Nickel tabs for 18650 and 21700 battery packs
18650 and 21700 cylindrical cells are common, but battery pack architectures are not all the same. A useful tab must follow the spacing, housing, BMS routing, current outputs and welding constraints of the real pack.
Check material scope →
Standard cells, specific shapes
Even with common cylindrical cells, the tab shape depends on the pack. Cell count, real spacing, series/parallel layout, available room, housing, insulation and welding access all influence the geometry. A standard shape is not always enough for a prototype, repair or specific small batch.
Nickel Tabs is aimed at cases where the workshop already has a shape intention and wants a clean part quickly, cut from 0.15 mm pure nickel.
Use cases
Nickel Tabs is useful when the workshop needs clean, repeatable nickel pieces without waiting for a large overseas batch or cutting strips by hand. The service is designed for professional use cases where speed, geometry and material clarity matter.
- Prototype cylindrical cell battery pack.
- Repair or rework with a specific shape.
- Small batch before industrialisation.
- Conductive contact for a test bench.
- Current output adapted to an existing housing.
- Series/parallel bridges with controlled geometry.
- Workshop validation before a larger order.
- Replacement part for an existing pack layout.
What the DXF must express
The file must show the actual part expected: contours, holes, passages, cut-outs, outputs and weld zones. For 18650 and 21700 packs, mistakes often come from approximate spacing or from a part that does not account for electrode access.
Before ordering, the shape should be checked against the real assembly. A 1:1 paper print or template can help confirm spacing before requesting a cut part.
Pack constraints to check
The DXF should reflect the constraints of the complete pack, not just the position of the cells. The nickel tab interacts with the housing, the insulation, the BMS, the weld process and the final handling of the battery.
- Real cell spacing, not theoretical spacing only.
- Series and parallel paths.
- Current output position.
- BMS wire passages.
- Insulation and fishpaper clearance.
- Housing or enclosure limits.
- Electrode access for spot welding.
- Flat handling before assembly.
Small batch and reordering
Once a shape is validated, the clean file becomes the reference for reordering. This is useful to reproduce an identical lot, document a repair or move from prototype to small batch without starting from an uncertain drawing.
For workshops, the value is not mass production. The value is speed, clarity and repeatability for the parts that are usually slow to source: custom nickel tabs, test connectors, replacement shapes and small validation runs.
Before the first quote
Start by checking the material scope, DXF file and geometry rules before the first quote.
Read material scope →Nickel tabs for 18650 and 21700 battery packs
18650 and 21700 cylindrical cells are common, but battery pack architectures are not all the same. A useful tab must follow the spacing, housing, BMS routing, current outputs and welding constraints of the real pack.
Check material scope →
Standard cells, specific shapes
Even with common cylindrical cells, the tab shape depends on the pack. Cell count, real spacing, series/parallel layout, available room, housing, insulation and welding access all influence the geometry. A standard shape is not always enough for a prototype, repair or specific small batch.
Nickel Tabs is aimed at cases where the workshop already has a shape intention and wants a clean part quickly, cut from 0.15 mm pure nickel.
Use cases
Nickel Tabs is useful when the workshop needs clean, repeatable nickel pieces without waiting for a large overseas batch or cutting strips by hand. The service is designed for professional use cases where speed, geometry and material clarity matter.
- Prototype cylindrical cell battery pack.
- Repair or rework with a specific shape.
- Small batch before industrialisation.
- Conductive contact for a test bench.
- Current output adapted to an existing housing.
- Series/parallel bridges with controlled geometry.
- Workshop validation before a larger order.
- Replacement part for an existing pack layout.
What the DXF must express
The file must show the actual part expected: contours, holes, passages, cut-outs, outputs and weld zones. For 18650 and 21700 packs, mistakes often come from approximate spacing or from a part that does not account for electrode access.
Before ordering, the shape should be checked against the real assembly. A 1:1 paper print or template can help confirm spacing before requesting a cut part.
Pack constraints to check
The DXF should reflect the constraints of the complete pack, not just the position of the cells. The nickel tab interacts with the housing, the insulation, the BMS, the weld process and the final handling of the battery.
- Real cell spacing, not theoretical spacing only.
- Series and parallel paths.
- Current output position.
- BMS wire passages.
- Insulation and fishpaper clearance.
- Housing or enclosure limits.
- Electrode access for spot welding.
- Flat handling before assembly.
Small batch and reordering
Once a shape is validated, the clean file becomes the reference for reordering. This is useful to reproduce an identical lot, document a repair or move from prototype to small batch without starting from an uncertain drawing.
For workshops, the value is not mass production. The value is speed, clarity and repeatability for the parts that are usually slow to source: custom nickel tabs, test connectors, replacement shapes and small validation runs.
Before the first quote
Start by checking the material scope, DXF file and geometry rules before the first quote.
Read material scope →