Why 3003-H14 Battery Aluminum Cases Are the Lightweight PACK Favorite

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales reached 3.5 million units in H1 2025, with "dual-carbon" policies pushing NEV lightweight. A 10% weight reduction boosts range by 5%-8%. 3003-H14 battery aluminum cases stand out for their lightweight and strength. This article explores their material advantages, structural design, durability, application scenarios, and Xiamen APOLLO's solutions.

 

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1. Low Density with High Strength​

3003-H14 aluminum has a density of 2.73 g/cm³. It's 35% lighter than steel. Cases made from it cut PACK weight by 20%-25% compared to steel ones. This directly boosts EV range.​

 

2. Excellent Formability for Compact Design​

3003-H14 has a 12%-15% elongation rate. It can be formed into thin-walled aluminum li-ion cells casings (wall thickness 1.2-1.5mm) without cracking, further reducing weight while ensuring structural stability.​

 

3. Cost-Effective Lightweight Solution​

3003-H14 aluminum costs 40% less than high-strength 6061 aluminum. Using it for battery cases balances lightweight needs and production costs, suitable for mass-produced NEVs.

 

 

1. Optimize wall thickness distribution: For a power battery shell, thicken stress points (e.g., corner areas to 1.8mm) and thin non-stress areas (e.g., flat areas to 1.2mm). This ensures strength while minimizing weight.​

 

2. Adopt integrated stamping: Replace welded structures with one-piece stamping for aluminum prismatic casing. This reduces 8-10 welding points, cuts weight by 5%-8%, and lowers leakage risks.​

 

3. Add lightweight ribs: Design 2-3mm high reinforcing ribs on the case bottom. They enhance impact resistance without increasing much weight, matching lightweight PACK's load requirements.

 

 

1. Corrosion Resistance​

3003-H14 aluminum cases have a natural oxide film (thickness 5-8μm). They resist corrosion from battery electrolytes (like lithium hexafluorophosphate) for over 8 years. This meets NEVs' service life needs.

 

2. Temperature Adaptability​

The material maintains stable performance between -40℃ and 80℃. In cold northern winters or hot southern summers, it won't deform, ensuring aluminum li-ion cells work normally in the case.​

 

3. Impact Resistance​

3003-H14 has a tensile strength of 140-160 MPa. A new energy vehicle aluminum battery case made from it can withstand 10kN impact force without cracking, protecting internal batteries from collision damage.​

 

4. Vibration Resistance​

The case's damping coefficient is 0.008-0.01. It reduces vibration from road driving by 30%, avoiding loose connections between battery cells and the case, which ensures PACK stability.

 

 

3003-H14 battery aluminum cases are widely used in mainstream NEV models. In compact EVs (e.g., BYD Dolphin), they reduce PACK weight by 22% to boost range to over 400km. In plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs, e.g., SAIC Roewe RX5 PHEV), aluminum prismatic casing matches the smaller PACK space while cutting weight. In commercial EVs (e.g., JAC iEV75), new energy vehicle aluminum battery case withstands frequent charging-discharging cycles and road vibrations. These applications prove its suitability for lightweight PACKs.

 

 

Xiamen APOLLO's aluminum cases use 99.7% high-purity 3003-H14 aluminum. This is higher than the 99.5% purity common in the industry. It ensures better formability and strength. Our aluminum prismatic casing uses precision stamping (tolerance ±0.05mm). It's thinner than peers' products (wall thickness 1.2mm vs. 1.5mm) for more lightweight. We have ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949 certifications. They meet global NEV quality requirements.​

 

We offer flexible custom services. We adjust power battery shell size (length 200-500mm, width 150-300mm) and thickness based on customers' PACK designs. Our global sea-land-air logistics works well. It delivers to European ports in 18-25 days, North American ports in 15-22 days and Southeast Asia in 5-10 days. Our after-sales team provides 24-hour technical support. It helps customers solve installation and matching issues for lightweight PACKs.