The development of modern society cannot be separated from various natural resources. The use of resources has promoted the progress of human society. At the same time, the consumption of resources is also irreversible. Therefore, energy conservation and environmental protection are currently the subject of discussion in many countries. The research and development of new and renewable energy and the search for advanced methods to improve energy efficiency have become a global issue of common concern, and the energy storage industry has gradually entered the public's vision.
The demand for energy storage of new energy vehicles is gradually increasing
As the core technology of power battery, the good situation of new energy vehicles has greatly promoted the development of energy storage industry. With the rapid growth of the sales of new energy vehicles, the market penetration of domestic new energy vehicles has also gradually increased. According to the data of CAAC, the cumulative sales penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China increased to nearly 11% from January to August 2022. Among them, in August, the penetration rate of domestic new energy vehicles reached 17.8%, and the penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles was even closer to 20%. In terms of the current development trend, China is expected to achieve the medium and long-term development goal of 20% of the market penetration of new energy vehicles as soon as possible, and the high-efficiency energy storage battery will gradually replace the internal combustion engine.
How can the energy storage connector market continue to develop healthily?
1. Define cost reduction plan
The market volume of energy storage connectors is gradually increasing, and the cost problem has become a major problem for connector enterprises. In recent years, the cost of the electrochemical energy storage battery has gradually decreased, so the cost control of the installed capacity has become particularly important. As the key component of the installed connection, the cost of the energy storage connector has become the main consideration when selecting products. How to reduce product costs and meet the future development of energy storage is a big challenge for energy storage connector enterprises.
The energy storage connector has two relatively common connection modes - fixed screw connection and quick plug connection. As an economical connector design, the cost of fixed bolt connection is low, which can meet the requirements of some customers for cost performance, but the safety and convenience are relatively poor. In contrast, the security and reliability advantages of the quick-plug connection are obvious, but the cost is also relatively high.
The structure of the energy storage connector is simple and the threshold is not high. Many connector enterprises have this technology, so the cost advantage is particularly important in the case of consistent quality. For a product, on the premise of ensuring performance and quality, the simpler the design, the lower the cost, and the higher the level. In addition, improving production efficiency is also a measure to achieve cost reduction.
In the face of cost pressure, on the premise of ensuring the quality of connectors, the company first started from the source of product design, improved the structure, designed the plug of energy storage connector into an assembled structure (the company has applied for an invention patent), and reduced the precision demand for tooling molds and equipment in the manufacturing process.
Secondly, we have also reduced the number of key dimensions of relevant parts as much as possible, reduced the difficulty of finishing metal parts, and realized the self-manufacture of key parts of connectors, such as the core terminal of connectors. Lianda Power has adopted its own design and production methods, which not only reduces the cost of raw materials, but also ensures product quality from the source.
2. Ensure product quality
High-quality energy-storage connectors should have the characteristics of safety, reliability and consistency.
Safety is the primary standard for the quality of key parts. Regardless of the development of the industry, it should be based on safety, otherwise the industry will encounter risks. Secondly, the reliability of the energy storage connector is also particularly important. The life of the energy storage system is about 15 years. As a key component of the whole system, the life of the energy storage connector is related to whether the whole energy storage system can ensure safe and effective operation for 15 years.
