An Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider plays a vital role in the manufacturing of drone Battery Management System (BMS) Modules.
The performance and safety of drone batteries rely heavily on the capabilities of the BMS, making it a critical component in drone manufacturing. The right EMS provider will ensure the production of high-quality and reliable components of BMS whilst streamlining production processes and reducing overall costs.
Making the wrong choice when it comes to selecting an EMS provider, can stall the growth of your enterprise by causing delays in production while increasing costs and compromising the quality of the product.
When it comes to drones BMS modules, it is important to understand the criticalities involved and why it plays a major role in drone assembly along with the criteria for selecting EMS providers for the module assembly.
Battery Management System (BMS) Building Blocks in Drones
The primary functional blocks are:
- Fuel Gauge Monitor : The fuel gauge monitors battery metrics like current, voltage, and temperature to gauge State of Charge (SoC) and remaining capacity. It detects abnormalities like abnormal current draw or excessive heat, preserving battery lifespan and performance through resistance adjustments.
- Charging Component : The charging component monitors and prevents overcharging, ensuring the battery stays within safe charging ranges. It counts coulombs during charging and intervenes if the battery temperature rises excessively.
- Power Distribution Board : The power distribution board regulates power allocation to different drone components such as motors and on board computers, preventing overload and potential damage.
Why is Battery Management System integration with Drone Batteries critically important?
Safety
BMS acts as a safeguard to monitor and control various parameters of the drone battery, ensuring safe and reliable operation during flight. Here’s how:
- Overcharge Protection: BMS monitors the voltage of each cell within the battery pack and prevents overcharging by cutting off the charging current when the voltage reaches a certain threshold.
- Over-discharge Protection: BMS prevents over-discharging of the battery by monitoring the voltage levels during drone operation and cuts off the power supply when the voltage drops to a critical level.
- Temperature Monitoring: BMS continuously monitors the temperature of the battery pack during charging, discharging, and operation.
- Short Circuit Protection: BMS incorporates circuitry to detect and prevent short circuits within the battery pack. In the event of a short circuit, BMS quickly shuts off the power supply.
Battery Life
A Battery Management System (BMS) significantly improves the longevity and reliability of the battery. By continuously monitoring key parameters like State of Charge (SOC) and State of Health (SOH), the BMS ensures that the battery operates within optimal conditions. It prevents deep discharges and regulates charge cycles to minimise capacity loss and deterioration over time, ultimately extending the battery’s lifespan.
Real-Time SOC Monitoring
A Battery Management System (BMS) provides real-time State of Charge (SOC) monitoring to batteries in drones by constantly measuring and analysing the amount of energy stored in the battery. This gives accurate data of the battery’s energy levels, determining the remaining flight time for informed recharging decisions.
Fault Detection
BMS instantly notifies about issues like uneven cell levels or faulty connections, reducing the risk of failures during flight.
By continuously monitoring parameters such as cell voltage monitoring, overcurrent and over temperature, and taking proactive measures to address faults or abnormalities, the BMS plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety, reliability, and longevity of batteries used in drones.
Passive Thermal Management
Thermal management integration with drone batteries is critical for high power performance while ensuring reliable operation in diverse environmental conditions. It provides temperature regulation of the battery pack, preventing overheating or excessive cooling, which can impact battery performance and lifespan. This is also critical for light-weighting, lower purchase and maintenance costs as it saves you from active cooling methods such as fans or liquid cooling systems.
High cell-to-pack mass ratio
High cell-to-pack mass ratio results in increased energy density, which is essential for drones that require longer flight times and higher energy capacity. It also allows for the creation of more compact battery packs with greater energy storage capacity.
What are the aspects to consider while selecting EMS providers for BMS module assembly?
Technical Capabilities
Technical capabilities are crucial when selecting an EMS provider for drone manufacturing because they directly impact the quality, reliability, and functionality of the drone’s electronic components. A provider with strong technical capabilities can offer expertise in manufacturing complex electronic systems such as battery management systems, PCB assembly and various other drone components.
Supply Chain Management
In drones manufacturing, supply chain management plays an important role at every step of the production process, that includes turning raw materials and components into final products and getting them to the customer. Implementing supply chain management strategies enables shorter lead times, cost effective solutions, ensuring smooth operations with flexibility and agility according to the market demands.
Flexibility and Scalability
The dynamic nature of the drones industry calls for flexible and scalable manufacturing solutions. Scalability ensures that the EMS provider can efficiently handle fluctuations, whether it’s scaling up production or scaling down, according to the market demands. Flexibility allows to adapt quickly to changes in customer requirements, manufacturing parts tailor-fit to their needs.
Testing and Validation
To ensure quality, reliability, and safety of drone components, testing and validation play a critical role. In the context of drones manufacturing, rigorous testing and validation procedures are essential to identify any potential defects, malfunctions, or performance issues. An EMS provider can verify that the drone components meet the specified technical requirements, functionality standards, and regulatory compliance criteria.
Regulatory Compliance
EMS providers have the appropriate certifications required to build your drone product. The drone industry has specific certification requirements such as:
- ISO 9001 2015
- BIS
- RohS
- IEC
- UL
Ease of Communication
Clear and effective communication ensures that both the EMS provider and their clients have a shared understanding of project requirements, specifications, and timelines. In this context, customer and supplier portals play a crucial role in improving communication and simplifying interactions between the manufacturer and the client.
How does Karkhana.io ensure quality in drone BMS module setup and testing?
Manufacturing drones poses unique challenges, from limited suppliers skilled in machining composite materials to sourcing special-grade plastics and finding expert EMS providers for Battery Management System module setup and testing in drone assembly.
Karkhana.io is your one-stop solution to cater to all your manufacturing requirements. With a supplier base of 500 vetted and certified suppliers nationwide, well-versed in the intricacies of drone component manufacturing, and trusted by top-tier companies, we assure you of optimal results!
We possess the manufacturing capabilities that adapt to the market dynamics with agility and precision.
Our flexible manufacturing services enable product efficiency and quality across orders of all sizes from small batches to large volumes, while offering box build solutions along with product localisation capabilities.
At Karkhana.io, we not only offer precision machining of custom mechanical parts but also assist in sourcing the right raw materials to take away your hassle in managing the supply chain.
If you’re looking for a drone components manufacturer that meets the technical capabilities, contact us today. Optimise your operations with Karkhana.io‘s expertise in manufacturing high performance components that meet industry standards.
Let us help you reach the optimal outcome for all your manufacturing requirements. To get started, simply email Pushpalaxmi Vanniyar at pushpalaxmi@karkhana.io with your specifications or fill out the form below.
