A Guide to Plastic Battery Container Manufacturing

A battery container is a packaging solution necessary for sealed lead acid battery assembly. Battery containers are made of moulded plastics primarily PPCP and ABS.

Why plastic? Firstly, plastic is lightweight and affordable. Secondly, it is water-resistant. Thirdly, plastics are very good insulators that do not allow electricity passage. Fourthly, they are resistant to abrasions. Therefore, if you are considering an element to make a battery container, plastic is the appropriate fit.

Plastic battery enclosures are produced in a single manufacturing unit. It means that you can create a battery box within one production cycle. Typically, a battery container manufacturer employs the injection moulding technique to mould plastic battery boxes. Through injection moulding, you can create a battery container all the way from the base to the side walls and lid.

Injection moulding is the most sustainable and reliable procedure for manufacturing high-quality plastic parts for OEMs and ODMs across various sectors like medicine, defence, automotive, electronics, etc.

In this blog, we will have a detailed understanding of the injection moulding process used for battery containers. So, let’s get to the topic.

Why Choose Injection Moulding for Manufacturing Battery Containers?

Injection moulding is a versatile manufacturing process producing premium-grade plastic parts and prototypes with extraordinary detailing and surface finish. For plastic battery boxes, injection moulding is considered the ideal technology for the following reasons:

• Design Flexibility- A battery enclosure manufacturer prefers injection moulding due to its extensive flexibility in design. It means that you can easily create complex geometries with intricate configurations.
• Material Versatility- Another impressive advantage of injection moulding is that you can choose from a wide variety of thermoplastics. There are hundreds of thermoplastics possessing unique properties. Thus, as a battery container manufacturer, you can choose the most suitable material for your requirements.
• Mass Production- Do you know you can produce a large number of plastic products in a single batch? Yes! It is one of the significant perks of injection moulding, making it a highly demanded manufacturing technology. The lead time is much less, enabling faster production. Therefore, it encourages efficiency and productivity.
• Impeccable Finish- The products obtained through injection moulding possess an impressive surface finish with enhanced detailing and quality consistency. Most of the products do not require post-processing until specific finish demand.
• Cost-efficient- Compared to any other production process, injection moulding is cost-efficient because you require less labour. The entire process is fully automated.
• Sustainability- The waste production in injection moulding is much lower. The excess material obtained during the process is reused. It means that with reduced waste, you are opting for a more eco-friendly manufacturing technology. A cleaner environment is a greener environment!

Ideally, injection moulding is the only process producing battery containers with superior accuracy, precision, quality, tolerance, and performance.

Manufacturing Plastic Battery Container: The Process

Injection moulding is a simple yet demanding procedure. You need proficient engineers capable of making CAD models and operating the moulding press. To encourage the productivity and efficiency of a battery container manufacturer, you must have a capable team with a comprehensive understanding of the diverse aspects of the process. So, what happens in injection moulding?

• Mould Clamping- The moulds are created in halves and clamped to the machine press. These moulds are designed in the clamshell style and are pressed against each other with a hydraulic machine so they stay in position and do not leak when molten plastic is injected. Leaks result in flashing errors. So, you receive a product with the parting line. The clamping pressure must be ideal to prevent such defects.
• Choosing the Material- Generally, ABS and PPCP are the most preferred materials for battery enclosures. These thermoplastics are strong, abrasion and impact-resistant, and tensile. Therefore, a battery container manufacturer prefers ABS and PPCP over other thermoplastic polymers.
• Injecting Liquid Plastic- The plastic material is in the form of pellets. Thus, before injecting it into the machine press, it is heated and melted. The molten material is then forcefully injected into the mould cavity. Under the right temperature and pressure, the liquid plastic fills the mould cavity properly without gaps and bubbles.
• Holding the Clamp- The clamp is held together with pressure directly applied to the mould. It ensures that there is no warping and sinking. Additionally, the holding pressure also ensures that the liquid material does not leak through the parting area, causing flashing defects. Every mould cavity must be filled properly so the product is free from errors.
• Cooling the Mould- The mould is allowed to cool down completely. In the process, molten plastic will solidify, taking the shape of the mould. Generally, water oil cooling channels run around the mould to cool it. For a plastic battery container supplier, it is the most straightforward phase in the entire process.
• Ejecting the Product- Usually, while the part cools and solidifies, it shrinks and sticks to the mould cavity. So, the product is forcefully ejected from the machine as the mould clamps gradually open.
• Finishing- The plastic product obtained may have excess material. Hence, you will require cutters to remove the extra material. It will provide you with a flawless finish with a smooth and unblemished surface. The excess material extracted is reused or recycled.

Final Notes

A plastic battery container is integral to protecting batteries against physical and chemical damage. It prolongs the longevity, efficiency, and performance of batteries. With the surge of battery-driven machines and equipment, the demand for battery boxes is constantly on the rise. Therefore, injection moulding has become more popular over the years. Thanks to technological advancements! Today, we are capable of deriving the best outcomes with enhanced precision and sophistication! In the coming times, we will witness revolutionary growth in the industrial sector.