Reducing Vibration in EV Battery Pack Assemblies Using Tension Springs and Locator Clips

Electric vehicle (EV) battery packs operate in a mechanical system very different from those set up in internal combustion engines (ICE). Without the damping effect of the engine block, EVs transfer more road-induced vibration into their lightweight chassis. At the same time, OEMs are under pressure to reduce overall vehicle mass by substituting traditional steel structures with aluminium alloys and composite housings. These shifts create a harsher vibrational environment for EV battery pack assemblies, where modules are closely packed, sensitive to displacement and expected to maintain stable electrical contact over a service life exceeding 10–15 years.

Minimising Vibration is a Critical Challenge in EV Battery Pack Assemblies

For procurement officers and technical buyers, the challenge is whether existing suppliers can adapt to EV requirements. Springs and clips must not only provide preload and positional security but also withstand constant vibration, thermal expansion and long service lives. Solutions carried over unchanged from ICE set-ups can fall short in this new context, leading to rattling modules, connector misalignment or NVH problems that undermine pack reliability. William Hughes addresses this by drawing on decades of expertise in automotive spring manufacture while leading the transition into EV applications. As an IATF 16949-accredited manufacturer, the company applies automotive-grade quality management and validation processes to every EV component programme. Our design engineers, among the most experienced in the UK, have re-engineered proven ICE spring and wire form principles into components optimised for EV duty cycles, ensuring consistent performance across thermal, vibrational and fatigue conditions.

Spring Manufacturing Criteria in Electric Cars

In EV battery manufacturing, tension springs and locator clips play a critical structural role. They maintain consistent loading, prevent unwanted movement and protect sensitive interconnects from vibration and thermal stress. Springs apply constant load across joints and enclosures, ensuring modules remain compressed within their trays, even under vibration and thermal expansion. Custom locator clips and precision-formed wire components isolate modules, constrain lateral movement and protect interconnects against fretting and fatigue.

William Hughes has decades of experience designing and manufacturing springs for some of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers. That expertise provides a strong foundation, but EV applications demand a different approach. To meet these challenges, the William Hughes engineering team have tested material selection from spring steels to high-performance alloys and tested forming techniques using real-word automotive environments. This combination of heritage and innovation enables the development of springs and wire forms engineered specifically to secure EV battery modules across their full lifecycle.

 

Engineering Control at Module Level

William Hughes works directly with Tier 1 suppliers and OEM engineers to design and validate spring-based solutions for vibration isolation.

 

Applications include:

• Tension springs maintaining constant clamping load in restraint latches for module enclosures
• Wire locator clips providing secure alignment for cell isolation mounts
• Retaining forms stabilising liquid-cooled battery housing assemblies under road stress
• Preloaded springs for busbar engagement mechanisms, ensuring reliable electrical continuity

 

Each of these applications demands components that do more than fit mechanically; they must deliver validated fatigue resistance, consistent spring force retention and repeatable dimensional accuracy under volume production.

 

Fatigue Testing and Quality Assurance in EV Spring Manufacturing

One of the most common failure points in electric vehicle spring manufacturing is fatigue degradation under combined vibration and thermal cycling. William Hughes mitigates this through in-house fatigue testing and validation, simulating real-world EV duty cycles. Components are cycled under controlled temperature and vibration conditions to measure long-term force retention and dimensional stability.

William Hughes is accredited to IATF 16949, the global automotive quality management standard, ensuring full compliance with OEM and Tier 1 quality frameworks. As part of this accreditation, APQP and PPAP documentation is standard. Parts can be cleaned in an ISO 14644 cleanroom according to predefined inspection criteria.

 

Supply Chain Sustainability for UK-Based EV Component Manufacturing

Beyond technical validation, procurement officers face mounting pressure to de-risk global supply chains and strengthen sustainability reporting. William Hughes offers a UK and Europe-based manufacturing capability that supports just-in-time delivery and aligns with ESG objectives including:

• Reduced lead times through local engineering and production support
• Scope 3 emissions reduction by avoiding transcontinental freight
• Solar-powered facilities and closed-loop cleaning processes contributing to sustainable EV manufacturing credentials
• Flexibility to handle short validation runs and ramp-up production in the same facility

For buyers tasked with securing long-term supply of critical EV components, this model reduces exposure to logistics volatility while supporting corporate sustainability commitments.

 

What Are The New Procurement Needs Moving From ICE to EV

When deciding whether to transition to a new supplier for springs and wire forms in EV battery manufacturing, the business case must balance risk, cost and capability. William Hughes provides:

• Reduced warranty and recall risk by mitigating vibration-induced failures
• Faster onboarding with in-house prototyping, validation and PPAP documentation
• Consolidation of forming, cleaning, and sub-assembly under one supplier
• Strengthened ESG reporting with demonstrable sustainability practices
• A proven track record with multiple Tier 1 suppliers in advancing EV manufacturing programmes

Changing suppliers is always a measured decision for procurement teams, but the transition from ICE to EV platforms has altered the risks involved. Battery pack integrity, compliance with evolving safety standards and proven durability over extended service lives cannot be assured with legacy spring and clip designs that were never validated against EV-specific duty cycles. William Hughes offers components engineered from the ground up for electric vehicle requirements, ensuring that sourcing decisions reduce, rather than introduce, long-term programme risk.

 

Springs and Clips as Enablers of EV Reliability

EV battery pack assemblies represent one of the most mechanically and electrically sensitive systems in next-generation vehicles. Springs and locator clips may appear small in scale, but their role in maintaining preload, stability and vibration isolation makes them mission-critical.

William Hughes combines advanced materials, fatigue-validated designs together with UK and Europe-based sustainable manufacturing to deliver springs and wire forms that help OEMs and Tier 1s achieve their reliability and sustainability targets. For procurement teams shaping an electric vehicle supply strategy, the choice of supplier is now as much about technical resilience and sustainability alignment as it is about cost or capacity. Partnering with William Hughes provides assurance that both performance and ESG objectives can be met within a single, proven supply chain.