Project Fast Facts
- Project Target
- 30MW / 30MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
- Component Supplied
- Battery Cluster Racks
- Total Quantity
- 80 Sets
- Application Scenario
- Grid-Side Frequency Regulation & Peak Shaving
- Delivery Schedule
- Completed October 2020 (Expedited Delivery)
- Fabricator
- Openex Large Metal Fab
Background & Requirements
With global Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installations rising exponentially, battery cluster racks act as the critical structural "skeleton" for cell modules. Their dimensional precision, strength, and long-term environmental reliability directly dictate the safety and lifespan of the entire energy storage station.
Commissioned by an internationally recognized energy corporation, this 30MW/30MWh energy storage project demanded extraordinary technical compliance. The structural frames had to support massive, heavy battery modules while guaranteeing a 25+ year service lifespan under severe seismic loads and extreme weathering. Additionally, a constricted project timeline meant these 80 colossal units had to be bulk-manufactured flawlessly in a very tight window.
Manufacturing Challenges
- 1. Extreme Structural Load: Each cluster rack houses dozens of tons of liquid-cooled battery modules. Deflection variance had to be controlled strictly down to the millimeter.
- 2. Severe Anti-Corrosion Needs: Exposed to varied power-station environments, the coating required a 20+ year lifespan resisting heavy humidity, aggressive salt spray, and UV degradation.
- 3. Modular Interchangeability: Compact field environments mandated a "knock-down" component design. Framework pieces needed immediate bolting upon arrival, requiring absolute hole-tolerance consistency across all 80 units.
The Openex Solution: Automated "Lights-Out" Manufacturing
To eliminate bottlenecks and bypass standard lead times, Openex’s Heavy Metal Fabrication unit initiated an aggressive multi-phase solution running exclusively on our digitally integrated, automated flexible sheet metal production line. By connecting Fiber Laser Cutting (±0.1mm), CNC Bending Centers, and Robotic Welding cells into a central MES system, we achieved uninterrupted 24-hour "lights-out" fabrication operations.
Our precise processing lifecycle included:
- CNC Profile Bending: Transforming heavy gauge steel into torsion-resistant cold-formed structural posts.
- MIG Robotic Welding: Assuring fully-fused, critical nodes yielding welds validated by rigorous Ultrasonic Testing (UT).
- Surface Engineering (Blasting & Coating): All seams and edges received intricate mechanical grinding and shot-blasting to aggressively raise substrate roughness. Next, an industrial heavy-duty electrostatic outdoor polyester powder coat (80-120μm thick) was applied and cured.
Technical Delivery Specifications
| Parameter Indicator | Characteristics Achieved |
|---|---|
| Structural Design | Modular high-strength cold-formed framework; fast on-site bolt assembly. |
| Bearing Capacity | Rated for fully-loaded, large liquid-cooled & air-cooled battery grids. |
| Corrosion Resistance | Outdoor electrostatic powder coating; 500+ Hours Neutral Salt Spray durability. |
| Dimensional Tolerance | Crucial installation hole-pitch tightly controlled at ±0.5mm limit. Perfect squaring validated. |
Final Project Outcomes & Customer ROI
"To hit these indicators, our teams continuously debugged CNC machine parameters. By simulating welding-heat distortion metrics down to standardizing our unique spray-curing thermodynamic curves, we confidently achieved 100% customer approval prior to packaging."
— Openex Energy Storage Project Lead
Complete Energy Sector Capability
Beyond cluster racks, our extensive power-generation metal product line encompasses: Battery Outer Housings, Liquid-Cooling HVAC duct-bases, Battery Automation Production hoppers (lithium powder hoppers & Ni/Co baskets), integrated Charging Station Cabinets, and complete external Fuel Cell / Hydrogen filling structures.