Batteries Demystified by Ramesh Natarajan

Ramesh Natarajan

Mr. Ramesh Natarajan has over four decades of experience in the domain of lead acid battery designing, manufacturing, testing, marketing, and servicing with a special focus on trouble shooting peculiar problems. His continuing passion for learning about lead acid batteries and enthusiasm to share technical details related to batteries, chargers, and the various equipments which use batteries, has resulted in this venture, comprising of a series of Podcasts. His website www.RameshNatarajan.in also has Articles, FAQ's and Videos in addition to the contact details. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  1. Jul 28

    85. Experience is Valuable… Until It Starts Replacing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

    In every process-oriented industry, we invest heavily in technology, automation, and quality systems. Yet one of the biggest causes of quality issues often has nothing to do with machines or materials. It is the gradual drift away from “Standard Operating Procedures” (SOPs)—often by the most experienced employees who believe they know a “better” or “faster” way. Have you experienced situations where overconfidence or informal shortcuts compromised quality? How does your organization ensure that SOPs are consistently followed while still encouraging continuous improvement? Having spent over 42 years in the lead-acid battery industry, I have witnessed how seemingly insignificant deviations from SOPs can eventually lead to inconsistent quality, increased warranty claims, higher manufacturing costs, and dissatisfied customers. Experience is invaluable, but it should strengthen SOP compliance—not replace it. In my latest podcast, I share why SOPs are much more than documents—they are the collective wisdom of an organization, built on years of experience, trials, failures, and continuous improvement. I also discuss practical ways organizations can strengthen SOP compliance without discouraging innovation. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. #Leadership #Quality #Manufacturing #Operations #StandardOperatingProcedures #SOP #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #QualityManagement #LeanManufacturing #IndustrialEngineering #BatteryIndustry SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK Visit, www.RameshNatarajan.in to stay connectedJoin my network on LinkedIn to engage on social mediaView my videos on my Youtube Channel to get further insights of Lead Acid Batteries

  2. Jul 8

    83. A Case Study – Positive Grid Corrosion

    In this episode of my podcast, I share a real-life case study from a recent visit to the automotive battery industry. A manufacturer was experiencing many warranty claims due to positive grid corrosion. To solve it, they strengthened the grid by adding extra horizontal and vertical wires. The corrosion issue improved—but a new set of problems emerged. Battery capacity reducedOEM customers were unhappy with the heavier batteryAssembly processes had to be modifiedRecharge time became longerOne solution had triggered a chain of unintended consequences. When we stepped back and investigated the problem scientifically, we discovered that the real issue wasn't the grid design at all. The original corrosion problem was resolved—without redesigning the battery. This experience reinforced a lesson that applies far beyond batteries: Never treat the symptom before understanding the cause. In engineering, and in life, solving one visible problem without identifying its root cause often creates several new ones. A systematic, holistic approach almost always leads to a simpler, more effective, and more economical solution. I hope this episode provides useful insights for professionals in battery manufacturing, quality, R&D, and process engineering. I'd love to hear your thoughts: Have you ever seen a "solution" create more problems than the original issue? SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK Visit, www.RameshNatarajan.in to stay connectedJoin my network on LinkedIn to engage on social mediaView my videos on my Youtube Channel to get further insights of Lead Acid Batteries

About

Mr. Ramesh Natarajan has over four decades of experience in the domain of lead acid battery designing, manufacturing, testing, marketing, and servicing with a special focus on trouble shooting peculiar problems. His continuing passion for learning about lead acid batteries and enthusiasm to share technical details related to batteries, chargers, and the various equipments which use batteries, has resulted in this venture, comprising of a series of Podcasts. His website www.RameshNatarajan.in also has Articles, FAQ's and Videos in addition to the contact details. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.