Custom battery solutions are crucial for specialised applications because these devices have requirements that no catalogue pack covers. The load profile, the space inside the housing, the electronics the battery must communicate with and the certification route all depend on the product. When a standard pack misses one of them, the machine builder pays later […]
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Custom battery solutions are crucial for specialised applications because these devices have requirements that no catalogue pack covers. The load profile, the space inside the housing, the electronics the battery must communicate with and the certification route all depend on the product. When a standard pack misses one of them, the machine builder pays later in lost runtime or failed tests, and sometimes in a redesign halfway through the development programme.
Key Takeaways
- How the device draws power decides which cells the pack needs.
- Catalogue packs usually fall short on fit and host communication.
- Certification covers one pack design, so new cells can mean new tests.
What makes an application specialised for a battery?
An application is specialised when its load, environment or usage pattern falls outside what a general-purpose pack can handle. A drone loses flight time with every extra gram, and a hedge trimmer draws current in heavy bursts.
| Application | What a catalogue pack misses | What a custom design sets |
|---|---|---|
| Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and mobile robots | Partial charging, vehicle data link | Long-life cells, live data for the vehicle |
| Medical equipment | IEC 60601-1 risk file, cell traceability | Documented cell source, redundant protection |
| Drones | Flight time lost to every gram | High energy density cells, light housing |
| Garden tools | Rain, dust and grass clippings | Sealed housing up to IP67 |
These patterns determine whether to use high-energy or high-power cells, as EMBS explains in its comparison of high-power and high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Two packs with the same voltage and capacity can give very different runtime in the real device.
Integration with the host device decides the pack design
The battery has to fit a space and a connector chosen months earlier. It also has to share data: an AGV controller or a medical device reads state of charge, temperature and fault codes from the battery management system (BMS), usually over CAN or SMBus. Redesigning the host electronics for a standard battery often takes more engineering time than developing a custom pack. EMBS looks at the wider trade-offs in why off-the-shelf battery packs are not always enough.
Why custom battery solutions start with certification
The test standard depends on the product:
- IEC 62133-2 for portable equipment (1)
- IEC 62619 for industrial batteries in forklifts, AGVs and energy storage (2)
- IEC 60601-1 for medical devices that run on batteries
- UN 38.3 for transport, required for almost every lithium pack
Test results apply only to the design that passed them. Under the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, any change that would cause a 38.3 test failure creates a new battery type that needs to be retested (3). Adapting a catalogue pack to make it fit can leave you without valid test results. From 18 February 2027, industrial batteries above 2 kWh also need a digital battery passport (4).
When does a custom battery pay for itself?
Custom battery solutions cost more up front because engineering, tooling and certification come first. Volume and fewer warranty returns recover that outlay, and you gain control over cell supply.
That control matters when a cell model reaches end of life, because every pack built on it then needs a new cell and usually fresh testing (3). A pack designed around cells with secure long-term supply is cheaper to keep in production. EMBS checks cells from a broad supplier base against catalogue data as part of its cell selection process.
If your product needs a battery that does not exist yet, involve battery engineers before the housing is frozen. EMBS develops custom battery systems, including design, BMS development, prototyping, certification and mass production. Send your requirements to scope the project.
What information do you need to start a custom battery project?
Is a custom battery more expensive than an off-the-shelf pack?
How long does a custom battery pack last?
Sources
- International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC 62133-2:2017, Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications, Part 2: Lithium systems.
- International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC 62619:2022, Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications.
- US Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Interpretation Reference No. 17-0024 on section 38.3.2.2 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, Article 77.
About the Author
EMBS
Leading manufacturer of advanced battery systems with a market presence of over 25 years. We specialise in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, producing a wide range of systems with varying power and capacity.