Archer Aviation Inc., a maker of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced that it completed the build out of its high-volume battery pack manufacturing line.
This facility is housed at Archer’s Integrated Test Lab and Manufacturing Facilities in San Jose, California, and will have the throughput necessary to support the planned high volume aircraft production ramp at Archer’s manufacturing facility in Georgia that remains on track to be completed later this year.
The battery pack manufacturing line was built to be an “automotive style” line that is designed for high-volume production from day one with the final phase of the facility set to be capable of producing up to 15,000 battery packs per year. Archer has applied automation in key areas of the battery pack manufacturing process to improve quality, operator safety and data traceability. This includes cell test and load, adhesive dispensing, laser cleaning, laser welding and end of line testing.
Archer chose to vertically integrate its design and manufacturing of the battery pack, which implements a proprietary and robust thermal runaway containment strategy.
The battery packs use cylindrical cells and successfully completed multiple drop tests.
Archer’s goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60 to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10 to 20 minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise and cost-competitive with ground transportation.
Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.