Custom Dust Chamber Testing for Next-Generation EV Batteries

Accelerating Electric Vehicle Reliability Through Advanced Battery Environmental Testing

ACS engineered a specialized dust chamber to help a major automaker transition its critical battery environmental testing program from an external vendor to an onsite laboratory. By implementing this advanced, self-contained system, the manufacturer gained total control over its proprietary validation cycles, utilizing rigorous dust chamber testing to ensure next-generation high-voltage batteries successfully achieve 5K and 6K ingress protection ratings.

The Challenge

In the rapidly evolving landscape of electric vehicle manufacturing, ingress protection testing against solid particulates such as dust is a crucial part of battery manufacturing. If a battery is not designed to keep out dust, small particles can infiltrate and wreak havoc on the delicate workings within the battery’s housing, leading to catastrophic electrical failures. In building high-voltage batteries at its US engineering center, a major automaker had historically outsourced all its specialized dust testing to an external contractor. However, to accelerate R&D cycles, reduce lead times, and maintain strict quality control, the manufacturer wanted to bring these capabilities in-house under its own purview. To achieve this, the company needed a specialized, self-contained dust chamber that could replicate harsh environmental conditions. ACS was selected to engineer, design, and build the custom equipment in strict accordance with both international ISO and rigorous client-specific standards.

The Solution

The first step for the ACS engineering team was to translate the complex ISO and automotive specifications into a highly reliable, compact physical asset. ACS created an innovative battery environmental testing solution featuring a specialized environmental chamber for battery testing designed to keep 2kg of dust suspended per cubic meter of volume. To ensure precise and repeatable testing conditions, the dust is circulated to a specific density and flow rate using a custom-designed fan, allowing engineers to conduct highly accurate dust chamber testing.

To seamlessly integrate this equipment into the automaker’s existing US engineering center without requiring extensive facility modifications, ACS focused on a highly efficient footprint. The resulting dust chamber itself is entirely dust-tight, preventing particulate migration and ensuring it does not create a mess in the surrounding plant. Despite its heavy-duty performance capabilities, the unit takes up only 10 cubic feet of space, weighs less than 4,000 pounds, and features a minimal power draw, requiring only 480V 60A to operate. ACS integrated an advanced Allen-Bradley PLC directly onto the unit, giving operators precise control over the duration, sequence, and speed of the particulate mixing during dust chamber testing.

The Outcome

The ACS team delivered a turnkey testing asset that successfully shifts critical validation capabilities from a third-party vendor directly to the manufacturer’s facility floor. With this new battery environmental testing capability, the automaker is now fully equipped to test varying degrees of protection against foreign objects on-demand. Specifically, engineers can confidently determine whether its next-generation batteries provide 5K ingress protection (dust protected) or the maximum 6K ingress protection (dust-tight).

By transitioning to an in-house model, the automaker has eliminated the logistical bottlenecks, shipping costs, and scheduling delays associated with third-party labs. The comprehensive testing can now be performed safely and efficiently onsite, giving the company significantly greater flexibility, faster data collection, and absolute control over its proprietary EV battery development pipeline.

Key Features

• Manufacture a self-contained dust chamber for battery testing in accordance with ISO and client-specific standards
• Allen-Bradley PLC on the unit to control the duration and speed of the mixing
• Dust is circulated to a specific density and flow rate using a custom-designed fan

ACS Services

• Comprehensive design and mechanical engineering of specialized environmental chamber for battery testing
• Complete turn-key manufacturing, component sourcing, and electrical assembly
• Rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to ensure precise calibration and strict compliance before onsite delivery