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When you think of Germany, what do you think of? Most people will usually say football, beer, and BMWs. What most people won't say is medical technology (medtech). Despite that, Germany’s medtech sector is by far the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. It’s home to some of the largest Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and presents a wide range of opportunities for technology experts. Here, Michele Windsor, global marketing manager of professional battery manufacturer Accutronics looks at the key features of the German battery industry.

The Ultralife 2590 product family consists of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, chargers & charging systems, and a series of cables & connectors enabling out-of-the-box "Plug and Play" rechargeable power.

Start of an Era

The Ultralife Lithium 9Volt battery was launched in 1991 as the world’s longest lasting lithium 9V battery.  The battery was based on lithium manganese dioxide chemistry which leads to high energy density and voltage that remains very stable throughout the discharge.  Since the initial launch, there have been over 100 million units sold worldwide. The battery immediately gained acceptance into critical markets such as smoke detectors, security sensors, and medical telemetry. 

The Next Generation

Twenty years later, Ultralife launched a new version of the product, with enhanced features and improvements over the original version.  

Accutronics are proud to announce the addition of ULTRALIFE lead acid replacement Lithium Iron Phosphate (LIFePO4)  batteries to our arsenal of high energy battery solutions.  This extensive range is specifically targeted at replacing lead acid batteries in a range of mission critical applications.  ULTRALIFE LiFePO4 products provide superior performance compared to lead acid batteries making them the perfect solution when high energy, safety, reliability and extended lifetime are required.

The consumer electronics industry has embraced obsolescence as a way of increasing profits. Smartphones, laptops, and media players are designed to fail, central to this is the rechargeable battery. Many manufacturers now seal the battery into the device, so rather than simply swapping the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery when it reaches its end of life, users are strong-armed into buying a new product. However, when it comes to medical devices obsolescence on such a large scale is unacceptable. 

Accutronics develops batteries for professional markets where the requirements for size, weight and environmental performance are very high on the list of customer needs.  As mechanical engineering manager David Asplin works closely with our clients throughout the custom battery design process.

Symbiosis is interaction between two organisms to the advantage of both. There are many examples of this in the natural and business worlds and battery & comms systems specialist Ultralife Corporation’s purchase of UK battery original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Accutronics, at the start of 2016, is a perfect example. 

John Kotter’s eight steps for leading change has become mandatory reading for any business shaking things up. Ultralife’s acquisition of Accutronics is definitely a change, and together both companies have impressive goals that we hope will change the way design engineers view the incorporation of smart batteries into their projects. So, several months after the relationship between Ultralife and Accutronics became formal, I found it interesting to look back on the process and compare it to Kotter's ideal model. Kotter's eight step process is: 

According to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), the UK manufacturing sector risks stagnation. This warning comes from the BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) which saw manufacturing export sales drop to their lowest levels since 2009 in the final quarter of 2015. Rob Phillips, sales and marketing director of professional battery manufacturer Accutronics, investigates how the industry can recover.