to those that directly exposed consumers to toxicity. And that’s something clearly lead batteries don’t do,” says Thorsby.

The result: AB2153, with most of the BCI suggestions incorporated, has been passed.

Communications campaign The next big move from the BCI — which started in 2016 but will continue throughout this year and for several years to come — is the US lead battery communication initiative.

The first phase was investigating through three different focus groups how best to communicate the positive message of lead.

The second phase of the campaign has started with the preparation of the communications support materials to be used in the BCI advocacy www.batteriesinternational.com

THE VIEW FROM BCI work — this ranges from preparing the message materials and the appointment of a full time communications director later this summer.

The aim is to target decision makers and those that influence them across government and industry.

“Some NGOs [non-governmental organizations] have an enormous sway of influence and we intend to be able to show them the true facts about our industry,” says Thorsby.

“We’re looking to communicate this to regulatory, legislative, and the ‘environmental justice’ community.

This will happen in various ways but we’ll certainly be giving briefings to specialist media outlets such as Politico which are hugely influential in informing US Congress opinion.

“Although we won’t be launching a campaign directed towards the general public we will, however, be tackling misinformed articles that appear in the mainstream media.”

Battery chemical coding Other issues continue to bubble under the surface. BCI concern over the mixing of lithium and lead in the recycling stream — and potential huge explosions from the mix of lithium metal and sulfuric acid — has resulted in colour coding for lead (grey), lithium (blue), Ni-Cd (green) and NiMH batteries (orange).

This has been agreed with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission and the SAE (Society of Automobile Engineers). “The IEC and SAE are international standard setting organizations, however, they are not comprehensive worldwide,” says Thorsby.

“We want to push for greater acceptance of this kind of standard and is part of the growing internationalization of BCI’s work.”

BCI has been forging ties with the Battery Association of Japan which is now pushing for the same colour coding for recycling. “In this globalized world where batteries may be recycled well out of their jurisdictions they originate in, common standards just make sense,” he says. “About a third of Japan’s spent lead batteries are exported to Korea, for example.”

As a related issue to this, BCI is interested in conducting a life cycle assessment of both lead and lithium batteries.

Blood lead levels The sometimes controversial issue of blood lead levels rumbles on. The inwww.batteriesinternational.com

“In this globalized world where batteries may be recycled well out of their jurisdictions they originate in, common standards just make sense” dustry agreed level of 30μg/dl came into force at the end of 2016 for members of BCI and sister organizations the International Lead Association, EUROBAT and the Association of Battery Recyclers.

“The question now is where to go to next,” says Thorsby. “So far our voluntary reductions have meant that we’ve been ahead of the regulators but states like California are snapping at our heels. They, for example, are pushing for yet lower levels of 20μg/dl. Internationally we’re seeing calls of 15μg/dl from Germany and 18μg/dl from France.

“I see the next target reduction level of being 25μg/dl or possibly even 20μg/dl but it’s too early to talk about what kind of timetable we should set for this. One thing is important here in that we make these levels achievable for all our international partners and that we, collectively, achieve continuous improvement.”

As part of this BCI continues to look at ways to standardize the collection and reporting of blood lead level data. “This makes sense in that we need to be able to compare like-

for-like with other international bodies as well as within our own members,” he says.

“We are looking at setting standards for the frequency and methodology of reporting, In the end this means we need to have data by blood level by plant as well as by job family. It doesn’t make much sense, for example, to have any kind of average that includes blood data for people who have no contact with the manufacturing or smelting processes within a plant.”

Data book Other work continues to be the gradual transitioning of members from using the BCI Data Book from print to the internet. “This kind of shift of usage takes a lot of time but is starting to generate cost savings,” says Thorsby. “We used to print 60,000 of these huge books. Now we print roughly half of that.

“Moreover, the internet product contains every piece of data that BCI has ever compiled, while the print version only gives just the past 20 years.”

THE INNOVATION AWARDS Another successful feature of 2016 was the inauguration of the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Award at the BCI convention. In all there were 17 entries showing some of the best in lead battery development and were marked by a panel of international experts.

The outright winner was Hammond (pictured) with its K2 product and joint runners up, Advanced Battery Concepts and Black Diamond Structures.

This year — see separate section of the yearbook — seven firms are competing for international recognition. “We’ve been astonished again by the quality of the entries,” says Thorsby. “The whole industry will be pleased to hear of the steps forward various firms in the business are making.”

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 7

ABERTAX® – Leaders in Battery Ancillaries e2 BMS – the Smart Battery Management System Extend battery life, predict battery replacements and reduce extra batteries.

Make informed decisions for battery and fleet management strategies.

• Easy non-invasive installation.

• Visualize critical battery data including voltage, current, internal and external temperature, state of charge and electrolyte level.

• Rugged acid proof construction.

• Accurate measurements from all sensors.

• Data is automatically uploaded in real time to a PC or remote cloud server.

• Configurable battery reports via PC software or cloud application.

• Visualize data with 24/7 access from any PC or mobile device.

• Optional cellular modem for use in remote locations.

• Alarm conditions are visible both online and via LED indicators on the device.

BMU

BMS B S BM

CLS

GRS

Battery Management Unit

Battery Monitoring System

Capacitive Level Sensor

Gas Release System

Abertax® innovative products will ensure a quality battery service Patent protection on all products and concepts ABERTAX® Technologies Ltd · KW17A Corradino Industrial Estate · Paola PLA 3000, Malta Tel +356 23 678100, +356 21660606 · Fax +356 21 808625 · info@abertax.com · www.abertax.com

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS One of the highlights at BCI is the annual presentation by David Weinberg, partner at law firm Wiley Rein, who offers delegates an update on the regulatory matters affecting them and their clients working in the industry.

Progress made in tempering Californian regulatory fervor, but ‘not out of the woods yet’

2016 will be remembered as a difficult year for the lead battery business. And a confusing one too as issues from a bitter presidential election spilt over into very specific politicking about lead. News on poisoning through lead piping in Flint, Michigan and the continued contamination over Exide’s recycling plant in Vernon, a Los Angeles suburb repeatedly hitting the headlines and particularly causing knee-jerk regulatory proposals in California.

“That said, we’ve made a lot of progress since this time last year and certainly feel the industry is in a www.batteriesinternational.com

better position than it was 12 months ago,” says David Weinberg, partner at law firm Wiley Rein. “We are not out of the woods just yet, but we have responded to the challenges and made considerable progress on several key issues. The signs are much more positive.”

Weinberg says a mixture of hard effort by the industry and changes in the political landscape mean that the industry can be more positive than it was. “It has been a mixture of hard work and the presidential election.

But regulators and legislators now understand our position better, and

are responding, even in California,” he says.

As ever, many of the challenges that have been tackled have revolved around pending and potential legislation and other initiatives from California. The trouble being that where California leads, other states and even federal regulators often follow.

The first issue that the industry needed to tackle was potential legislation that would have imposed a $15 recycling fee on all lead batteries sold in California, eventually creating a $100 million plus fund. This would be used to clean up sites polluted by Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 9

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS the industry, such as in the case of the Exide smelter. It also looked to form a new body to oversee the recycling of lead acid batteries.

Weinberg says such a bill was misguided and completely ignored the very high recycling rates achieved by the lead battery industry. “It completely missed the point — the fact that lead acid batteries are almost completely recycled already as a result of a self-enforcing system than requires minimal governmental involvement,” he says.

On top of this pending legislation, there were also two important administrative processes underway at this time last year that could also have important implications for the battery industry.

Firstly, the state governor had directed the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to evaluate lead-acid batteries through the Community Protection and Hazardous Waste Reduction Initiative (CPHWR Initiative).

The goal of this initiative was to select up to three pilot scale projects that have the potential to reduce hazardous wastes that are generated, treated and disposed in significant quantities in California; identify hazardous wastes generated in California that can pose substantial risks or hazards to human health or the environment; and identify hazardous wastes that are generated, treated, or disposed in California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.

Weinberg says lead acid batteries are not suitable for this type of analysis.

They are not responsible for large volumes of hazardous waste either in production or recycling. But he says the CPHWR Initiative had the potential to be used as a vehicle to again focus on lead acid batteries.

Meanwhile, the Green Chemistry Initiative (GCI) or Safer Consumer Products Program is a relatively new environmental law designed to identify and restrict toxic chemicals in consumer products sold in the state.

The law requires a new life-cycle “alternatives analysis” to evaluate alternatives and substitutes for hazardous substances in consumer products, based not only upon their risk during product use, but also during their manufacture and after disposal. The state may then condition, restrict or ban the use of those chemicals in the products of concern.

10 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

“It is fair to say they have a better understanding of the industry and the importance of lead batteries now especially in specific uses such as with startstop vehicles where they help reduce emissions and greenhouse gases” – David Weinberg While the first three products on which the Safer Consumer Products programme will focus on do not include lead acid batteries, the concern was that lead batteries could ultimately be identified as a priority product, which would require manufacturers to evaluate the product’s health impacts and consider ways to reduce impacts.

Weinberg says that had a combination of these initiatives come to pass in their original form, they had the potential to completely disrupt the distribution channels that the industry relies on both for the distribution of the product and the way in which lead acid batteries are recycled, or even threaten access to key markets.

However, the industry has worked with legislators to enact a very different approach.

The California Lead Acid Battery Recycling Act of 2016 created a state mandated lead-acid battery fee paid

by manufacturers that will serve as a funding mechanism for the clean-up of areas contaminated by lead-acid batteries. Consumers also will be charged a $1 fee per vehicle battery at the point of sale, including for marine batteries.

The money from the fees will be used to clean up areas of the state that have been contaminated by the production and recycling of lead acid batteries. In return for their fee, manufacturers get a credit against any claim that might be brought against them in relation to pollution caused by its products.

“Companies responsible for the production and recycling of batteries can be held responsible for cleanup costs so by paying this fee it is something of an insurance policy against any claims brought in the future,” Weinberg says.

Consumers also will be charged a refundable deposit as part of the purchase to encourage the return of www.batteriesinternational.com

The future is in your hands

LEAD RECYCLING WITHOUT THE ISSUES Our mission is to eliminate the inefďŹ ciency, costs and toxic waste associated with traditional smelting as a lead acid battery recycling method.

We are reinventing lead recycling with our patented AquaReďŹ ningTM technology, delivering a better product, at a higher yield. AquaReďŹ ningTM not only eliminates toxic waste and reduces permitting, but it is also more cost-effective.

For more information contact: AquaMetals U.S. OfďŹ ce: "UMBOUJD "WFOVF "MBNFEB $" t 5FM

&NBJM JOGP!BRVBNFUBMT DPN t XXX BRVBNFUBMT DPN

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

“Companies responsible for the production and recycling of batteries can be held responsible for clean-up costs so by paying this fee it is something of an insurance policy against any claims brought in the future” their spent battery for recycling.

Weinberg says that this new system has been accepted by the industry and also achieves the goals of the original legislators. Some of the implementation details of the deal have recently been thrashed out by regulators, and the only remaining other problem has been arranging how the fees will be collected by the tax authorities. He says he now expects the first fees to be collected this August.

In terms of the study being conducted by the DTSC, a report is expected this summer detailing the department’s

findings. Weinberg says it is difficult to predict exactly what the report will contain but that representatives from the battery industry have had very constructive dialogues with the body.

“It is fair to say they have a better understanding of the industry and the importance of lead batteries now especially in specific uses such as with start-stop vehicles where they help reduce emissions and greenhouse gases,” he says.

“So yes, we are hopeful that the report will accurately describe all of the advances being made in the industry. A further result would be

OTHER ISSUES STILL BUBBLING UNDER ….

There are also a few older issues continue to play out in the background. One is that, again in California, an initiative has been sitting on the backburner for several years now that would reconsider general workplace standards for lead exposure.

This was initially done against the backdrop of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) having not updated its own general workplace standards for lead exposure since establishing them 35 years ago.

With no change on the agenda, California’s own Division of Occupational Safety and Health took its own initiative and has been working toward tightening these regulations.

The problem for the lead industry is that if California succeeds and demonstrates that its lead-related businesses can survive tougher regulations, it could set an influential precedent that could become a big deal for the batteries industry.

Weinberg stresses that the point that the standards have not changed since the 1970s is a misnomer. The industry’s own standards are far more rigorous anyway. As such, the lead levels in the blood of a worker in a battery plant are roughly the same

12 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

as what it was for every member of the population in the 1950s.

The proposals in California could potentially reduce this standard to somewhere in the region of a tenth of the current recommended federal levels. This would be far below the accepted industry standard these days.

In fact, little activity has occurred on this issue in the last year, however. “The California authorities keep saying they will be coming out with a proposal, but have not yet done so,” he says.

Another issue that is rumbling along in the background in California relates to air quality standards.

In a nutshell, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air pollution control agency for Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino areas, is pushing for higher standards — again, way above US federal standards.

In fact, new standards were adopted last year but BCI ensured several tweaks to the legislation that made it acceptable for the batteries industry. “There were some unnecessary elements to that which we were able to get changed and this is now something we can live with,” he says.

to reduce the likelihood that lead batteries will be included in the Green Chemistry Initiative. That is not assured but we are making progress.”

Weinberg says an issue that remains on the agenda — and was the catalyst for many of the challenges in California — is the clean-up of the former Exide Technologies facility in Vernon, California. He says that the clean-up is never fast enough for some activists and the issue continues to make headlines on slow news days.

Though now closed for over a year, he says this remains a active political issue which could have a big impact on the lead industry in a variety of ways.

In 2015, many of the issues around the Exide smelter seemed settled. The company settled criminal allegations with the US Department of Justice and settled environmental violations with the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Under the terms of those deals, the company set up a $9 million trust fund for cleaning up lead-contaminated soil from 219 homes. The then-bankrupt company also set aside more than $38 million for closure and remediation of its property at 2700 Indiana Avenue in Vernon.

This settlement had been widely criticised by campaigners who said that it was nowhere near enough, citing that a figure of close to $500 million would be necessary to completely clean up the landscape around the site.

But the landscape of the debate shifted dramatically in February 2016 when, amid growing political pressure, state governor Jerry Brown proposed a $176.6 million spending plan paid for by the state to fund expedited and expanded testing and clean-up of residential properties, schools, day care centres and parks around the former smelter..

The $176.6 million plan is intended to ensure all residential properties, schools, day-care centres and parks within the 1.7 mile radius of the Exide Technologies facility are tested and contaminated soil removed where lead levels are the highest and potential exposure the greatest.

The money initially is coming in the form of a loan from the state’s general fund, to be repaid in part by the newly imposed fees on battery sales. But the state also has stressed that clean-up costs initially incurred by the state will ultimately be sought from the parties the state alleges are responsible for www.batteriesinternational.com

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS the lead contamination. This was the driving force behind the industry’s successful effort to reshape last year’s legislation.

In addition to this, the DTSC is also investigating a second battery recycling plant in the state operated

by Quemetco. Weinberg says that this is a very well operated plant, but the investigation is looking at alleged historical failings and that the focus on such pollution has not really abated.

In terms of the impact the election of new US president Donald Trump has had on the industry, Weinberg says it is that it has prevented a number of things happening that could have been negative for the industry had Hilary Clinton and the Democrats instead gained power.

A hallmark of the Clinton campaign, he says, was a focus on lead in connection to environmental justice concerns, which would have potentially focused more on the cleanup of certain smelter sites. “And while the Trump administration’s specific plans are difficult to predict, their focus and priorities do not seem to be in this area,” he says.

One specific area that could have been a problem was around the use and interpretation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, passed in June 2016, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the national chemicals management law.

The aim in part was to move the US closer to its European equivalent, a legislation called REACH. Over the next few years, 20 chemicals will be identified for risk assessment and evaluation of the risks associated with them. Weinberg believes that lead should not be included on such a list, which should focus on unregulated chemicals. In contrast, the use of lead is highly regulated and managed across all of its lifecycle However, he feels there would have been a higher change that under a Clinton administration would have been added to such a list because of political pressures and sentiment. “It is by no means a given that it will not be added eventually, but with more neutral heads now looking at this issue, rationality may prevail,” he says. “ The election of president Trump certainly gives us some space now allowing the industry and the BCI to focus more on a positive communications programme.” www.batteriesinternational.com

Had a combination of these initiatives come to pass in their original form, they had the potential to completely disrupt the distribution channels that the battery industry relies on both for the distribution of the product and the way in which lead acid batteries are recycled, or even threaten access to key markets

The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the Flint River became the drinking water source for the city of Flint, Michigan. Due to insufficient water treatment, over 100,000 residents were potentially exposed to high levels of lead in the drinking water. A federal state of emergency was declared in January 2016 and Flint residents were instructed to use only bottle or filtered water for drinking and bathing.

The Exide lead contamination, in Vernon, California, came from a battery recycling plant that emitted lead, arsenic and other dangerous pollutants over decades that may have contaminated as many as 10,000 homes in half a dozen working-class, communities near the plant.

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 13

WORLD CLASS BATTERY MANU F

CONTINUOUS CASTING

CONTINUOUS PLATE MAKING

OXMASTER MIXERS

s ,OWEST COST NEGATIVE GRID MAKING METHOD

s )NTEGRATED SYSTEMS FEATURING EITHER STEEL belt or oriямБce pasters

s !LL STAINLESS CONSTRUCTION TO PREVENT corrosion

s 0LATE THICKNESS CONTROL TO PLUS OR MINUS 0.002 inch (0.05 mm)

s )MPROVED CLEANING AND REDUCED maintenance

s /VER SYSTEMS OPERATING WORLDWIDE

s /VER SYSTEMS OPERATING WORLDWIDE

LEKO ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS

CONBRO FORMATION

GRID CASTING

s )NTEGRATED LINES INCLUDING )NTERCELL WELD

(EAT SEAL ,EAK TEST 0OST BURNER $ATE stamp

s 7ATER BATH FORMATION SYSTEMS

s -ECHANICAL AND HYDRAULIC MACHINES available, high speed casting.

s &ULLY AUTOMATED INTEGRATED SYSTEM s /VER SYSTEMS OPERATING WORLDWIDE

s 3EMI AUTOMATIC TO FULLY AUTOMATIC equipment

s !CID MIXING SYSTEMS s !CID lLLING !CID DUMPING

s 0LANISHING OPTIONAL FOR GRID THICKNESS control s /VER MACHINES OPERATING WORLDWIDE

COMPANY FEATURES:

80+ years of industry experience and expertise Global Impact: Sales, manufacturing, technical and service located across the globe Extensive product offerings: Wirtz, Oxmaster, Leko, Conbro, Battery Recycling Systems Continuous development and equipment improvement

WWW.WIRTZUSA.COM

U FACTURING EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

BATTERY RECYCLING

PUNCHED GRID MANUFACTURE

s 4URNKEY SOLUTIONS

s 0ATENTED h0OWERBONDv 2EFORMED 4EXTURIZED GRID SURFACES FOR OPTIMUM PASTE adhesion

s "ATTERY BREAKING s ,EAD RElNING

s 4URNKEY SOLUTIONS

w

WHY CHOOSE WIRTZ MANUFACTURING? Wirtz has over 80 years of battery industry experience, and have been a driving force in many of the technologies available today for lead acid battery manufacture. Wirtz has been issued numerous patents for grid casting machines and grid molds, for pasting machine designs which allowed close tolerance plate making, as well as the key patent for punched grid manufacture which prove our expertise and process knowledge.

Our experience ranges from standalone piece of equipment, to complete turnkey lead acid battery manufacturing facility design, installation, and training. With the combination of our specialized group of companies, extensive industry experience and knowledge, Wirtz is ready to assist customers in every way possible, across the globe.

START-TO-FINISH SERVICE

Consult

)NSTALL 4RAIN

$ESIGN

Support

Build

2EPLACEMENT 0ARTS 3PECIALISTS

Go Digital with

6

75+

vehicles categories

years of data at the click of a button

>200,000 unique records

More than

160,000

293+ batteries

vehicles

What is Source BCI? A digital version of the Data Book. To access the online, searchable database of over 75 years of battery application data, simply type, click and find:

Type in the make, model and year

Click the “Search” button

Find the information you need quickly

Enter the subscription code on the front of your 2017 Data Book, or purchase a yearly subscription for $1.99 at www.batterycouncil.org/SourceBCI.

CONFERENCE THEMES The price of lead as well as its potential outlook is a vital background factor underpinning the battery industry. Batteries International spoke to CRU Group’s Neil Hawkes and Farid Ahmed from Wood Mackenzie — both keynote speakers at the convention.

Hidden surplus of lead starts to come into play Despite the growing threat from lithium-ion batteries, the broad global outlook for lead-acid batteries (that dominate lead demand) is positive in 2017-2018, not just in the US, but also by no further slowdown in Chinese growth and signs of a pick up there, according to Neil Hawkes, principal consultant, Cru Group, a London-based commodity research consultancy, who is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s BCI conference.

He says the key driver of lead prices will be what happens to primary lead supplies.

“Secondary/recycled lead accounts for the lion’s share of lead supply, but there is little doubt that scrap flows will continue to grow roughly in line with lead demand growth rates and that, with recycling rates staying high and no smelter capacity constraints, secondary lead production will continue to grow,” Hawkes says.

However, the path ahead for primary lead supplies will be more erratic, given that lead concentrate produced at mines is typically also alongside zinc (and silver). Tighter mine supply will play a key role in limiting the response of primary smelters, moving the refined lead market into deeper deficit this year.

“Though polymetallic miners are starting to respond to the tighter concentrate and metal picture, both in lead and mining bedfellow zinc,” he says.

“Assuming the global lead market is moving into deficit, the stocks built up in previous years of surplus will become a crucial element in determining the degree of tightening availability to be felt over the next two years.”

The downside lead price threat of metal oversupply and a further slowdown in Chinese growth are fading — the pendulum of investor sentiment towards metals in general is more positive, with lead values already benefitting from the renaissance in their interest. www.batteriesinternational.com

“The only question now is how high lead prices can go, as more favourable lead-specific and broader metal drivers come together? The bar has already been set by the late November 2016 high of over $2,500/tonne.

CRU thinks the bar will be raised before this year is out,” he says.

The current pricing trend follows stability last year when the lead market accepted a pricing floor before it started to stabilize and even strengthen again. But Hawkes says it is possible that some of the so-called hidden surplus of lead will start to emerge as sellers seize their opportunity, serving to potentially limit any price upside in the process.

“There has been a prolonged surplus in the market and the implied build up in unreported stocks, believed to be mainly in the hands of traders, may

“There has been a prolonged surplus in the market and the implied build up in unreported stocks, believed to be mainly in the hands of traders, may start coming into play now as prices edge up” — Neil Hawkes, CRU

start coming into play now as prices edge up,” he says.

The existence of such lead stockpiles is theoretical but highly likely. CRU estimates the existence of such hidden stock by matching the wider supply and demand dynamics in the market over the years and comparing these to reported stock changes, notably on the London Metal Exchange.

The difference between the two represents an implied change in levels of unreported stock, which on this basis has grown considerably in recent years.

This precise calculation is only a general guide, but CRU’s estimates suggest there are 100,000s rather than 10,000s of tonnes of ‘hidden’ (unreported) lead.

“But it is a grey area; no traders will admit to any hard numbers, keeping it hidden under their hats and keeping the market guessing,” he says.

It will never be in the interests of the holders of such stock to flood the market but as the market moves into a deficit and the price creeps up, some could be released and it will become clear how big this underwater part of the lead stock iceberg really is.

“Traders will be waiting for the price to hit a certain point before releasing it and they will take their opportunities to some extent. But they will be careful to only drip feed the market to ensure that lead premiums remain reasonably firm.”

“It will take years rather than months to run all that stock down to uncomfortably low levels. But the price has clearly found its bottom now. It has been trading at between $1,600 and $1,800 a tonne for a while so if things start to change (market switches into deficit and prices lift further) we could see this stock being released.”

Hawkes is optimistic about the strong demand for lead in the coming years and growth in the market on the back of this. Despite a mild winter and a slow start to the year in China, demand has held up well since. In part, Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 17

CONFERENCE THEMES fears over lead losing market share to other battery chemistries have been over done.

“There has been this growing fear factor of lithium-ion taking over, but there is still plenty of room for both to grow,” he says. “It could be a bigger threat in perhaps five years’ time but not at the moment.

“Start-stop function vehicles still need lead-acid batteries and that is helping demand as that technology gains ground around the world.

“I still see growth in lead demand into the end of the decade.”

While demand remains positive, the supply side has continued to tighten especially on the primary side, Hawkes says. This is tempered by the fact that secondary supply outweighs primary supply, limiting the upward price moves.

On the primary supply side, he suggests that mine closures and cut-backs will ultimately boost the price. He believes that primary smelters might start to feel a squeeze in their raw material (lead concentrate) feed supplies.

He notes that Glencore has cut production by around 100,000t/y while a complex of mines in Missouri operated by Doe Run has cut production by 10% in early 2016, citing the low price of lead and the high operating costs of running a mine in the US (mainly because of health and safety regulations).

This has come on the back of other closures. In the US in particular, the closure of the Doe Run smelter in Herculaneum, Missouri, in 2013 took a big primary lead supplier out of the market and it was predicted then that this could result in a shortfall.

Ivernia (now LeadFX) also idled its Paroo Station lead mine in Australia since January 2015. MMG’s Century lead and zinc mine in Queensland, Australia and Vedanta’s Lisheen lead and zinc mine in Ireland both closed last year.

“2016 has proven to be a turning point in the global lead concentrates market, with a marked tightening on the back of a second and larger drop this year in mine production, set against higher primary smelter demand, not least from the latest expansion at Korea Zinc’s Onsan smelter in South Korea,” Hawkes says.

In Europe, the two German primary smelters are also looking to treat more lead concentrates and less secondary materials, mainly due to the tight lead scrap market and persistently high lead scrap prices, though one of these companies, Recylex, a France-based 18 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

specialist in lead and plastic recycling, is going through a refinancing, casting doubt on its future contribution to the market.

Across the North Atlantic, after the closure of several US-based smelters in recent years, a new secondary smelter is being built in Reno, Nevada by Aqua Metals, a company that is looking to use a revolutionary new recycling method.

The company aims to be producing 80 tonnes a day by the end of 2017 and Hawkes says this is an interesting development in the market. “It will use a so-called wet chemical process that it says is more efficient and cleaner with lower emissions and they are attracting a lot of interest,” he says.

“If successful, it could represent a new chapter in how lead is made.”

Some of the other big factors that will influence the price of lead through the rest of 2017 include the strength of the US dollar, itself driven largely by expectations around when the US Fed will increase interest rates again and the robustness of China’s economy.

Hawkes thinks, however, many investors are realising that demand is not as bad as they might have originally thought and China’s economy will stabilize after the recent slowdown in growth.

Another factor to consider is the price of zinc, which is mostly mined alongside lead (and silver) around the world. Zinc prices are starting to move

“Are there new and innovative applications for lead batteries waiting to be exploited to help resist their demise?” — Farid Ahmed, Wood Mackenzie up further ahead of lead, Hawkes says, thanks to even more substantial cuts in zinc than lead mine production around the world. He says the zinc market is less influenced by supply from secondary sources meaning it is more closely driven by changes in primary supply, which is resulting in a huge swing in zinc from surplus into deficit.

However, if the price of zinc starts taking off, some mine cuts could be reversed having a knock on effect on lifting the supply side of lead.

RESISTING THE ENEMY AT THE GATE Farid Ahmed, principal analyst, lead markets, Wood Mackenzie, will be presenting on the global dynamics of lead supply and demand at BCI in a presentation entitled “Lead Batteries: Resisting the Enemy at the Gate”.

Ahmed says he plans to discuss the tensions that exist between the rise of lithium-ion as the chemistry of choice in many parts of the industry and lead acid as the incumbent player in many sectors.

“Lead batteries face simultaneously-opposing influences over their continued use,” he says. “Despite lithium-ion being the technology of choice for the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market, even in the long term this should only offset, not eliminate, lead battery use in the automotive

sector — but by how much?

“Instead, Li-ion and other chemistries threaten to displace lead in a significant proportion of future new markets for energy storage and standby power, driven by the requirement to decarbonise power generation and from the increasing industrialisation of developing economies.”

In his presentation, Ahmed will examine how this dynamic may pan out. “Can new developments in lead battery technology prevent a terminal decline, or will an exploding demand for alternative technologies leave them vulnerable to a shortage of raw materials?

Are there new and innovative applications for lead batteries waiting to be exploited to help resist their demise?” he asks.

www.batteriesinternational.com

Meeting Your Challenges Lead in Air Reduction x Improvement x Initiative x Innovation

Pasting ► Dividing ► Flash Drying ► Stacking ► Curing ► C.O.S. ► Assembly

MAC Engineering and Equipment Company, Inc. 2775 Meadowbrook Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 U.S.A.

maceng@mac-eng.com Latin America (Sorfin Yoshimura, Ltd.)

New York, USA:

sorfin@sorfin.com

Asia

(Sorfin Yoshimura Tokyo, Ltd.)

Tokyo, Japan:

tokyo@sorfin-yoshimura.jp

Brasil

(Sorfin Yoshimura, Ltd.)

São Paulo, Brasil: saopaulo@sorfin-yoshimura.br

China (Sorfin Yoshimura Qingdao, Ltd.)

Qingdao, China:

qingdao@sorfin-yoshimura.cn

Engineered additive solutions for the future of energy storage. www.hmndgroup.com

FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD...

2016 INNOVATION AWARD WINNER

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2017 FLOORPLAN Bitrode Corporation Booth 404

Farmer Mold & Machine Works

Sovema SpA

Hammond Group

Booth 400

Booth 410

Booth 106

BITRODE CORPORATION, a Sovema Company, is a leading manufacturer of battery charging and testing equipment with over 50 years of industry experience. By partnering with customers to integrate their unique requirements into each product, Bitrode is consistently able to meet the changing needs of a sophisticated market.

The firm offers an extensive product line of formation and laboratory test equipment, user-friendly software and manufacturing automation tools appropriate to all battery applications and chemistries.

The firm’s manufacturing and engineering facility is based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA with sales and support offices in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, Bitrode cultivates relationships with industry sales and supply networks around the globe, providing all customers with timely and knowledgeable service.

The firm’s focus on quality and commitment to providing superior technical support drives them to be the best full-service manufacturer of formation charging and test equipment for both large and small cell markets.

Contact details: +1 636 343 6112 info@bitrode.com www.bitrode.com

Family owned and operated since 1938, Farmer Mold & Machine Works specializes in the design and manufacturing of any type of machinery, including battery assembly equipment, parts casting equipment, and plant automation and process engineering.

Further, if you need something that’s not already in our current product line, Farmer can work with you to create custom machinery for your specific applications — whether a new technology or refining an existing process.

Our portfolio of machinery not only sets the standard within the industry but is ever-growing. Plus, Farmer provides sales and support for acid dilution systems, plate curing ovens, and semi- and fully automated material handling equipment to several industries worldwide.

Our highly interactive and innovative approach to automated machine, tool and die, and mold design follows precise safety standards and utilizes the best materials to produce top-of-theline machines and equipment that are built to last in 24/7 environments.

Contact details: Jim Gilmour +1 727.522.0515 jgilmour@farmermold.com www.farmermold.com

Founded in 1969, SOVEMA is one of the most significant and diversified battery equipment manufacturers in the world, able to supply individual equipment for specific processing operations, as well as complete lines for the entire production cycle, using an integrated technological approach starting from the study of factory and departmental lay-out, through to product know-how and plant commissioning by specialized staff.

In 2008 SOVEMA acquired BITRODE CORPORATION, the world’s most respected supplier of electric power conversions systems for EV/HEV battery testing, as well as production and test systems used in the manufacturing of batteries; in 2011 SOVEMA set up “SOLITH” a new branch for LithiumIon battery machines development in Bologna.

SOVEMA is implementing its equipment range more and more, as to improve its market leadership and serve any kind of energy storage manufacturers.

Hammond Expanders is the world’s leading developer and producer of pre-blended expanders for SLI/engine starting, valve regulated, motive power, standby power, hybrid/electric vehicle and solar/wind power applications.

With locations in the USA, UK and Malaysia, Hammond Expanders has the ability to supply your battery company no matter where you may be located.

Our expanders are custom packaged to provide you with the easiest introduction to your paste mix per a one bag per batch ratio.

They are the most technically innovative and reliable available on the market; with decades of expander formulation and experience under our belt, rest assured that you are getting the highest quality product available.

Also we have introduce our world leading new K2 range for today’s Partial State of Charge Applications.

Contact details Bonnie Mescal, Customer Services Tel: +1 219 852-7223 email: bmescal@hmndgroup.com

Contact details: Tel: +39 045 633 5711 Web: www.sovema.it Email: sovema@sovema.it Fax: +1 203 446 8015

WIRTZ Manufacturing Booth 100 The WIRTZ group of companies provides global solutions to the world-wide battery manufacturing industry.

With state-of-the-art equipment designed and developed by; WIRTZ (gravity-cast, continuouslycast and rolled, punched grid and plate production); OXMASTER (ball-mill and barton oxide production systems, and paste mixing equipment); LEKO (semi-automatic and high speed fully-automatic

22 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

battery assembly lines); CONBRO (battery filling and formation plants); and BATTERYRECYCLING (turnkey battery breaking lead and plastic recycling systems, including paste desulphurisation).

At BCI, WIRTZ will demonstrate their commitment to automatically control, and continuously improve critical process variables, in order to ensure that their resulting battery products are of the highest QUALITY, DURABILITY and PERFORMANCE.

Contact details: WIRTZ Manufacturing Company Inc..

1105 Twenty-Fourth Street Port Huron, Michigan 48061-5006 USA Tel: +1 810 987 7600 Email; sales@wirtzusa.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2017 FLOORPLAN

GRAND BALLROOM

FOOD & BEVERAGE

BCI THEATER

ENTRANCE

www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 23

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2017 FLOORPLAN Richardson Molding, LLC

Eagle Oxide

MAC Engineering

Inbatec

Booth 311

Booth 303

Booth 208

Booth 214

Eagle Oxide Services is a leader in the development, design and service of lead and lead oxide systems throughout the world. Their staff has real world oxide production experience that is used to create the best oxide manufacturing equipment on the market.

With hundreds of systems installed in 25+ countries ranging from Ball Mills, Barton Reactors, Litharge and Red Lead Systems to Hammer Mills, lead melt pots, pneumatic and mechanical material conveying, Eagle will fulfill your manufacturing requirements from the simplest of needs to the most complex challenges.

We are proud to announce that Eagle Oxide has received the JCI Shanghai China Outstanding Supplier Award.

Vision and dependability We see possibilities in engineering, design and production that other companies don’t see. The equipment and processes that we’ve designed and built are one-of –a –kind, and they enable us to produce the plastic product you need faster and with greater precision.

We have always been trustworthy and reliable for our customers, and we’re proud of that. Today we promise to continue that legacy by doing whatever it takes to be the best possible partner for you. Even though we’ve been around for a long time, we feel like we’re just getting started.

Contact details: EAGLE Oxide Services, 5605 West 74th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46278 USA Tel: +1 (317) 290-8485 Fax: +1 (317) 290-8766 Email: eaglesales@eagleoxide.com

Contact details Keith W. Toll Sales & Marketing Manager Email: keitht@richardsonmolding.com Richardson Molding, LLC 2405 Norcross Drive Columbus, IN 47201 Tel: 812-342-0139 Cell: 812-350-1855

Formation systems with acid recirculation technology The Inbatec Modules – We form your batteries MAC Engineering has supplied the lead acid battery industry with high quality downstream battery making equipment since 1965.

We offer complete systems for feeding, pasting, flash drying and stacking any continuous or gravity cast plate making technology.

From motorcycle and automotive batteries, to industrial and traction, we have equipment to handle any size of battery production.

New equipment solutions are now available for punched grids. MAC also offers finishing line equipment for automated Cast on Strap, acid filling, leak testing, heat sealing and more.

Contact us today for more information on what we can do for you.

Contact details: Doug Bornas Tel: +1 269-925-3295 E-mail: dbornas@mac-eng.com www.mac-eng.com

NEED BUSINESS ACCESS? Batteries International has been serving the energy storage and battery industry for almost 25 years and has come to be regarded as the definitive source of unbiased news reporting, taking an authoritative stance on all aspects of the business. Batteries International’s editorial team has a reputation for fairness, integrity and impartiality — it’s in the business of trying to serve the $30 billion energy storage industry rather than simply work it for its own good.

Issue 98

Winter 2015/2016

Issue 97

Autumn 2015

Issue 96

Summer 2015

Issue 95

Inbatec is the world leader in formation systems with acid recirculation technology with more than 250 systems in operation worldwide. Our formation modules are reliable and proven and are used by many lead-acid battery manufacturers around the world.

Your benefits: • Closed formation system allows complying with MAC values and environmental regulations • Precise acid gravity and temperature control results in very uniform cellto-cell voltage • Shorter formation time means higher productivity, less space requirement and lower work in progress / inventory • Self-contained and independent modules – to be supplied only with concentrated acid, demineralised water, compressed air, electrical power • Whole acid management is done inside the module • Production capacity grows step-bystep The Inbatec formation process combines uniform and repeatable quality with high productivity and environmental compatibility. The Inbatec modules – the benchmark for lead acid battery formation..

Contact details: Inbatec GmbH Konrad-Adenauer-Ring 40 58135 Hagen Germany Tel.: Fax: E-Mail: Web:

+49 (0)2331 39650-0 +49 (0)2331 39650-29 info@inbatec.de www.inbatec.de

Spring 2015

Batteries International Picking the new industry leader

West African Black Rhinoceros Diceros Bicornis Longipes Of¿cially extinct 2011

DeLight Breidegam Jr

Corporate extinction Adapt to survive: the changing US model Solar battery challenge Rugged endurance trials in Australia’s Outback Smelting’s death knell Aqua Metals’ technology offers viable alternative

Dreamweaver research How separators can beat the nail penetration test BCI Innovation Award MAC/EnerSys, Zesar/LTE reveal latest entries

IDE KS AR ED TH

M FRO LES : TA RD www.batteriesinternational.com national.com WO ST $50/€40 $50/€ / 40 E LA TH Bringing the industry try together

Celebrating the memory of a life well lived, a company well founded, an industry well served

The stars cross the firmament: Ray Kubis moves to start-up

Nickel: still an important cog in the energy storage game

Latin America: the next treasure trove for battery growth Ones to watch: the up-and-coming heroes of grid storage Spread the word — the ABC message on the lithium menace

IDE KS AR ED TH

M FRO LES : TA RD www.batteriesinternational.com national.com WO ST $50/€40 $ 50/€40 E LA TH Bringing the industry try together

Lead squares up to lithium for large scale energy storage

New uses for an established chemistry Liquid power The next generation of flow batteries is starting to emerge Island microgrids Replacing costly diesel for renewables and batteries

Fondly remembered Electrochemist genius Al Salkind passed away in June Profile: Lampe-Önnerud Mixing innovation, ability and commercialization

Bringing the industry try together www.batteriesinternational.com national.com

IDE KS AR ED TH

M FRO LES : TA RD WO ST $50/€40 $50/€ / 40 E LA TH

The CEO interview Srivastava and Leclanché’s bid for world dominance

Jeanne Burbank’s legacy Battery pioneer whose lead insights are still with us

The new titans of lead Ecoult’s UltraBattery take lithium on — head to head

Capacitors come of age Will supercaps be the next miracle ingredient ‘x’?

Bringing the industry try together www.batteriesinternational.com national.com

IDE KS AR ED TH M FRO LES : TA RD O W ST $50/€40 $50/€ / 40 E LA TH

Batteries International is a tried and tested way to turn our extensive readership to your advertising advantage

Go to www.batteriesinternational.com • click on subscriptions for your free trial

24 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Contact details: 10 Temple Bar Business Park, Strettington, West Sussex, PO18 0TU United Kingdom Tel: +44 7792 852 337 www.batteriesinternational.com Email: publisher@batteriesinternational.com www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2017 FLOORPLAN GRAND BALLROOM

FOOD & BEVERAGE F

BCI THEATER

ENTRANCE

www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 25

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2017 FLOORPLAN GRAND BALLROOM

KEY — BY STAND NUMBER

FOOD & BEVERAGE

100

Wirtz Manufacturing

101

ENTEK International

104

Auto Meter Products

105

Glatfelter Composite Fibers

106

Farmer Mold

109

Accumation

111

Hofmann Power Solutions

114

DTW Systems

115

Co-efficient Precision Engineering

116

OMI-NBE

117

AMER-SIL

200

Flow-Rite

202

Eirich Machines

203

International Thermal Systems

204

OCSiAl

205

Centrifugal Castings

208

Inbatec

209

Tulip Molded Plastics

210

TBS Engineering

211

Power-Sonic Corporation

214

Richardson Molding

301

Gauthier Non-Ferrous Products

302

Oak Press Solutions

303

MAC Engineering & Equipment

304

Genuine Cable Group - Electro Wire

308

Hollingsworth & Vose

309

Water Gremlin

310

BM-Rosendahl

311

Eagle Oxide

315

Bernard Dumas

317

Daramic

400

Sovema-Sovel

403

Gridtential Energy

BCI THEATER

ENTRANCE

KEY — BY COMPANY NAME Accuma Corp

408

Eagle Oxide

311

Microporous

414

Accumation

109

Eirich Machines

202

OMI-NBE

116

Addenda Corporation / Omni Oxide

417

ENTEK International

101

Oak Press Solutions

302

AMER-SIL

117

Farmer Mold

106

OCSiAl

204

Auto Meter Products

104

Flow-Rite

200

Power-Sonic Corporation

211

Bernard Dumas

315

Gauthier Non-Ferrous Products

301

Richardson Molding

214

404

Bitrode Corporation

Bitrode Corporation

404

Glatfelter Composite Fibers

105

Source BCI

405

405

Source BCI

BM-Rosendahl

310

Gridtential Energy

403

Sovema-Sovel

400

408

Accuma Corp

Centrifugal Castings

205

Hammond Group

410

Superior Signals

411

410

Hammond Group

Genuine Cable Group - Electro Wire

304

Hollingsworth & Vose

308

TBS Engineering

210

411

Superior Signals

Co-efficient Precision Engineering

115

Inbatec

208

Tulip Molded Plastics

209

413

Digatron Power Electronics

Daramic

317

International Thermal Systems

203

Water Gremlin

309

414

Microporous

Digatron Power Electronics

413

Johns Manville

416

Hofmann Power Solutions

111

416

Johns Manville

DTW Systems

114

MAC Engineering & Equipment

303

Wirtz Manufacturing

100

417

Addenda Corporation / Omni Oxide

26 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS Two years ago, BCI announced a special award for innovation in the lead battery industry. The 2017 winner will be announced on Monday, May 1 at the conference.

A bright new landscape as invention comes to the fore This year, seven companies submitted entries for the 2017 Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Award. Thank you to Advanced Battery Concepts, Aqua Metals, Daramic, Gridential Energy, Hammond Group, NorthStar Battery Company and Remy Battery Company for bettering the industry through innovative thinking.

“Innovation is the thing that gives you the opportunity. It’s the promise of our future.”

Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz

he Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Award celebrates innovation in equipment, processes, services and products that advance the lead battery industry.

Submissions were opened in December and remained open until February 2017. Battery Council International received seven submissions. Each submission was judged on eight areas: sustainability, safety, cost, performance, detail, uniqueness, value and quantifiablity.

T

Sustainability – Does the submission show environmental stewardship and /or innovative recyclability?

Submitters were asked to provide tangible aspirations, goals and objectives in helping to create a greener tomorrow.

Safety — Does the submission show product or process stability and the ability to be safely commercialized?

Submitters were asked to demonstrate a clear commitment to the best www.batteriesinternational.com

interest of the general public and industry from a safety standpoint.

Cost — Can the submission be easily commercialized, provide cost-optimized advantages and be an affordable alternative to existing technologies and processes?

Performance — Does the submission meet or exceed the needs for application and industry requirements? Submitters were asked to demonstrate how the innovation meets its intended key objectives, goals and benefits as well as other outstanding attributes.

makes this product, process or discovery unique or innovative.

Value — How does the submission directly benefit the lead battery industry? Can the value be quantified with numerical data, such as material reduction or pollution avoided? Can the product be utilized outside of the company that created it?

Quantifiable — Does the information provided meet the criteria and clearly describe in numerical data the key measurable areas. Submissions that provided actual data received a higher score.

Those who submitted an entry were asked to include a 90-second video providing additional insight on their innovation.

To view the videos and learn more visit www.batterycouncil.org/innovationaward.

Detail — Does the submission provide adequate information that thoroughly explains the innovation?

Uniqueness — Is the submission the first of its kind to market or rarely used by other organizations?

How does it differ from existing products? Submitters were asked to provide information about similar applications and clearly define what

Claire Sereiko Associate Director, Marketing and Communications Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 27

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: NORTHSTAR Hans Lidén, chief executive of NorthStar, gives the low down on the innovation behind this year’s entry.

A groundbreaking development in remote monitoring

“It started with a technology assessment to find a good solution for embedded sensors, and when this succeeded, we started developing the sensor communication system, including the cloud portal and mobile app. The work was initiated as part of a broader development strategy, where we analyzed and identified the future growth regions for telecom back up power and concluded that the growth in remote regions, with challenging conditions, was significant.”

28 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

NorthStar has applied for the BCI Innovation Award on the basis of what its CEO calls its most groundbreaking innovation: NorthStar ACE (Advanced Connected Energy), which is an IoT service where it connects batteries to a cloud portal.

This means that the battery users can review the battery health and status at anytime from anywhere.

Furthermore, the embedded battery sensor communicates with both the site technician and the power system, to ensure correct installation and settings. The device has been primarily launched for the telecom sector, but can quickly be expanded to new segments.

Hans Lidén, chief executive of NorthStar, says the project started in 2015 with a review of technology opportunities.

“It started with a technology assessment to find a good solution for embedded sensors, and when this succeeded, we started developing the sensor communication system, including the cloud portal and mobile app,” Lidén says.

“The work was initiated as part of a broader development strategy, where we analyzed and identified the future growth regions for telecom back-up power and concluded that the growth in remote regions, with challenging conditions, was significant.

“This was a clear driver for developing a remote monitoring solution.

In addition, our strategy is to continuously improve both performance and sustainability of our products and we wanted to provide a solution which makes battery usage more efficient and prolongs battery life.”

Lidén says that the key members of the technical development have been Ulf Krohn (head of development prowww.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: NORTHSTAR ject), Christer Lindkvist and Frank Fleming, all knowledgeable in the field.

Krohn has more than 18 years’ experience from product and systems development within information and communication technology and is experienced both in designing systems as well as business solutions.

Lindkvist is a technical sales manager with more than 15 years of development projects within communication and IT. Krohn and Lindkvist have also, together with a few selected sub suppliers, designed the system from both architectural and functional point of view.

Fleming is one of NorthStar’s founders and a battery expert with more than 30 years of experience from designing batteries and developing battery chemistry. Fleming and his US-based team have been instrumental in developing the algorithms for interpreting and analyzing the battery data, which Lidén says is the foundation of the cloud portal.

In addition, a sales and marketing team have in parallel been developing the business proposal for NorthStar ACE. In terms of how this innovation could potentially change or benefit the batteries industry, Lidén says that the absolutely biggest direct impact will be longer battery life, but also reduced operational costs for site owner.

“The battery life will be prolonged as installation and settings are done correctly from the start, and the continuous monitoring enables corrective actions when needed and only when needed. Added benefits are better warehouse control, less scrapping and the like, which of course lowers operational costs. An unmeasurable indirect consequence of better control of the reserve power, is less site downtime, which in turn means that lost revenue due to outages is reduced,” Lidén says.

In terms of the wider world, Lidén says that remote monitoring of reserve power will have an impact on a number of areas. It can, for example, be used in professional transportation, where truck drivers more and more depend on power in their cabins when engine is off.

Datacenters are another critical area, Lidén says, which depend on reliable reserve power. “With a better controlled back up power source, these applications will improve the situation for the users. Enabling rewww.batteriesinternational.com

“NorthStar ACE is an advanced solution in a simple package. The batteries look exactly the same on the outside as our traditional batteries, but with advanced features. As the world is talking about the Internet of Things, this may be the first example of connected energy.”

NorthStar’s ACE (Advanced Connected Energy), uses an IoT service where it connects batteries to a cloud portal — and from there to any internet connected device, here a smart phone.

mote monitoring also enables better use of renewable power instead of fossil fuels, as the variation of the main power source is compensated with better control of the backup power,” he says.

Looking at a broader scope, increased battery life and improved battery utilization means that less batteries are needed, which improves sustainability even if the batteries already today have a high recycling rate, Lidén says. “Furthermore, remote control eliminates a high portion of unnecessary transports to site, which again benefits the environment.”

The NorthStar ACE solution was launched to a broader audience at Mobile World Congress 2017. In addition, the company has agreed on a number of trial installations, which it is preparing rollout for. The first test installations already in place are continuously being followed up, Lidén says.

“We expect to have a broader rollout for selected customers by this coming May. This rollout will be

monitored thoroughly to enable further fine-tuning.

“NorthStar ACE is an advanced solution in a simple package. The batteries look exactly the same on the outside as our traditional batteries, but with advanced features. As the world is talking about the Internet of Things, this may be the first example of connected energy.”

NORTHSTAR NorthStar Group is a SwedishAmerican energy storage provider owned by the Swedish private equity firm Altor. NorthStar was founded in 2000 and consists of two divisions — Reserve Power and Transportation. The group employs over 500 people worldwide and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and with manufacturing facilities in US. NorthStar also has global distribution and service centers around the world.

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 29

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: AQUA METALS An alternative to smelting has been developed by Aqua Metals. It has the potential to completerly revolutionize the existing recycling order.

Recycling without the smelting Aqua Metals has developed a lead battery recycling process that it calls AquaRefining which until now has been dependent on high temperature smelting of a molten lead solution.

AquaRefining, the firm says, is a fundamentally more efficient, less expensive way to build and produce a higher quality product.

As a water-based room temperature process it eliminates the processes which produce lead-containing dust, sulfur dioxide and other emissions that are inherent to smelting. This makes environmental compliance simpler and less expensive.

“Instead of smelting lead acid batteries it has developed an electrochemical process that separates out the lead. Essentially this breaks down metals into nanoscopicsized particles that are dispersed in water creating a hydro-colloidal metal. It calls this process AquaRefining.”

30 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Aqua Metals is bringing the technology to market first by building and operating its own facilities, of which its Reno facility in Nevada which opened last summer is the first. It is planning to build four additional facilities which will collectively output a total of 800 tonnes of lead per day.

Feed and off-take for these facilities has been secured through partnerships with Interstate Batteries and Battery Systems International. Earlier this year Johnson Controls took a stake in the firm (see box).

Broadcasting the innovation behind Aqua Metals’ product has been difficult because the firm has been notoriously reluctant to discuss the actual chemical processes behind it. That said from early on it has allowed prospective investors to see demonstrations of the commercial pod in action.

Steve Clarke, co-founder of Aqua Metals and its chief executive, says he planned to do with lead what Henry Bessemer had done for steel. Within 15 years of the Bessemer process being patented, a revolution had been made with cheap steel flooding the foundries of Europe and the US. In all Aqua Metals has attracted some $100 million in funding.

Rob Romero, the founder of investment firm, Connective Capital visited the firm before the July 2015 IPO. In a briefing he described the visit saying he was sceptical of breakthrough new processing technologies, “especially when it comes to a chemical process that is over 100 years old”.

He later related: “So I hired the best independent electrochemical expert I could find: Ralph Brodd, who has served in technical committees for the Department of Energy, NASA, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and is past-president of the Electrochemical Society. Needless to say, he was sceptical too, having seen lots of inventions come and go, trying to purify lead without smelting.

“To allow us to see the commercial-

scale production pod, the company required both of us to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA). We went to Oakland, and got a demonstration of the commercial-size pod operating at full tilt.

“We were surprised,” says Romero.

“One look at Ralph told me what we needed to know. We were not only impressed by the ease by which the machine pulled out highly purified lead from the aqueous solution, also how knowledgeable and forthright the CEO Steve Clarke was with us in explaining details about their process.”

Romero said that typically he looked at three criteria when assessing new technology start-ups as potential investments.

“The first,” he told Batteries International, “is the simple one of looking at the technology — does it work and can that be demonstrated as such?

Then of course is it scalable? Technology that works in the lab or in a batch process doesn’t necessarily translate into something that will work on the production line. So you look at the product engineering. As part of this you look at the financial side of things — what are the gross margins on the technology, for example?

“Second, you look at the business model. What are the market opportunities out there? Where will the supply channels come from and where will the products be sold — and how.

“Last is the more intangible; what’s

The 2014 prototype www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: AQUA METALS the market sentiment for the product.

Even if it works in terms of the technology and business model, if it doesn’t fit the mood of investors it may well not fly. And sometimes, of course, even when the technology and the business model aren’t up to scratch investors will nevertheless support them.”

Issues of intellectual property are working their way through the system.

In November 2013, Aqua Metals filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, a provisional patent covering multiple aspects of the AquaRefining process, including all aspects of its proprietary water-based solvent and our novel electrolyzer.

“We were not only impressed by the ease by which the machine pulled out highly purified lead from the aqueous solution, also how knowledgeable and forthright the CEO Steve Clarke was with us in explaining details about their process.”

In November 2014, the provisional patent application was converted into a non-provisional patent application which was filed in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty and contained 35 claims.

Aqua Metals’ modular technology

enables flexible and economically scalable lead production. AquaRefineries can either be stand-alone facilities or co-located with battery production facilities. This streamlines the process for battery manufacturers and distributors by allowing them to take control of the supply chain.

THE PROCESS

THE JCI CONNECTION

AquaRefining technology can be summarized as following: Breaking and separation Used lead acid batteries are processed through a modern battery breaking process, which separates the plastic, sulfuric acid and other components from the lead and lead compounds contained within the batteries. This is a clean, water based process from which water, plastics and sulfuric acid are recovered for re-use.

Digestion Lead is dissolved through a proprietary bio-degradable and water based electrolyte dissolve the lead compounds in a safe and room temperature process.

The electrolytes also form a closed loop process and are recycled over and over again rather than being consumed.

Electrolysis – The lead dissolved in the electrolyte solution is then recovered by electrolysis using a proprietary and continuous process.

JCI, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, signed up as Aqua Metals’ first licensee in February and has bought just under 5% of the recycler for just under $11 million, which gives it an observational role on the board of directors.

JCI will supply Aqua Metals’ facility at Reno, with “all the feed stock we could ever consume’ and purchase the 99.99% pure lead produced in a closed-loop network, said Steve Cotton, chief commercial officer for Aqua Metals Cotton said the agreement meant Aqua Metals had effectively captured 40% of the lead recycling market, a $22 billion market, and that the deal was a “win, win, win.”

Cotton said thjat: “It’s a win for Aqua Metals, obviously, and for Johnson Controls, for many reasons, but from the Aqua Metals point of view it’s also a major win for the industry,” said Cotton.

“Now the industry knows that to have a company like Johnson Controls invest in it, the rest will be in line to take advantage of the Aqua Refining with a much lower sense of risk. It’s a major vote of confidence.”

Cotton said the exact terms of the licence could not be disclosed, but that the technology would be introduced into JCI’s own facilities with the technical support and know-how of Aqua Metals’ engineers.

www.batteriesinternational.com

The lead produced is 99.99+% pure.

“Together we call these processes AquaRefining. The process and equipment is automated and the lead does not require operators to handle it.

“The equipment is robust, using materials that have delivered service lives of more than 20 years in more aggressive environments,” says Steve Cotton, chief commercial officer for Aqua Metals.

“The process occurs at room temperature and consumes relatively small amounts electrical energy, unlike smelting which requires large amounts of heat energy to achieve the temperatures necessary.

“The electrical source of fuel provides the opportunity to use a high degree of renewable energy content — as an example, beginning with 40% and targeting nearly 100% over time with the first AquaRefinery in Tahoe-Reno Industrial Complex.”

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 31

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HAMMOND Gordon Beckley, vice president and chief technical officer of Hammond Group, explains how the company’s innovation could help the US save more than $19 billion in energy waste costs per year.

A step forward that could benefit the whole planet

“The result of these efforts was an innovative approach that allows lead-acid batteries to operate within these new standards without sacrificing cycle life.

In fact, testing has demonstrated 62% greater energy even when the overcharge is limited to only 5% versus controls” — Gordon Beckley 32 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Hammond Group, a specialty chemical company that is advancing hybrid automotive and renewable energy markets through proprietary battery chemistry, has entered the awards on the basis of its development of novel positive and negative paste additives that enhance the charge efficiency of deep cycle antimonial lead-acid batteries.

Gordon Beckley, vice president and chief technical officer of Hammond Group, says the idea came after several US states adopted new charger regulations that limit the amount of overcharge to conserve energy.

In response to these new standards, battery manufacturers have been seeking a cost-effective solution to meet new performance requirements for deep cycle antimonial lead-acid batteries, Beckley says.

Typically, these batteries perform best with 15% to 20% overcharge to obtain peak performance and long cycle life. When overcharge is limited, a cycle life penalty is incurred.

“The Hammond Group team felt that this industry challenge could be effectively addressed by applying our expertise in high performance additives,” Beckley says. “Furthermore, our rapid material testing and screening capabilities allowed us to develop a solution on an aggressive timeframe.

“The result of these efforts was an innovative approach that allows leadacid batteries to operate within these new standards without sacrificing cycle life. In fact, testing has demonstrated 62% greater energy even when the overcharge is limited to only 5% versus controls.”

Beckley credits Hammond’s research team comprising himself, Maureen Murphy, Tom Wojcinksi, Anne Hoover and Dave Petersen for the innova-

tion, working alongside a partnered battery company and their technical team comprising David Boden from All Points Consulting, Rosalind Batson from Clear Science Consulting and Ian Steele from Notre Dame Advanced Imaging Department.

He says that this innovation will allow battery manufacturers to now be able to meet new charger efficiency standards in a cost-effective manner without sacrificing performance.

It should also have a significant positive impact on the wider world.

Beckley says that research has shown that idle load electricity consumption wastes over 150 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year — the same energy as 50 large power plants.

“This energy waste costs the US over $19 billion per year and results in the emission of over 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Multiple US states have pursued energy conservation policies to reduce idle load consumption and parasitic losses, and the US Department of Energy is expected to adopt these policies nationwide by 2018,” Beckley says.

“Hammond Group’s innovative solution will allow battery manufacturers to comply with these new policies with less than a 1% increase in production cost. By partnering with battery manufacturers to bring this innovation to market, Hammond will be able to reduce the harmful emissions caused by idle load consumption.”

Last year Hammond Group submitted a joint package of achievements as its entry for the BCI Innovation Award and won the contest. The first part of the package was the continuing expansion of its K2 Expanders, the second is its newly completed Lead Acid Battery Lab — known as LAB2.

K2 expanders provide lead acid www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HAMMOND

Last year’s winning entry: K2 expander and E=MC2 laboratory

Maureen Murphy, product development chemist, Hammond

batteries with dramatically improved dynamic charge acceptance while the LAB2 is dedicated to industry technical development. Its goal is to enable lead acid batteries to achieve 80% of lithium-ion’s technical performance.

But at just 20% of its cost.

Dynamic charge acceptance — the way batteries can accept and rapidly store large influxes of energy — is the next big thing for the lead acid business. It opens up two worlds — that of microhybrids in the automotive sector and the huge new areas of business opening up with grid scale storage.

In laboratory testing and now in production batteries, Hammond has achieved an order-of-magnitude increase in dynamic charge acceptance while simultaneously increasing cycle life.

The innovation — generically known as K2 — does not require a change in other battery paste ingredients, grids, or plates. No change in any other material component or process.

No new tooling, production technique, distribution, use, scrap characterization, or recycling. K2 represents a new expander family, with no safety concerns or known adverse effect Moreover K2 is customizable according to the needs of the batteries being made and the operating condiwww.batteriesinternational.com

tions that they will run in.

Hammond has a long tradition in providing lead in a variety of forms and which has been extensively used in glass, ceramics, colour, and plastic applications.

“We’ve always pioneered technical substitutes and advancements in answer to an ever changing market,” CEO Terry Murphy told Batteries International at the time. “We’ve been very successful adapting to industry’s shifting demand for lead-based chemicals.”

Hammond’s investment in both K2 and LAB2 is effectively an attempt at a company level to compete against the US government subsidized advanced battery research which has focused on lithium-ion.

“Somehow, this expensive, non-recyclable technology was expected to evolve to enable hybrid electrics to be half of vehicle sales — but that didn’t happen,” says Terry Murphy. “And recycling and sustainability issues remain unaddressed, protection from thermal runaway and crash rupture resistance remain questionable.

“By contrast, the traditional lead acid battery suffers a critical, but certainly not unsolvable, technical deficiency. When subject to high-amp, irregular re-charging intervals — such as energy re-capture from braking, battery life may be seriously shortened.”

This helped form the background for Hammond’s thinking in looking at ways to see how a better hybrid vehicle battery could be made to accommodate rapid and intermittent charging and discharging. Similarly, an energy grid storage battery must handle the inherent gaps between in-

termittent wind and solar energy generation and its consumption.

“These applications require a battery to perform well in high-rate partial state-of-charge (HRPSoC) operations, accepting a wide range of charging amps at various states of overall charge, and maintain this quality over a normal cycle life,” says Murphy.

“Traditional lead acid battery configurations and additives have not performed under these conditions, primarily due to the development of dense, electrically-inert films of lead sulfate on the plate surface. As a result, the battery’s dynamic charge acceptance declines rapidly and drastically shortens operational life.

David Boden, senior consultant, All Points Consulting Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 33

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ABC Don Hobday, business development director of Advanced Battery Concepts, explains how it has more than halved the lead used in its battery yet improved its performance.

On the brink of conquering a $10bn marketplace This will be the second year in a row that Advanced Battery Concepts (ABC) has entered the BCI’s Awards for its innovation and the firm says that it has solved many of the problems associated with developing a

true bi-polar battery capable of being widely commercialized.

ABC has developed GreenSeal technology, a full suite of patented technologies and simplified production processes, to enable the construction

Hobday (above) identifies a big opportunity in energy storage if the cost of storing the energy can be brought down below what he sees as the magic number of 10 cents per kw hour cycle.

“The beauty of using our patented GreenSeal bipolar technology in this advanced automotive application is that it’s so easy to build high voltage battery stacks.

We can design our system to have as much capacity as lithium-ion, but have the advantages of being lower cost, safer and fully recyclable. It’s as simple as building a stack of pancakes”— Ed Shaffer 34 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

of reduced lead content, high performance, lower cost lead batteries in existing formats for today’s and newly enabled future markets.

ABC’s intellectual property is also protected globally: in seven geographies, six patents granted, 28 patents filed or pending, 30 trade secrets, one US Trademark. ABC began licensing its technology in 2016 with two global licences secured to date and a further five licences under negotiation as of the beginning of 2017.

Its founders predict that $10 billion of the global lead battery market will use GreenSeal technology by 2023.

The company is managed by Ed Shaffer, its founder and chief executive, who has a background in material science, and Don Hobday, business development director of the company.

A year on from last year’s entry, in a significant development says Hobday, the company has now licensed the technology to two global battery manufacturers, one of which is JCI, and it is in talks with five more.

Hobday says the basic idea of the bi-polar battery is a good one and the battery industry has always recognized that if a bi-polar lead acid battery could be manufactured successfully it would have significant advantages for the battery manufacturer and the end user.

These include the fact it would utilize the active chemistry far more efficiently, it would reduce the lead content for the same energy, it would be cheaper to make, would be smaller and lighter, better for the environment and have a faster recharge time and greater cycle rate.

Previous attempts at making a commercially viable bi-polar battery at scale have met with limited success because of a number of problems. These include the inability to seal between cells and to the external environment, the use of exotic materials to overcome corrosion and conductivity issues, the requirement for an external strengthening structure to provide uniform www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ABC OPPORTUNITIES AT 48 VOLTS …

Advanced Battery Concept’s founders predict that $10 billion of the global lead battery market will use GreenSeal technology by 2023.

AGM compression and overcome cycling stresses and a poor performance in terms of power and cycle life.

These things also mean the cost became prohibitive and the original equipment manufacturers making the products needed to significantly restructure their existing operations.

So while there have always been challenges to be overcome to achieve full commercialization. ABC has simplified the process and taken it to a new level.

It has taken the company five years, but Hobday is convinced that ABC has overcome the majority of these problems in bi-polar lead acid batteries. He won’t go into full detail on some of the technology used as the company is still awaiting various patent approvals but he says it now uses simple low cost ubiquitous materials already used in the construction of lead acid batteries today.

In the past two years, ABC has been working with battery producers in a number of territories to gain more data and establish true proof of concept for the technology. He says the results on all fronts have been very positive.

He stresses that all the validations and testing have come from the world’s key battery producers giving the company third party validation.

The fact it has now secured two licensees with more in the pipeline is proof that the innovation is ready and has overcome all previous challenges.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in the design is that it reduces the lead content in the battery by some 45%.

That reduction means a significant reduction in the manufacturing costs, says Hobday. www.batteriesinternational.com

The company has also achieved • a higher energy density (of 50 Wh/ kg with a path to > 60 Wh/kg vs 35Wh/kg) • has achieved higher power: - >1000 W/kg while maintaining high energy (>40 Wh/kg) • a faster recharge of 1.4x faster • a cycle life three to six times current VRLA battery life with a path to >10x and all at a lower cost.

He claims that the application of these batteries is applicable to $28 billion of today’s existing lead acid battery markets growing to $70 billion by 2020.

Other markets served by ABC’s products include traction and motive, mobility, golf carts, EV, E-Bikes, standby/backup power, off grid wind & solar and telecoms.

Hobday says the technology is moving into sectors that had either been using less advanced lead-acid technology or had increasingly been adopting lithium-ion batteries.

“If we can capture even a 1% market share of that $70 billion market in 2020 that is a huge opportunity for us,” he says.

“But we need to outsource this to a certain extent for it to work which is why we are also looking to licence the technology.”

He also identifies a big opportunity in energy storage if the cost of storing the energy can be brought down below what he sees as the magic number of 10 cents per kw hour cycle.

At this level, it starts to make economic sense to store the energy being produced by power stations during periods of low demand, he says, before moving it back into the grid when needed.

Ed Shaffer (above), CEO of Advanced Battery Concepts, says that surprise announcements at a major car industry event held in Germany in March would be beneficial for the company in the future.

Both Valeo, the vehicle component supplier and Bosch, a manufacturer of electric drives, announced they were building 48 Volt power trains for leading Chinese car manufacturers. It is widely predicted that the Chinese market for electrified vehicles will be the largest in the world, reaching 5 million vehicles by 2020.

The automotive engineering community is divided as to what voltage is ideally suited for distributing electricity within electrified vehicles. While 12V is the standard in conventional vehicles, it is inadequate for advanced hybrid cars. And while much higher voltages are found in pure electric buses, 48 volts is seen as the right balance for delivering adequate power without compromising safety.

Shaffer says:“The beauty of using our patented GreenSeal bipolar technology in this advanced automotive application is that it’s so easy to build high voltage battery stacks. We can design our system to have as much capacity as lithium-ion, but have the advantages of being lower cost, safer and fully recyclable. It’s as simple as building a stack of pancakes.”

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 35

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: DARAMIC Separator technology continues to advance rapidly and Dawn Heng, global marketing director of Daramic, explains the significance of its 2017 entry.

Separator advances on the edge of another decade of innovation

Heng: Daramic is working closely with major car OEMs globally and battery manufacturers to identify problems and drive innovation in the battery and car industries

Daramic RipTide combines the latest innovations of Daramic with novel separator profile designs using advanced computational fluid dynamics computer modeling to enhance EFB durability by reducing acid stratification in partial state of charge environment which is more typical in a Start-Stop application.

38 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Daramic has applied for the BCI Innovation Award for the second time. Last year, its entry mainly focused on its automotive SLI battery application; this year, it is to show its work in start-stop/ enhanced flooded battery applications which are emerging in the Americas.

Dawn Heng, global marketing director of Daramic, says the company has worked with many OEMs globally in the past two years and the firm felt it was the right time to share its findings and solutions to the industry to accelerate lead acid battery innovations.

Heng says that Daramic has worked in the lead-acid battery/separator industry for more than 85 years and, in that time, it has served as an ever-growing list of new and improved products in a wide range of applications.

However, Heng believes that the lead-acid battery industry will be undergoing a further innovation revolution in the next five to 10 years that started just a decade ago, New emerging applications and technical requests for improvements such as start-stop/enhanced flooded batteries, better partial state of charge (PSoC) cycling, higher power output, deep cycling are driving the industry into pioneering innovation.

Heng says that in the past two years, Daramic has worked with major automotive OEMs in Europe and Asia to understand the needs/trends and the challenges in start-stop/EFB applications.

“It is interesting to note that OEMs are also quite open and even hungry to know lead-acid battery and the improvement opportunities — where asit was treated as a black box before.

We’ve had much good insights from them and also they are very willing to collaborate with Daramic for the development of new products,” Heng says. www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: DARAMIC “EFB will boom in the next three to five years with the advantage of endurance at higher temperatures and a relatively lower cost structure versus AGM batteries, another key start-stop technology.”

He says that one European luxury car OEM has started EFB adaptation planning, noting that because Daramic has signed a non-disclosure agreement, he cannot disclose the name of that car company. “However, EFBs must meet needs in power output, cycling in PSoC & dynamic charge acceptance, which are the gaps today versus AGM, while maintaining key benefits.

“The innovation Daramic has is to bridge those gaps to significantly enhance EFB battery performance under partial state of charge.”

He says that using advanced computational fluid dynamics, Daramic has developed two new separator solutions — Daramic EFS and Daramic RipTide.

Daramic EFS is specifically designed to support start-stop vehicle battery by reducing battery internal resistance and improving voltage drop and CCA. “With this all the electric features of the car from the lights to the GPS tracking will operate if they pass the minimum voltage and also the battery management system can avoid confusion when switching from engine to battery,” Heng says.

Daramic RipTide combines the latest innovations of Daramic with novel separator profile designs using advanced computational fluid dynamics computer modeling to enhance EFB durability by reducing acid stratification in partial state of charge environment which is more typical in startstop application.

“It is also an innovation by leveraging vehicle movement to achieve better battery acid mixing in all directions of the plate,” Heng says.

In addition to separator innovation, Daramic is also working with OEMs and battery makers on new test methods and equipment by leveraging vehicle movement to best simulate the working conditions of those batteries, which are put on the shuttle table or rock table for test than a traditional static/stationary way.

“This can make lab test result closer to the field and more accurate to predict its performance under vehicle working environment,” Heng says.

In terms of the timeline now, Heng says these two innovations are planned to be launched to the market by the third quarter of 2017.

“We believe there will be a significant www.batteriesinternational.com

Separators: leading a revolution in better functioning batteries

improvement in the EFB performance and an acceleration on the adaptation to follow that market trend,” he says.

“I would say this is the first time Daramic is working closely with major car OEMs globally and battery manufacturers to identify problems and devel-

op solutions to drive innovation in the battery and car industries. And internally, it is also a good practice that Daramic’s team-work culture — where technology and marketing work closely— to drive forward these need-based solutions.”

Daramic EFS is specifically designed to support start-stop vehicle battery by reducing battery internal resistance and improving voltage drop and CCA

Daramic expects a further wave of innovation to engulf the industry in the next decade Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 39

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: REMY BATTERY Proper packaging may be, in some shape or form, at the heart of all distribution models but what if packaging can increase the shelf life and inventory of lead products. Batteries International spoke to Michael Moeller, president of Remy Battery.

The return of dry charged lead acid Remy Battery has applied for the BCI Innovation Award on the basis of its FreshStart packaging solution for utility, automotive and commercial dry charged lead acid batteries.

The company says its FreshStart packaging solution solves a problem for a useful and age old product – how to activate a dry charged battery with the proper amount of electrolyte.

Michael Moeller, president of Remy Battery, says there is still a market for dry charged lead-acid batteries, which have significantly longer shelf life than traditional wet lead acid or AGM batteries. He says these dry charged batteries meet a current niche where a battery may not be put into service within the first three to 12 months of the battery’s production date.

“Increasingly, the challenge for dry charged batteries has been sourcing the battery electrolyte to activate these batteries,” Moeller says.

“With increased shipping and environmental regulations over the past decade, securing and storing battery electrolyte has become increasingly difficult for the distributor and consumer. The FreshStart packaging solution solves this problem by packaging individual limited required cell volumes of electrolyte in high density polypropylene containers with the dry charged battery.”

By packaging individual cell quantities of electrolyte it solves the problem of the consumer having to search locally for a source for electrolyte and also provides the exact amount of

Moeller: “We still have some testing to be completed but feel confident that we will be ready to start selling dry charged batteries with the FreshStart packaging solution on our e-commerce site by mid-summer this year”

electrolyte needed for each cell, no overfilling or under filling of cells, which will help extend the life of the battery once activated.

This also has the added benefit of eliminating the need to dispose of excess electrolyte since current bagin-box electrolyte solutions typically contain more electrolyte than what is required for a single dry charged battery all while meeting new, stricter rules for shipping and handling battery electrolytes.

“We knew that there had to be a better solution to meet the new rules, standardize, reduce cost, make it easier for the user to activate the battery and provide better value to the consumer.”

40 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

“FreshStart packaging solution is the all in one solution for consumers looking for the advantages of a dry charged lead acid battery without the extra work to source battery electrolyte,” he says.

The background for this work was the result of a government contract, which Remy Battery was awarded, which required the development of a larger dry charged commercial battery where each individual dry charged battery had to be shipped with the exact amount of electrolyte in a secure, durable performance shipping container.

Moeller says that about the same time that this contract was awarded there were a lot of changes being made and implemented by the US federal government on shipping and labeling requirements for lead acid batteries and battery electrolyte.

“Needless to say, there was a lot of shipments and rejected returned shipments where both sides were attempting to gain a handle on meeting the new rules,” he says.

“We knew that there had to be a better solution to meet the new rules that could, standardize, reduce cost, make it easier for the user to activate the battery and provide better value to the consumer. This was almost four years ago now and we are just starting to bring the packaging solution to market.”

Remy Battery is a small, third generation, family-owned company.

Moeller says that while outsiders tend to assume that he is the primary individual that should be credited with the work, in fact credit should be given to all the company’s staff for their input and work helping him bring this packaging solution to market.

“This truly was a team effort to find www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: REMY BATTERY and implement a necessary, required and better solution for our customers who purchase dry charged batteries from us,” he says.

Dry charged lead acid batteries have been around for about as long as the lead battery industry has existed.

However, it has only been within the last 20 years or so that manufacturing this type of battery has fallen out of fashion and given way to high speed production of wet lead acid and AGM batteries.

“But we hear from consumers all the time about the disadvantages of the limited shelf life of activated batteries,” he says. “All that needs to be done is to look at a battery rack at a retailer or box store to identify the waste due to spoilage of activated batteries sitting on a shelf too long. aste for the store in “This is a huge waste own this inventory having to write down mers that purchase but also for consumers n an aged product and have to return orm. And not to that doesn’t perform. onmental impact of mention the environmental this aged product that was produced elf and go directly only to sit on a shelf r. back to the smelter. his is definitely a “For retailers this ve customer satissolution to improve ce inventory write faction and reduce downs. Also, theree is a fundamental change going on with how products ted and how are being distributed pping.” consumers are shopping.”

He believes the product has the potential to change the disel tribution model around batteries. “We feel that through our packaging solution we could effect ery industry’s dischange in the battery n how consumers tribution model on purchase lead acid batteries similar to how Dollar Shave Club disrupted the razor distribution model,” he says. come the problem “We have overcome hipping individual associated with shipping d batteries directly traditional lead acid or and feel that we to a consumer’s door ffect change in the are positioned to affect traditional battery distribution model.”

He says that, as with a host of other s, the world is beconsumer products, coming a smaller place as traditional distribution modelss are being disruptd. “The FreshStart ed and reinvented. n will allow the packaging solution onsumer anywhere lead acid battery consumer in the world to be able to get closer uring source and to the manufacturing www.batteriesinternational.com al.com

realize a better value,” he says.

“Our timeline includes incorporating the FreshStart packaging solution with our existing offerings on the Remy Battery ecommerce site. There has already been initial interest and inquires in our packaging solution from both domestic and foreign battery manufacturers but it was too early in our design phase for a roll out,” Moeller says.

“We still have some testing to be completed but feel confident that we will be ready to start selling dry charged batteries with the FreshStart packaging solution on our ecommerce site by mid-summer this

“For retailers this is definitely a solution to improve customer satisfaction and reduce inventory write downs.” year. We feel that once we can show how well this packaging solution performs it will help propel our conversations with individuals and companies looking to invest in or implement this packaging solution into their distribution model.”

“We still have some testing to be completed but feel confident that we will be ready to start selling dry charged batteries with the FreshStart packaging solution on our ecommerce site by mid-summer this year.

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 41

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: GRIDTENTIAL Christiaan Beekhuis, chief executive of Gridtential, explains why the firm’s strategy of designing the technology to fit in with existing manufacturing, operation and recycling infrastructure could soon pay off.

An innovation to complement, not compete Gridtential, a California-based company that specializes in developing new forms of energy storage and which secured $6 million in investment from companies including East Penn and Crown Battery Manufacturing this January, has entered the BCI awards contest on the basis of an innovation that integrates silicon wafers into batteries to achieve better performance.

The company’s Silicon Joule technology is described by the firm as a novel breakthrough that replaces the lead grid inside a traditional lead battery with a plated silicon wafer similar to a solar cell.

This approach translates to performance levels that match or exceed lithium-ion battery performance in

many high power, medium energy and deep cycling applications, with significant cost, safety and recycling advantages, it claims.

Gridtential is now licensing the technology and building out its dropin specialty silicon wafer supply, enabling manufacturing partners to adapt their existing factories to provide high performing 12V to 48V batteries to their customers, without big capital investments.

“Our innovation Silicon Joule Technology is an advanced architecture and unique material for creating breakthrough performance in lead battery technology,” says Christiaan Beekhuis, chief executive of Gridtential.

“By integrating silicon wafers into

“Our expectation is that the first customer shipment of Silicon Joule batteries will be approximately 1218 months following the first internal prototype build of our customers, which means towards the end of 2018” — Christiaan Beekhuis 42 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

the battery, we leverage the low cost, safety and sustainability of lead while achieving next-generation cycle life, efficiency and power characteristics.

“Rather than compete with the industry, we have designed the technology to fit in with existing manufacturing, operation and recycling infrastructure and are offering it to battery manufacturers via license.”

Beekhuis says the inventor of Silicon Joule technology was involved in the semiconductor and solar industries for many years. In 2010, the installed capacity of solar energy generation was growing quickly and it became clear that some form of energy storage would be needed to make solar energy available when it was needed most — not necessarily when the sun was shining.

“The ideal solar energy storage needed to be low cost, safe, reliable and sustainable. Nothing on the market fit those requirements,” he says.

“The inventor then asked the question: could we use semiconductor tools and techniques to reduce the cost and improve the performance of energy storage, as the solar industry had done with its technology?

“The surprising answer was yes: by replacing lead grids with the same silicon wafers as used in solar, we could directly leverage the low-cost solar silicon supply chain and dramatically improve battery performance.”

The project was initially funded by a $95,000 grant from the California Energy Commission, followed by more than $5 million in venture funding between 2013 and 2015. Since that time, Gridtential has built more than 275 ‘Alpha’ prototype batteries using seven different standard active materials from five battery manufacturers worldwide. www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: GRIDTENTIAL Last December, four battery industry firms invested in Gridtential to accelerate development and commercialization of the technology.

Beekhuis attributes the development of the technology to three individuals: Collin Mui, a chemical engineer who has experience in semiconductor process engineering for deposition reactor design and nanotechnology material development for energy applications and has previously worked for companies including Amprius and Novellus Systems.

The second is Daniel Moomaw, a mechanical engineer with a diverse background in R&D who, before Gridtential, worked for companies including Jasper Ridge Prototype Battery.

The third is Steve Hinojosa, a battery engineer who graduated in chemical engineering from Stanford University in March 2015.

He says the three have persevered over the past years or more to advance the technology, which has the potential to change and improve many aspects of the batteries industry.

“By integrating Silicon, now a commodity material, into the lead battery chemistry, Silicon Joule technology addresses three key failure mechanisms of the traditional battery design,” says Beekhuis.

“That leads to substantially longer life, a wider safe operating temperature range, higher charge rates and dynamic charge acceptance, and higher efficiency. For the $40 billion lead battery industry, that means they can improve the well known, reliable products already being delivered to

With the reduction in lead use by Silicon Joule technology, the existing same closed-loop, sustainable system can produce many more batteries with the same amount of material existing applications while also enabling them to address the more challenging requirements of the emerging 48V hybrid automotive and grid storage applications.”

He says that because the technology was designed to fit into other battery companies’ existing manufacturing lines, with a small investment in capital these lines can be converted to produce Silicon Joule batteries, leveraging the vast majority of capital equipment already deployed.

“The lead grids and lead straps are eliminated from the system, so 40% less lead is needed to produce an equivalent battery,” he says.

“The lead, plastic and even the acid can be recovered and reused making lead batteries — already — the most recycled consumer product on the planet. But with the reduction in lead use by Silicon Joule technology, that same closed-loop, sustainable system can produce many more batteries with the same amount of material.”

Beekhuis adds that the Silicon Joule technology will enable a wide range of emerging applications including advanced 48V hybrid vehicles and renewable energy and grid storage.

“These applications will be more affordable, safer, higher performance and more sustainable using the well

known, well established lead chemistry as enhanced by the inclusion of Silicon wafers,” he says.

In terms of the next steps for the technology, he says there are two key milestones the company is working towards in 2017.

The first is the establishment of prototype assembly capabilities at its battery partner facilities, so that they can further demonstrate, optimize and commercialize the technology.

The second is the development of a secure, economic supply of silicon battery plates by one or more major silicon manufacturers.

“Our expectation is that the first customer shipment of Silicon Joule batteries will be approximately 1218 months following the first internal prototype build of our customers, which means towards the end of 2018,” he says.

He says the Series B financing round completed in December has also led to the firm forming a technical advisory council made up of technology experts from each of its investing manufacturing partners.

“This council is helping us focus our development efforts on the areas of the technology that will have the most benefits for the end users of the technology,” he says.

Because the technology was designed to fit into other battery companies’ existing manufacturing lines, with a small investment in capital these lines can be converted to produce Silicon Joule batteries, leveraging the vast majority of capital equipment already deployed www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 43

THE BCI STORY Battery Council International started in Chicago in the 1920s. And although the organization’s name is relatively new, and its host locations have been varied, it has consistently championed the lead acid battery industry.

Changing times It all started one wet, grey day on January 29, 1924. That day — one of the warmest that month hitting a still unbeaten record 3˚C above zero — a small group of battery manufacturers met in Chicago.

Their objective: to consider whether the organization of a battery manufacturer’s association was worth the effort. And if so what would be its initial remit and purpose.

Interestingly enough some nine decades later, the two topics of discussion that day are still relevant to what was later to become the BCI: how to promote a better understanding among battery manufacturers through an open discussion of their common problems; and, how to educate US consumers on the proper care of their batteries.

A more formal meeting took place two months later and was attended by some 25 manufacturers and battery suppliers — where the manufacturers were called ‘active’ members and the suppliers ‘associates’.

In June the association took its name as the National Battery Manufacturers Association (NBMA).

The association soon started to prove its worth. In the US, battery manufacturing employed some of the most dangerous practices in the world — hand painting lead paste on to plates, for example.

At the turn of the 1920s, for example, lead poisoning was accepted as a risk that went with the job; even though it was reckoned that it was six times more dangerous to work in a US plant than a UK one and 18 times more dangerous working in the US than in Germany.

One of the earliest studies moving to mitigate the risk: Lead Poisoning in a Storage Battery Plant, was commissioned by the National Battery Manufacturers Association in 1933 and — unusually at a time when ethnic and racial background was ignored, made a point of showing that the dangerous work in the mixing room of the plant was done by African Americans or migrants (93%) versus the 7% by white Americans.

44 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Although the US had lagged behind Europe in industrial hygiene in the 1910s, by the 1930s it had become a global pacesetter in working practices and the NBMA, to its credit, was one of the instruments for such change.

But this is not to say that the early founders or members of the NBMA were saints. US Light and Heat (which helped found the association) as well as the Lead Industries Association were roundly criticized — along with other well known US and UK brands — when they set up operations in Australia where health standards were allowed to be as lax.

In echoes of the present situation in China, the reason for the shift to production in Australia was simple: it was an uncomplicated way to circumvent federal import tariffs on batteries. The difference of course being that BCI members are now on the side of the angels and are helping China’s battery industry to adopt international work and safety rules.

In May 1940 the association changed its name to the Association of American Battery Manufacturers

reflecting its focus on the continent.

Battery industry participation from Europe — then engulfed in war — would have been slight.

To better reflect the post-war environment and increasing global reach of the organization, the association changed its name again to Battery Council International. Four years later it held its first overseas convention in London. Attendance was huge: 32 countries were represented with some 600 delegates.

In 1976, BCI came full circle and returned to relocate its headquarters in Chicago — in the intervening years, the organization had set up operations in Ohio, New Jersey, and California.

At that time the management firm of Smith, Bucklin and Associates was retained to manage the affairs of BCI. Today BCI membership consists of close to 300 corporations representing the leading lead acid battery manufacturers, recyclers, marketers and retailers, suppliers of raw materials and equipment as well as expert industry consultants.

BCI ‘S INFORMATION GOALS BCI provides a governmental, legislative liaison service for the industry and has established itself as the collective voice of its members and an authoritative source of battery-related information.

BCI maintains an extensive statistical programme. BCI compiles raw data on automotive battery production shipments (original and replacement) at the manufacturer level and inventory level.

This compilation enables members to gauge their performance against those of the industry as a whole. BCI also provides its members with annual distribution reports that allow

members to keep abreast of everchanging channels of distribution.

Since 1990 BCI has been collecting and disseminating a monthly report on US industrial battery and charger sales.

The programme consist of five active reports.

• Motive power battery sales • Net sales of diesel locomotive starting batteries • Industrial truck battery charger sales • Standby power battery sales • Stationary battery cell report Members only receive the industrial battery reports in which they participate. In 2001, BCI began reporting North American sales data,

www.batteriesinternational.com

EVEN THOUGH WE’VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, WE FEEL LIKE

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED

RICHARDSONMOLDING.COM

Stop by and see us at booth #214 BCI Power Mart 2017

BCI DATAFILE

Membership directory: the great and the good MANUFACTURER MEMBERS Silvano Gelleni Sergio Moura Armand Lauzon Hal Hawk David Suh Mark Knowlton Daniel Langdon David Shaffer Eladio Donez Cardona Victor Koelsch Alessandro Dolcetta Michelle Koss Joe Walicki Cornelius Theodorus Loock Jerry Hoffman Clifford Crowe Randy Hart J.D. Surrette Armando Chacon Jeff Elder Terry Agrelius Ami Lee Hitoshi Ohta

Acumuladores Duncan, C.A. Acumuladores Moura S.A. C&D Technologies, Inc. Crown Battery Mfg. Co. Daejin Battery Co., Ltd. Dyno Battery Inc. East Penn Mfg Co EnerSys ENERYA SA De CV Exide Technologies FIAMM S.p.A. Interspace Concorde Battery Company Johnson Controls, Inc. MUTLU AKU VE MALZ.SAN.A.S. NorthStar Battery Company Ramcar Batteries, Inc. Superior Battery Mfg. Co., Inc Surrette Battery Company Ltd. Teledyne Battery Products Trojan Battery Company U.S. Battery Mfg. Co. Yacht Battery Co. Ltd. Yuasa Battery, Inc.

SUPPLIER MEMBERS Rolf Beckers Art Balcerzak Todd Milner Anna Stuehrman Lee Cowan Charles-L Ackermann Don Hobday Frederick Schneider Guy Dauwe Julia Lutz Dick Amistadi Steve Clarke Edward Puckett Scott Crerar Elke Oschmann Julie Elliott Thierry Touzeau Mike Kuznetsov Steven Swogger Dru Kefalos Pete Rumsey Greg Schmitt Dana Cassidy Benjamin Seaford David Honkamp Paul White Gary Bryan Jeremiah Cordovano Bob Baginski Jozzepi Foo Tucker Roe Alan Bradshaw Darby Rockney Pierre-Jean Arvers Michael Doyle Joseph McKinley Michael Galyen Nick Semitka

Digatron Industrie-Elektronik GmbH A.T. Balcerzak Consulting Services AAA National Office Abertax Technologies Limited Accuma Corporation ACCUMALUX s.a.

Advanced Battery Concepts Alchemix Corporation Amer-Sil, S.A. Ametek Prestolite Power Amistadi Associates LLC Aqua Metals Atomized Products Group, Inc. Auto Meter Products, Inc. Batterie Fullungs Systeme Gmbh Battery Watering Technologies Bernard Dumas, S.A.S. Bitrode Corporation Black Diamond Structures Black Diamond Structures BLINQ Diagnostics Borregaard Lignotech Canadus Power Systems Castleton Commodities International Cellusuede Products, Inc. Centrifugal Castings Chroma Corporation Club Assist U.S., LLC Cobra Wire & Cable, A Division of EIS, Inc. Co-efficient Precision Engineering Inc. Daramic, LLC Deltran DHC Specialty Corporation Digatron Power Electronics Doyle Shamrock Industries Eagle Oxide Services Eclipse Energy Eirich Machines Inc.

46 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

James Stockhausen Donald Karner Carri Moffatt Dan Askin Jim Gilmour Sanford Leavitt Rob Brock Geoff Davies Robert Gauthier Joseph Coudon Daniel Leach Lee Raymond Christiaan Beekhuis Terrence Murphy Keith Decker Sean O’Brien Norbert Ahnemann Matthew Zea Joseph Badger Bo Johansson Camden Arthur Spencer Stock Thomas Fleming Douglas Bornas Carmalieta Wells Arnold Gillert Will Sampson Peter Victor Cheng Toshiya Fujimura Jacopo Maggioni Kent Lancaster Steve Rau Julianne Hayes Cal Houdek Greg Gorman Eduardo Noe Rodriguez Morales Jeff Hindman James Tunnell John Meyers Russell Kemp Keith Toll Richard Jonach Robert Finn Roy Bray Yanfang Zhao Paul Fink Rebecca Fournie Joseph Li David Longney Alberto Pezzotti Jim Pedersen Gilles Boucher Marc Desautels Richard Johnson Jose Hansen Steve Stack Peter Hochschild Craig Kellogg Jack Waggener Kurt Gifford Erik Eberlein John Wirtz Farid Ahmed

ELANTAS PDG. Inc. Electric Applications Inc. ENTEK International LLC ESCA Tech, Inc. Farmer Mold & Machine Works, Inc. Ferriere Di Stabio Flow-Rite Controls, Ltd. Froetek Plastic Technology Corp. USA Gauthier Non-Ferrous Products Inc. Glatfelter Composite Fiber, N.A. Gopher Resource Corp.

Greenwich Metals Inc. Gridtential Energy Inc Hammond Group, Inc. Hazelett Corporation Hollingsworth & Vose Company INBATEC GmbH International Thermal Systems LLC JBI Corporation Kallstrom Engineering Systems AB Lauscha Fiber International Corp.

Lester Electrical M. A. Industries, Inc. MAC Engineering & Equipment Madewell & Madewell, Inc. Microporous, LLC Midtronics, Inc. NEPO Inc. Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. Battery Separator Business Unit O.M. Impianti S.R.L. Oak Press Solutions Omni Oxide Corp.

Owens Corning Corporation Palico Instrument Laboratories, A Division of CalT Penoles Metals & Chemicals Inc Penox Mexico, S.A. de C.V. Polymer Molding Inc. Powerlab, Inc. Quick Cable Corporation Ramboll Environ Richardson Molding, LLC Rosendahl Nextrom GmbH RSR Corporation Sanders Lead Company, Inc. Shenyang JUGU Equiptment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sorfin Yoshimura Ltd. Stinger Superior Graphite TBS Limited Technofin ‘98 S.R.L. Teck Metals Ltd. Termaco Ltd. Terrapure Environmental The Battery Consultancy LLC The Doe Run Company Tonolli Canada Ltd. Traxys North America, LLC Tulip Molded Plastics Corp.

URS Corporation Water Gremlin Co WEGMANN Automotive GmbH & Co. KG Wirtz Mfg. Co. Inc. Wood Mackenzie

www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI DATAFILE

Membership directory: the great and the good MARKETER MEMBERS Charles Carr Ed Fuxa Bobby Stafford Dick Swearingen Aron Haynes Robert Petersen Pete & Steve Dufaud Dennis Loso Steve Hixson Orville Cottrell Keith MiGell John Lammers Bob Williamson Bill Yates Jeff & Monica Tunks Ethan Curry Frank Groccia Melvyn & Susan Digitale Mike Cash Joe Carter Rick Kagle Brad Streelman Josh Lassiter David Pulley Oleg Tatchin Sam Williams Jennifer Zalecki Roand Best Richard Price Ted Turner Patrick Crowley Chad Rogers Shane McMahon Ian Anthony Pinson Frank Dumas Jim McCann James Gengler Charlie Craig Rick Swann Stephen Pal Melissa Diakos Dwayne & Darren Ellis Craig Pahl Tim Shoepe Clay Johnson David Maas Mike Stachelski Zhida Sun Jay Northey Chris Sowder Jerry Harris Bob Aaron Greg Shull Jerry Muller Anoop Sunkara Robert Gregg Hubbard Michael O’Malley Justin Bakhsh Will Kegley Brian Mathis William Lauer John Farrell Lynn Mullet

www.batteriesinternational.com

A-1 Battery, Inc. Action Batteries Unlimited Action Battery Center Advantage Power Battery All-pak Battery All-Tra Battery American Battery Corporation American Battery Corporation Art’s Electric, Inc. Associated Battery Supply Atlantic Battery AutoZone Parts, Inc. Aztech Energy LLC Dba Wil-Power & DC Power Special B&B Battery Group, Inc. Batteries Now Batteries Unlimited Batteries Unlimited Battery Bill, Inc. Battery Distributors, Inc. Battery Experts Battery One Hagerstown, Inc. Battery Systems Inc. Battery Warehouse Battery Warehouse - Alexandria Battery Warehouse VA Battery Warehouse Wholesale Battery Wholesale Best Battery Co., Inc. Bulldog Battery C.C. Battery Co., Inc. Capitaland Filter & Supply, LLC CBC/Crown Battery of Canada CDN Energy and Power Corporation Chloride Technical & Trading Ltd. Complete Battery Source / Start All Enterprises Continental Battery Mfg Co Copperstate Battery Craig Batteries Dixie Battery Supply Edmonds Batteries Ltd. Electro Battery, Inc. Ellis Battery Company Emergent Battery Technologies, Empire Batteries, Inc. Factory Motor Parts Federal-Mogul Motorparts General Motors - MC3-312 Global Power Central Inc. GS BATTERY (U.S.A.) INC. H.C. Baker Batteries & Electronics Harris Battery Company, Inc. Hawker Powersource Interstate Batteries Jefferson Battery Company Kraus International LCB Battery LLC Leoch Battery Corporation Magnacharge Battery Corp.

Master Battery LLC Mathis Battery Company Metra Electronics Millennium Battery Express Mullet Battery, Inc.

Jan Zogmaister Dave Saienni Dalton Fulghum John Tilly Jim Beck Chris Hatton Jim Frock Carmen Robertson Steve Ahmann Ralph Quinter Pete Polete Rick Hallock Guy Clum Peter Vander Linden Joe Elras Michael Moeller Paul Staab Traci Sterling Mike Stevens Bonnie Hughson Mike Swift Al Belanger Teresa Conklin Peter Baron EdCunningham Chris Antoniou Tom McConnell Steve King Gerald Johnson Randy Clark H. Gerald Jowers Ian Edmonds Joe Jarvis Dan Bell Roland Sirois

National Battery Sales Newark Battery Co., Inc. North State Battery (NSB) Northeast Battery & Alternator Northwest Battery & Electric Oil Mart P&H Auto Electric PA Battery & Truck Accessories Pacific Power Batteries Piqua Battery PLP Battery Supply Powermaster Batteries Power-Sonic Corporation Prairie Battery Reaco Battery Remy Battery Co., Inc. Staab Battery Mfg Co Sterling Battery Co., Inc. Stevens Battery Warehouse Sur-Powr Battery Swift Industrial Power, Inc. TBA, Inc. Tennessee Battery The Baron Group, LLC The Battery Barn of Virginia, Inc. The Battery Experts & EverLast Brands TNT Battery Company Treasure Coast Battery & Alternator Tri-Cities Battery & Auto Repair, Inc. Tri-State Battery Supply, Inc. U.S. Lead, Inc. Universal Power Group, Inc. Voltage Ventures Inc. Whatcom Xtreme Power Company

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS OF BCI New BCI members this year are • Castleton Commodities International, • Deltran • Gridtential Energy • Stinger

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 47

BCI BATTERY VETERANS

The quarter century club It may be early, but it’s one of the bright events of the conference.

For the past 37 years the BCI has held a special early morning — well 7am is early for most of us not raised in farms in the mid-West — meeting for those veterans of BCI who have been with the organization for more than 25 years.

There’s even a special diamond clip for those who’ve been with the BCI for 50 years or more.

This year the breakfast meeting will be held Wednesday 7am on the River Terrace outside the Hyatt, our conference hotel.

The programme, as ever, will be a simple one. Co-hosts Roger Winslow and Hal Hawk will hold the roll call, this will be followed by the presentation of the quarter century pins and then a speaker will present a tribute to the much loved Roger Winslow who has given exceptional service to the industry and the BCI for almost two generations.

ROLL OF HONOUR

EDDIE BRICE

GERALD Z. DUBINSKI, SR.

HENRY BRICE

GERALD (JERRY) DUERKSEN

ROBERT J. AARON,

BERT BRIDGEWATER

DAN DUFFIELD

HUBERT ABNER

GEORGE BRILMYER.

FRANK DUMAS

CHARLES-LOUIS ACKER

JOHN BRODHACKER

HAROLD J. EBERLY

MANN

A. J. BROGAN

P. MICHAEL EHLERMAN

TERRY AGRELIUS

DOUGLAS BROWN

BILL ELLIS

HECTOR VALDEZ AGUILAR

GARY G. BRYAN

HERB ELLIS

WASEEM AHMAD

ROBERT H. BUESING

BERNARD J. ELZER, JR.

DICK AMISTADI

KATHRYN R. BULLOCK

JOE ESSING

GRAHAM G. ANDERSON, JR.

RICHARD A. BURKARD

ETER FABER

T. W. ANTHONY

CHARLES A. BURKHART, II

JIM FAIST

DANIEL P. ASKIN

EARL E. BUSDIEKER

HELMUTH FAUST

GEORGE W. AYRTON

N. KENNETH CAMPBELL

ROBERT FINN

K. M. AZHMAGANBETOV

KEVIN CAMPBELL

EUGENE P. FINGER

JOHN P. BADGER

TERRY CAMPBELL

PERCY W. FISCHEL

ART BALCERZAK

ENRIQUE CARREON

ARNOLD FISCHER

TERENCE EDWARD HAR-

RICHARD KAPPES

DON BARNARD

ATTILA CARUSO

ROBERT FLICKER

NETT

TETSUNARI KAWASE

BILL BARNES

RANDY CASSTEVENS

CHUCK FOWLER

KEITH HARNICK

SHUJI KAWATA

STEVE BARNES

GERARD CHAIX

ROBERT W. FRITTS

ROBERT B. HARRINGTON

WILLIAM A. KEITH

ROGER BARR

CARMEL M. CLEMENTSON

ED FREY

MICHAEL R. HARRISON

WILLIAM J. KENNEDY

CARLOS L. BARRENECHE

GEOFFREY CLEMENTSON

KYO FUCHIDA

PIERRE HAUSWALD

RAY J. KENNY

JAMES H. BARRETT

G. A. CLERICI

ROBERTO GARCIA

HAL HAWK

HEINZ-ALBERT KIEHNE

SIMON BASTACKY

GUY CLUM

LAURIE GARDINER

B. A. HILL

JIM KLANG

GIUSEPPE BAUDO

MICHAEL J. COAD

SILVANO GELLENI

DARRELL HIMMESOETE

DAVIS KNAUER

WALTER BAUER

ISRAEL COHEN

HARVEY S. GERSHENSON

MASATSUGU HIRANAGA

MARK ALLAN KNOWLTON

BERNIE BEALS

BRUCE A. COLE

FOLCO GIBELLINI

DON HODGES

ARTHUR G. KOCH

ROLF BECKERS

JEROME F. COLE

WILLIAM C. GLOVER

LES S. HOLDEN

PHILIP KOWALSKI

GORDON BECKLEY

LEE COWAN

RICK GODBER

L. SAM HOLDEN

KLAUS H. KRAFT

DAVID BEIDLER

ROBERT C. CRAWFORD

FRANCOIS GONNARD

ERIC HOLTAN

WAYNE KRICK

CLEVE BENNETT

MICHAEL CROSS

ROBERT GONZALES

JOHN H. HOOVER

RAY KRUSING

ROGER BERGER

CLIFF J. CROWE

RAY GOODEARL

DENIS S. HOWARTH

EDWARD M. KSENIAK

ROBERT BERTRAM

JERRY V. CROW

ROBERT J. GRACE

KENT HUDSON

RAY KUBIS

BILL BESSIRE

BOB CULLEN

ROBERT W. GREENFIELD

DON HULL

DOUG LAMBERT

JOHN A. BITLER

HUGH CULLIMORE

MICHAEL E. GREENLEE

DOUGLAS F. HUTTON

URBAIN LAMBERT

JOSEPH A. BLACK

THOMAS A. CURTIS

BILL GREENWOOD

KIYOTAKA IKAWA

DANIEL LANGDON

ROBERT BOBBETT

PETER DAN

TROY A. GREISS

EMMETT R. JAMIESON

TIM LAWLOR

WERNER BOEHNSTEDT

JERRY DARLING

OSCAR GRISCHKOWSKY

JOE JARVIS

ALFRED C. LAZAGA

STEVE BOLANOWSKI

JAMES C. DeBRAY

STEPHEN J. GROSS

SAM JASSIN

RICK LEIBY

JIM BOUCHARD

DON J. DEL DOTTO

BRIAN GUNNIN

JOSEPH J. JERGL

RICHARD LENTINE

DOUGLAS J. BOUQUARD

BUD DeSART

JOSEPH T. GUSHUE

JIM JOHNSON

GUIDO LEVATI

RICHARD BOWERS

MALCOM DEWAR

NEIL HALE

RICHARD JOHNSON

BRIAN LEWIS

DOUG BRADLEY

ROBERTO DIENER, JR.

VINCENT M. HALSALL

JEFF JORDAN

MARLENE M. LEWIS

WILLIAM BRECHT

JOSEPH F. DONAHUE

RANDY HANSCHU

JEFFREY JUDS

BILL LINCOLN

MITCH BREGMANCo.

WALLACE M. DOBBINS

KARL E. HANSLIK

LARS KALLSTROM

ROBERT A. LIND

DANIEL D. BREIDEGAM

THOMAS J. DOUGHERTY

JAMES S. HARDIGG

JOHN T.C. KAN

BOB LINDSAY

ALBERT BRICE

JAMES W. DOUGLAS

JASPER HARDIN

JAMES KANDA

DAVID LONGNEY

THOMAS S. DOUGLAS, III

A. M. HARDMAN

48 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

Co-hosts Hal Hawk (top) and Roger Winslow

www.batteriesinternational.com

BCI BATTERY VETERANS

JAMES W. LORIO

ALFRED J. PAUTLER

GARY TAYLOR

CHI-HWA LU

WILLIAM U. PAYNE

GIOVANNI TERZAGHI

ACHIM LULSDORF

ROBERT J. PENSYL

FELIX TESHINSKY

DAVID LUND

BOB PEPPERS

FREDERICK TESHINSKY

JOHN LUTES

GLENN PERRINI

JAMES H. THRASH

REX E. LUZADER

KATHY PERZEE

JIM TOEWS

LOUIS J. MAGDITS

KATHY PETERSON

MIKE TOLE

JOSEPH MAJESKY

PETER J. PETERSON

TOM TOMKINS

SERGIO MALACON

WILLIAM PICCIOLO

DOUGLAS R. TUPLING

JOHN E. MANDERS

DONALD L. PIERSON

FRANCISCO TRINIDAD

KEN MARSHALL

JOHN R. PIERSON

FROSTY TUNNELL

EDWARD M. MARWELL

WILLIAM T. POLLARD

JAMES TUNNELL

DONALD A. MASSELLE

VERNON J. POTTS

DENNIS ULRICH

GEOFFREY J. MAY

RAMA PRASAD RAY

Z. UYTIEPO

MICHAEL MAYER

DON PRIEBE

STEPHEN L. VECHY

BO McCANN

ED PUCKETT

AL VINCZE

KELLY McCANN

JOSE M. PUIG

BURCHARD VON CAMPE

ROBERT G. McCLELLAN

VINCENT PUSATERI

ANDY WADDELL

STEVE McDONALD

PETE QUINLAN

BARRY WALKER

JOE McKINLEY

DONALD RABON

DONALD WALLACE

JACK McLANE

STEVEN RAU

WILLIAM WALTER

CHARLES K. McMANUS

MICHAEL E. REED

AKIO WATANABE

TIM McNALLY

THOMAS J. REILLY

K. FRED WEHMEYER

HARRY D. McVEY

BART REITTER

MICHAEL J. WEIGHALL

S. WILLIAM MEEHAN

RUDY RENFROW

DAVID WEINBERG.

TOSHIO MEGA

ROBERT P. RESTREPO

MARK WELS

DANIEL A. MELVILLE

DOUGLAS GORDON RIST

DON WENSINGER, II

TROY MENGEL

JOSEPH RIVERA

EVAN R. WESCOE

K. D. MERZ

JUNIOR ROCKHOLD

WILLIAM H. WESTON, JR.

GERHARD MEYENBURG

S. TUCKER ROE

STEVE WICKMAN

CARL F. MIELKE

CHAD ROGERS

PETER WILKE

LARRY MIKSIEWICZ

BILL ROORK

J. WORTH WILLIAMS

RON MIKSIEWICZ

URI ROSENSHEIN

BOB WILLIAMSON

ARDELLE E. MILLER, SR.

JAMES B. ROSKI

DAVID WILLIAMSON

JEANITH L. MILLER

BYRON ROTHPLETZ, JR.

TOM MILLER

JAMES RUBRIGHT

NORM MILLER

ARNIE Y. SAKAI

PETER MILLION

JOAO A. MESTRE SALVADOR

JOHN A. MILLS

WILEY C. SANDERS, JR.

TOM MINNER

MARTIN SANNASI

JOHN ANDERSON

ANDREW C. HARDTKE

MALCOLM E. ROSS

CHERYL MINOR

GARY SANTASPIRIT

PETER C. ASPINALL

CELWYN HOPKINS

TONY SABATINO

GARY MITCHENER

MANUEL SANTOS

IRA C. (BUD) BAERINGER

NORMAN HOYT

BERNARD SCHEINBAUM

S. K. MITTAL

KENNETH SCHADLER

SYDNEY BANKS

LAWRENCE HAHN

HENRY SCHEINBAUM

HARUKA MIURA

LARRY SCHEINBAUM

LAWRENCE R. BARTLETT

ROLAND A. JOHNSON

MARVIN SCHEINBAUM

MICHAEL E. MOELLER

AL SCHMIDT

WILLIE BEASON

CHARLES E. JUSTICE

WILLARD SCHREINER

RICK MOODY

ROBERT R. SCHOEBERL

LARRY BENNETTS

JAMES H. KELLETT

JOHN SEARCY

BORIS MONAHOV

ANTON SCHWETZ

TOM B. BLAIR

DON KEMPTER

ARTHUR SINGER

DAVID MORRALL

J. QUINN SELSOR

DON BRANDT

JOHN KOSSOW

PAUL STAAB, SR.

K. MURATA

ROBERT D. SEMMENS

JOHN A. BRUZAS

EMIL KOVACIK

PAUL STAAB, JR.

JOHN MURPHY

JAHAR SENGUPTA

HARRY CHANNING

J. T. LAWRIE

NED L. STAUFFER

GEORGE NADER-LATUFF

DAVID M. SHAFFER

JOHN CORCORAN

BIRKE M. LUCKENBILL

GREG STEVENS

LOUIS NAGY

JERRY SHASSERRE

MAX CORNBLATT

JAMES K. MASON

ROBERT W. STOLL

JOHN NEES

JAMES I. SIKORA

E. B. CORNETTE

BEN McKINNEY

EARL E. STOUT

RAYMOND NEVIN

ROBERT D. SIMONTON

ELLSWORTH P. DAVIS

DONALD C. MELNIK

JAMES V. STUPPIA

ARNIE O. NILSSON

BOB SLAUTTERBACK

ANDY DIETRICH

SALLY S. MIKSIEWICZ

JOHN J. SURRETTE

GEORGE E. NOEL

GEORGE SMITH

JUAN DORIGA

JIM MILLER

BILL SZAKACS

ANN NOLL

KEVIN SMITH

JAY NORTHEY

TOM SMITH

FRANK DRAVES

FRANK MORGAN

ED TAYLOR

PHIL NOZNESKY

JIM SNOOK

JAMES H. ENGLISH

EDWARD N. MROTEK

ERNEST GEORGE TIEGEL

KAZUO OKADA

DONNA SNYDER

JOHN EDGAR FARMER

TOM MURANAKA

RICHARD P. TIPPEY

DONALD L. OKESON

PAUL J. STAAB, III

WILLIAM N. FLETCHER

JOSEPH J. NOBLES

G. E. TURNER

AYKAUN OKUMA

JOHN STANPHILL

LAURENCE FRY

PETER NOZNESKY

PETE VIVIANO

MICHAEL O’MALLEY

RICHARD M. STARK

PAUL-ARMAND GAMMEN-

EGON E. NURMET

BYRON A. WADDELL

AL O’NEAL

FRANCOIS STEFFENS

THALER

JOSEPH A. ORSINO

ARVIN WELCH

STUART W. ORR

JIMMY STEWART

SCOTT GAMSTER

K. N. PIKE

DON WENSINGER

THOMAS L. OSWALD

J.D. SURRETTE

J. GEORGE GANGE, JR.

ROBERT L. PUCKETT

JOHN W. WIRTZ

S. CLARK OTTERNESS

KENNETH A. SUTTON

ROBERT GARWOOD

WILLIAM RASMUSSEN

HOMER H. WOODRUFF, JR.

TERRY R. OXENREIDER

LEE SWAIN

JOSEPH GATTO

WIN REINEMANN

BILL YEDLICKA

PHIL PACHECO

JOSEPH F. SZABO

DICK GODBER

TURNEY L. RICH

RICHARD B. YOUNG

PAUL S. GODBER

JOHN RICKOLT

CHARLES GRAVES

CHARLES R. ROGERS

SYNG L. PAIK

LAURIE SZPARA

WILLIAM M. PALLIES

TAKAOMI TAKII

JAY K. PARMAR

OSWALDO TAMAYO

www.batteriesinternational.com

ONE-HALF CENTURY CLUB GUY T. (TOM) ABATA DAVID P. BODEN J. ROY BRAY GEORGE COLLINS ALLAN COOPER JOHN DEVITT JOHANNES SCHNEIDER LEE KOENIG JOSH LIVERMORE SERGIO PEZZOTTI R. DAVID PRENGAMAN RALPH TIEGEL KEITH TOLL ROGER WINSLOW

SADLY NO LONGER WITH US JERRY BOYLAN DeLIGHT E. BREIDEGAM SAL CANGELOSI WILLIAM J. EBERLE CLYDE D. ELIUM MARK A. KNOWLTON JOHN R. PIERSON ROBERT N. QUENELL ED TURNER

DAVID WILLIS

KENNETH E. ZALECKI

DON WILSON

PIOTR ZENCZAK

TODD WILSON RICK WIMBERLY

RETIRED

LAWRENCE B. WINDISCH MARK WINSLOW

DANIEL J. FETHEROLF

DAVID A. WINTERBOTTOM

MALCOLM J. GAVANT

JOHN O.WIRTZ

JAMES R. JESKIE

DONALD A. WOJTON

JOSH LIVERMORE

MIKE WONCH

PETER MALONEY

TERRY E. WUSSOW

NAWAZ M. QURESHI

WILLIAM B. WYLAM

RODNEY SHANE

DAVE YANIK

MICHAEL SHAW

TOMMY YOUNGBLOOD

ROBERT D. SWAIN

TERUHISA YUASA

JAN WINSLOW

SADLY NO LONGER WITH US

Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook • 49

ALL THE FUN OF THE SHOW

Customize your experience in sunny Jacksonville!

The BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo mobile app and mobile-friendly site are the best way to keep up-todate with event activities.

Use it to contact other attendees via messaging, and also to set up in-person meetings, view exhibitor details, browse the schedule of events and more. Search “Battery Council” in your app store, or if you have a BlackBerry or Windows device, visit the mobile website, www.batterycouncil.org/129mobile.

“Networking,” and search for the person with whom you’d like to meet.

Want a full list of attendees? Tap “Networking” and “Everyone”.

Event reminders will be sent through the app as well, so be sure to turn on your push notifications!

Customize your day by using the “My Event” feature. This section offers the opportunity to plan out your time at the BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, so you can make the most of your trip to Jacksonville.

LOG IN: Username: your email address 017 Password: bci2017 pp pp, p, Once you havee logged in to the app app, in ng” to review ew yyour our tap “Networking” ta ap p “Save” “Sa Sa ave v ” in the upperprofile. Then, tap he n he e etworking feature right corner. The networking es tto es o plan meetings in allows attendees ach h other. Simply tap advance with eeach

Scan the QR code

Get in the mood with the annual golf olf tournament The gentle swish of a successful power drive to the next ext x hole (or bunker) — yes the other side to the BCI Convention + Power Martt Ex Expo po is the annual golf tournament.

On Sunday April 30, the BCI Golf Tournament gives attendees the opportunity to network with colleagues over a game of golf at the Queens Harbour Yacht & Country Club. After the tournament ent concludes, come an and nd d cheer (or commiserate) with drinks at the Awards Reception. eception.

50 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

www.ba www.batteriesinternational.com ba attt tte tte errie iie esin s te sin terna ter errna e natiio onal.com

%HFDXVH

$8720$7,21

2;,'( 352'8&7,21

0$7(5,$/ +$1'/,1*

6(59,&(

<RX·UH LQ &KDUJH 6RUÃ&#x20AC;Q <RVKLPXUD /7' &URVVZD\V 3DUN :HVW 6XLWH :RRGEXU\ 1< 7HO (PDLO VRUÃ&#x20AC;Q#VRUÃ&#x20AC;Q FRP

(DJOH 2[LGH 6HUYLFHV ,QF : WK 6WUHHW ,QGLDQDSROLV ,1 7HO (PDLO VDOHV#HDJOHR[LGH FRP ZZZ HDJOHR[LGH FRP

Visit Booth 311 at BCI in Jacksonville

$FFXUDWH 3URGXFWV +YLGVYDHUPHUYHM '. 5RHGRYUH 'HQPDUN 7HO (PDLO DFFXUDWH#DFFXUDWH GN

ALL THE FUN OF THE SHOW

It’s the end of the world — so wrap up well We’re too early for hurricanes in May but the keynote address on Monday by Peter Zeihan … “The End of the World, and Other Opportunities” should get us all diving for our fall-out shelters. But hopefully to dig out our newest business plan.

BCI ‘Theatre’ and a lost war of words Puzzlement. That’s the only way we can describe our reaction to the BCI Theatre. Yes, located on the Power Mart Expo floor, the BCI Theatre will feature 15-minute presentations from some of the convention’s premium exhibitors — Richardson Molding, MAC Engineering, ENTEK, OCSiAL, the innovation award winner and Eirich Machines.

And puzzlement? Didn’t the War of Independence rid us of the Brits and their nancy spellings? Every True Born Son of the Land of the Free — but not the BCI apparently — knows it’s spelt Theater.

Time for a Power Drink!

And if the misspelling of the word Theater has upset you — but let’s not drink to forget these abominations — hang around till 4pm in the Power Mart floor where cocktails will be served.

Meet the experts — a new focus to the convention Want that special chat or one-on-one when a speaker has captivated your attention completely? A new feature of the convention will be a special time when you can discuss the contents of speakers’ presentations with them called Meet the Experts — see your conference schedule for times and places.

And in the end is our beginning … the opening and closing receptions No human directionals à la San Diego meetings needed for either of these two receptions, they’re both near or just outside the hotel!

On the Sunday evening head to Hyatt Regency — River Terrace 1 for the welcome reception for drinks and canapes from 6pm-8p. Two days later the closing reception is a hundred of so metres further and is, located at Fionn MacCool’s at the Jacksonville Landing.

Take in the gorgeous Jacksonville weather while having those last informal chats in the intimacy of the most Irish of Irish experiences.

52 • Batteries International • BCI 2017 Yearbook

www.batteriesinternational.com

Quality Solutions Reliable

Value

Customized Trustworthy

Engineering Pasting ► Dividing ► Flash Drying ► Stacking ► Curing ► C.O.S. ► Assembly

MAC Engineering and Equipment Company, Inc. 2775 Meadowbrook Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 U.S.A. Latin America (Sorfin Yoshimura, Ltd.)

New York, USA:

sorfin@sorfin.com

Asia

(Sorfin Yoshimura Tokyo, Ltd.)

Tokyo, Japan:

tokyo@sorfin-yoshimura.jp

Brasil

(Sorfin Yoshimura, Ltd.)

São Paulo, Brasil: saopaulo@sorfin-yoshimura.br

China (Sorfin Yoshimura Qingdao, Ltd.)

Qingdao, China:

qingdao@sorfin-yoshimura.cn