Not too long ago from the time this post is being written, Samsung held a press-conference and livestream, detailing their investigation into the Note 7's battery fires, their findings (along with those from 3 independent engineering firms) and what they're going to do. Chances are, you may have watched it already, but if you don't, here's a quick in-a-nutshell overview.
THE CAUSE
The pre-recall and the post-recall Note 7s had batteries from Samsung SDI and Amperex Technology Limited respectively. Each variant has its own unique flaw that ultimately resulted in the recalls plus cancellation of the Note 7.
SDI: The SDI batteries were found to have a defect in the top-right of the cell where it would cause damage due to a bent negative electrode tip and ultimately resulted in a thermal runaway after repeated charges and discharges.
Amperex: The Amperex batteries were found to have a number of manufacturing flaws, ranging from poor-welding that resulted in the case being punctured and also causing an internal short-circuit while some batteries even lack insulative tape which could've reduced the risk of a thermal runaway.
WHAT IS BEING DONE
Samsung has announced that it will have an 8-point quality inspection procedure for its batteries. Some are already being done as per industry regulations but some are new;
- Durability Test - The batteries are put through a bunch of tests to push them to their absolute limit, including overcharging, nail punctures and extreme hot and cold.
- Visual Inspection - The batteries are inspected for any obvious flaws visually.
- X-Ray - The batteries are X-rayed in order to spot any internal defects and anomalies.
- Charge/Discharge - The phones go through an accelerated charge and discharge test on a large scale, representing heavy use in a short span of time.
- TVOC - The batteries are tested and inspected to make sure any volatile organic compound isn't leaking even slightly.
- Disassembly - The battery is taken apart in order to assess its components and other parts such as insulating tape condition as well as the quality of the welded tabs.
- Accelerated Usage Test - The phones are put through a usage scenario replicating that of a heavy user.
- Delta OCV: The batteries undergo constant inspection for any change in voltage through the assembly stage from the individual components to the actual phone itself.
Additionally, Samsung has stated that it will multiple layers of safety in regards to their batteries, which include;
- Component quality: The individual components will be subject to much more stringent quality control methods to ensure that defect rates are kept to a minimum.
- Device hardware design: The device's hardware design will be done in a way where the battery can be stored and operated in a safe manner, which also includes having a cavity big-enough to accommodate a "breathing" battery due to changing temperature conditions.
- Software: The device's software is also made to constantly monitor device behavior and to automatically kick in preventive safeguards if any abnormal behavior that can be unsafe is detected.
The Note 7 battery saga is probably the biggest tech fiasco of 2016 and ultimately resulted in the loss of what could've been a seriously great device, but it would seem that its death would not be in vain as we've gotten much-improved quality-inspection procedures and also know quite a bit about battery safety. It's about time that we put those since I personally feel that everyone can learn from this.
What do you guys think?
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