In 1895, the first modern electric tool was born. It was not until the 1960s, with the development of battery manufacturing technology, that cordless power tools powered by nickel-cadmium batteries emerged. By the mid-to-late 1970s, due to the reduction in battery prices and the shortening of charging times, this type of power tool was widely used in Europe, America and Japan. With the commercialization of secondary lithium-ion batteries in the 1990s, power tools gradually adopted lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density. At present, cylindrical lithium-ion batteries such as 18650 and 21700 are still the main types. It was not until around 2015 that pouch lithium-ion batteries gradually gained attention due to their advantages in weight and cycle life.

1. Miniaturization

During the popularization of power tools, an increasing number of household consumers tend to complete small tasks independently. Miniaturized power tools have gradually become one of the development trends of future products. With the continuous advancement of lithium battery technology and the gradual decline in related costs, the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, such as large power reserve and light weight, further meet the development trend of miniaturization.

2. High-rate discharge

To support the high-power operation of power tool motors, the lithium-ion batteries used must have excellent high-rate (high-current) discharge capabilities, so as to have outstanding endurance and cycle life.

3. Long service life

Long-life batteries can reduce consumers' usage costs. The service life of lead-acid batteries is generally 300 full charge and discharge cycles, 18650 batteries about 500 cycles, and pouch lithium-ion batteries about 1,000 cycles. Battery life is also related to consumers' usage frequency, habits and environment, etc.

4. Fast charging

Lithium-ion batteries charge quickly and can replenish the battery life of power tools in a relatively short time. Usually, 80% of the battery can be charged within 60 minutes.

5. Environmental protection

Lithium-ion batteries have advantages such as higher energy density, longer cycle life, and no memory effect compared to other batteries, and they do not contain harmful substances like mercury and cadmium. Therefore, they have been widely developed and applied

Why do power tools need to switch from cylindrical lithium batteries to high-rate pouch lithium polymer batteries?

The reasons for the conversion of power tool batteries from cylindrical lithium batteries to high-rate pouch lithium polymer batteries can be elaborated from the following aspects:

1. High-rate discharge: High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have a distinct advantage in terms of discharge rate. Compared with cylindrical lithium batteries, high-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries can operate stably at high currents and provide greater instantaneous power. This means higher output efficiency and stronger performance for power tools. In the modern power tool market that pursues high-speed, efficient and high-load operation, high-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have strong competitiveness. To match the high-power operation of power tool motors, the lithium-ion batteries used need to have excellent high-rate (large current) discharge capabilities, so as to have excellent endurance and cycle life.

2. Lightweight: High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have advantages in terms of volume and weight. Compared with cylindrical lithium batteries, high-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries adopt thin-film electrode technology, making the battery as a whole lighter and thinner. This helps power tools achieve a lightweight and portable design, meeting consumers' demands for convenience.

3. High energy density: The energy density of pouch lithium polymer batteries is relatively high, which means that under the same volume or weight, pouch lithium polymer batteries can provide a longer usage time. For power tools, high-energy-density batteries can enhance the tool's endurance and meet users' demands for long working hours.

4. Cycle life: High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have a long cycle life. Under normal usage conditions, the lifespan of high-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries can reach hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, which is much longer than that of cylindrical lithium batteries. Long cycle life can reduce the battery scrapping rate, decrease resource waste, and at the same time lower the frequency of battery replacement for users, thereby enhancing the economic efficiency of the product.

5. Safety: High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries are designed with a focus on safety. The thermal stability and chemical stability of the battery have been enhanced by adopting thin-film electrode technology and high-quality electrolyte materials. Compared with cylindrical lithium batteries, high-rate pouch lithium polymer batteries have a lower risk of internal short circuit and a smaller possibility of thermal runaway, effectively ensuring the safety of the product and users.

6. Customized Demands: With the segmentation of the power tool market, different types and levels of products have varying requirements for batteries. High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have good customization potential. According to product features and user requirements, batteries of different shapes, capacities, voltages and performances can be designed. This offers more possibilities for innovative and differentiated products to power tool manufacturers.

7. Environmental protection advantages: High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries do not contain heavy metal elements such as nickel and cobalt, causing less pollution to the environment. Against the backdrop of the continuous improvement of global environmental awareness, the use of environmentally friendly batteries has become a development trend in the power tool industry. High-rate soft-pack lithium polymer batteries have obvious advantages in this regard, which helps enterprises meet the demands of green development.

8. Mature domestic industrial chain: In recent years, China's lithium battery industry has achieved remarkable development results, especially in the field of lithium polymer batteries. Domestic enterprises have competitive advantages in technological research and development, production capacity scale, and the improvement of industrial chains, providing sufficient support for power tool manufacturers. With the continuous improvement of the performance of domestic high-rate lithium polymer batteries, their application in the field of power tools will become more extensive.