The tray formed the load-carrying and protective base of an electric-vehicle battery pack.
The customer’s challenge
Impact deformation, water ingress, excessive mass and leaking welds affected the original pack structure.
Material and fabrication route
6061 aluminum extrusions and 3.0 mm sheet.
Process route: Extrusion preparation → sheet end covers → friction-stir welding → CNC machining → leak testing → finishing.
Manufacturing changes
A cellular reinforcement arrangement, controlled friction-stir joints, lightweight geometry and leak testing of every assembly addressed the tray.
Engineering analysis
The tray acted as both a structural base and a sealed battery boundary. Lightweight geometry had to be assessed with the reinforced load path and joined seams, rather than as a thickness reduction alone. The mass comparison, impact observation and leakage result describe different checks on the configured pack. A new tray needs equivalent load, support and sealing inputs before its results can be compared.
Inspection and project results
The project recorded 25% lower mass, IP68 protection and no battery damage in the reported impact test for the configured pack.
| Project measurement or production detail | Recorded value |
|---|---|
| Protection test | IP68 |
| Weight reduction | 25% |
| Leak rate | ≤1 × 10⁻⁵ Pa·m³/s |
| Load test | ≥500 kg |
These figures describe the project configuration and production scope above. Dimensional, material and production details are identified separately from performance tests. For a new order, the inspection method and acceptance criteria should be agreed against the released drawings.
Planning a similar OEM component
A useful RFQ for this application should make the following interfaces and acceptance requirements clear:
- Battery mass and mounting locations.
- Impact and support load cases.
- Sealed-joint and leak-test specification.
- Mass comparison and service openings.
Include the current drawing revision, mating-component information, quantities and required delivery sequence. Identifying unresolved requirements at quotation stage helps distinguish fabrication work from the equipment-level checks that the project needs.
For related manufacturing support, review our EV Battery Tray and sheet metal quality capabilities. Use the existing quotation form below to share the drawing package for review.
