Our competence

The conception and the production of Thermal Batteries is a combination of numerous fields of expertise:

• electrochemistry
• heat science
• pyrotechnics
• manufacturing of powders and pelletizing
• mechanics
• materials

This expertise is demonstrated in the following activities:

• electrochemical combinations design
• industrialisation and specific tools
• manufacturing & control processes
• digital modelling via specific software gathering ASB database

Research & Development

The Thermal Battery are specifically designed to meet the customer requirements. The design follows a defined process, supported in particular by:

• the intensive use of the model of calculation ETHER
• the single-cell characterization
• the validation of the design robustness versus the extreme ends of the manufacturing tolerances
• the analysis of the value, allowing design-to-cost

The works of an international team dedicated to the fundamental research allow the introduction of innovative technologies:

• solutions compliant with the future environmental regulations
• increase of the performances in power & energy densities
• specific battery architectures, leading to technological breakthroughs

Industrial Capability

In order to cope with the variety of customer needs , ASB-Group has developed on its production facilities a flexibility, in particular based on:

• the mastering of the key stages of production, in particular the hermetic sealing, the transformation of the materials, the production of powders, the synthesis of alloys, etc, leading to more than 60% as of the in-house contribution
• exclusive manufacturing processes, such as the three-layer pelletizing
• the automation of certain operations, integrating systematically the associated stage of control
• a restricted pool of suppliers, mutualised at Group level

Our industrial experience allows to:

• the annual capacity of over 100,000 piles
• a series production rate from small serie of prototypes, up to several thousands per month

Reliability & performances

The battery reliability & performances are supported by the gained experience through decades

• Electro-chemistries are protected key know-hows through laboratory & manufacturing complete in-house chain,
• In-house modeling & simulation tools (ASB ETHER software),
• Specific industrial means (dry rooms, glove boxes, presses, robotics…),
• Mastering of the supply-chain specificities,
• Manufacture & control process engineering (X-Ray & tomography, etc),
• Complete in-house testing capabilities

Quality of Production

The quality standard of ASB-Group is featured not only by our products & technologies, but also by the control of the manufacturing processes:

• choice of the stages and the criteria of controls, since the acceptance of basic materials up to the acceptance testing of the battery batches
• continuous training of the operators, as well as their habilitation process at each work station
• the development of an internal culture valuing the meticulous and continuous attention, including in the stages of industrial validation

Self activated batteries

Self activated batteries are the power solutions for modern applications

• Activated by inertial acceleration,
• Enhanced safety (no power before launch),
• Designed to remain safe during transportation and storage (no-fire acceleration),
• Miniaturised solutions (custom designed),
• All fire 3000g-0,5ms/No fire 2000g-0,05ms for artillery cal. 155mm, or All fire 10000g-0,5ms/No Fire 5000g-0,05ms for naval cal. 127 & 76mm.

Demonstrated Maturity

The g-striker has a TRL9 maturity

• Demonstrated reliability, by reliability analysis and testing (electromagnetic guns & pyrotechnical guns) in the All-Fire and No-Fire conditions,
• Qualified for 76 - 155 mm diameter shells, different striker designs matching with the associated launch conditions (No-Fire/All-Fire),
• Battery assembly allows operational testing during LAT without g-stricker.