Valmet Automotive, a vehicle contract manufacturer and supplier of battery systems, has expanded its battery test center (BTC) in Bad Friedrichshall, Germany, marking the second major upgrade in recent years. The site, which employs 145 people, is a key facility for the development and quality assurance of battery systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle industries.
Across the past five years, Valmet Automotive has invested approximately €15m (US$16.24m) in the site, beginning with the commissioning of the High Performance Battery Test Center in 2020. The recent expansion has more than doubled the test bench capacity, and added a warehouse and logistics center, the company says.
The assessment of battery systems at the BTC includes performance tests (load cycles, customer driving profiles, energy and capacity tests, voltage cycles); service life tests; thermal management tests; environmental tests (salt spray test, leak test, damp heat, chemical resistance); and quality assurance tests for the production line at the nearby Kirchardt battery plant.
“The expansion will enable us to provide the best possible support for our product development and series production of battery systems,” said site manager and testing director Stefan Sommer during the presentation of the test center to the media.
Further investments are planned following the extension of the lease agreement for another 10 years in 2023. These will focus on expanding service and analysis activities and enhancing product validation, especially for battery systems used in trucks, buses and off-highway vehicles.
Investments are also planned for the Weihenbronn site to expand technology testing and product safety assurance testing capacities.