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<p>Bob, thanks for the first-hand info. I may be a conspiracy
theorist, but it sure seems to me that in the name of 'shareholder
value' corners are being cut anywhere they can be to reduce COGS,
hence increasing managements' bonuses (think Takata airbags, GM
ignition switches, etc.). My main complaint is I've had several
leakers, a couple of which were my mistake--overcharging or
mishandling--but others weren't. I prefer 'maintenance required'
batteries because sometimes you can spot problems that may not be
apparent with the sealed type but, overall, the sealed type are
probably better built.</p>
<p>Bob<br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/13/2018 3:34 PM, Robert Begani
wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">OK
Guys I will give you my 2 cents on making batteries, since I
have actually been inside battery manufacturing operations
world-wide and was a supplier of a key ingredient in the
automated battery making process. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">50
years ago a key step in the battery making process was the
hand soldering of the straps between the cells with a very
strong chloride acid soldering flux. The acid flux had to
be cleaned off the straps by hand because, if the residue
was left on the straps, eventually, it would destroy the
straps thereby reducing the life of the battery. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Along
came an inventor who created an automated procedure to
solder the straps which could have revolutionized the
industry. However, they could not figure out how to clean
the straps automatically until they replaced the acid flux
with a non-acid flux which allowed the automated production
to become successful. The maker of the machinery sold the
flux under their name, so as a young international sales rep
looking for more business in the lines he carried, I
searched for battery makers who bought the machinery outside
the USA and convinced them to buy the flux from the maker.
Over the next 50 years, the worldwide industry converted the
battery making to use this process, and other makers of the
machinery were created. Some were not interested in buying
our flux and created their own with questionable results.
Most of the time, I was successful in convincing the actual
users of the equipment to use our non-acid flux as the cost
was a minor part of the production process, until a bean
counter would disrupt the production by buying a local
product on the cheap.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The
Johnson Controls battery making operation has been operating
in Monterrey, Mexico for over 30 years in cooperation with
local firms. As the American automotive manufacturers
produced more and more cars in Mexico the battery makers in
northern Mexico became larger and larger. So I set up a
distributor in Monterrey to supply many of the battery
makers (Accumuladores) in Northern Mexico including Johnson
Controls. It has been over 10 years since I retired and my
client, the maker of the Non Acid Battery making flux, took
over the business. Who knows what flux Johnson and other
Accumulators are now using!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">At
any rate, almost all makers of batteries or the makers of
other products use the same or similar equipment and
anywhere along the production line, changes can create
problems which they do not know about until the rate of
battery failure increases which may be 5 years later. If
Johnson Controls is not supplying batteries to GM, Ford,
Chrysler and so on of high quality and reliability in Mexico
and the cars are being sold in the USA and Canada, they
would be in deep you know what. I do not know if Interstate
Batteries are still being made by JC or some other
Accumuladores in Monterrey as I have no longer any contacts
in the business. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I
do know that I do not have to buy a new battery every
September as my father did for our 1953 Chevrolet Belair so
the car would start in the winter. In addition, my 5 year
old Duracell Battery bought at Sams Club is still turning
over my Healey, not because I drive it every day! It is
because I charge it every 30-60 days to make certain that
sulfides on the plates do not reduce the life of the
battery, and the batteries on my 2 sailboats are lasting
5-10 years because of using a particular battery charger
which has automated that process. I tend to think that much
of the returns on batteries is the result of limited use of
the vehicle, and all those energy sapping sensors in the new
cars reducing the life of the battery. Again, since I no
longer go to the IBMA (Independent Battery Manufactures
Association) yearly meeting, I impart to you what is going
on in the industry today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Best
regards to all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Bob
Begani<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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