Various 18650 Safe/Strong Lithium Battery Containment (WIP)

thingiverse

Please show your enthusiasm by liking or following if you're interested in a robust case for your 18650 cell packs, up to 4x4 configuration. This will help me gauge interest and accelerate the project's progress with increased attention. Additionally, you can click the "Tip designer" button (found in my profile, not visible on the 'thing' page) to provide some extra motivation or a custom design. Read ahead for more details. Currently, I'm working on refining some of the boxes using a fresh yet nearly identical design. **You should be aware of this already; DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SOLDER YOUR PACKS. YOU MUST SPOT WELD TABS TO YOUR CELLS. THE FORMER IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND MAY RESULT IN SEVERE BODILY HARM, SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY LOSS, OR EVEN DEATH.** Also, be sure to read my comprehensive write-up on lithium cell welding found HERE: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2588371 This design features a single hard case for a 3x4 arrangement of 18650 batteries. In the future, possibly within the next few days, I will add other configurations. These cases utilize M3x25 screws and a conservative bead of RTV for attaching and sealing the lid. The M3 screws will bite directly into the material and must not be over-torqued. The boxes are designed to accommodate a single unbalanced I/O for use with a BMS; in my choosing, I use a DC barrel connector. The exit lead must not exceed 2.5mm in radius without binding, and a strain relief can be built in by simply folding the lead over one time inside the box and securing it with liberal amounts of RTV/soft durometer adhesive/rubber/urethane of your choice. The boxes have provisions for BMS units as well. The intention of this design is focused on safety, strength, and basic ergonomics. Space efficiency is acceptable but not ideal, as can be seen from a cross-section parallel to the base. **You must use the attached 18650 welding tray or your cell packs may not fit!** I have moved away from the staggered cell design for thermal management purposes, etc. The boxes are 79mm tall plus the height of the M3 fasteners' heads you choose. Available for download: Sampler (old file) 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4 1x3 Coming soon: 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 3x3, 3x4, and 4x4. The first version features a label extruded into the lid; I will be removing labels from future versions and making some changes. The single version STL that's included here will be removed and replaced soon. Printability is a 10/10 as is. Please observe the CC licensing (NO commercial, NO derivatives, period!) as I will make efforts to enforce this and fight any intellectual property theft/plagiarism. Sorry, but that's how it has to be. You are free to create for personal use as many of these units as you'd like.