Part 1
Acid circulation for industrial lead-acid cells, including AGM products, has become a global formation standard. Below are product benefits of utilizing such a system compared to traditional open-air, chilled tub or custom cooling plate systems.
Concept
With a managed acid circulation formation system, an industrial cell producer can automatically control the temperature and specific gravity (SG) of each individual cell throughout the formation process in batches of hundreds of cells. In doing so, more cells per square meter can be produced with a tighter quality control of the formation recipe. A majority of industrial cells globally are now produced using managed acid circulation, including over 400 Kustan systems.
Formation Times
- Temperature is actively controlled to within a preferred range primarily using a cooling tower. This allows the charge current to be increased significantly to speed up the formation process.
- BENEFIT. Clients who switched from traditional formation methods can expect up to a 75% reduction in formation times depending on capacity and plate count.
- In one 2025 example, a 100Ah, 25-plate cell took “on average” 105 hours on charge when formed in open air across 4 distinct seasons. This same product now takes 50 hours every day, all year.
- Larger cells see even greater benefits.
- Warmer climates see even greater benefits.
- BENEFIT. In less floor space, a manufacturer can produce 2X or 3X the number of cells.
Quality
- The specific gravity of a batch of cells is actively controlled during the entire formation period. This removed the variability of a “floating” SG that is significantly affected by ambient conditions including outdoor temperature and humidity.
- BENEFIT. Finished product has a much tighter performance criteria leading to less quality control failures after formation and lower warranty costs.
- BENEFIT. Elimination of seasonal weather conditions as formation variables means removal of varying recipes required to compensate for temperature and humidity during the year.