Staffordshire based battery manufacturer charges ahead

~ Accutronics wins Award for Innovation in Products and Processes at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards ~

Accutronics, the Midlands-based battery specialist has won the heavily contested Lombard Award for Innovation in Products and Processes at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards. The company was handed the trophy by Michael Portillo, the former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister, at a ceremony held at The Dorchester in London on November 27, 2012.

This prestigious award recognises Accutronics’ exceptional performance in areas such as research and development strategies, product innovation and manufacturing. The accolade is an acknowledgement of the company’s success, having transformed itself under new ownership, into a profitable multi-million pound turnover British-owned business in just three years.

An expert in the design, development and manufacture of rechargeable batteries for high performance electronic devices, Accutronics’ smart batteries offer advanced functionality and features such as charge control, fuel gauging and device communication.

One of Accutronics’ products, the Intelligent Power Vault (IPV) is a perfect example of the company’s commitment to innovation and lean manufacturing practices. IPV is a unique multi-battery power source which is ideal for powering medical and industrial devices. The innovative modular design of the IPV provides flexibility and scalability and permits transportation without the costs normally associated with large Lithium Ion batteries.

The Intelligent Power Vault also provides a wealth of vital battery data to its host equipment from its USB and serial interfaces, ensuring that information about remaining runtime is reported accurately and efficiently.

“This is the first year we have entered the Manufacturing Excellence Awards so we were not sure what to expect and actually taking home the trophy is a great confidence boost for us as a manufacturer,” enthused Rob Phillips, managing director of Accutronics. “Furthermore, the rigorous MX application and assessment process gave us a bird’s eye view of our business strategy and provided very valuable benchmarking feedback.

“These past three years have been incredibly exciting for us and no efforts were spared when it came to research, product development and improving manufacturing processes,” Phillips continued. “I am proud that we bucked the trend and brought manufacturing and engineering back from China to the UK, which is no mean feat in the current economic climate,” he concluded.

Battery manufacturer appoints PRINCE2 specialist

Paul Heyes

~ Former Marconi executive will streamline project execution ~

Accutronics, the UK-based battery design, development and manufacturing company, has appointed Paul Heyes as project manager. Paul joined Accutronics in May from Marconi where he worked for 14 years, developing a wealth of experience.

Heyes’ background is in railways and highways infrastructure management. He was involved for two and a half years on the West Coast main line, a £90 million job, as a project manager reporting to the project director. Marconi based its project management on the PRINCE2 (PRojects PRINCE2 is a de facto standard developed and used extensively by the UK government and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. It embodies established and proven best practice in project management.

“My goal is to put processes in place based on PRINCE2 to improve project management within the design function at Accutronics,” explained Heyes. “Specifically I’m looking at issues like communications, cost control and project scheduling. Here design activity may last 12-18 months, but we design products that go into a ten year product life cycle, so sustainability is crucial.”

Heyes’ appointment is a key element of Accutronics’ growth plans because of the increasing number of projects being initiated by the company. The appointment will free up engineering staff from project management tasks, and allow them to focus on efficient management.

“It is all about planning, expediting, coordination and control,” Heyes adds. “Marconi was a huge organisation. This meant my project management role involved using subordinates to take action on my behalf. At Accutronics, I will be the only one doing that; it’s a much more hands-on approach. This is entirely appropriate for the size of the organisation.

“Accutronics is a good fit for me and has much more of a family feel to it than Marconi. People here tend to stay for a long time, which reflects the positive working environment. It’s a nice place to work,” concludes Heyes.

Accutronics delivers smart battery technology to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) worldwide, in a range of industries, including military, medical, industrial and portable electronics applications, so Heyes’ experience will prove to be invaluable. Accutronics offers whole of life support for OEMs and design consultants who demand a high level of technical and commercial expertise. The company’s smart batteries offer advanced functionality and performance and features such as charge control, fuel gauging and device communication.

A father of two, Paul lives in Stafford and is a keen cyclist in training. He has plans to retrace a route he travelled with his brother in his youth, which runs from St Helens to Shrewsbury, covering a distance of about 60 miles.

Three days to Electronica

It is now only three days until the start of Electronika 2012 in Munich, Germany. The Accutronics team will be in Hall B2, stand 353 showing our 'Accupro' custom batteries & chargers, the wide range of Inspired Energy standard smart batteries, chargers & accessories and the new Entellion range of innovative power products which include our credit card batteries and the all new Intelligent Power Vault multi battery power solution.

Hall B2 is where it all happens if you need a battery or power supply solution so please visit us and see how Accutronics can help you, your products and your company succeed.

Intelligent Power Vault (536Wh version shown)

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

Neil

What Accutronics really does in portable electronics

Whether it is a POS (Point of Sale) machine used in a restaurant or high-tech night-vision goggles, portable electronics have invaded every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Engineers, scientists, restaurant staff, delivery operatives and Doctors all use portable electronic equipment that keeps the world turning. The common denominator in all of these devices is the requirement for a safe and reliable battery system. 

POS machines need reliable batteries

The research and development team at Accutronics is dedicated to developing and manufacturing the rechargeable batteries that allow professional people to measure, calculate, interrogate, sample, monitor or communicate in the way their jobs demand.

OEMs around the world, in a variety of industry sectors, rely on Accutronics to produce their batteries on time and within the specified budget.

This is made possible by integrating fuel gauging electronics, active protection circuits and careful cell balancing into our batteries. Providing customers with state of the art battery functionality is the focus of all our efforts.

A key requirement for all portable electronics is that they be easy to use, lightweight and, depending on where they are used, robust. In the defence sector for instance, when military operatives on duty have to transport this crucial equipment on their person they simply can’t afford to be overloaded. Accutronics provides the batteries that power this equipment and helps ensure that they will not weigh down the troops.

Moreover, where soldiers have to carry radio equipment, transmitters, lighting or vision systems, robustness becomes an additional imperative. Accutronics’ batteries are designed to withstand the cold nights in the mountains, as well as the hot days of patrolling thought the desserts.

Powering mission critical equipment, as well as handheld devices used by delivery drivers or restaurant staff, is ultimately a matter of flexibility and ingenuity. Accutronics’ designers are used to taking every detail into account when creating the prototypes for our batteries. By continually re-focussing on the purpose of the end technology and concentrating our technical understanding, we have always endeavoured to support our customers in achieving their objectives.

If you want to discuss the development of batteries for any type of portable electronic device, please contact our sales and customer service team on +44 (0) 1782 566688 to discuss your requirements.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Newly appointed direct sales and marketing manager subscribes to better for all life philosophy

Michele Windsor

Midlands based battery manufacturer Accutronics has appointed Michele Windsor as direct sales and marketing manager. In her new role, Windsor will focus on building the e-commerce functionality of the company’s website and marketing the company’s products across Europe.

Accutronics delivers smart battery technology to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) worldwide, to a range of industries, including military, medical, industrial and portable electronics applications.

The company offers ‘whole of life’ support for OEMs and design consultants who demand a high level of technical and commercial expertise. The smart batteries offer advanced functionality and performance and features such as charge control, fuel gauging and device communication.

With twelve years of experience in direct marketing and sales at hand-held radio distributor CS Electronics, Michele will make use of her broad sales experience in her new role at Accutronics. Her responsibilities will include in-house marketing, website content management, customer relations management and event organisation.

“The intricacy of the activities going on in the Accutronics factory is amazing,” enthused Michele. “Unfortunately, many people don’t realise the level of technological innovation that goes into the manufacture of smart batteries. My aim is to further raise awareness about their benefits in anything from life saving medical applications to military equipment. I am a firm believer in the better for all life philosophy, so my work here fits in perfectly with that school of thought,” she concluded.

“Having worked in almost all areas of the electronics industry, Michele boasts a great deal of knowledge in manufacturing processes and technologies,” explained Rob Phillips, Accutronics’ managing director. “Her role is a varied one, but I am confident that her expertise can bring value to our current projects such as re-branding and advertising our Inspired Energy range of products,” he said. 

Passionate about exercising and extreme sports, Michelle adores skiing, water boarding, skydive and acrobatic flights.

NH2034 - The New Eight Cell Lithium Ion Smart Battery from Inspired Energy

Accutronics, the sole distributor of Inspired Energy Standard Smart Batteries, Chargers and Accessories is proud to announce the launch of a new battery from Inspired Energy - the NH2034.

This new battery has a slender profile and is ideal when you need a 14.4V platform to power your next generation of portable products without consuming large amounts of space.

The first variant to launch has the suffix 'HD31' - meaning that it is high discharge capable (8Amps) and uses the latest (3.1Ah) 18650 Lithium ion cells. The eight cells are configured in a four series, two parallel configuration (14.4V / 6.2Ah) which means you get a massive 89.3Wh of stored energy. 2013 will see the introduction of a 'HD34' variant which will take the stored energy close to 100Wh.

Of course, being a standard smart battery from Inspired Energy the NH2054HD31 will fit into any of the standard desktop chargers such as the CH4000 or CH5050. The smart battery functionality means that it is the battery itself that determines the charging voltage and current required from the charger - making smart charging safer and more efficient than traditional 'dumb' charger controlled operation.

The smart battery interface on the NH2054HD31 also allows your equipement to obtain useful data such 'runtime to empty', 'device name', 'voltage', 'average current', serial number, and 'manufacture date'.

The NH2054HD31 can be customised to suit particular customer needs - just contact us to discuss.

Neil

Batteries for military applications – powering the mission

The modern, mobile military requires completely autonomous and highly reliable battery power for electronic equipment, as do back office military and defence applications. Furthermore, the demand for increased lifespan, improved energy density and more power only increases as advanced technology allows the military and defence sectors to deploy increasingly complex equipment. 

Mission critical equipment

Accutronics’ batteries directly support the armed forces, powering mission-critical equipment such as radios, lights and night-vision goggles. They can also be found everywhere from covert airfield-landing lights and rugged portable computers to server back-up where they provide high performance and reliable power in the harshest of environments.

Our products are designed to withstand harsh conditions and provide for the highest levels of demand, whilst features such as ‘locked in design’ prevent unauthorised product changes, ensuring high levels of safety. Furthermore, our products are manufactured in the UK guaranteeing a stable and dependable supply to customers.

“One key issue in design for the defence and military sector is the weight of the end product,” explained Neil Oliver, Accutronics’ senior technical marketing manager. “It’s a fact that the weight of a typical infantry backpack has increased massively since WWII and this is largely due to the increased use of technology in the field. As a result, using intelligent design engineering to reduce the weight impact of a device is very important. Lithium-ion technology, for instance, allows for increased portability by ensuring the battery is light weight.” 

Range is also a key issue, which is why Accutronics ensures that every design features a long operating life and no voltage delay, so that the device springs into action when required, even if it’s been inactive for some time.

Smart battery for defence applications

“It goes without saying that safety is also an important factor in our designs,” continued Oliver. “It’s for this reason that testing and compliance are top priorities throughout the design process, even if time constraints are an issue.”

The impact of innovative battery design doesn’t only benefit those on the front line. By powering a range of hand-held electronic devices, it delivers benefits to people in a range of roles including scientists, engineers, restaurant staff and delivery drivers. The benefits that light weight, dependable batteries can bring to field hospitals, for example, are immeasurable.

We believe that Accutronics’ focus on end-user benefit makes a tangible difference to our customers, including those in the defence and security. Reliable, robust and secure battery solutions are essential to power the mission.

First image courtesy of Surachai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net