Exide seeks patent for new tech battery

[Metropolitanjury]

Exide Industries Ltd has jointly applied for a global patent for an 'advanced maintenance free technology’ battery along with US automotive battery major Daramic. It has also filed a design registration application in India for the battery to be used in the Ratan Tatas'Rs 1-lakh car, Nano.
"Daramic has supplied a special separator design for the 'advanced maintenance free technology' battery. We are hoping to get the patent in three years time," sources said.

The sources said field trials have already started for special maintenance free batteries at Associated Battery Manufacturers (Ceylon) Ltd, Exide's Lankan subsidiary. Exide and Daramic may join hands for developing innovating products, they added. A unit of Charlotte-based Polypore Inc, Daramic has led the way in developing new and innovative technology for the lead acid battery market.

It supplies more than 50% of the world's demand for high performance polyethylene battery separators. Daramic operates six manufacturing facilities in the US, Germany, Italy, France and Thailand. Exide R & D director S K Mittal refused to elaborate on the global patent issue. But commenting on the Nano battery, he added that the company is looking for exclusive design rights for the battery. "As far as our knowledge goes, it will be the smallest automotive battery. Besides, it will have other unique features like high power to weight ratio, long life etc. It will be the most significant new product from our stable.

The patent for industrial product is called design registration in India," he added. Currently, Exide has four design registrations. It already has a technical tie-up to jointly develop bi-polar technology batteries with UK's Atraverda. Atraverda is a research organisation which has patented Ebonex technology for small batteries.

By Ms.Bobby Aanand, Metropolitan Jury.