Spot welding pure nickel tabs
Cutting defines the shape, but the assembly defines the constraints. For a part intended for spot welding, the DXF must leave enough material, enough access and enough clarity for workshop use.
Common pack use cases →
Design for electrode access
A tab can be well drawn but difficult to weld if the electrodes do not have enough space. Weld areas should be accessible, repeatable and consistent with the equipment used in the workshop. Cut-outs, slots and passages must be placed without blocking access to contact zones.
Nickel Tabs cuts the supplied part, but the welding strategy belongs to the workshop assembling the pack. The file should therefore be prepared by someone who understands the assembly, the cell and the welding equipment.
Areas to keep clear
A nickel tab intended for spot welding should make the important zones easy to understand. The design must clearly show where the part conducts, where it is welded, where it passes around other components and where it must stay away from insulation, BMS paths or housing constraints.
- Welding zones with enough access.
- Continuous material around important contact areas.
- Current outputs that are easy to identify.
- BMS passages kept away from welding zones.
- Shape compatible with the planned insulation.
- No slot or cut-out weakening a welded zone.
- No unnecessary detail where the electrode needs stable contact.
- Enough room around the weld area for repeatable positioning.
Pure nickel and repeatability
Working with 0.15 mm pure nickel keeps the material scope clear. For prototypes and small batches, this helps compare one version to the next: the material and thickness stay the same while only the geometry changes.
Repeatability then depends on the full assembly: cell condition, welding settings, pressure, electrodes, contact surface and inspection method. These parameters remain the responsibility of the workshop. Nickel Tabs helps produce a clean, consistent cut part, but does not validate the electrical or welding process of the battery pack.
Before launching a small batch
Before ordering several pieces, it is better to validate a first shape on the real assembly. This step helps check electrode access, cell alignment, flatness, insulated areas and ease of placement.
A first physical test can reveal details that are not obvious in the CAD file: a bridge that is too close to an edge, a weld area that is hard to reach, a current output that interferes with the housing, or a cut-out that makes the part more fragile than expected.
Once the geometry is validated, the same clean DXF file can be reused for a small batch or future reorders. This reduces uncertainty and helps keep the workflow simple: same material, same thickness, same validated shape.
For 18650 and 21700 packs, check the common pack use cases next.
Continue with the resource dedicated to common cylindrical cell formats and how laser-cut nickel tabs fit pack prototyping, repair work and small runs.
Read the next resource →Spot welding pure nickel tabs
Cutting defines the shape, but the assembly defines the constraints. For a part intended for spot welding, the DXF must leave enough material, enough access and enough clarity for workshop use.
Common pack use cases →
Design for electrode access
A tab can be well drawn but difficult to weld if the electrodes do not have enough space. Weld areas should be accessible, repeatable and consistent with the equipment used in the workshop. Cut-outs, slots and passages must be placed without blocking access to contact zones.
Nickel Tabs cuts the supplied part, but the welding strategy belongs to the workshop assembling the pack. The file should therefore be prepared by someone who understands the assembly, the cell and the welding equipment.
Areas to keep clear
A nickel tab intended for spot welding should make the important zones easy to understand. The design must clearly show where the part conducts, where it is welded, where it passes around other components and where it must stay away from insulation, BMS paths or housing constraints.
- Welding zones with enough access.
- Continuous material around important contact areas.
- Current outputs that are easy to identify.
- BMS passages kept away from welding zones.
- Shape compatible with the planned insulation.
- No slot or cut-out weakening a welded zone.
- No unnecessary detail where the electrode needs stable contact.
- Enough room around the weld area for repeatable positioning.
Pure nickel and repeatability
Working with 0.15 mm pure nickel keeps the material scope clear. For prototypes and small batches, this helps compare one version to the next: the material and thickness stay the same while only the geometry changes.
Repeatability then depends on the full assembly: cell condition, welding settings, pressure, electrodes, contact surface and inspection method. These parameters remain the responsibility of the workshop. Nickel Tabs helps produce a clean, consistent cut part, but does not validate the electrical or welding process of the battery pack.
Before launching a small batch
Before ordering several pieces, it is better to validate a first shape on the real assembly. This step helps check electrode access, cell alignment, flatness, insulated areas and ease of placement.
A first physical test can reveal details that are not obvious in the CAD file: a bridge that is too close to an edge, a weld area that is hard to reach, a current output that interferes with the housing, or a cut-out that makes the part more fragile than expected.
Once the geometry is validated, the same clean DXF file can be reused for a small batch or future reorders. This reduces uncertainty and helps keep the workflow simple: same material, same thickness, same validated shape.
For 18650 and 21700 packs, check the common pack use cases next.
Continue with the resource dedicated to common cylindrical cell formats and how laser-cut nickel tabs fit pack prototyping, repair work and small runs.
Read the next resource →