Quality is our business! Panasonic

QUALITY IS OUR BUSINESS!

When Panasonic took over Sanyo, the two companies were already among the leading providers of lithium-ion batteries on the market. Their shared know-how has now led to more efficient processes in battery production, which also ensures that product quality is consistently high. Marco Siebel spoke to Alexander Berghoff, the company’s marketing services manager, to find out more.

The Panasonic promise of ‘safety, longer-life and power’ for its batteries has now reached a new dimension with its presentation of new versions of the lithium-ion batteries. Capacities range from 530mAh to 3.350mAh for the 24 batteries in the standard range, and 740mAh to 2.000mAh for the 34 prismatic high performance range batteries.

Panasonic lithium-ion batteries are used in medical engineering, energy storage, solaroperated window shutters and in home appliances such as shavers and toothbrushes. In addition, manufacturers of e-bikes, notebooks and mobile phones also appreciate their performance capability and reliability.

Alexander Berghoff begins: “Thanks to the integration of Sanyo, Panasonic can now offer its industrial customers a much wider range of powerful prismatic and cylindrical Lithium-Ion batteries. Now there are 58 battery types available.”

Industrial nickel-metal-hydride batteries

The Panasonic Industrial Battery Division offers an extensive range of nickel-metal-hydride batteries for use in high ambient temperatures: seven models cover a capacity range of 550 to 3.700mAh (sizes AAA to C with a nominal voltage of 1.2V). In addition to emergency lighting systems the fields of application for these batteries also include mobile medical devices, POS terminals and solar-powered window roller shutters. The powerful industrial batteries are, of course, free of cadmium.

The outstanding features of the highperformance batteries in the high-temperature (HT) series include heat resistance up to 60°C during charging and low self-discharge characteristics, particularly at high temperatures. In contrast to standard Ni-MH batteries the engineers at Pana-

sonic have improved the negative electrode and the separator of the HT models. Furthermore, a new composition of the electrolyte boosts performance.

Alexander Berghoff continues: “With an optimum intermittent charge the Panasonic HT batteries excel with an outstanding service life of up to 12 years. This makes them ideal for continuous battery power supply, for example in safety technology. So emergency lighting systems in department stores, large companies or convention centres that are equipped with Panasonic batteries light the way reliably in an emergency.”

Other fields of application for the powerful batteries include portable medical devices, so-called combined solar applications such as solar-powered window roll shutters or cash register systems and vending machines, as well as various applications in backup usage.

Panasonic in Japan

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products in three business fields: consumer, components and devices; and solutions. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of about €72 billion for the year ended 31 March, 2012.

The group started battery production in 1931. The product portfolio includes lithium-ion, lithium, nickel-netal-hydride, alkaline, zinc-carbon and VRLA batteries. Panasonic offers OEM customers standard and customised charging systems and emphasises its corporate identity as a power solutions provider with a comprehensive product range. Today, the Panasonic Energy Corporation (PEC), with 12,600 employees and 16 production facilities in 14 countries, is the largest battery manufacturers in the world.

Panasonic has the vision of becoming the No. 1 green innovation company in the electronics industry by the 100th year of its activities in 2018. Panasonic’s production plants already have ISO 9000 ff, ISO 14000 ff and OHSAH certifications. Strong in Europe

Panasonic batteries are marketed in Europe by Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Europe GmbH (PIDSEU). PIDSEU is responsible for sales and after sales services in Germany, the Benelux countries, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia and eastern Europe and has sales subsidiaries in Munich, Düsseldorf, Bracknell (UK), Helsinki (Finland) and Barcelona (Spain), as well as offices in France, Italy, Denmark and Russia with 300 staff are currently employed. PIDSEU is directly responsible for the sale of industrial batteries to OEM customers, while a closely knit Europe-wide distribution network has been established for smaller and medium-sized customers.

Alexander Berghoff said “Owing to increasing demand for security applications such as the mandatory installation of tyre pressure monitoring systems in new cars, and smoke detectors in private homes throughout Europe from 2013 and 2014 respectively, we expect an annual growth percentage of between 7 and 10 per cent until 2015.” n