New Silver Plating Busbar Line Boosts UK EV Systems Capacity by 4,500 Tons Annually

Key Takeaways

Karas Plating has launched a £1.5-million automated silver-plating line in the UK, enhancing the country’s capacity for copper busbars used in electric vehicles.
The new line can process 200 kg every 20 minutes, with an annual capacity for an additional 4,500 tonnes of busbars.
This investment helps reduce reliance on overseas processes, allowing for better quality control and supply chain efficiency within the UK.

New Automated Plating Line Enhances UK Capacity

Karas Plating has officially launched a £1.5-million automated busbar electroplating line in the UK, claiming to offer the widest capacity silver-plating operation for copper busbars in the country. These busbars are crucial components in electric vehicle (EV) battery packs, power electronics, and charging stations.

The newly installed 2.4-meter-wide line is engineered to handle significant volumes, processing up to 200 kg of product every 20 minutes. This innovation will enable Karas to increase its annual production capacity by an additional 4,500 tonnes of copper busbars. The electroplating line can accommodate products up to 4.2 meters in length, catering to a variety of applications.

Busbars play a vital role in electric powertrains and charging systems, efficiently transferring high currents among cells, modules, inverters, and charging hardware while minimizing energy loss. Karas has highlighted the advantages of silver plating for these components, which include reducing contact resistance, improving the ability to carry current, stabilizing mechanical joints during vibrations or thermal cycling, and ensuring reliable low-resistance connections across multiple charge-discharge cycles. The company notes that silver plating is compatible with both copper and aluminum busbars, making it an appealing choice for weight-sensitive applications.

The implementation of this new line represents a strategic move by Karas towards reshoring production capabilities. It aims to lessen dependence on foreign electroplating services while providing UK manufacturers with enhanced process control and shorter supply chains. According to Managing Director Alan Pennington, the automated line functions as an autonomous cell, adhering to LEAN principles and utilizing KPI-based process control. This approach not only boosts operational consistency but also reduces silver consumption. Karas is reportedly achieving a remarkably low defect rate of fewer than five parts per million, reflecting the precision and reliability of its new processes.

Through this investment, Karas Plating is poised to meet rising demand for high-efficiency busbars in the expanding electric vehicle market while reinforcing the UK’s manufacturing capabilities in this critical area.

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