18650 Five Cell Holder "Modular-Mag"

thingiverse

After browsing the web for a modular and attractive 18650 holder for an EV project, I decided to learn Solidworks and build my own. I run my filament a little hotter than recommended for ABS but it seems to make the layers stick together better (with the help of a cheap enclosure build). I will upload pictures soon to update the project as well as add another "Thing" to hold these Modular-Mags. The whole point of this project is to make the batteries easier to hot swap since the batteries are not welded or soldered to the connection lanes. Along with this, the "mags" will be able to be hot swapped from the main battery holder. I used blue for negative, red for positive, and black for the connecting pieces. I used brass strips (0.016 inches x 1/4 inch x 36 inches) from Amazon to connect the batteries and zinc (#8-32) machine screws (1/2 inch) and nuts from Home Depot. The parts friction fit on top but I used M2.5 x 10mm for bottom along with M2.5 hex nuts. Since I don't use a BMS on the battery, I simply added wires to the bottom of each screw nut to regulate the voltage of the cell. Requires 2 #8-32 screws, 4 #8-32 nuts, 2 M2.5 nut and bolt, along with a length of brass strip. I used a soldering iron to attach the brass and zinc. Known Issues: -The middle holders tend to not always touch all batteries and the easiest fix is to use a zip tie that fits in the grooves. -The nuts on bottom connector are a snug fit but very doable. As with any project pertaining to 18650 batteries, I do not take responsibility for damage or harm that occurs. Be safe and enjoy!