ELBC Pre Show Supplement - 1st issue 2018 by hamptonhalls

September 4-7, 2018

16ELBC, Vienna

Why lead batteries must stand out from the rest A generation on: the ELBC through the years

Michael Mayer, ELBC founder remembered

Vienna: more than just coffee, cakes and opera

ALABC unveils new research and communication plan

Bringing the industry together

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EDITORIAL Mike Halls • editor@batteriesinternational.com

16ELBC: the place to be For the past three decades each new wave of energy storage technology has predicted that the lead battery would be defunct within a generation. Yet, as this pre-conference guide for ELBC shows, the lead acid battery industry refuses to go away. It’s not just that the world can’t let it fade into nothingness — there is, after all, no feasible replacement to it from the point of view of price, safety and recycleability. The alternatives presented over the last generation now seem so old fashioned nickel, fuel cells, supercaps. Once pointed to as the Next Big Thing in the market they have remained on the sidelines. And perhaps, equally interestingly, have not gone away. There is room at the table for all. The only real challenger in all this has been the rise and rise of lithium ion battery technology which, despite the lead market’s fervent wishes — let’s shut our eyes and perhaps it’ll go away — now looks to be a real challenger in the market place. In the long run at least. The chemistry, despite a huge number of hiccups, from exploding cars and laptops, to grounded airliners to $4 billion recalls of mobile phones, has, nevertheless gone from strength to strength.

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But at last we’re starting to see a more balanced approach to its place in the world of energy storage. The recent policy position by the ILA underlines a new theme in the marketplace. Put simply lithium ion batteries will have a place — as will lead — in the future energy storage universe that is rapidly coming towards us. It’s not longer a dismissal by either side of the industry that lead/lithium will be irrelevant. Both will have important roles to play in the drive to integrate renewable energy into the electric grids and transport of the future. The question that ELBC will be debating this year is probably a very simple one — how important a role will each play in the future? The recent rebranding — or should it be called repurposing? — of the ALABC suggests that there are research projects ahead that could reshape the lead battery business in as little as five years. And this is why we at Batteries International have been so enthusiastic in supporting this, the 16th ELBC in Vienna this September. Mike Halls, Editor, Batteries International

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 3

CONTENTS 16 ELBC: LEAD ACID, TIME TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD The 16th European Lead Battery Conference in Vienna this September could well be the most influential lead event this side of the new millennium, even surpassing the spectacular meetings in Paris four years ago.

Vienna — more than coffee, cakes and waltzes

EDITORIAL 3 The re-appraisal of the lead-lithium debate heralds opportunities for all 6

WELCOME TO VIENNA! Warmest greetings from the City of Dreams — Austria’s capital city

ALABC INSIDER 10 The Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium is reinventing itself. Pre-competitive research will remain a key theme but the way the ALABC operates is fundamentally changing CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• The ILA’s new director of communications, Hywel Jarman, talks planning • ELBC favourite Neil Hawkes talks about future lead pricing

A generation of ELBC meetings later: was it good for you too? 14

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME: THE ELBC STORY 14 It was 30 years ago today...and the LDA taught the industry to play. Why did ELBC emerge out of nowhere to become — with the Asian Battery Conference — the key event to attend? MICHAEL MAYER REMEMBERED Michael, who died in 2016, was the pivotal figure in creating ELBC. He was much loved.

GREATS OF LEAD ACID: ERNST VOSS Ernst Voss, discoverer of α-PbO2 was one of the team that solved the PCL problem

EXHIBITION GUIDE, 26-38

Michael Mayer remembered: how the ELBC was founded 21

Our comprehensive listing of exhibitors in the main hall includes a full run down of sponsors in this preconference guide and an alphabetical and numerical list of which firm can be found — and where

Publisher Karen Hampton, karen@batteriesinternational.com, +44 7792 852 337

Business development manager June Moultrie june@batteriesinternational.com +44 7775 710 290

Editor: Michael Halls, editor@batteriesinternational.com, +44 1 243 782 275

Reception Tel: +44 1 243 782 275 Fax: +44 1787 329 730

Advertising executive: Jade Beevor jade@energystoragejournal.com +44 1243 792 467

Subscriptions, admin manager: Claire Ronnie, subscriptions@batteriesinternational.com admin@batteriesinternational.com +44 1 243 782 275

Supplements editor: Wyn Jenkins, wyn.jenkins@serenglobalmedia.com, +44 1792 293 222

Staff reporters: Debbie Mason, Philip Moorcroft

Production/design: Antony Parselle, aparselledesign@me.com +44 1727 811 842 International advertising representation: advertising@batteriesinternational.com

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No unauthorized translation or reproduction is permitted. ISSN 1462-6322 (c) 2018 Mustard Seed Publishing, UK company no: 5976361. Printed in the UK via ThisismethodUK

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.

4 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

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DESTINATION: 16 ELBC VIENNA

Vienna City of Dreams Louise Wright takes an affectionate look at Austria’s capital city.

The Statue of Johann Strauss in Stadtpark, Vienna

Think Mozart, Freud, Wittgenstein, Strauss (both Strauss I and Strauss II) add in Klimt, Berg and much, much more and you have a glimpse of the cultural mix that is just a fraction of the artistic side to one of Europe’s finest capital cities. (And of note to the more brainy of batterymen, this is the birthplace of Martin Karplus whose thesis A quantum-mechanical discussion of the bifluoride ion helped win him the Nobel prize for chemistry.) But Vienna is more than a city for the brainboxes and artists of the world. It’s been recognized as the world’s best city to live in — for the ninth consecutive year — owing to its high standards in education, healthcare, and personal freedom.

Its history began with the Roman invasion of the region in 15BC — who named it Vindobona — and since then it has been squabbled over for centuries. The Romans, the Lombards, the Slavs. Avars, the Magyars, Babenburgs, the Hapsburgs, the Ottomans and of course Napoleon have all fought over it, defended it and ultimately lost it. Indeed the very origin of the Austrian flag dates back to the bloody Battle of Ptolemais in 1191 where this time the Austrians were fighting on the crusades. Its red and white colours are taken from the story that Duke Leopold V of Austria, blood-soaked from battle, returned with only a strip of white remaining under his sword belt.

Fine dining, Viennese style The Marina Restaurant, Marina Wien The Marina Restaurant, on the banks of the Danube, offers a unique dining experience in terms of cuisine and atmosphere. The seasonal menu comprises Viennese specialties such as beef goulash and schnitzel, alongside Mediterranean cuisine. They have three terraces overlooking the water — ideal for a hard day talking electrolytes to colleagues.

Café Central Coffee houses are integral to Viennese culture and described as “places where time and space are consumed, but only coffee is found on the bill.” The Café Central has played host to many notables for more than a century, including Trotsky, Lenin, and Freud, who became known as the ‘Centralists.’ Here they would engage in debate or play chess over a cup of coffee.

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Würstelstand am Hohen Markt Vienna’s the birthplace of the wiener — the hot dog — so you’d expect them to be good. And at the Hohen Markt they are generally considered to be the best in the world. They’re usually served with either a sweet süss mustard, a spicy scharf mustard, and bread. Their spicy, cheese, and smoked hot dogs come very highly recommended.

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DESTINATION: 16 ELBC VIENNA And now for something completely different …

It’s a dog’s life

Wine in Wien The Klosterneuburg Abbey, situated on the Danube, offers the best of battery excursions: history, art … and wine. Leaving aside the 900-yearold monastery, its marbled Baroque halls and collection of objets d’art that rival Vienna’s foremost museums and galleries, Klosterneuburg is Austria’s oldest wine estate and still produces over 50 different wines and spirits. If you visit you’ll descend some 36 meters underground to view centuries old fermentation cellars.

There are over 52,000 dogs registered in Vienna and the city disposes of 1,100 tonnes of dog poop each year. So although our canine friends are allowed in everywhere — upmarket boutiques to posh restaurants — their droppings have to be poop-scooped up immediately. Fines start at €225 ($260) and climb according to an arbitrary scale of messiness, size and location.

Getting around Almost all forms of public transport fall under the same organization (WienerLinien), so the tickets you buy cover all public bus, train, tram, and subway services. If you buy a ticket from A to B, it doesn’t matter if you take the tram, train, or bus. You can mix your modes of transport to make the journey. The Vienna Pass with Travel includes free entry to around 60 tourist attractions. You can opt to add in a 24, 48 or 72 hour travel network card at purchase.

• The Viennese enjoy around 2,000 hours of ballroom dancing annually, as the capital’s Ball Season runs from New Year’s Eve to Shrove Tuesday. • The real-life Maria von Trapp was born in Vienna in 1905. • Vienna is often called The City of Music as it was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, and Brahms (but not Lizst). • Austrian children can leave school aged 15, drink beer aged 16, but have to wait till 18 till they can try alcoholic spirits. • One of the symbols of the city is the Wiener Riesenrad — the oldest working Ferris wheel in the world. • The humble PEZ candies were developed during a period when smoking was prohibited in Austria. The dispenser was designed to look like a lighter and bore the slogan: No Smoking — PEZing Allowed. • The snow globe was patented and invented in 1900 by Erwin Perzy who was trying to develop a surgical lamp. • The oldest surviving daily newspaper in the world is Wiener Zeitung, which was founded in Vienna in 1703.

Music in the air at Mozarthaus To the cultured among us — those that watched Amadeus in the movie theaters in the 1980s — we all know that Mozart spent most of his life in Vienna. Find out more at the Mozarthaus where he and his family lived from 1784 to 1787 in a space comprising four large rooms, two smaller ones, and a kitchen. This was his most opulent apartment and contains a musical clock made around 1790, which plays a tune that Mozart composed for the clock itself. Other notable compositions penned within these walls was the opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, and three of the Haydn Quartets.

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• Don’t feed the pigeons. Vienna has a task force of street spies called “Müllbeobachter” who will impose on-the-spot fines if you cause a mess by feeding the pigeons, fly tip or leave dog poop un-poopscooped.

Creepy things that go bump in the night… Check out the darker side to the capital. One underground walking tour explores Vienna’s subterranean world. One tour highlight is the crypt of St Michael’s Church. Inside are the remains of more than 4,000 dignitaries. Here you can rub shoulders with the aristocrats of a bygone era, as some of these mummified corpses are still in their burial finery or complete with wig.

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 7

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ALABC Batteries International spoke to Alistair Davidson, a director at the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium, on its future reorganization plans.

A new chapter opens for ALABC It’s all change at the ALABC. The research organization, founded a quarter of a century ago to fight the any-chemistry-but-lead plans of US car manufacturers, is refocusing its research and mission. “We are rebranding and modernizing ALABC — absolutely,” says Alistair Davidson, director of products and sustainability at the ALABC. “Its purpose as a pre-competitive research organization isn’t changing, and that’s important because it has a good legacy and has achieved a lot in 26 years. “But the challenges of electrification, decarbonization and the requirements for the future have changed. Now is the right time to develop the next chapter for ALABC as a global innovation group for advanced lead batteries.” Davidson says the body’s new programmes will be rolled out fully in 2019 but it is already a long way down the road in terms of defining the direction of travel — and several exciting initiatives will be unveiled ahead of the ELBC meetings in September. “The fundamental purpose of the organization remains the same but we have developed a new narrative and new programmes to help find the highest priorities for research work that will make a true difference to this industry,” he says. Davidson says that there will be three elements to the ALABC’s new focus: pre-competitive research, communications and marketing, and a renewed focus on tests and standards in the industry and their suitability to lead batteries. In terms of pre-competitive research Davidson says that ALABC intends to carefully pick topics and themes that are based on improvements for end-users, and look to involve these in the research programme. “We’ve already started a series of

“They key difference is that we will be starting with the end user and the needs of the market and working backwards from there. It is about helping the whole industry improve but in line with what will be required by customers.” workshops around the world with our members that will help us develop a technical roadmap for the research that is needed. It must be driven by the needs of the market and based on what will be required of batteries in the future and where the end users want us to be,” Davidson says. “We will then refine those targets and seek research goals to help us achieve those aims. “They key difference is that we will be starting with the end user and the needs of the market and working backwards from there.”

Getting to know you ...

Davidson says the industry’s achievements must be better communicated — and not just within its existing client base but further afield.

“For example, the automotive sector might know what we are doing — they understand lead batteries — but the energy storage market, as an example, might not understand us so well. “The utility and renewable energy storage market has huge potential. Lithium will be a key player but the expected demand will be so great that there will be opportunities for other chemistries. For this we’ll need our developments to be understood by that audience. Hywel Jarman, the new director of communications at the International Lead Association, will have an important role to play and will discuss this topic at a presentation at the ELBC called ‘Telling the story: the future for lead batteries’.

10 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

The third area ALABC will focus on revolves around the nature of the tests and standards used by industry to determine the performance of different types of batteries. The ALABC is building an inventory of all the tests and standards globally and assessing whether they reflect the modern capabilities of lead batteries. One test, for example, appears to show that lead batteries under partial state of charge for micro hybrids have issues with gassing and water loss. Yet, says Davidson, this is likely a function of the way the test is performed as these issues are often not seen when vehicles are on the road. He also says tests should highlight or give weighting to the extent to which the materials used can be recycled. These initiatives will not properly kick in until 2019 but a lot of preperatory work is being done now. Further partnerships and initiatives will be unveiled ahead of ELBC in September. Above all, he says the changes are also designed to refresh and rebrand the ALABC. “The consensus was that the ALABC had become dated and this process is about modernizing it and ensuring its programme is relevant and helpful to the industry. “We will retain an academic focus in much of our work but we also need to work on areas that will make a tangible difference to our customers and position lead batteries as the technology of the future.” www.batteriesinternational.com

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE Lead batteries have a vital future role in the energy storage future — if only the industry can better communicate what can be done. Batteries International spoke to Hywel Jarman, director of communications at the International Lead Association.

Reasons to be positive: the new mission directive Lead acid batteries will have a vital role to play in the energy landscape of the future, but more must be done to communicate their advantages and potential, Hywel Jarman, director of communications at the ILA will tell delegates this September. In a presentation called ‘Telling the Story: the future for lead batteries’, Jarman says he will cover many of the bigger issues affecting the industry and its potential — from climate change to renewable energy to the wider transformation in the energy landscape. He will then look at the role lead batteries can play in this environment — but he will also re-iterate the theme that the industry also has an image problem, which it must work hard to change. “Lead batteries are probably seen as the work horse of the energy world — they have been around for a long time and many industries rely on them heavily. But, in contrast, lithium batteries are often seen as the thoroughbred racehorse in comparison, they are seen as more glamorous,” Jarman says. “But that is because we as an industry have not done enough to highlight the great job and many innovations that have occurred in recent years. So that will also be a big factor in how we fit in to this new landscape in the future.” There are some extraordinary examples of this. For example, the European Commission recently published an action plan on batteries that almost entirely focused on lithium. “The awareness of lead batteries is almost zero in some very important places,” he says. “We need to up our game and communicate our good work to decision makers and policy makers. There are hundreds of examples of good research and innovation that have been done and we need to communicate that. It is not about competing with other tech-

“It is not about competing with other technologies but banging the drum in our own right” Hywel Jarman, International Lead Association nologies but banging the drum in our own right.” In the renewable energy space, for instance, the growth potential is massive and only lithium and lead batteries stand any chance of meeting this demand. “We can do a lot in this space yet many solar energy companies do not see lead batteries as part of that picture — we need to improve the way we communicate with target sectors not familiar with what we can offer.” He describes his presentation as being something of a call to action to the industry, but also one that will recommend more cooperation between different bodies and parts of the industry. Jarman says the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium will play a crucial role in the future but that all industry

12 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

bodies need to play their part in identifying opportunities and communicating the good things the lead acid battery industry is doing. He will also touch on some of the regulatory threats the industry faces. “In Europe, the red tape is growing; in the US, there are also initiatives underway that could harm the lead industry. In some instances, we are being lumped into directives designed to manage chemicals or toxic materials without consideration being given to the wider impact this would have. “We need to be helping regulators join the dots on these things,” Jarman says. Possibly one of the industry’s best kept secrets is its phenomenal success at creating recycling systems, where lead batteries are almost 100% recycled in many countries — an achievement in stark contrast to lithium-ion batteries where recycling is not just necessary but costly. The supply side of lead is far more secure than other chemistries, he says, which often rely on mines in politically unstable countries and also lack the recycling system that lead has. “It is a good story that needs to be broadcast load and clear and more widely. “These are important messages that we must repeat: our recyclability and reliability. We suffer from this image of being the incumbent technology that has not changed or innovated for a long time but that misconception risks the future potential of this industry.” “We might not be the sexiest metal but we are not in the old people’s home just yet. There is a lot of life in this chemistry and we are a cradle to grave metal where every part of our lifecycle stands up to scrutiny. And if we get those messages across we will have a very big role to play in the energy industry going forward.”

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16ELBC: LEAD MARKET OUTLOOK

Picture for lead demand to continue positive near term, prices to drift lower Media enthusiasm for a future dominated by electrical vehicles paints a misleading picture over the place of lead and, in particular, its price. Batteries International spoke to Neil Hawkes, lead analyst at CRU for his views on why the price will rise further before falling by year end. A peak in the price of lead in the early summer will be followed by a slow drift downwards until the end of the year — will be a major theme of the presentation by Neil Hawkes, the lead analyst at CRU, the metals consultancy, Hawkes believes too that the battery industry must be prepared to give other sectors — particularly the automotive one — a reality check. He says that too many in the battery business are getting carried away with the potential of other chemistries to transform the industry and he stresses that lead does and will continue to play a key role for some time. Hawkes says he has sat in many events covering topics such as the electrification of vehicles and has been amazed at how naïve people can be to the reality of how quick things can change. And that’s not forgetting some of the drawbacks of chemistries such as lithium-ion and cobalt. “Often in this talk of the promised land of renewable energy and its storage there is no mention of lead. People get carried away and seem to think all vehicles will become electrified over night,” he says. “They see lead as the loser in this but the point is that the vast majority of vehicles are still conventional and thus use lead batteries. The current step along the vehicle electrification path for most manufacturers is stop start technology anyway, which uses even more lead. “So the picture for lead in the short and medium term is very positive. But all that gets lost in headlines of government targets on electric vehicles, many of which are unrealistic. There are many challenges with that including customer range anxiety and the

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Prices should peak in the second half of 2018, but will then drift lower by the end of the year availability of charging stations. “Meanwhile, there is also a great story for lead in industrial batteries. That said lithium is taking share away from lead here too.” He said such conversations are important because they also inform how demand may pan out and that plays a big part in determining the price of lead. The price of lead has been relatively high during the past 12 months — and Hawkes believes it could reach a new high in the second half of 2018. Demand for lead has remained reasonably robust this year, however, supply has remained tight in some markets, especially in China where some smelters have been closed or ca-

pacity restricted mainly due to an attempt to tackle pollution. “In China, we have seen more and more restraints on smelters as they attempt to deal with pollution. It seems they want the more modern operations to do more and continue but they are targeting the older sites,” he says. “But this has had a bigger impact than anticipated – they have been tougher than people thought they would. And that has tightened availability – they are not running out of lead but it has caused prices to increase in China and the LME has followed suit.” But once pricing peaks in the middle of the year — possibly in the $2,500s per tonne or even breaking $2,600/t, Hawkes believes it will start to dip again. In part, this is because the long spell of high prices has finally filtered through to prompt a number of mines to start to increase production of lead and zinc again. “So after many years, and three years of production falling, the mines are starting to produce more and everyone will be watching to see exactly how much,” he says. “It will be interesting to see how quickly that turns things around but it should certainly ease any nervousness in the market about where the next tonne is coming from and that will filter through to the pricing.” By the time of the ELBC in Vienna in September, he anticipates that pricing will have peaked and that prices will be coming off again: “I can’t see how prices can sustain a rally as mine production rises again but it will be fascinating to see just where they head later this year, particularly during seasonally stronger autumn demand.”

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 13

ELBC: THE HISTORY

The first 30 years are the hardest

From discovering the perils of Polish vodka ... to dining on islands used by James Bond villains ... to uncovering the pleasures and pitfalls of ad hoc Australian choirs (infamous or otherwise), the ELBC has had it all. But mostly it has been at the heart of bringing an industry together, and, as a consequence, resolving some of the toughest scientific and technical questions challenging the lead battery world. The European Lead Battery Conference has had a remarkable and often colourful history — but its importance to the development of lead batteries since the first event in Paris in 1988 cannot be underestimated. It is equally remarkable not just for the way it has created intellectual debate when nothing had existed before but just how affectionately both the pioneers and seasoned attendees speak of the event. Clearly, they also associate the ELBC with forming long and important friendships and they have enjoyed

the social side, which is sometimes quite extraordinary; but they are also quick to praise the technical advancements that have often resulted from the meetings of minds at the event. And these have helped the entire global lead battery community.

Secrecy and paranoia

The ELBC also led the way in terms of helping open a forum where the lead battery industry could talk to each other. The sharing of information and ideas in such an open way has not always been encouraged by the batteries

Before the first ELBC in 1988, it was rare for technical personnel and sometimes senior management in the battery industry to attend conferences. Adversaries from other companies rarely met. Publications were discouraged and even prohibited in some companies.” 14 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

sector — for a long time many companies positively protected their ideas and baulked at the idea of speaking freely on technical issues. Now-retired industry veteran Ken Peters, who is widely credited with helping develop the valve-regulated lead-acid battery, recalls that the ELBC was a pioneering and controversial idea when it first set out to bring senior battery executives together. “Before the first ELBC in 1988, it was rare for technical personnel and sometimes senior management in the battery industry to attend conferences,” he says. “Adversaries from other companies rarely met. Publications were discouraged and even prohibited in some companies.” That said, there were some small battery workshops and symposia that proved exceptions to this attitude, such as those held at meetings of the International Power Sources Symposium (UK), the Electrochemical Society

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ELBC: THE HISTORY (USA) and The Faraday Society. But these were involved in pure research, very academic and rarely attended by engineers, chemists or metallurgists from industry. This mentality was understandable in a sense. At that time, the industry was dominated by a small number of big battery companies including Exide, Varta, JCI, Chloride, GM, Delco, Tungstone, and the Swedish, French and Spanish Tudors. But in reality, the first four of these, with their worldwide subsidiaries, effectively controlled the global lead battery industry. The manufacturers were protective of their work and any research that could give them a competitive advantage. “Their cautious confidentiality was understandable since they all developed, produced and tested new materials — such as alloys, additives, separators — and new manufacturing processes extensively before using them in their products. They were seeking improved, more reliable, performance and durability,” Peters says. Even as the industry started to change and more third-party suppliers emerged, the battery industry retained a suspicion of sharing information and giving away trade secrets. “Only a few years before the first ELBC meeting, independent supplies of separators, additives and alloys became available but most had specifications defined by the battery companies and a restriction on who they could supply,” Peters says. “Consequently, companies were suspicious of conferences and the exchange of technical information.”

A game changer in Asia

The idea of what would eventually become the ELBC was conceived against this backdrop of secrecy by Michael Mayer (see profile on following pages) who, working for the Lead Development Association (LDA) — now the ILA — was maintaining regular communication with the main battery companies through providing information and assistance where possible. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he started organizing half-day informal seminars at the LDA’s offices in Berkeley Square, London, to which he invited representatives from European battery companies. Around 40 to 50 people would attend and discuss a wide range of topics such as dry charging, wrought grids and alloys.

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The famous Australian choir at the Geneva ELBC (far right is guest soloist Prof. John Appleby from Texas A&M)

“Held every few months they were affable and useful without confidentiality being breeched or being contentious,” Peters says. But it took another catalyst for the concept of the ELBC to truly emerge. In August 1986, the first Asian Battery Conference (1ABC) took place in Hong Kong. Industry veteran David Rand says that in May 1985, Jerry McAuliffe, director of the Zinc and Lead Asian Service, and John Manders and Pasminco Metals, invited him to help in setting it up. Some 180 delegates attended the event. The ABC acted as a catalyst for the European event’s formation, with positive feedback and a good response to the seminars prompting the LDA and key industry figures to turn Mayer’s planning into the solid reality of the European Lead Battery Conference. Rand had some years earlier already met Mayer, who was promoting lead batteries at a BCI conference in Munich. He invited Rand to speak at one of the LDA events in London. They also both attended 2ABC in Singapore in August 1987. “It was there that Michael invited me to help him and Ken Peters form the first European Lead Battery Conference (1ELBC),” says Rand. “This

was held in France in September 1988 and some 220 delegates attended.” The three conspirators became lifelong friends and in discussing topics and themes for discussion at ELBCs enjoyed many escapades together, especially when it involved an atmosphere of old ale and steam trains. On the back of the 1ELBC success, an early organizing committee of sorts started meeting to review offers for papers and consider programmes for future meetings. Some of those individuals included Ken Peters, Michael Mayer, Maura McDermott — still the conference organizer today — and industry veteran David Rand. “It was obvious from the number of offers of papers received that there was great interest in discussing common problems and experiences and, moreover, confidentiality could be maintained,” Peters says. “Some meetings later, I can’t remember precisely when, a more formal selection committee was formed to put the programme together.” In those days, the proceedings from such events were published in the Journal of Power Sources and also distributed in book form by Pasminco Metals. This biennial practice, which

The ABC acted as a catalyst for the European event’s formation, with positive feedback and a good response to the seminars prompting the LDA and key industry figures to turn Mayer’s planning into the solid reality of the European Lead Battery Conference. Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 15

ELBC: THE HISTORY continued up to 11ABC in 2005, stopped in 2007 after the journal publisher decided that the papers were not attracting sufficient citations, especially when compared with other battery chemistries. It’s not surprising that many today would advocate a return to the status quo of yesteryear.

Keeping focus despite growth

Since those early and very heady days, the event has grown in terms of its sophistication and number of delegates.

Nevertheless, its technical focus and format in many ways has remained little changed. Demand for papers reached the point that the decision had to be made where necessary to run two sessions in parallel to enable more content and more speakers to participate, while allowing delegates to choose the topics in which they were most interested. “There was no theme as such but similar topics were grouped in the five halfday sessions and holding these in parallel, or having several halls at the same

time, was contentious,” Peters says. “The compromise, which was very successful, was to have two sessions dedicated to the suppliers and equipment manufacturers in parallel with two sessions which mostly covered more basic research and technical work. Both were uniformly well attended.” The initial concerns of the battery manufacturers with respect to confidentiality were eventually allayed as they understood the advantages of such an event — and started to see its

LOGISTICS, VENUES, GUITARS AND SING-SONGS Since the first ELBC in Paris, the event has visited many European cities, developed an exhibition — and a quite special gala dinner — that has gone from strength to strength. Peters credits much of the work in this area to Maura McDermott, the conference organizer through thick and thin. “The numbers of delegates grew and there was great competition and interest in the choice of venue, which was handled by Maura and her team,” Peters says. “Then a highly successful exhibition was organized by Allan Cooper and demand for exhibition space has grown ever since.” McDermott has been fully involved since the second ELBC in Brussels in 1990. She undertakes all the administration on the event: coordinating speakers, exhibitors — and making that tough decision each year as to where to host the event. McDermott admits that her greatest challenge every year is finding a suitable venue to host the event. While it is too small for some of the bespoke exhibition centres around Europe, designed to host thousands of delegates, it is too large for many hotels. “And we like to have a certain layout, with everything on one level,” she says. She estimates that whereas the first event in Paris attracted around 200 attendees, Brussels increased this to around 220. To put this number in context, the 16ELBC in Vienna in September 2018 is expected to set a new record with more than 750 delegates expected to register and McDermott says the numbers could even exceed 800 with last-minute guests. An important development for the ELBC was the addition of an exhibition, which has also enjoyed strong growth. She says that from around 19 booths in its first year the event has now reached more than 100 exhibitors. “In the early days it was very academic in its focus; while much of the content still is, one of the big changes has been the exhibition we now do and that has meant a lot more networking and face-to-face time for people,” she says. As more exhibitors and suppliers attended, many started hosting their own dinners and entertainment external to the event itself. With the increasing attendance, the supply companies sought local castles, palaces or well known local hostelries to entertain their customers.

16 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

“It is a case of just going to see what is available in different cities in Europe. We would get lost in a venue that is too spacious,” says McDermott. “And, of course when we do find a venue, getting the right dates can be difficult. We book two to three years in advance, but even then it can be difficult to get the dates we want.” The conference did originally experiment with putting on activities for the spouses and partners of delegates — city tours and other social activities. But these were scrapped after it became apparent these individuals preferred to organize themselves. “We did a few in the early days but there was not much take up and it became apparent that a lot of the ladies who were attending already knew each other and preferred to organize themselves,” she says. “They were used to seeing each other at events and so would be quite happy catching up and organizing themselves.” The gala dinner McDermott is also responsible for what is arguably the highlight of the event — the closing dinner of the ELBC, which has only gained in status in the eyes of delegates over the years. She admits there is pressure to ensure this gala night is delivered to a high standard every year and that everyone enjoys it — and, of course, it is delivered within budget. “This event has very much changed over the years but

Deafening applause greets ILA ladies after singing “(Seven Little Girls) Sitting in the Back Seat”

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ELBC: THE HISTORY increasing popularity globally. The event pioneered the way for similar conferences launched later, perhaps the most notable being the creation of LABAT in Bulgaria and the start of other conferences in India and China.

Must-attend events

But the increasing attendance and willingness to present some details of their work demonstrated their popularity and opportunity for discussing common problems without revealing

confidential details. ABC became an instant must-attend event, ELBC followed in its footsteps. “Programmes tended to follow industry changes and trends. Delegates welcomed the opportunity to hear about other people’s problems and successes and, hopefully, came away with helpful ideas for their work,” says Peters. “In this respect the concept of ABC and ELBC and the following successful series was new and created a template for industry conferences worldwide.”

Organizing team hard at work

we work with local companies to see what is possible. But they always seem to go well and people seem to enjoy them regardless,” she says. The gala dinner has become a focal point of the event, but it has changed drastically in its nature; in its early days, delegates were often persuaded to perform — something that Peters says he does not miss! “The highlight of the week was the conference dinner when everybody let their hair down,” says Peters. “For some years it was common practice for teams from countries to take part in a sing-song on the stage but these became repetitive and tedious and from about 5ELBC, professional entertainers were engaged to perform a cabaret.” One group made an impression for many years, often dressing up in ‘Australian national dress’ — a cowboy hat with dangling bottle corks to ward off the flies — to lead a sing-song. It was a difficult act to do as in reality only one of them was Australian. “One year,” he recalls, “the wives of the ELBC organizing team got involved with a group of them singing the ‘(Seven Little Girls) Sitting in the Back Seat’ with accompaniment.” Geoffrey May, director of FOCUS Consulting, says the social events of ELBC have always been memorable — and some especially so. “In Istanbul we had a dinner on the James Bond island and sang the ‘Wheels on the Bus’ on the boat back to the mainland to the

puzzlement of many non-English delegates,” May says. “In Edinburgh the Programme Committee all wore kilts, which was a spectacle — especially Boris Monahov in a kilt!” One Edinburgh delegate said: “Dave Prengaman, Mark Stevenson and Ralf Beckers looked even better in their kilts! Mark claimed he had Scottish roots — presumably his family had been deported from there a century beforehand — and I guess Dave and Ralf just liked the look of the check pattern.”

ELBC organizers and friends in Edinburgh. Far right, Ken Peters, two to his left David Rand, centre Mike Mayer

A memorable night dining under the stars in the grounds of the Verdala Palace at 15ELBC in Malta

www.batteriesinternational.com

Moderation in excess And there have been times that, despite the efforts of the organizers, the events of the gala dinner have gone too far. One industry speaker recalls how events took an unfortunate turn after the gala dinner at Warsaw. “The other tables had left and then suddenly the waiters brought out enough vodka shots for all the delegates … but there were barely 40 remaining. “The result was mayhem an hour later,” he says. “But it was all good in the end. Friendships can be forged in the most ridiculous circumstances!” Another recalled a memorable night at the closing evening of 15ELBC in Malta. “It was magical. Dining outside at night. Stars above and opera singers wandering among the tables belting out the most amazing songs. It was unforgettable.”

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 17

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ELBC: THE HISTORY But these conferences were more than just a template for others. They became a hugely useful forum for the entire industry. Neil Hawkes, lead analyst at CRU, the commodity analysis firm, has attended ELBC for some 20 years — he went to the first one in 1996. He says he likes the consistency the event has maintained in terms of its structure and the real value for him is securing face-to-face time with a high number of senior executives in a short space of time. “The conference hasn’t really changed in terms of its ethos and structure,” he says. “The format usually has people like me on the first morning presenting on the market more generally — the big themes of the moment — and then it goes to much more technical content after that. “But it has grown into a huge event using that formula and has become more formal by necessity as a result. In the early days, it was a more relaxed atmosphere with fewer people, now I sometimes feel like I am speed dating with the meetings there! “But the real value has always been meeting the lead producers that go there. I find it a very friendly conference from that perspective. It is very sociable compared with comparable conferences I attend.” Geoffrey May, director of FOCUS Consulting, who has only missed a couple of events since the start, says the conference’s commitment to staying true to its roots has stood it in good stead. Now, with its steady growth over the years both in numbers and stature, May believes ELBC is an unmissable event. “In an era where conferences are produced rather like stage shows and marketed to the audience to attract

The first ABC and later ELBC events pioneered the way for similar conferences launched later, perhaps the most notable being the creation of LABAT in Bulgaria and the start of other conferences in India and China. www.batteriesinternational.com

delegates and exhibitors, ELBC is organized on more traditional lines with a call for papers and only the keynote speakers are invited by the organizing committee,” he says. “The call for papers brings in a large number of offers of papers and the

Technical Programme Committee has to sift through the offers. New research is given a high priority and the quality of the work, the reputation of the authors and the relevance to current issues is important in selecting the papers.”

SOLVING THE PCL PROBLEM

Some of the various Alpha-Beta members in Berlin at 9ELBC

The ELBC — or at least some of its founders and attendees — also played a pivotal role in solving one of the industry’s great challenges. At the first LABAT Conference in June 1989, Ernst Voss (Varta) and David Rand founded the AlphaBeta PbO2 Society. The object: ‘for lead battery scientists to collaborate in grappling with the ever-emerging demands that new applications place upon the science of lead batteries’. To this day, the members often meet for dinner parties at ELBC, ABC and LABAT meetings. In the 1990s, it had become clear that premature capacity loss (PCL), whereby the life of a lead battery is drastically shortened under deep cycling, was becoming a major concern for the lead battery industry and was holding back its growth. The issue proved more prevalent in designs that used grids made from antimony-free or lead-calcium alloys to reduce water loss. Moreover, it was independent of plate design or how the paste was applied. The problem occurred with both flooded batteries and then with

the new wave of VRLA technology developed in the early 1980s. Recognizing the seriousness of PCL, a number of key industry figures, all heavily associated with the ELBC and predominantly members of the Alpha-Beta Society, including Kathryn Bullock, Ian Dyson, Frank Fleming, Herbert Geiss, Michael Mayer, Eberhard Meissner, Pat Moseley, Bob Nelson, Ken Peters, David Prengaman and David Rand, formed a study group to attempt to solve this challenge. Prompted by this action the ALABC instituted the World Study Group into Premature Capacity Loss of LeadAcid Batteries in 1993, chaired by Rand. Solving the problem was no easy task, it took many years and involved many individuals but it is now widely acknowledged that the work of the ALABC and the uninhibited ad hoc discussions at ELBC gatherings were key factors in ultimately solving this puzzle. “The final piece of the puzzle was ‘compression’. This parameter was pointed out by Alpha-Beta Society member Paul [Rüetschi] and gave us ways to defeat PCL,” Rand said.

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 19

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MICHAEL MAYER, 1934-2016 On the 30-year anniversary of the ELBC conferences we remember the life of Michael Mayer — its founder — who spent a lifetime in and around the lead battery business. His belief that the industry should behave as an intelligent, supportive community lives with us today through the legacy of his creation: the European Lead Battery Conference.

Remembering Michael Mayer: founding figure behind ELBC Michael Mayer — known to almost three generations of lead battery veterans — died suddenly in the early morning of Tuesday November 1. He was 82. Although he had attended the previous ELBC in Edinburgh he was unable to attend 15ELBC in Malta. He had worked for the lead acid battery industry for most of his life spending much of his early career with Johnson Controls working in the US and abroad, and later with the Lead Development Association. Michael is best remembered as the inspiration behind the creation of the European Lead Battery Conference (ELBC) in 1988. What was reckoned as a slightly improbable venture for the Lead Development Association — he joined in 1979 — turned out to become one of the most successful and useful lead battery conferences in the world. Michael was born at Herne Bay in Kent on July 5, 1934, to Stella and Cornelius Mayer. The two were an unusual combination. His mother Stella was a mix of Scottish and English while Cornelius, an American national, had an unusual ancestry, including Japanese and had spent years of his life abroad. They were later blamed as the source of the travel gene in the family. Michael’s childhood was spent between Kent and the north-east US where his father worked for Globe Union (later to become Johnson Controls). He went to school at King’s College Canterbury in the UK and then took a degree in Mathematics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania — a highly unusual step for a young man in the early 1950s. He graduated in 1955 and for a little while afterwards also taught at the college. It was in the US where he developed

Michael had a life-long passion for the sea and sailing

his lifelong interest in sailing — as an undergraduate he sailed down to Grand Cayman and Jamaica — together with a passion for flying. Although many in the industry will remember his love of sailing and steam engines, few knew he held a qualified pilot’s licence and for many years was an inveterate flyer. One of his earliest jobs was working at Alcan in Canada. It was there, in Montreal, in 1959 that he met his wife, Cameilia — but always best known as Kim. They were to be together until her death in 2014. They returned to the UK, where he worked for Urwick Orr, a management consultancy firm and married shortly afterwards. Children followed promptly. Kirk was born in 1962 and then his daughters, Sian in 1964 and Juno two years after that. The names are unusual as Michael and Kim decided that their children would have four letter names that

“You couldn’t have met a more genuine or amiable person to be with — whether you were talking about science, steam trains, mobility scooters or just life” www.batteriesinternational.com

could not be abbreviated. Their plan was thwarted — as soon as Sian went to school she was called Si. Michael was a passionate family man and held an unwavering dedication to everything to do with his children. Later on his love of sailing and his family came together with the ownership of three successive yachts, he named them Kiano 1, 2, 3 — the boat names being a jumble of his children’s names. In 1971 Michael went to help his father who was the head of Globe Union’s satellite office in the UK — which served the company’s business in Europe. This was a tiny operation by today’s standards but then a reflection of the commercial and professional isolation that characterized the lead acid battery business. Michael had responsibility for battery technology and equipment sales. When Globe was absorbed by Johnson Controls in 1978, he became marketing manager for Europe and Asia. During this time with Globe Union and Johnson he lived in Milwaukee. But it was at Globe Union that Michael also first started to travel extensively in eastern and central Europe. “It was the beginning of his much larger mission — and one that he probably wouldn’t have acknowledged as a mission — to bring the battery community together,” says a friend. The turning point for his professional life — and effectively that of the battery industry he supported — was his decision to return to the UK and take up a full-time job with the Lead Development Association (now the International Lead Association, ILA). His job was to head up the lead battery side of the association’s initiatives and activities. “He was an ideas man through and through,” says David Wilson, the former head of the ILA. “And some of his ideas proved to be gems. It’s people with ideas that drive things forward. A good example of this was the way he created the ELBC and spent time in ensuring

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 21

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MICHAEL MAYER, 1934-2016 that the subjects that needed to be addressed by the industry were on the programme.” One of Michael’s earlier initiatives to publicise the LDA was the creation of a seminar programme identifying key issues that affected the then huge lead battery business that existed in the UK. The history of the ELBC is a curious one. It was as much Michael’s initiative to develop these seminar programmes and put them on an international stage as realising the potential already being tapped by the Asian Battery Conference which held its first meetings in 1985. It was the right idea at the right time. The late 1980s were difficult ones for the battery industry to feel happy about discussing their proprietary methods. Ken Peters, VRLA pioneer and then a senior figure in Chloride, recalls: “until 30 to 40 years ago most lead acid battery makers — and there were many in business around that period — used their own in-house technology for processing procedures. Everything from paste mix, to density to formation conditions, they developed or set their own specifications for components such as alloys, additives or separators. “The result was considerable secrecy about the various technologies. It was all rather silly because there was considerable commonality for the major products, mostly due to the interchange of technicians and engineers between companies, but there were few battery conferences or seminars at that time.” This is where Michael first made his mark given that, at that time, companies weren’t even keen to allow employees attend industry meetings. But the need was there. With Peters’ assistance — and friendship; the dedicated administrative enthusiasm of the LDA’s newly joined Maura McDermott; and Michael the three used to meet up off the motorway at Stratford-upon-Avon. It was half way between Chloride’s headquarters for Peters in Manchester and those of the LDA in Berkeley Square in London. Given the success of the seminars — and the industry need — Michael’s next step was to formulate the idea of a conference that would reach across Europe in a similar fashion. Michael, working with David Rand, a foremost battery electrochemist and eventually to become a lifelong friend, drew up a programme with Peters that looked at the nitty-gritty of what the industry needed. The result was the first ELBC meetings in Paris in 1988. They proved to be an immediate suc-

www.batteriesinternational.com

“He was energetic, sociable, charismatic. A family man, a good friend and one who enthused others with his own energy” cess. “By introducing sessions and debates which dealt specifically with manufacturing aspects of lead acid batteries (such as tools, machinery, equipment and the like) the range of interest was extended beyond those offered by the traditional technical meeting and it satisfied the demand for information in these areas,” said a colleague after the event. Another contemporary said: “Michael deserves all the credit for bringing the whole industry together in ways that had never happened before. His enthusiastic diplomacy won us all over and by the time of the third or fourth ELBC the meetings had been set in stone as mustattend events.” ELBC was only part of Michael’s remit. While working at the LDA/ILA he played a key role in breaking ground for newcomers to join the international lead community. He travelled extensively. His contribution was particularly noticeable in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of eastern and central Europe. “It started in the 1970s when the Cold War was still raging,” said a colleague. “It was difficult for those on the other side of the Iron Curtain, as it was called at the time, to come across to the West and talk about their business and it was largely credit to Michael that so many of the industry found introductions here. “And of course the ELBC meetings, coming as they did with the opening up of Russia and eastern Europe, had a huge influence in bringing the industry together.” Although Michael tried to retire around his 70th birthday, he remained active until the end in his involvement with ELBC. This year’s meeting in Malta was the first he missed. Michael received the International Lead Association award at the Edinburgh 2014 ELBC meeting for a lifetime’s services to the industry. Speaking to Batteries International that summer, he said: “I’ve been profoundly grateful to this industry for all that it has given me — it’s been more than a way of earning money, it’s been about forging long and deep friendships with people from around the world.” “It’s been also about trying to get the best out of batteries and the best they can do for all of us ... but mostly it’s the

friendships.” “Michael got on with everybody,” says David Wilson, “ he was personable and the life and soul of the party. It may sound like hyperbole but he probably knew more people in the lead acid battery business than anybody else in the world.” Michael is also fondly remembered as the co-founder of The Electric Boat Association. A seminar on electric boats that he gave for the LDA in 1981 turned into the association the following year. Ironically Michael never owned an electric boat and was passionate about sailing. Michael, the man, was a complex and highly likeable individual. “He was energetic, sociable, charismatic,” says Laurie Gardiner, chairman of TBS who knew him from the 1980s. “A family man, a good friend and one who enthused others with his own energy.” Similar tributes have come from all over the world. “You couldn’t have met a more genuine or amiable person to be with — whether you were talking about science, steam trains, mobility scooters or just life,” says David Rand, the former head of battery research at CSIRO. In his last years and with increasing immobility he spent a great deal of time — like the great Batteryman he was — looking at a multitude of ways that would extend the range of his electric buggie. “His buggies reached as far as Sainsbury’s and back but he wanted to get it as far as Waitrose, which he thought was a far better supermarket,” says one of his daughters. “It’d also put him in reach of a train station and that would fill his head with ideas of escape!” Michael Mayer was a one-off. A man of intelligence, ability and charm and also a figure that helped shape communications in the modern battery landscape. He is sorely missed. n

“The ELBC meetings, coming as they did with the opening up of Russia and eastern Europe, had a huge influence in bringing the industry together”

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 23

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16 ELBC CONFERENCE AND

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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

Founded in 1930, Hammond Group, Inc. (HGI) is a battery additives/oxides and specialty chemical company that is advancing hybrid automotive and renewable energy markets through proprietary battery chemistry. HGI supports these emerging markets with two US manufacturing operations in Hammond, IN and another in Pottstown, PA. HGI also has International operations in Gateshead, England; and another in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Be sure to stop by our booth and talk with our specialists about how HGI can help your company overcome technical challenges. We offer technical assistance programs which allow our customers to utilize our experts to augment their research efforts, reduce capital expenditure and fixed costs, and rapidly develop new products. Contact details: www.hmndgroup.com Email: customerservice@hmndgroup.com Tel: +1 219 931 9360

26 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

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

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16 ELBC FLOORPLAN

EXHIBITION LAYOUT

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ABERTAX Technologies Ltd. was set up to research, design and produce innovative products. It started its operation by assisting bfs (Batterie Füllungs Systeme GmbH). Today we have a number of innovative patented products for use with the: • Battery Monitoring System (BMS, e2BMS) • Capacitive Level Sensors (CLS) • Gas Release Valves (GRS) • Magnetic Water Valve (MV) • Intelligent Battery (IB) All products are primarily aimed for use within the battery environment. Further in our range we offer Magnetic Valves (MV) for industrial cleaning machines and for Roof Tanks / Water Storage Tanks. Research and Development is an ongoing process with a team of electrical, electronic and chemical engineers with more than 25 years of experience in battery technology. Teamwork and collaboration ensures we deliver customer satisfaction which is the basis for our success. Contact details: Abertax Technologies Ltd. KW17A, Corradino Industrial Estate PLA3000, Paola, Malta TeL:: +356 23 678100 Fax: +356 21 808

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For more than 30 years, ENTEK has been an innovator and leading global designer and producer of microporous battery separators for leadacid and lithium batteries. Our separators are used in lead-acid batteries for automobiles, golf carts and industrial applications, lithium-ion rechargeable and disposable lithium batteries. We are a trusted supplier to leading battery makers in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, and headquartered in Lebanon, Oregon USA, with facilities in the United Kingdom and a joint partnership in Indonesia. ENTEK was founded on the principle of being ‘the best supplier to our customers and the best customer to our suppliers’ and our focus on customer service has been key to our success. Our capacity, technical field support, quality systems, logistics teams and local warehousing ensure our customers enjoy on-time and in-full reliability of supply. We continuously invest to grow with our customers and offer the product customization our customers rely on for their success. Contact details: Web: http://entek.com Tel: +1 541 259 3901 Email: cbeutelschies@entek.com

International Thermal systems is an industry leader in curing and drying lead acid battery equipment. Our HydroCure™ Humidity Drying Chamber and FlashMaid™ Plate Dryer both have proprietary technology that deliver drying and curing performance that is unmatched. Have a high ambient but need a low temp cure? Stop by our stand #22 to learn how we are using chillers in the curing process. ITS is the only manufacturer that designs and sells self-cleaning flash dryers. ITS International Thermal Systems drying chambers and plate dryers are recognized in the battery industry as the leader in reliability and innovative design. Our engineers will design a custom machine specific to the application guaranteeing peak performance upon startup. Our Aftermarket Parts & Services department is available for preventative maintenance and replacement parts. Experience the Best from ITS! Visit our website at internationalthermalsystems.com. Contact details: Matthew Zea Matthew.Zea@itsllcusa.com 414.672.7700 Internationalthermalsystems.com

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 27

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN

16 ELBC CONFERENCE AND

Inbatec Booth: 45

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Booth: 25/26

The Inbatec Modules – We form your batteries Inbatec is the world leader in formation systems with acid recirculation technology with more than 350 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 cell-to-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-by-step 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.: +49 (0)2331 39650-0 Fax: +49 (0)2331 39650-29 E-Mail: info@inbatec.de Web: www.inbatec.de

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

30 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

Since 1981 bfs focuses on the development and production of automatic water refilling systems for industrial batteries. Based on the patented bfs-plug, its functionality and flexibility characteristics make it inimitable. Constant quality at high quantities is the base for the world-wide success of bfs. With an unmatched product variety, bfs offers series products in top quality for the entire battery industry. Over 37 years, bfs has established itself as the worldwide market leader. Today, more than 11 million plugs are produced and sold on a yearly basis. bfs presents the new standard push-in plug IV together with 7 lengths of float housings which translates all experiences from the field in the past years. Contact details: Phone: +49 8131 3640-0 Web: www.bfsgmbh.de E-mail: info@bfsgmbh.de

www.batteriesinternational.com

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN

EXHIBITION LAYOUT

Eagle

OMI Impianti

Booth: 21

Booth: 70/71 Raise your performance with OMI-NBE Formation & Finishing Equipment!

AUTOMATION - OXIDE PRODUCTION - MATERIAL HANDLING - SERVICE EAGLE, a global leader in the design and manufacture of production and automation equipment. With over 25 years of experience working with battery manufacturers, material handling and oxide production systems, Eagle has the expertise to meet your battery production needs. We are the lead oxide experts! From barton to ball mill systems, red lead and litharge furnaces, melt pots, ingot conveyors, pneumatic transfer systems, and integrated controls, to automated assembly cells, palletizers, and material handling systems, Eagle is your equipment and service team provider. Competition in energy storage continues to increase. The ability to produce batteries with higher performance, at lower cost, and with lower environmental impact is a constant challenge. Eagle’s knowledge of lead oxides and manufacturing automation makes Eagle the strategic business partner you need in this competitive market!

OMI-NBE work in the field of engineering and technologies for the production and charge of different type of batteries (AUTOMOTIVE, INDUSTRIAL, FLOODED or AGM & VRLA), proposing partial or complete solutions, which satisfy the customer’s requests drawing to a consolidated and innovative know-how. From the smallest equipment to a complete project for a new plant for the battery charging, we are able to study and supply to you with the best solution for your requirements thanks to our technical knowledge and experience, following your indications if you have any preference about the process, or giving you different choices based on our wide offer. We can take care of your batteries coming from the assembly, starting from the acid and water preparation, forming them with our water cooling systems or with the acid recirculation formation system, test and prepare your high quality batteries for the shipment to your final client and user.

Our solutions for the battery business: • ACID RECIRCULATION FORMATION, fast formation for all your flooded batteries, plus many more advantages thanks to the integrated processes, and up to 20% saving on energy consumption. • ADVANCED WATER BATH FORMATION, with batteries handling through free rollers, motorized conveyor belts, or with our exclusive TRAY SYSTEM, from fully automatic system to manual system. • FILLING PROCESS FOR FLOODED & AGM BATTERIES: Filling, levelling or recirculation stations, for car and truck batteries, for industrial cells, and for AGM & VRLA batteries. • FINISHING & DISPATCHING EQUIPMENT: dumping stations, washing and drying tunnel, poles brushing, HRD and dielectric test stations, and many more. • ACID PREPARATION, STORAGE AND RECOVERY: automatic and flexible systems, with continuous or batch preparation, based on your preference. Contact details: Email: info@omi-nbe.com Web: www.omi-nbe.com Tel. & Fax: +39 0363 901 9811

Contact details: Web: www.eagleoxide.com Email: sales@eagleoxide.com See Us at Booth 21

www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 31

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN

16 ELBC CONFERENCE AND

Penox

Farmer Mold

Daramic

Booth: 28/36

Booth: 77

Booth: 67

PENOX Group: manufacturer of full range of Pb oxides, dedicated to lead-acid batteries & supplier of engineering services. Partnering with all major automotive and industrial battery companies covering standard SLI, AGM and EFB applications as well as industrial battery systems for traction, UPS, solar and other energy storage systems. Innovation: PENOX new product development centre in Germany in operation with a number of new advanced functional additives for energy storage systems under development. PENOX has invested in additional technical personnel extending its competence to the industrial battery segment and intensifies co-operation with independent institutes and universities. Battery Additives: optimisation PAM/NAM for EFB and AGM batteries, our team will explain the advantages of using TBLS+ in combination with expander mix PE-110HCA for improved porosity. Please attend to Ian Klein’s presentation about the latest results at the Supplier Forum at 16ELBC in Vienna and visit PENOX at booths 28+36! Contact details: Thorsten Peters Global Sales Director tpeters@penoxgroup.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-the-line 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

34 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

Daramic is the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of battery separators for automotive, industrial and specialty lead-acid applications. As the inventor of polyethylene separator, Daramic has led the way in developing innovative technology for the global leadacid battery industry nearly 90 years • Innovation: Our scientists and engineers continue to break new ground in the development of advanced separator technology. Our 3 global innovation centers in Owensboro, US; Sélestat, France and Bangalore, India are dedicated to innovation to meet ever-changing industry needs • Local Supply From A Global Perspective: 10 Manufacturing facilities and 7 Sales offices located in 8 different countries provide local service from a global perspective • Reliability: State-of-the-art processes and manufacturing equipment deliver consistent, reliable product quality • Full Automotive Solutions: Leverage the innovation synergy from its sister companies, the world’s largest li-ion battery separator makers, that position us to provide full solutions for automotive battery applications from basic SLI to Start-Stop to Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Contact details: Website: www.daramic.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN

EXHIBITION LAYOUT

Batek Makina Booth: 52/53

Accumalux

WANTED

Booth: 84

ACCUMALUX is a Luxembourgish company founded in 1976, specialized in plastic injection molding solutions for the battery industry. The company produces boxes, lids and accessories for SLI, traction and standby batteries. Our area of expertise covers the development and production of battery sets using a variety of plastic materials, but also the design and construction of molds for the automotive and other technical industries. With customer satisfaction at the heart of its concerns, ACCUMALUX strives for continuous innovation, development of new solutions and valueadding activities. With its largely automated production facilities in Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Russia, the ACCUMALUX Group supplies its high quality products to the major battery manufacturers throughout the world. We look forward to meeting you at the 17ABC to present our last innovative solutions, such as OPzS battery sets with clip system, MFL lids and heavy duty boxes with new flexible ribs.

AN OLD TECK COMICO, ROCHE, SOVEMA EXPANDER LINE. ALSO REQUIRED OLD BATTERY MFG EQUIPMENTS: CHARGERS, PASTERS, CASTERS ETC PLEASE EMAIL:

battery2018s@gmail.com

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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

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Lead squares up to lithium for large scale energy storage

New uses for an established chemistry

Ones to watch: the up-and-coming heroes of grid storage Spread the word — the ABC message on the lithium menace

Spring 2015

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West African Black Rhinoceros

Diceros Bicornis Longipes

Contact details: ACCUMALUX S.A. B.P. 2153, L-1021 Luxembourg Tel: +352 36 70 62 Email: sales@accumalux.com Website: www.accumalux.com

Batek designs and manufactures machinery for both the plate making and assembly departments of lead acid battery plants. Precision engineering is combined with experienced workmanship to build state of the art machinery to serve the battery industry. The production premises of the company are located in Istanbul, and contains all rudimentary advanced CNC manufacturing machineries and tools. Batek’s founders, who had been working for the battery manufacturing equipment industry for more than two decades, set up the company in 2002. Design, manufacturing, servicing and logistics are all carried out in this expanded plant. In all there are 50 skilled and motivated staff are putting their utmost effort to ensure best quality and servicing for our valuable customers. Batek runs a sophisticated ERP system to ensure consistency in quality for all parts of the company’s business activities. We offer enveloping and stacking machines, cast-on-strap machines, assembly lines, container hole punchers. Besides this we offer, cast-grid plate making equipment, parting and brushing machines, acid fillers, battery palletizers, container depalletizers and custom machinery and automation systems. Tens of battery manufacturers around the world have already experienced the BATEK quality. We are proud to be part of the achievements of our customers.

Liquid power The next generation of flow batteries is starting to emerge

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Contact details: Yunus Emre Mah. Iskenderpasa Cad. No: 21 Sancaktepe, Istanbul Turkey Tel: + 90216 484 80 44 (43,42,41) Fax: +90216 484 80 35 Email: batek@batekeng.com www.batekeng.com

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 35

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN KEY — BY COMPANY NAME Company Ditec Engineering – La Pneumatica, Ferrazza and Degani

Site No.

Imerys Graphite & Carbon

Inbatec 45

ATI 106

ITS 22

Abertax 79

Jiangsu CEMT Energy Equipment

Jiangsu Dongshun New Energy Technology

Accumation 82

JiangSu JinFan Power Technology

Accurate Products

Jiangsu Sanhuan Industry & Commerce

Addenda Corporation

Källström 39

Akumsan Plastik

54/55

Kobratec 10

Alfa Kutu Ve Plastik San Tic

95/99

Kraft Powercon

Accuma 60/61 Accumalux Group

Alpha Passoni

AlphaBeta 12a

Ateliers Roche Atomized Products Group Batek Makina Bernard Dumas Better (Xiamen) Power Technology Co

Manika Moulds

MB Papers/Terranova Papers

Mecondor 51

52/53

Microporous 41

68 3

BFS 25/26 Biasin Srl Black Diamond Structures BM Rosendahl Borregaard Lignotech Cabot Corporation

98 101 40 107 85

CAM 11a Changxing Jinrun Dazheng Machinery

Chem Resist Group

CMWTEC 102/103 Co-efficient Precision Engineering

Kustan 91 MAC Engineering

AMER-SIL 30 Associated ElectroChemicals

18a

Moojin Service

58/59

MSS Products

MTH 38 O M Impianti

O M Impianti and EBC Korea

Oak Press Solutions Officina Meccanica Romanese Orion Engineered Carbons Owens Corning

15 16a 34 59b

Penox Group

28/36

Penox Group

36/28

Continuus-Properzi 104

Pinco — Switzerland

Converted Products Incorporated

Pyrotek

Daramic

Shandong Jinkeli Power Sources Technology

Digatron Power Electronics

Shandong Province Shenxian Industrial

Dross Engineering

Eagle Oxide

EBC Korea and OM Impianti

ECOBAT Technologies Ltd

Shandong Xinxu Group Sinoma Science & Technology Sistem Makina

2 1a 59c 62 50 105 18

Eirich 59a

Sorfin 14

EnerG2 78

Sovema and Bitrode

5 and 6

Engitec 20

TBS

8 and 9

Entek 86/87

TianChang YongChang Fiberglass Products

Top Duration the Proof Technology

EROZ Environ Engineer

Farmer Mold & Machine Works

Water Gremlin

100

Frötek-Kunststofftechnik 90

Wegmann Automotive

77a

GBT Group

FRIMAX 97 17

Wirtz Manufacturing

24/32

Glatfelter 81

Wirtz Manufacturing

32/24

Golden Sunlight Power

Xiangyang Lham Precision Tech

Goonvean Fibres

Yingkou Zhongjie Shida Separator

H&V EMEA

Yucry Traffic Appliances

HADI Offermann Maschinenbau Hagemann Systems

65/66 43

Zesar 74

Hammond 11

Zhejiang Hongda Special Rubber Products

Huang Yan Giant Star Mould Factory

Zibo Jinxin Polyester Gauntlet Factory

ICS – Industrie Composizione Stampati Srl – SERI Group

www.batteriesinternational.com

93 10a

14a

Zunsion

56 4 92

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 37

The largest global gathering of lead battery experts in 2018 Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Centre, Vienna

16th European Lead Battery Conference & Exhibition Vienna, 4-7 September 2018

800+ 100+ 50+ 50+ delegates

exhibitors

speakers

countries

Registration is now open! Pre-Conference Workshop

Do Current Standards and Test Methods for Lead–Acid Batteries Properly Reﬂect Micro-Hybrid Automotive Duty? Tuesday 4 September 2018, 14.00 – 17.00

OUR GOLD SPONSOR

OUR SILVER SPONSORS

OUR BRONZE SPONSORS

Further information

Maura McDermott, International Lead Association, Bravington House, 2 Bravingtons Walk, London N1 9AF United Kingdom

+44 (0) 20 7833 8090 +44 (0) 20 7833 1611 16elbc@ila-lead.org www.ila-lead.org/16elbc

16 ELBC FLOORPLAN KEY — BY BOOTH NUMBER 1

Ditec Engineering – La Pneumatica, Ferrazza and Degani

Zhejiang Hongda Special Rubber Products

Pyrotek

Jiangsu CEMT Energy Equipment

1a 2

Pinco — Switzerland

Better (Xiamen) Power Technology Co

Zibo Jinxin Polyester Gauntlet Factory

5 and 6

Sovema and Bitrode

Co-efficient Precision Engineering

8 and 9

TBS

58/59

Moojin Service

59a Eirich 59b

Owens Corning

59c

Shandong Jinkeli Power Sources Technology

60/61 Accuma

10 Kobratec

Shandong Province Shenxian Industrial

10a

TianChang YongChang Fiberglass Products

ICS – Industrie Composizione Stampati Srl – SERI Group

11 Hammond 11a CAM 12

H&V EMEA

12a AlphaBeta

Ateliers Roche

65/66

HADI Offermann Maschinenbau

67 Daramic

MAC Engineering

Bernard Dumas

14 Sorfin

Addenda Corporation

14a

Xiangyang Lham Precision Tech

O M Impianti

Oak Press Solutions

O M Impianti and EBC Korea

EBC Korea and OM Impianti

Atomized Products Group

15 16

Yucry Traffic Appliances

16a

Officina Meccanica Romanese

GBT Group

Sistem Makina

74 Zesar

Jiangsu Sanhuan Industry & Commerce

Goonvean Fibres

Top Duration the Proof Technology

Converted Products Incorporated

20 Engitec

Farmer Mold & Machine Works

77a

18a 19

Eagle Oxide

22 ITS 23

Accurate Products

24/32

Wirtz Manufacturing

25/26 BFS 27 28/36 29

Wegmann Automotive

78 EnerG2 79 Abertax 80

EROZ Environ Engineer

MB Papers/Terranova Papers

81 Glatfelter

Penox Group

82 Accumation

Jiangsu Dongshun New Energy Technology

Dross Engineering

30 AMER-SIL

Accumalux Group

Cabot Corporation

31 32/24

Wirtz Manufacturing

86/87 Entek

Alpha Passoni

Orion Engineered Carbons

Yingkou Zhongjie Shida Separator

Changxing Jinrun Dazheng Machinery

Chem Resist Group

36/28 37

Penox Group

90 Frötek-Kunststofftechnik

Golden Sunlight Power

91 Kustan

38 MTH 39 Källström 40

BM Rosendahl

41 Microporous 42

Associated ElectroChemicals

Hagemann Systems

Digatron Power Electronics

Zunsion

Huang Yan Giant Star Mould Factory

Kraft Powercon

95/99

Alfa Kutu Ve Plastik San Tic 96

Manika Moulds 97 FRIMAX

45 Inbatec

Imerys Graphite & Carbon

100

Water Gremlin

MSS Products

101

Black Diamond Structures

ECOBAT Technologies Ltd

JiangSu JinFan Power Technology

Shandong Xinxu Group

51 Mecondor 52/53

Batek Makina

54/55

Akumsan Plastik

www.batteriesinternational.com

Biasin Srl

102/103 CMWTEC 104 Continuus-Properzi 105

Sinoma Science & Technology

106 ATI 107

Borregaard Lignotech

Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018 • 39

16 ELBC: THE GREATS OF LEAD ACID

Voss: discoverer of α-Pb02 Ernst Voss who died in 2004 had a long and distinguished history in the lead battery business and a close association with ELBC and was part of the Alpha-Beta Society team that resolved the premature capacity loss problem that plagued the industry in the early 1990s. Ernst Voss was born on August 29, 1923, in Nortorf in the state of Holstein in Germany. Like many of his generation his life was disrupted by the Second World War — he was drafted into the army in 1942 and taken prisoner in 1944, and detained in the US until the Armistice. Unable to study chemistry at Hamburg University — all the places were occupied in 1946 — he obtained a free chemistry university place with studies in classical philology at Hamburg University. But he started studying chemistry full time in 1948 and finished in 1953 with the Diplom-Chemiker degree. In 1955 he was awarded a doctorate from the same university. His doctoral thesis, devoted to structures of hexafluorometallalates, was inspired by the lectures of professor Hans Heinrich Bode. As with David Rand, who had a mentor in John Agar, it was Bode who supported Voss in his electrochemical ambitions by finding him a post as co-researcher in the central research laboratory of Accumulatoren-fabrik at Kelkheim near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. That same year was also momentous as he married Ruth Steiner. Their daughter Erdmuthe was born in 1958, their son Wolfgang in 1963. For nine years, Voss researched lead acid batteries in depth. In 1964, he became manager of the department for product research and development and widened his activities to include studies on nickel cadmium cells. In 1973, he was appointed manager of the technology department for primary and new systems and his researches were starting to bring him more international reputation. This position allowed him to become acquainted with many different types of primary systems including zinc carbon, alkaline manganese, zinc silver oxide, and lithium organic cells. Despite this extra work Voss still pursued his research and studies on both lead acid and nickel cadmium cells.

In 1978, Voss was made department director and received authorization to represent VARTA Batterie in legal matters. During 1976–77, he joined a research programme in lithium iron sulfide molten salt batteries at the Argonne National Laboratory in the US. He then established and inaugurated a similar program at VARTA’s R&D lab. This work was continued for many years under his supervision. Voss was appointed director of the research and development centre of VARTA Batterie in Kelkheim in 1981, which involved information, planning, patents, government contracts and contacts with universities. Mainly Voss worked at understanding the behaviour of lead acid batteries. He was the inventor, or a co-inventor, of 47 patents. These included: Brightening and stabilizing the color of metal salts of naphthene and ethylhexanic acids and their solutions (1957–1960); lead storage battery with solidified electrolyte and process of making same (1963–64); galvanic cell with solid fluoride ion-conductive electrolyte (1975–1976); and polyacetylene cell

with ceramic solid electrolyte (1983– 1985). His work was reported in 54 papers published in various prestigious scientific journals. In one early paper he reported with H. Bode his discovery of α-PbO2 in Zeitschrift für Elektrochemie, Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für physikalische Chemie 60 (1956): 1053. α-PbO2 is distinguished from the α-PbO2 modification by its capacity and lifetime. Practically he dealt with phosphoric acid additives for lead acid batteries. Together with August Winsel he developed the “Kugelhaufen Modell” (aggregate-of-spheres model) of the PbO2-PbSO4 electrode, explaining the capacity dependence on currents and additives on a theoretical basic. In 1985 he was elected to work as an expert on batteries and fuel cells for the Commission of the European Communities, Directorate XII, in Brussels. In 1987 Voss collaborated with Hiroshi Shimotake as general editor of Progress in Batteries and Solar Cells. He also worked on the editorial board of the Journal of Power Sources. Voss retired from VARTA Batterie in September, 1988, after 33 years with the company. He continued to work for VARTA as consultant until 1993 and was, among others, responsible for scientific grants of the HerbertQuandtStiftung der VARTA. During this time he was still active in attending international battery conferences. During the LABAT meeting in 1989, Voss was selected to become the first recipient of the prestigious Gaston Planté Medal, awarded by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

In an early paper written with Hans Bode about his discovery of α-PbO2 in Zeitschrift für Elektrochemie, Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für physikalische Chemie, α-PbO2 is distinguished from the α-PbO2 modification by its capacity and lifetime.

40 • Batteries International • 16 ELBC Show Guide • Summer 2018

www.batteriesinternational.com

Precision and speed ma the best punching syste OAK presses have unique features for unparalleled performance. Our 4-Point Connection System and Zero Clearance Slide Guidance ensure dies will close perfectly and maintain alignment with no tipping or shifting. This greatly increases die life and battery grid consistency with an industry-leading +/- 0.1mm grid width and height tolerance. OAK’s Counter Rotating Press Drive System improves stability allowing the press to run at production speeds of 600 grids per minute. Not all presses are created equally. Not all presses can produce grids like OAK presses. Learn more at www.oak-battery.com/Press

Precision and speed make

Precision and make thespeed best punching system. the best punching system.

OAK presses have unique features for

unparalleled performance. Our 4-Point

Connection System and Zero Clearance Slide

ave unique features for

Guidance ensure dies will close perfectly and maintain

Oak Press Solutions Inc.

alignment with no tipping or shifting. This greatly increases die life and battery grid consistency with an industry-leading +/- 0.1mm

rformance. Our 4-Point

504 Wade Street • Sturgis, MI 49091 • U.S.A. email: sales@oakpresses.com www.oak-battery.com

grid width and height tolerance. OAK’s Counter Rotating Press Drive stem and Zero Clearance Slide System improves stability allowing the press to run at production

re dies will close perfectly and maintain speeds of 600 grids per minute.

no tipping or shifting. This greatly increases die Not all presses are created equally. Not all presses can produce grids like OAK presses. +/- 0.1mm grid consistency with an industry-leading Learn more at www.oak-battery.com/Press

height tolerance. OAK’s Counter Rotating Press Drive

es stability allowing the press to run at production

grids per minute. are created equally.

Oak Press Solutions Inc.

504 Wade Street • Sturgis, MI 49091 • U.S.A.

can produce grids like OAK email:presses. sales@oakpresses.com

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www.oak-battery.com

Solutions Inc.

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t • Sturgis, MI 49091 • U.S.A. kpresses.com ry.com

Issue 96

Summer 2015

Issue 95

Spring 2015

Lead squares up to lithium for large scale energy storage

New uses for an established chemistry

Island microgrids Replacing costly diesel for renewables and batteries

Fondly remembered Electrochemist genius Al Salkind passed away in June

IDE KS AR ED TH M FRO LES : TA D R WO ST LA $50/e40

Profile: Lampe-Önnerud Mixing innovation, ability and commercialization

Bringing the industry together

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E TH

Autumn 2017

Issue 106

Winter 2017/2018

Issue 107

Spring 2018

Picking the new industry leader

Nickel: still an important cog in the energy storage game Liquid power The next generation of flow batteries is starting to emerge

Issue 105

The CEO interview Srivastava and Leclanché’s bid for world dominance The new titans of lead Ecoult’s UltraBattery take lithium on — head to head

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

IDE KS AR ED TH M FRO LES : TA D R WO ST LA $50/e40

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

Bringing the industry together

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E TH

Masters of illusion

Lithium batteries: soon to be as recyclable as lead? Lead battery industry mourn passing of Detchko Pavlov 'With respect Mr President, it's business as normal'

17ABC: full coverage of the lead event of the year The coming shake-up for the world of UPS

Bringing the industry try together

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New chemistries, approaches challenge ascendancy of lithium

The mysterious world of energy storage pricing

F LES

AR ED

IDE

East Penn's Dan Langdon retires, Chris Pruitt takes over as CEO A life in energy storage: Shep Wolsky dies aged 91

The promise of the year ahead: what 2018 means for us all R Thorsby steps down as EVP for LA SO Battery Council International LD OR

Bringing the industry try together

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$50/€40 $50/€ / 40

RY TTE BA

NS SO LES

OM FR

GE EN ALL CH

Annual innovation awards: an in-depth look at the contenders Last impressions: Thorsby reflects on his time at the Battery Council

First impressions, Moran talks over the challenges as BCI's new EVP

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$50/€40 $50/€ / 40

ED Lead acid to break new ground TH in East African microgrids OM

Bringing the industry try together

E LA

TA D:

LES

IDE

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THE

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ADVANTAGE • • • •

Custom solutions through listening Creates quality designs Knowledgeable field engineers Allows for future support

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