With some collaborations, everything just fits. FRÖTEK and Rimaster jointly present an innovative battery connection solution that offers battery manufacturers high-quality solutions from a single source for forklift truck and charger original equipment manufacturers.
The German company FRÖTEK Kunststofftechnik is a leading supplier in the market for battery accessories and is known for its comprehensive expertise in this area. The company’s history began in 1985 with the production of plastic solutions. Since then, the company has become a fully-fledged global sales organization with eight production sites worldwide.
“Today, we employ 700 people and operate 120 injection molding machines,” explains Sascha Brothuhn, Vice President Sales at FRÖTEK: “For our customers in the battery manufacturing sector, FRÖTEK is a central point of contact that can offer them everything they need for the production of high-performance batteries – especially the cell.”
Nevertheless, there is nothing that cannot be further improved. “We were actually still missing something in our portfolio, as we were not in a position to offer a complete solution for high-performance connections. That’s exactly when Rimaster approached us.”
Development of the riCon range
Since its market launch, the riCon connection from Rimaster has met with great interest from manufacturers of original parts in the special vehicle segment. riCon is Rimaster’s in-house developed and manufactured standard battery connector designed for large batteries and large machines. It was specially developed for the requirements of the material handling industry. The injection-molded design is extremely robust and suitable for use in heavy industry.
“The connection meets and enables the maximum standards for forklift trucks in terms of current conduction and is therefore perfect for really powerful batteries. It works perfectly with batteries designed for electrical equipment that can lift nine tons or more. With riCon, we can offer an optimized standard solution for high-performance connections in all industries,” says Tomas Stålnert, CEO of Rimaster.
However, the riCon connection must be attached to the battery with a high-quality insulated and overmolded cable to prevent the ingress of acid and oxidation. In close cooperation, FRÖTEK and Rimaster have developed a complete solution consisting of riCon and an individual connection, which is offered as a complete kit for easy installation.
“Due to the advance of electric vehicles, the battery industry is growing rapidly. With the fuse cable from FRÖTEK, we can offer our original parts manufacturers a new benefit. Initially, we will focus on our customers in the forklift industry, but the solution is suitable for any market where large lithium batteries are used,” explains Tomas Stålnert.
The future will be electric
The solution is marketed by Rimaster to manufacturers of original parts and by FRÖTEK to battery manufacturers. According to Sascha Brothuhn, the collaboration will provide customers with a high-quality complete solution from a single source:
“For us, this is an important addition to our portfolio. We believe that the solution will be appreciated on the market from a competitive point of view, as there have been very few similar solutions to date. We have just introduced it to the European battery market at the Lyon conference and it has been very well received. I also know that Rimaster already enjoys Toyota’s trust.”
For Sascha Brothuhn, the collaboration with Rimaster is a battery dream come true, as the cooperation between two leading experts in their respective technical fields will enable the customers of both companies to take the step into an electrified future. “The fact that these are two family-run companies that focus on long-term relationships with customers and business partners makes it a perfect fit!”