Battery manufacturing technician - Formation, ageing and testing technician

Option 2. Formulations of materials - what they are and importance of following them. Manual and automated mixing methods.

Option 2. Cell assembly processes procedures.

Option 2. Cell assembly purpose of processes: preparation (drying), winding (manual and automated approaches), can insertion, electrode slitting (cylindrical cells) and cutting (pouch cells), stacking, and assembly (deep draw and heat sealing).

Option 2. Potential issues in cell assembly and defect identification.

Option 2. Different types of cells: pouch, cylindrical, prismatic, solid state, monobloc, and new technologies.

Option 2. Cell finishing monitoring and recording requirements.

Battery manufacturing industry awareness: manufacturing environments, types of employers, types of customers. Business: Industrial strategy, ethical sourcing, and battery supply chain practice.

Battery manufacturing technician’s role. Limits of responsibility. Escalation procedures.

Production requirements: product specification, processing specification, rate of production. Material safety data sheet, product labelling and product codes; the importance of identifying non-conforming materials and products. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Stock control principles.

Process control systems and their constituent components.

Operational procedures and on-going quality assurance requirements.

Numerical approximations and unit conversion tables. Areas, volumes, and flow rates calculations. Statistical data. Basic rules of algebra to solve problems.

British standards for engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information.

Application of digital systems to support manufacture: CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), CMM (coordinate measuring machine), 3D printing, Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Problem solving and fault-finding techniques: root cause analysis.

Digital technologies. General data protection regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.

Industry 4.0.

Verbal communication techniques.

Written communication techniques. Technical report writing techniques.

Principles of team working. Equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Battery manufacturing terminology: cell, battery, anodes, and cathodes.

Different types of battery and their technologies: pouch, cylindrical, prismatic, solid state, and monobloc, new technologies. Primary and secondary batteries. Developments in battery manufacturing.

Cell materials: solvents, and electrolyte.

Batteries and their applications.

Basic chemistry awareness: the Periodic Table, ionic and covalent bonding, the different current types of battery chemistry and their uses.

Battery structure: cells, packs, anodes, cathodes, battery management systems.

Health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance. ATEX - safety requirements for workplaces and equipment used in explosive atmospheres. The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH). Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR). Electrical safety and compliance. Fire safety. Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities. Legionella. Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). Lone working. Management of health and safety at work. Noise regulation. Permits to work. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). REACH — Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. Safety signage and purpose. spill response handling Slips trips and falls. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Working at Height. Working in confined spaces.

Health and safety practice - Lock out, tag out (LOTO). Manual handling. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements. Risk assessment and safe systems of work.

Incident and near miss reporting. Emergency procedures.

Battery health and safety. Battery manufacturing safety guidance. Battery failures and faults – causes and consequences. Battery manufacturing safety hazards – risks they pose and management. Responding to battery fires, chemical spillages, gas leakages, and incidents.

Environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance: Environmental Management Systems standard, Environmental Protection Act, Climate Change Act, Energy Act, Control of Pollution Act. Principles of control and management of emissions and waste. Environmental signage and notices.

Sustainability practice: energy efficiency, reuse of resources, recycling procedures.

The environmental benefits of batteries in the move towards net zero emissions. Sustainability and carbon footprint of different types of batteries and materials used in production: how that can be mitigated for by selection and whole of lifecycle considerations.

Need and requirements for clean and dry rooms in battery manufacturing – protocols for entering, working in, exiting. Safe working within a clean and dry room: risks.

Quality assurance vs quality control; key differences. Quality standards. Consequences of not achieving quality standards. Line side and lab quality control. Purpose of audits.

Development and review of operational procedures.

Documentation requirements: documentation control, auditable records.

Representative sampling. Common methods of analysis. Principles of quality procedures in the laboratory.

Maintenance practices. Preventative maintenance requirements.

Continuous improvement (CI) systems and techniques.

Planning, prioritising, and time management techniques.

Battery standards and market certification.

Requirements for transportation of lithium cells and batteries.

Option 1. Formulations of materials - what they are and importance of following them. Manual and automated mixing methods.

Option 1. Materials used in electrode slurries: binder, solvents and active materials. Types of mixing equipment; pros and cons.

Option 1. Electrode process procedures.

Option 1. The purpose of electrode processes: mixing (semi continuous, continuous and batch), coating (continuous and intermittent or skip coating, extrusion methods), calendering (hot and cold), electrode slitting and cutting.

Option 1. Potential issues in electrode processing and defect identification.

Option 3. Formulations of materials - what they are and importance of following them. Manual and automated mixing methods.

Option 3. Electrical components in physics: voltage, current, resistance, power, charge and discharge – definition and calculation. The relationship between resistance, heat and cell chemistry. Kirchhoff’s Laws, Ohm’s Law. Flow of electrons.

Option 3. Formation, ageing and testing company processes procedures.

Option 3. Formation, ageing and testing purpose of processes: formation (current methods), ageing (current methods) and testing (open-circuit voltage, end of line, grading).

Option 3. Data techniques: data recording, analysis, and translation.

Option 3. Potential issues in formation, ageing and testing and defect identification methods.

Option 4. Stock control requirements.

Option 4. Engineering and design documentation application considerations.

Option 4. Module and pack assembly processes procedures.

Option 4. Implications of hazardous voltage.

Option 4. Live pack handling requirements.

Option 4. Module and pack purpose of processes: preparation, bonding, welding manual and automated methods (nickel tabs, bus bars), soldering, crimping, encapsulation and final assembly.

Option 4. Potential issues in module and pack and defect identification.

Option 4. Module and pack finishing - monitoring and recording requirements (traceability).

Option 2. Follow specialist PPE procedures for over suits, overshoes, boots, gloves, masks, and eyewear.

Option 2. Apply electrolyte safety precautions.

Option 2. Receive and check cell assembly manufacturing materials.

Option 2. Operate Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Option 2. Run, monitor and adjust HMI settings within permissions.

Follow operational procedures including on-going quality checks: visual, tolerances, and non-conformances.

Apply team working principles.

Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.

Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.

Obtain and read instructions or information to understand task.

Plan task. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, security, environmental impact, cost, and quality.

Identify hazards and risks in the workplace.

Apply health, safety and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards and codes of practice for example lock out tag out (LOTO).

Reinstate work area: housekeeping, replacing tools and equipment.

Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and handling.

Apply sustainability principles for example, in choice of materials, minimising waste.

Transfer product, intermediate or final, to next stage.

Follow preventative maintenance practices. For example, cleaning electrodes, ensuring tooling is within calibration date, checking guarding, lubrication of tooling, safety checks, and inspection for wear and tear.

Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records.

Apply problem solving techniques. Make suggestions to resolve problems.

Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data. Use data to validate suggestions.

Apply continuous improvement techniques for example, lean, 6 Sigma, KAIZEN.

Devise suggestions for improvement. For example, improving the energy consumption or waste profile of processes and procedures to improve the sustainability or carbon footprint of a product, process or task.

Communicate in writing in the workplace for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.

Use digital technologies. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.

Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned continued professional development (CPD) activities. Evaluate CPD against plans made.

Option 1. Receive and check electrode manufacturing materials.

Option 1. Follow specialist PPE procedures for over suits, overshoes, boots, gloves, masks, eyewear, and self-contained breathing apparatus.

Option 1. Operate Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Option 1. Run, monitor and adjust HMI settings within permissions.

Option 3. Receive and check formation, ageing and testing manufacturing materials.

Option 3. Load and handle cells.

Option 3. Operate Human Machine Interface (HMI): set up, shut down, and cleaning modes.

Option 3. Identify trends in data.

Option 3. Run, monitor and adjust HMI settings within permissions.

Option 3. Monitor fire risks.

Option 4. Apply anti-static procedures for example, earth straps, rubber matting.

Option 4. Obtain and check module and pack manufacturing materials.

Option 4. Interpret engineering and design documentation.

Option 4. Prepare materials.

Option 4. Check hand tools and equipment.

Option 4. Uses hand tools and equipment. For example, crimping machines, soldering ions, and heat guns.

Option 4. Complete end-of-process check.

Option 4. Monitor fire risks.

Take responsibility for the quality of own work.

Team-focus to meet work goals including a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Respond and adapt to work demands.

Prioritise health, safety and environment.

Consider sustainability when using resources and carrying out processes.

Responsive to constructive feedback.

Committed to continued professional development.