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How to Spec Li-ion UPS and Rack Power Materials: What to Send H-O for a Quote
A battery-program RFQ has a property no other gasket order has: the paperwork is part of the part. A correct material with an undocumented class, or a drawing note that claims a system listing for a component, costs more schedule at review than any cutting error. This article is the checklist the H-O applications team works from for data-center power equipment, organized by the four zones of the parent application page: the Li-ion battery stack, the UPS cabinet, the 48V rack power shelf, and the generator room.
For each zone: what to send, what it decides, and the standards language to use, with material classes cited per TDS, system standards by designation, and the listing belonging to the tested assembly.
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What to send, zone by zone
| Zone | Send this | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Battery stack | Cell preload window (kPa) and swell allowance; barrier-tier strategy (cell / module / compartment); pad footprints; any per-material flame-class requirement | The PORON firmness grade and thickness from the CFD curve (ASTM D3574), with 4701-40V0 where a V-0 class is required on the pad; the mica, ProCell, and ArmaGel layers drawn as parts per tier. |
| UPS cabinet | Closure force, gap, and flame-class requirement per joint | EPDM (RE-series) versus the BISCO silicone track (HT-870, BF-1000, RS-series, kSil V-0), with compression classes per ASTM D1056 and UL 94 listings per the grade TDSs at your thickness. |
| 48V rack power (OCP ORv3) | Busbar geometry and wrap radii; support and standoff loads; magnetics winding drawing; TIM mounting pressure and whether the interface must insulate | The dielectric split by mechanics: Kapton HN gauge to the wrap radius, Nomex 410/414 in the windings, G10/FR4 where the insulation carries load; graphite versus insulating TIM (Protect 1500FG, Sil-Pad TSP class) per ASTM D5470 / D149 data read at your pressure. |
| Generator & switchgear room | Masses and bearing areas for base pads; fuel-exposure mode for gaskets (mist, splash); acoustic coverage areas | Rebonded neoprene (25#/27#) sized by static bearing stress, SBE vinyl nitrile at lighter loads, C41ECH epichlorohydrin on fuel-exposed joints, sound-barrier sheet cut to the panels. |
The standards language that keeps the drawing set honest
Write material classes on the part callouts and system standards by designation. A pad callout reads "PORON 4701-40V0, UL 94 V-0 per TDS at specified thickness"; a barrier callout reads "supports designs evaluated per UL 9540A"; and the program sheet cites UL 1973, UL 9540, and NFPA 855 by designation, because they evaluate the battery system, the ESS, and the installation, and the listing belongs to the tested assembly.
Never let a drawing imply a die-cut part is "UL 9540 certified." Reviews stall on exactly that sentence, and the fix costs a revision cycle that one drawing note would have avoided.
What happens after you send it
- Drawing-set review. Typically opened the same business day; the response is either a layer-by-layer material direction or the specific missing items (preload window, barrier tiers, flame clause are the usual three).
- Material direction and quote. Family and grade per layer with the TDS citations, the compression and thermal data read at your stated pressures, and the standards language framed correctly.
- Samples. Typically 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand, so pads and barriers can be checked on real module hardware.
- Production and kitting. Standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, on flatbed die-cutting, CNC knife cutting for kiss-cut pad sets, and kitting for module-level material kits with lot-code TDS records per material. MOQ varies by material and part.
Documentation available on request: material TDS, certificate of conformance, lot traceability, and first-article inspection, under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system. H-O is a die-cut converter: we do not manufacture cells, design battery systems, or certify systems, and we do not mold or extrude in-house; profiles are coordinated through our partner network in Winsted, Connecticut.
The mistakes this checklist prevents
| Spec mistake | What it causes | Checklist line that catches it |
|---|---|---|
| Cell pads specified by thickness | The right gap fill on day one, the wrong spring forever; preload drifts out of window as cells swell | Preload window (kPa) + swell allowance |
| Barrier tier never drawn | Retrofitting mica or ProCell after the geometry is frozen | Barrier-tier strategy line |
| "UL 9540A barrier" claimed for a sheet | A stalled listing review | The standards-language section |
| TIM chosen without mounting pressure | An interface running hotter than the TDS suggested; D5470 data is pressure-dependent | TIM pressure line |
| Conductive graphite under a device needing isolation | An electrical fault path where a dielectric was assumed | The insulate-or-not question |
| Generator pads picked by footprint | Bottomed-out pads transmitting vibration into the white space | Masses and bearing areas |
Frequently asked questions
Can H-O kit the whole battery-module material set?
Yes. A module's converted layers (compression pads, mica barriers, Kapton pieces, TIM pads, gaskets) can ship as kitted sets: one kit per module, parts on liner in assembly order, with lot-code TDS records per material. Kitting is how the documentation burden of battery programs gets manageable: every layer in the kit traces to its TDS and lot, which is exactly what a system-level evaluation wants to see.
What if I do not have the cell maker's preload window yet?
Send what exists and say so. The review can proceed on every other layer (barriers, dielectrics, TIMs, gaskets) while the pad layer waits for the window; quoting the pad on thickness alone would just bake the classic mistake into tooling. If the cell is still being selected, engineering can outline the firmness-grade ladder so the pad drawing is ready to finish the day the window arrives.
How should the flame-class requirement be written?
Quote the facility or enclosure clause verbatim on the drawing ("seal materials UL 94 V-0 per facility spec section X") and let each grade's TDS carry the listing at your thickness. UL 94 classes are per grade and per gauge: kSil V-0 and the RS-series sponge carry V-0 listings, the PORON 40V0 grade carries it for pads, and an unrated grade of the same chemistry does not inherit it when supply gets tight.
Do you need the whole rack drawing for an ORv3 busbar wrap quote?
No. The wrap drawing needs the busbar cross-section and length, the wrap radii (which set the Kapton gauge), any heat-seal or adhesive need, and the support and standoff geometry if G10/FR4 parts ride the same order. Spacing and clearance decisions stay inside your equipment design per IEC 60664 practice; the films and laminates here are the materials those decisions get built from.
Send the zone checklist, get a power-stack quote
Attach the drawing set, BOM, or module spec with as many zone lines as you have. Drawing review typically starts the same business day.
Samples typically 3 to 5 business days; production about two weeks; MOQ varies by material and part. Expedited service available.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
ApplicationData Center Power & UPS SystemsRead →
GuidePORON, Mica, Kapton, and Graphite: Building the Material Stack in a Li-ion UPS ModuleRead →
GuideCell, Module, Compartment: Layering Fire Barriers in a Li-ion UPS, and Who Owns the UL 9540A ResultRead →
IndustryElectromechanical & Switchgear hubRead →
Request a quote for your data-center power & UPS part
Send H-O your drawing or describe the part—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- By designation, listing with the tested assembly: UL 1973; UL 9540; UL 9540A; NFPA 855. Material classes per the listed grade TDSs: UL 94.
- Methods per TDS: ASTM D3574 (CFD); ASTM D5470 (TIM impedance, pressure-dependent); ASTM D149 / D150 (dielectrics); ASTM C177 / E84 (aerogel); ASTM D1056 (cellular rubber); NEMA LI 1 (laminate grades); IEC 60664 (insulation-coordination context); OCP Open Rack V3 (design reference).
- Maker technical data sheets: PORON 4701 / ShockSeal; mica fire-barrier grade; ProCell; ArmaGel HT/HTL; Kapton HN; Nomex 410/414; G10/FR4; HITHERM graphite; Sil-Pad TSP; Protect/Secure; RE-series EPDM; BISCO silicones; rebonded neoprene; SBE vinyl nitrile; C41ECH.
This checklist supports a quotation workflow; it does not constitute design guidance for any specific battery system or installation. System standards are cited by designation only; they evaluate systems and installations, and the listing belongs to the tested assembly. Material classes and per-grade values are confirmed on the maker's current technical data sheet at the specified thickness.
H-O converts materials; it does not manufacture cells, design battery systems, or certify systems. All parts are custom manufactured to order; minimum production run quantities vary by material and part.