An AGV battery tray carries more than battery mass. It defines how that mass enters the chassis, how the pack is restrained during braking and floor shock, how connectors mate, and how service personnel remove the module. A tray that passes a static bench fit can still bind in a twisted chassis or overload a connector during fleet operation.
The tray, battery module and chassis bay should therefore be treated as one mechanical interface.
Define the operating and service states
Before designing rails or sheet thickness, document:
- Battery mass, center of gravity and approved lift points.
- Acceleration, braking, turning and floor-event loads from the OEM.
- Pack envelope including tolerances and swelling allowance where relevant.
- Fixed, slide-out, drop-in or swap service method.
- Manual or assisted handling limits.
- Connector type, mate direction and allowed misalignment.
- Cooling, drainage and contamination requirements.
- Isolation, guarding and electrical safety provisions.
Battery electrical and fire safety remain with the system designer. The fabricator needs the released structural geometry, materials, joints and acceptance criteria.
Carry loads through the tray into the chassis
Use formed rails, crossmembers and local reinforcements to transfer battery forces to the main chassis. Avoid placing the full load into a thin bottom skin or a few isolated spot welds. Retainers should react force in all required directions without crushing the module casing.
A lower tray can improve vehicle stability, but ground clearance, impact protection and drainage must be preserved. Protect the pack from road or factory-floor debris without sealing a space that needs pressure relief or ventilation under the OEM’s battery design.
Separate retention from connector alignment
The connector should not serve as the mechanical stop. Use guides and stops to position the pack before the connector completes its mate. Allow for chassis, tray, battery and connector tolerances in the approach direction.
For blind-mate designs, define lead-in geometry, float and final seating. For cabled service connections, protect bend radius and strain relief. Confirm that the connector can be inspected and replaced without dismantling the chassis.
Retention hardware should be captive where possible and accessible in the installed vehicle. If the tray uses latches, define the locked indication and secondary retention required by the OEM risk assessment.
Design slides for real shop conditions
Slide-out packs need rail stiffness, contamination tolerance and a stop at both travel limits. Commercial slides may have orientation, shock and duty limitations; validate them for the application rather than selecting by static capacity alone.
Check the service state with the pack fully extended. The vehicle must remain stable, and the tray should not permanently deflect or twist. The OEM owns this system validation, while the fabricated tray must preserve the released rail spacing and mounting datums.
Manage thermal interfaces intentionally
Some battery systems rely on air gaps and natural convection; others use forced air, conductive pads or liquid-cooled plates. The tray must not block the intended heat path or compress a thermal pad unevenly.
Define:
- Contact area, flatness and interface thickness.
- Coolant or air connections and service access.
- Drainage and condensation paths.
- Temperature-sensor and cable protection.
- Coating or isolation at thermal and electrical interfaces.
If a cold plate is integrated, specify pressure, leak, cleanliness and flatness requirements separately from the structural tray.
Choose material and finish from the environment
Steel provides stiffness and robust welded retention features. Aluminum reduces mobile mass and can support formed tray construction, but interface stiffness and weld heat effects need review. Stainless suits corrosive or washdown environments where its cost and distortion behavior are justified.
Powder coating should be masked at ground, sliding, thermal and close-fit interfaces as required. Avoid sharp edges near cables and pack surfaces. Drain and vent enclosed sections through the pretreatment and service environment.
Make fabrication variation visible
Important tray CTQs often include rail spacing, stop position, retention-hole location, connector interface, flatness and chassis mounting pattern. Inspect the formed and welded condition, not only the laser-cut blank.
For repeat volume, a hard fit fixture can represent the maximum battery envelope and connector position. It can reveal a rail or stop problem faster than unrelated edge measurements.
Validate the complete module
The OEM validation plan may include static proof, shock and vibration, braking events, repeated insertion, connector cycles, thermal performance, contamination, corrosion and service ergonomics. Use a production-intent tray and chassis during those tests.
When testing reveals a required shim, enlarged hole or altered latch, update the controlled model and drawing. Do not let a successful prototype depend on undocumented rework.
AGV battery tray RFQ checklist
Send the battery envelope and mass properties, released loads, chassis datums, service method, connector model, retention and lifting requirements, thermal interfaces, material and finish, welds, CTQs, test responsibilities, quantities and inspection evidence.
Within our robotics sheet metal fabrication program, DRAmetal manufactures robot and AGV chassis plus robotics battery trays and production kits. For system context, see the AGV chassis design guide or send the chassis and tray package for DFM review.
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