60 Second Spotlight on Andrew Ramage, Techni Measure
Ahead of the Innovations in Battery
Design and Testing Seminar at Warwick Manufacturing Group on 18 July we caught up with Andrew Ramage to hear his thoughts on the topic.
Please briefly explain your current role and involvement in battery testing and design.
I am Director of Techni Measure Ltd & Quad I Ltd, supplying & developing metrology solutions for industrial test & measurement or manufacturing process monitoring and control, including battery development and vibration test applications.
How would you say your industry has evolved over the past two years?
We have seen an increase in the use of simulation, digital twin and virtual development tools to optimise the design process, however these all suffer from “rubbish in = rubbish out” therefore it is crucial that such tools are validated and driven by real test data; alongside this the rapid development of additive manufacturing techniques has permitted previously “impossible” mechanical structures to be realised. These have both driven an increase in applications for instrumentation and data measurement within new and challenging geometrical and/or environmental conditions. It is an exciting time!
What do you see as the key priorities for engineers in the battery testing/design field?
Safety, environmental footprint, energy density.
What is the top challenge facing your industry at present?
Electronic component supply chain has been relatively unstable for the past few years now, which has caused delivery times for some sensing solutions to suffer – this is not always compatible with the fast-pace of innovation & development we are currently enjoying!
What key development/s in battery testing and design are you most interested in for the future and why?
Whole life cycle management – with the huge growth in large scale battery manufacture and consumption, the development of strategies and efficient methods for circular manufacturing and the recycling/disposal of expired cells should increase, as well as the communication/dissemination at consumer level of any such developments.
What progress would you expect to be made in this field over the next 5 years?
I expect we shall see a significant increase in energy density.
What will you be presenting at the EIS seminar and how will this benefit participants?
I shall be presenting a metrology method that quantifies the interface forces on cells and stack structures that result from the swelling during charge/discharge cycles. This can be used as a valuable tool to optimise the design of cells & stacks and it may also be utilised as a validation measurement during stack assembly processes.
Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
In order to innovate and develop new products Engineers need to maintain an awareness of emerging and evolving technologies and methods – which is difficult to achieve in any typical day-to-day workload. These seminar events are an ideal way to break away from the day job, keep informed, network and ask questions of subject matter experts. Everyone benefits!