can power tool batteries freeze made in china
Let’s examine the inner workings of the cell more closely. A mild short will only cause elevated self-discharge and the heat buildup is minimal because the discharging power is very low. If enough microscopic metallic particles converge on one spot, a sizable current begins to flow between the electrodes of the cell, and the spot heats up and weakens. As a small water leak in a faulty hydro dam can develop into a torrent and take a structure down, so too can heat buildup damage the insulation layer in a cell and cause an electrical short. The temperature can quickly reach 500C (932F), at which point the cell catches fire or it explodes. This thermal runaway that occurs is known as “venting with flame.” “Rapid disassembly” is the preferred term by the battery industry.
Industrial batteries, such as those used for power tools, are generally more rugged than those in consumer products. Besides solid construction, power tool batteries are maximized for power delivery and less on energy for long runtimes. Power Cells have a lower Ah rating than Energy Cells and are in general more tolerant and safer if abused.
There are also safety concerns with the electric vehicle. However, statistics show that EVs produce fewer fires compared to vehicles with the internal combustion engine (ICE) per billion kilometers driven. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), over 400,000 ICE-powered cars burned down in the 1980s. Today, 90 fires per one billion with ICE vehicles are considered normal; reports say that Tesla had only two fires per one billion driven kilometers.
Lithium-ion batteries are great for powering rechargeable electronics because they can store a lot of energy and have long lifespans. But when temps fall below freezing, these energy sources’ electrical performance declines, and when conditions are cold enough, they can fail to transfer any charge. It’s why some people living in the U.S. Midwest have trouble with their electric cars in the dead of winter, and why it’s risky to use these batteries in space explorations. Recently, scientists determined that the flat orientation of graphite in the anode is responsible for the drop in a lithium-ion battery’s energy storage capacity in the cold. So, Xi Wang, Jiannian Yao and colleagues wanted to modify the surface structure of a carbon-based material to improve the anode’s charge transfer process.
Lithium-ion or Li-ion batteries are considered to be the latest technological innovation in the battery industry. Engineered and designed according to a state of the art and cutting edge model. These batteries offer more capacity, better energy density, longer battery life, and faster recharge rate. They also feature smaller casings that allow them to be slick and smaller compared to their counterparts. Although these batteries are more expensive compared to other battery chemistries, Li-ion batteries the preferred choice of electronic devices manufacturers and the cordless power tools industry.
I was reminded this week that cold weather can seriously sap the power from lithium-ion batteries. While trying to clear the driveway of leaves I found that my battery kept dying well before it usually does and when it was recharged, it did not take a good full charge.
If you are outside but only using the tool periodically, sources say that storing the battery close to your body — a convenient pocket, will slow down the loss of power.
I learned that manufacturerscan have different directions on whether to leave batteries in the charger (some automatically stop when the batteries are fully charged). How far down you should let the power go before a recharge — almost universal agreement on not totally discharging the battery, but some list 25 percent, others lower or higher. So my advice is to find the instructions that came with the tool, or download new ones if you already lost them, and read about battery maintenance for your particular tool.
Li-Ion batteries have become the industry-standard energy source for cordless power tools. There are numerous beneficial reasons for this – with an accompanying need for safe handling (see PTI’s industry topic, “Safe Handling and Use of Li-Ion Batteries for Power Tools”). Another important safety aspect is thoughtful battery selection.
Reputable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) have their products “listed”. This is a process whereby an independent certification lab (such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Canadian Standards Association (CSA)), tests and evaluates the product for compliance with internationally-accepted safety standards (note “listing” is mandatory for power tools used in work environments governed by OSHA). For cordless power tool “systems” (i.e., a dedicated combination of one-or-more tools / batteries / chargers), these standards evaluate the “system” to ensure the tool, battery, and charger communicate properly to monitor and control critical functions, such as cell balance, energy levels, flow of energy in/out, and temperatures. Only the tool manufacturer is able to obtain “system” certification, because each manufacturer utilizes their own proprietary control circuity to achieve compliance, and the circuitry design is not available to third-party component suppliers.
Of course, it takes more time, effort, and cost to design, test and “list” a complete power tool system across an entire product portfolio – which is where lower cost counterfeit and knock-off batteries come in. Some knock-off batteries may be “listed” to a general battery safety standard; some are not tested or “listed” to any safety standard. As with any Li-Ion battery that is not intentionally designed to work properly with a specific tool and charger system, the result can be poor performance, shorter life, damage to the tool and charger, the voiding of a tool’s warranty or a battery bursting that may cause a fire or explosion resulting in personal injury and/or property damage. For these reasons, all power tool manufacturers recommend that only OEM batteries be used.
I would say that there are as many different brands of cordless power tools as there are colors in the rainbow, but there are many more than that. At the heart of each brand’s cordless systems are proprietary battery packs that are, with few exceptions, completely incompatible with other brands’ cordless tools and accessories.
The graphic above depicts 7 of the most popular cordless power tool brands on the market today – Milwaukee, Ridgid, Dewalt, Ryobi, Metabo HPT, Makita, and Bosch.
Over the years, a lot of readers have expressed their desire for a standardized tool and battery connection that is adopted by all cordless power tool makers. I don’t think this is at all realistically possible, but it’s always an interesting idea to explore.
If a user owns tools from two or more brands, it would be great to use just one brand’s battery and charger for everything. This would save the end user money, and they could skip the hassle of having to deal with multiple chargers.
I shared my thoughts about the matter 6 years ago, in a post much like this one. There has been a lot of advancement in the cordless power tool industry since then, but my opinion has not changed. If you ask me, we are extremely unlikely to see a universally-compatible cordless power tool battery pack.
Let’s say that every cordless power tool brand magically updated all of their tools, batteries, and chargers to be cross-compatible with other brands’ offerings. This would be a disaster.
If Brand A’s tools can only work with Brand A’s batteries, they can design new tools around the maximum power output of their highest capacity batteries, while also ensuring that the tool will still function, although usually not optimally, with their lowest capacity batteries.
Although I don’t know if it’s still true, Milwaukee’s M18 drills were said to receive a roughly 10% power boost when powered with an XC (10-cell) battery. Their drills would operate just fine with a compact battery, such as 1.5Ah, but an XC battery, such as 3.0Ah to 5.0Ah, would deliver greater power and torque. Would similar be possible if a tool couldn’t be designed around known battery characteristics and performance thresholds?
Talking just about 18V/20V Max power tool batteries, here’s a list of battery sizes users can choose from today. Not every brand offers all options, but most tool brands have very broad selections.
If cordless power tools and batteries were suddenly cross-compatible, what else would you need to know aside from its charge capacity? Maximum continuous power output at room temperature? And how would you know how much power you needed?
I suppose that brands could provide power requirement specs for their cordless tools. But how would that be determined? Different applications, work materials, accessories, and grades of accessories can greatly affect a tool’s power consumption. Users can also influence a tool’s power requirements, such as if they apply more or less pressure, or if they wait longer to replace dull bits or blades.
Makita’s XGT tools and chargers treat 3rd party batteries differently than genuine ones. I could envision brands doing the same in the context of hypothetical universally compatible batteries.
Universal compatibility would not mean universal suitability, and so tools might have to be designed to deliver lower performance for lowest-performing batteries users might have sourced from other brands.
While users might save money on less expensive batteries, they wouldn’t get the full performance of the tools they buy unless they stick with that brand’s batteries.
Is it wrong to wish for a universal-style cordless power tool battery? No. It’s a good thing to ask for, and I know I would surely benefit from it. But it’s not going to happen.
Cordless power tool brands do play well together when they want to. The Power Tool Institute (PTI) is a trade organization that includes the following tool brands – Black & Decker, Bosch, Dewalt, Dremel, Festool, Hilti, Metabo, Makita, Milwaukee, Rotozip, Ryobi, Stihl, and others.
A long time ago, someone told me that power tool batteries are pricey because that’s their true cost. The implication was that cordless kits are heavily discounted, and so battery prices are representative of their true retail costs. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it makes sense.
If users are free to shop around for different brands’ batteries, how would that affect the price of tools? If brands start to aggressively discount their batteries to keep users in-system, would that in turn drive up the pricing of kits or bare tools?
The only guarantee, I think, is that some users will seek out less expensive battery packs. If a less expensive battery fits, it might be assumed to be on-par or equivalent to that brand’s batteries, without this necessarily being true, and that could lead to mismatched power-performance issues.
I always try to look at this objectively, and always arrive at the same conclusion, that universal-fit cordless power tools simply aren’t a good idea. It might benefit some users, but not without the potential and even high likelihood to confuse or negatively impact many others.
For heavier duty tools, Dewalt has FlexVolt, Milwaukee has M18 High Output, Makita has 18V X2 and XGT, Bosch has Profactor, and Metabo HPT has MultiVolt. Where’s the common denominator?
How would you satisfy users’ wishes while also ensuring that tools deliver consistent performance and user experiences regardless of battery? Would might you do – if anything – to prevent a user from choosing an underpowered or lower-spec battery with a tool with high power demands?
You probably know batteries last longer in the freezer, but freezing could also make car batteries safer to transport, scientists say. Shipping damaged batteries like those that power electric vehicles is really dangerous, requiring a wildly costly explosion-proof box to contain any volatility caused by stress or temperature. But by dousing batteries in liquid nitrogen, scientists found they reduced volatility to zero and had inert batteries that could be shipped in batches in refrigerated trucks instead of in individual $11,000 explosion boxes.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from Teslas to smartphones, and historically these batteries have turned explosive under duress. That could be manufacturer oversight, as in the case of knockoff smartphone or Apple batteries sold on Amazon and elsewhere, or just a natural result if a good battery is damaged in a crash or some other kind of incident. Every lithium-ion battery is a Hindenburg in waiting because its insides are packed with flammable stuff. Like the leaky, damaged dynamite on Lost, a damaged lithium-ion battery must be handled with extreme care and can still, uh, halt and catch fire.
#5 – Use the right batteries. Yes, there are loads of “knock-off” imitation lithium-ion batteries for each manufacturer. But it’s always a good idea to use original batteries with your cordless tools. And stock up! The more batteries you have, the less the cold weather will be an issue for you, just follow the steps above the make sure all your batteries are ready to use on a cold day.
Cordless power tools make life much easier for the DIY-ers and professional tradespeople alike. They carry the same power as their corded counterparts without the hassles of extension cords and generators. Who doesn’t love grabbing their cordless drill and heading to the backyard to finish installing deck boards without having to stretch a long extension cord across the yard?
Cordless power tools come with batteries that are the powerhouse behind getting your jobs done. They may seem a little tricky and bring their own questions. With the right answers, you can not only keep that to-do list short, you will have a piece of equipment ready for any task for years to come. Here are twelve common questions about power tool batteries.
Brand new batteries should be charged overnight to ensure you have a full charge on each individual cell, so that the life of the cell is not compromised. From that point on, future charges on a the proper/adequate charger can take between 30min to 2 hours to achieve a full charge. Never use under-powered chargers for high capacity batteries. Newer chargers are designed so that you cannot overcharge your battery (though don’t store it here, plugged in), and lithium-ion batteries have little to no memory, so you don’t have to worry about emptying it before charging.
When in doubt, check out Ottawa Faster Supply. We have a wide selection of tool batteries and cordless drills, saws, and tools to meet your DIY needs.
In response to the announcement, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) stated, “We respect foreign regulators strengthening the supervising accounting firms […] but firmly oppose some powers’ use of the politicization of securities supervision.”
The 34 entities include China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and 11 of its research institutes, as well as 22 corporate entities including several semiconductor companies. These entities include Shanghai Aisinochip Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. (a leading manufacturer of security control chips), Changsha Jingjia Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (the first Chinese manufacturer of graphics processing units), and Shaanxi Reactor Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (a designer of high-speed power semiconductors).
The prospect of meeting and bilateral talks offers some assurance that both sides are willing to step up diplomatic coordination despite the tensions rising between the global powers.
Following the G7 Summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders declared that China presents a global security risk, at their annual summit in Brussels. The traditionally Russia-focused military alliance for the first time shifted its focus to China, asserting the need to respond to Beijing’s growing power.
As a response, China warned NATO that it will not sit back in the face of any challenges. A statement posted Tuesday on the website of China’s mission to the European Union said that Beijing did not pose a “systemic challenge” to any country and added NATO should not exaggerate China’s military power.
The bill set out the following policy goal: to “sustain its [US] global leadership role” and asserted that the Chinese government has been leveraging its political, diplomatic, economic, military, technological, and ideological power to compete with the US on the global stage.
Lithium-ion batteries are the cells of the future, powering enormous inventions and machines around the world. However, the good thing about these cells is that they have an exceptionally long lifespan. This allows the cells to be rejuvenated whenever they may seem dead.
Yes, it is possible to resurrect a dead lithium-ion battery using a few simple and convenient tools. However, these batteries can be very unstable especially when they are handled inappropriately. Therefore, when you’re trying to revive a dead lithium-ion battery, ensure that it isn’t damaged in the first place and that you know what you’re doing.
Another alternative method includes using a USB cable. Take an old USB cable that isn’t being used and also, one that is not damaged and cut the smaller end off. Expose the wires from the cut end and separate them. Afterwards, connect the red wire to the positive terminal and the black one to the negative terminal and tape them in place. Plug in the larger end of the USB cable into a power source like a computer or power bank. Leave the set-up for a few minutes while you monitor it, looking out for any hazardous signs.
Lithium-ion batteries are arguably the most popular types of batteries mainly due to their easy rechargeability and disposal. Their uses range from small electronics like wireless headphones, toys, and handheld power tools to electric vehicles as power battery and home energy storage systems as powerwall battery. However, due to certain causes, there are situations when you will find a bulge on your Li-ion battery.
First of all, the worst thing you can do is to ignore it, don’t use the device, or leave it connected to a power source. After switching off the device, you can carefully remove the battery when possible and place it in a cool, dry place. If you can’t remove it or you feel resistance, it’ll be smart to take it to an authorized repairer instead. Then take the battery to a proper disposal factory that performs correct recycling processes.