Masonry Magazine March 2006 Page. 34
TECHNOLOGY
Lithium-ion cells can either hold more
power in the same size package or hold the
same power in a smaller package.
Capitalizing upon the inherent benefits of lithium-based
chemistry, tools large and small, which were previously impossi
ble with NiCad, are now a reality. Manufacturers can meet the
demand and promise for more power and runtime without mak-
ing the tool uncomfortably heavy, as was the case with the devel-
opment of the 24-volt NiCad tool platform. And unique innova-
tions for ultra-compact tools are also possible with mind-boggling
power in an extremely small package.
For example, at the basic chemistry level, individual NiCad
batteries hold 1.2 volts, while a single lithium-ion cell can hold
and use up to 3.6 volts and still weigh less than a NiCad cell.
Simply put, lithium-ion cells can either hold more power in the
same size package or hold the same power in a smaller package.
For example, a 36-volt lithium-ion battery offers twice the volt-
age capacity of an 18-volt NiCad battery for efficient high-amp
draw tools, but weighs nearly the same. A 10.8-volt lithium-ion
battery has comparable power to a NiCad at the same voltage,
but is half the size of a 9.6-volt NiCad. Less weight combined
with compact size and more power makes lithium-ion tools
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Lightweight and powerful, a 36-volt lithium-ion battery offers twice th
power but the same weight as an 18-volt NiCad.
easier to handle and more productive, a major advantage for
anyone using power tools.
When it comes to more runtime, the fact is that any increase
in voltage for any battery chemistry will increase runtime. So, by
increasing lithium-ion batteries to a higher voltage, such as 36
volts, users inherently benefit with a runtime increase. Just like
NiCad, though, runtimes vary based on whether a particular
application might draw more power than another. But, overall,
the larger the voltage, the more runtime the user can expect. Mov-
ing forward, 36-volt batteries are the highest voltage the market
will likely see for power tools.
Additional significant benefits of lithium-ion include a consis-
tent level of performance from the beginning to the end of the dis-
charge cycle and the ability to recharge the battery at any time with
out causing memory effect. With lithium-ion, users will not
experience the dramatic dip in performance that NiCad batteries
yield near complete discharge. The technology also eliminates
memory effect, when a battery would no longer charge to full
capacity after being partially charged and discharged a series of
times. So, whether 20-percent or 99-percent charged, users can
recharge their batteries to full arrytime without causing cell damage.
Lithium-ion also provides users with an extended bat-
tery shelf life, which prevents batteries from drastically dis-
charging when not in use over extended periods of time.
The Battery Cycle-life Challenge
WHILE LITHIUM-ION OFFERS revolutionary advantages,
many of the benefits discussed above are accessible to any man-
ufacturer that applies the technology to their product. But unlike
the constant low amp draw experienced by cell phones and lap-
tops, power tool manufacturers face a different challenge with
more heavy-duty applications. The byproduct of frequent high
amp draw applications, such as sawing or drilling into dense
materials, is heat that can damage battery cells. As a result, the bat
tery's cycle-life, the number of charges and discharges before a
battery needs to be replaced, is drastically shortened. Only by engi
neering the battery and its cells to resist this condition are manu-
facturers able to bring a lithium-ion battery with an acceptable
cycle-life to the professional market and not cost end users signif-
icant amounts of money to continually replace their batteries.
Three design steps will protect and significantly extend a lithium-
ion battery's cycle-life, especially for heavy-duty applications: a
higher voltage platform, electronic cell protection and specially
engineered battery packs.
The first requires creating higher voltage batteries, such as
28- or 36-volt, to reduce the overall strain on the individual
lithium-ion cells and enable them to last longer. A simple com-
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