Understanding VVDN’s approach to manufacturing EV chargers and BMS solutions
VVDN Technologies is an electronic product engineering and manufacturing house that works in the field of 5G, Datacenter, Wi-Fi, IoT, EV Charging Solutions & Automotives, Vision and Cloud & Apps. The conversation with Mr Sumit Ranjan (Associate Director – Engineering, VVDN Technologies) sheds light on VVDN’s approach to designing and manufacturing Battery Management Systems and EV charging solutions. It covers their end-to-end process, focusing on hardware and software aspects, compliance with industry standards, quality assurance practices, and the role of their IoT team in facilitating cloud-device communication.
Can you please share VVDN Technologoies’ current scale of manufacturing and deployment for EV Chargers and BMS?
Our current capacity is 100K per month for EVSE, 100 per month for DC Fast Chargers and 25K per month for BMS. We are currently doing 3.3kW, 7.2kW and 11kW EVSE and DC fast chargers up to 120kW. Also, the Onboard and Off-board chargers are in the design phase and will go into manufacturing soon. VVDN is a service provider that supplies products to OEMs.
Our customers have deployed 250K+ EVSEs, 1000+ DC fast chargers, and 20K+ BMS solutions in the field. The chargers designed and manufactured by VVDN for its customers are primarily deployed in North America and India.
Can you elaborate on VVDN’s end-to-end approach to Battery Management System (BMS) design, development, manufacturing, and quality assurance?
VVDN follows a comprehensive product design, validation, and manufacturing process that has been developed through years of experience in product design and manufacturing. Every product developed at VVDN follows a well-defined design and validation cycle that starts with a detailed understanding of the unique requirements of the product/solution followed by a detailed architecture and design phase and eventually through a rigorous validation process.
For BMS, requirement analysis covers factors such as battery type, environmental conditions, safety standards, and communication protocols. During the BMS development phase, all design teams, including HW, SW, and Mechanical, must meet the design goals, and the QA team ensures this by developing a detailed test plan to test and validate the product as per requirements and target KPIs.
VVDN NPI team also helps in reliability testing and DFx for the product and defines a PFC in consultation with the Quality team to make sure that every unit undergoes the right testing, scrutinizing both minor and major features/interfaces to preempt any potential issues in the field. To further bolster quality assurance, experienced quality teams closely monitor all test parameters and process uniformity.
Can you explain the hardware and software components involved in VVDN’s on-board and off-board chargers, emphasizing how they ensure compliance with industry regulations?
In our on-board and off-board chargers, both hardware and software components are vital.
– Hardware includes power circuitry, control units, cables, connectors, and safety features.
– Software involves charging algorithms, communication protocols, and diagnostics.
We ensure applicable compliance with industry regulations like SAE J1772, IEC 61851, UL2231, UL2594, ISO15118, and UL2202 or whatever are applicable as per product type, prioritizing safety and seamless integration with industry standards.
In terms of hardware and mechanical capabilities, what specific design considerations and analyses does VVDN undertake to ensure the robustness of its EV charging solutions?
When it comes to hardware and mechanical capabilities, VVDN takes a thorough approach to ensure the robustness of our EV charging solutions. For high-power designs, we conduct precise thermal simulations to guarantee stability across different environmental conditions. Our PCB design is meticulously crafted, with a focus on component selection and high-power track routing that strictly adheres to industry standards. This meticulous process ensures reliability and robustness throughout our EV charging solutions.
How does VVDN handle software aspects in its EV charging solutions, such as device drivers, protection modules, status indication, and OTA upgrades?
In our EV charging solutions, VVDN carefully manages software aspects to ensure efficiency and reliability. We develop custom device drivers, rigorously tested to integrate with hardware components seamlessly.
Our solutions feature protection modules and clear status indication mechanisms to shield against voltage fluctuations and provide users with effective device status updates. Moreover, we facilitate over-the-air (OTA) upgrades, allowing seamless integration of new features and enhancements via secure connections, maintaining fail-safe conditions throughout the process. Redundancy and failsafe mechanisms are part of our software development practices. Interoperability is another aspect that is key to adoption of EV across geographies and VVDN supports required standards like OCPP wherever required.
Could you explain VVDN’s testing and quality assurance practices for EV charging solutions?
At VVDN, our testing and quality assurance practices for EV charging solutions are exhaustive and multi-faceted. We conduct safety testing, adhering to standards like UL 2231, UL2594 focusing on personal protection systems and residual current devices. Functional testing covers a range of scenarios, evaluating charging current, stability, and communication efficacy. Environmental and durability testing ensures operational integrity under varied conditions, while EMC testing validates immunity to electromagnetic interference. Utilizing advanced equipment and standardized protocols, we leave no stone unturned in ensuring the reliability and safety of our solutions.
Regarding the 7.2 kW Type-2 AC EV charger designed for OEMs and automotive suppliers, how does VVDN ensure compliance with specific standards in Indian and European markets?
When it comes to the 7.2 kW Type-2 AC EV charger, it is tailored for OEMs and automotive suppliers as per their demand. Diligent design ensures compliance with standards in both Indian and European markets. For the Indian market, we ensure compliance with ARAI AIS 138-Part 1 standards, while for the European market, we follow IEC 61851, IEC 62752, IEC 62196-1/2 standards. Also, when required by the customer, at times, European standards are followed in India and AIS 138- Part 1 has almost the same standard as IEC 61851 of Europe. In India, we prioritize robustness to withstand grid fluctuations effectively. Moreover, our design ethos emphasizes flexibility and customization, meeting client requirements with tailored solutions, whether it’s enhanced safety features or performance optimization.
Can you elaborate on the role of VVDN’s IoT Team and the aspects of cloud-device communication, development, management, and application services in the context of EV charging?
VVDN’s IoT Team assumes a pivotal role in orchestrating seamless integration and communication between EV charging devices and cloud platforms. They spearhead the development, management, and application of cloud-device communication protocols, ensuring streamlined data exchange and remote management capabilities. Leveraging cutting-edge IoT technologies, we empower functionalities such as remote monitoring, scheduling, and firmware updates, elevating both user experience and operational efficiency within the EV charging infrastructure landscape. VVDN has developed its own cloud platform as well which is called Intelligent Cloud Engine (ICE) and is a highly configurable platform that can be customized for different IoT product categories. This platform supports device onboarding and provisioning, OTAs, remote diagnostics, key analytics and also has support for OCPP for EV charging infra.
In the e-mobility market, what unique value proposition does VVDN offer to OEMs globally, considering its comprehensive services covering hardware, software, mechanical, testing, and mass manufacturing?
VVDN distinguishes itself in the e-mobility market through its comprehensive suite of services covering hardware, software, mechanical design, testing, and mass manufacturing. Our end-to-end approach streamlines the development lifecycle, ensuring seamless integration and rapid time-to-market for OEMs worldwide. By offering a one-stop solution, we simplify the complexities of multi-vendor engagements, providing unmatched convenience and efficiency in bringing EV charging solutions to fruition.
Also read: 12,146 public EV charging stations operational in India
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