Apple, Dell, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and several other companies are meeting in September to work on setting standards for the lithium-ion batteries used in many laptop computers and handheld electronic devices. According to E-Commerce News, the companies are all members of the OEM Critical Components Committee from the IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries.
The decision to create manufacturing standards for batteries comes on the heels of Dellis recall of 4.1 million laptop batteries due to safety and fire risks. One such battery is reported to have caused a laptop to burst into flames.
Once a battery standard is in place, manufacturers will have to voluntarily comply with the specifications before any real change takes place.
Gaining that compliance shouldnit be an issue, according to Kimberly Sterling, IPCis Vice President of Marketing and Communications. "Standards make things easier on suppliers because they have one set of preferences for how effectively a thing is supposed to perform. It takes you out of the realm of every company having its own individual specification."