Customer: Industrial 3D measurement equipment manufacturer in China
Partner: XTAR
Solution: Custom 18650 development + XTAR 18650HP 3500mAh pilot-production alternative

At a Glance

The Challenge

For new equipment, the battery is not a late-stage accessory. It affects testing, pilot production, and the overall development timeline.

This customer originally used off-the-shelf 18650 cells. During testing, those cells revealed clear shortcomings: actual capacity was significantly lower than the rated capacity, continuous discharge capability was insufficient, and some options had no protection circuit.

The device operates with PWM pulsed discharge. Each high-current pulse lasts only about 10–20 milliseconds, but the instantaneous current must exceed 10A. The existing 18650 cells did not fully meet the customer’s requirements for capacity, discharge performance, and safety.

High-drain power cells could handle the current, but often came with lower capacity. Cells that balanced capacity and current were available without protection circuits, which did not meet the customer’s safety requirements.

With the first pilot production run approaching, the battery decision could not be delayed.

The XTAR Approach

XTAR began by reviewing the device’s actual discharge profile and redefining the battery requirements. The goal was an 18650 cell that combined high capacity, high discharge current, safety protection, and the required certifications.

With the Chinese New Year holiday approaching and the customer’s R&D schedule under pressure, XTAR’s R&D team completed a custom sample within 14 days to keep testing moving.

However, even the completed custom sample would not be ready in time for the customer’s first pilot production run. Waiting for the custom version would delay the pilot.

Using the customer’s approved technical requirements, XTAR proposed an alternative: the XTAR 18650HP 3500mAh.

It met the key requirements:

• 3500mAh capacity for device runtime
• 15A discharge capability for PWM current pulses
• Protection circuit for overcharge, over-discharge, and short-circuit protection

The customer tested the 18650HP 3500mAh. The results met the requirements and supported the device’s PWM pulsed discharge profile. The pilot production run stayed on schedule.

The Result

The collaboration continued beyond first sample testing. After pilot validation, the customer moved forward with XTAR cells for the product. Estimated annual demand is now around 20,000 cells.

Customer feedback:

“The battery tests met the requirements and supported PWM pulse discharge.”

Need a Battery Solution That Keeps Your Development Timeline on Track?

XTAR supports equipment manufacturers from requirement review and custom development to production-ready alternatives.

Explore XTAR 18650 battery solutions →
Talk to XTAR’s technical team about your battery requirements →