Defence

Lincad’s BLOCS label printer makes global transportation of military batteries easier

Posted 14 September 2021

Lincad has developed an innovative battery logistics and operational compliance system (BLOCS) that allows label printing of battery state of charge. It connects directly to compatible in-service Lincad battery conditioners and chargers and enables batteries for military equipment to be transported safely around the world with ease, in line with IATA regulations.

Image courtesy Lincad

The BLOCS label printer automatically prints a status label for each battery being charged or discharged, showing accurate state of charge data and other battery information. The system allows up to 16 conditioning devices to be connected at the same time for rapid processing and a streamlined logistics process. Using Lincad’s six channel Armada conditioner, up to 192 batteries can be processed simultaneously.

IATA regulations require that lithium-ion batteries have a state of charge of 30 per cent or less when transported by air. The BLOCS label printer system ensures that batteries being transported for mission critical defence purposes comply with these stringent regulations. The system is available as a factory add-on option and works as an automated, stand-alone process that does not require any external inputs once set up.

The system allows different conditioner and charger types to be used simultaneously. This provides maximum flexibility to suit the logistical demands of defence sector end users. The printed status labels provide accuracy and full traceability back to each conditioned battery.

Peter Copplestone, Operations Director at Lincad says: “Our versatile and highly efficient label printing system has been specifically designed to meet battery charging and management demands of our own lithium-ion LIPS battery suite, as well as batteries of other electro chemistries. This means that our customers can not only rely on Lincad for rapid, accurate, up-to-date state of charge status labelling for Lincad products, but also for batteries from other original equipment manufacturers. Such versatility is especially critical for defence equipment that needs transporting to front lines and other demanding military environments.”

As well as the defence and military sectors, Lincad’s range of battery conditioners and chargers in conjunction with the BLOCS label printer can also be used for the safe transport of industrial and commercial lithium-ion batteries.

Lincad will be demonstrating the system’s capabilities at DSEI 2021 (Stand H2-580 in the UK pavilion) which takes place from the 14th to 17th September at ExCeL in London.