I'm very new to this literally a couple of weeks BUT I was a qualified electrical engineer.
The issue of QC reject cells has literally just come to my attention, and apart from the fact that in the UK its a criminal offence to sell any kind of QC reject WITHOUT CLEARLY INDICATING that's what it is. It's a problem, but it obviously is happening.
So this post is more of a thinking out loud than a solution,
But firstly the obvious....... If you have been conned report it, only when enough people do that do the Trading Standards get the police involved and take action. Yes its a pain, but you can't really complain if you are basically conned and don't report it can you?
BUT, thats after the event isn't it, it helps others but not immediately you, which is why so many people don't bother and the problem gets bigger and bigger.
But is there anything you do to test a product yourself?
I don't have an immediate answer BUT THIS IS A FACT, with every other electrical product ever made, the most likely time for it to fail is when its new, that's a fact, if these is a fault it usually shows itself very quickly. Once it has survived a couple of weeks constant use, it will usually last years, and even then it is usually a mechanical part in the item that actually causes it to go to the recycle center. For several years the entire Television Set manufacturing industry, had entire buildings full of thousands of TV sets undergoing "Soak Testing", basically plugged in working waiting for them to fail or need adjusting BEFORE SELLING THEM TO THE PUBLIC, I used to build these soak testing facilities.
Eventually, after using this approach for years, they decided to stop and sell the stuff straight of the production lines, and just test the odd one in case the entire batch was faulty (that's what batch testing really means..... LOL). But if none of the test items fail (which may be just the odd one unless and there is an immediate problem, in which case more will be tested) and then the rest of the batch are rejected by QC. Then they consider them all perfect (knowing they are not) and simply replace the ones that fail when a customer uses them, BECAUSE IT WAS CHEAPER AND EASIER TO DO THIS.
So this leads me to wonder, could we do the same things with new cells we buy from anyone other than the manufacturer, devise a soak test that will literally subject them to a couple of weeks hard work, leave then running driving something (Powering for example a smaller motor, like a windscreen wiper motor thru a relay which is latched (held on) on by the cell(s) being tested voltage. SO when the cells Vcc drops the relay drops out, and instead of connecting the cell to a load, it connects it to a charger. Basically leave it running in a shed cycling between real load, and recharge for a couple of weeks, simulating a much longer period of constant actual use. Obviously use battery holders, no soldered or spot welds so the cells are still unmarked and looking new and unused.
But if they fail, send the back as DOA, or this happened when I put this in my torch, and get for a refund
What does anyone think?
Keith
Beat them at their own game?
The issue of QC reject cells has literally just come to my attention, and apart from the fact that in the UK its a criminal offence to sell any kind of QC reject WITHOUT CLEARLY INDICATING that's what it is. It's a problem, but it obviously is happening.
So this post is more of a thinking out loud than a solution,
But firstly the obvious....... If you have been conned report it, only when enough people do that do the Trading Standards get the police involved and take action. Yes its a pain, but you can't really complain if you are basically conned and don't report it can you?
BUT, thats after the event isn't it, it helps others but not immediately you, which is why so many people don't bother and the problem gets bigger and bigger.
But is there anything you do to test a product yourself?
I don't have an immediate answer BUT THIS IS A FACT, with every other electrical product ever made, the most likely time for it to fail is when its new, that's a fact, if these is a fault it usually shows itself very quickly. Once it has survived a couple of weeks constant use, it will usually last years, and even then it is usually a mechanical part in the item that actually causes it to go to the recycle center. For several years the entire Television Set manufacturing industry, had entire buildings full of thousands of TV sets undergoing "Soak Testing", basically plugged in working waiting for them to fail or need adjusting BEFORE SELLING THEM TO THE PUBLIC, I used to build these soak testing facilities.
Eventually, after using this approach for years, they decided to stop and sell the stuff straight of the production lines, and just test the odd one in case the entire batch was faulty (that's what batch testing really means..... LOL). But if none of the test items fail (which may be just the odd one unless and there is an immediate problem, in which case more will be tested) and then the rest of the batch are rejected by QC. Then they consider them all perfect (knowing they are not) and simply replace the ones that fail when a customer uses them, BECAUSE IT WAS CHEAPER AND EASIER TO DO THIS.
So this leads me to wonder, could we do the same things with new cells we buy from anyone other than the manufacturer, devise a soak test that will literally subject them to a couple of weeks hard work, leave then running driving something (Powering for example a smaller motor, like a windscreen wiper motor thru a relay which is latched (held on) on by the cell(s) being tested voltage. SO when the cells Vcc drops the relay drops out, and instead of connecting the cell to a load, it connects it to a charger. Basically leave it running in a shed cycling between real load, and recharge for a couple of weeks, simulating a much longer period of constant actual use. Obviously use battery holders, no soldered or spot welds so the cells are still unmarked and looking new and unused.
But if they fail, send the back as DOA, or this happened when I put this in my torch, and get for a refund
What does anyone think?
Keith
Beat them at their own game?
Last edited: