Archer completes installation of ‘automotive style’ high-volume battery pack manufacturing line
Archer has installed its high-volume battery pack manufacturing line at its integrated test lab and manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California.
The new line will be capable of supporting the planned high volume aircraft production ramp at the OEM’s manufacturing facility in Georgia on track to be completed later this year, said Archer.
“This is a major milestone for Archer as designing, developing, and mass producing electric propulsion systems that are purpose built for electric aircraft is the key to unlocking the electrification of aviation” said Tom Muniz, Archer CTO. “The facility will give us the capability to scale our battery pack production to meet the demands of the output that our Covington, Georgia facility will be capable of.”
The battery pack manufacturing line was built to be an “automotive style” line designed for high-volume production. Set to be constructed in phases, at its peak the facility will be capable of producing up to 15,000 battery packs per year.
Archer has applied automation across a number of areas of the battery pack manufacturing process including cell test and load, adhesive dispensing, laser cleaning, laser welding and end of line testing.
Despite announcing a collaboration with Taiwan-based battery specialist, Molicel in November 2022 to supply battery cells for Midnight, Archer is now reporting its decision to vertically integrate its design and manufacturing of the battery pack
As well as a proprietary and robust thermal runaway containment strategy, the battery packs use cylindrical cells that have a track record of safety, performance and scalability relative to other cell form factors. Archer also recently successfully completed multiple drop tests of its battery pack.
