Minneapolis, MINN–March 10, 2011–Diversified Plastics, Inc. has announced the production of high-precision insulator components for lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles. The components are produced for Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls-Saft, a major worldwide supplier of advanced battery solutions for the automobile industry.

Diversified Plastics manufactures insulator parts, used to shield key internal battery components, with high performance plastics. “The parts are a challenge to produce, we needed to produce high-precision molds with very tight tolerances to accommodate the insulator components,” says Mike Bartell, tooling manager at Diversified Plastics.

Vehicle battery applications are demanding and components are exposed to severe external and internal forces, while needing to be lightweight and compact to fit within the lithium-ion battery cell. Diversified Plastics was able to produce the lightweight and high-strength parts needed to satisfy the customerʼs performance requirements for its lithium-ion batteries.

Along with meeting cost and delivery requirements, Johnson Controls-Saft selected Diversified Plastics as a supplier for the lithium-ion battery project because of its unique technical ability to produce the complex insulator components in the United States. Diversified Plasticsʼ use of lean manufacturing practices and having a well-established quality control program contributed to Johnson Controls-Saftʼs decision to select the company.

“Diversified Plastics is excited to be a part of Johnson Controls-Saftʼs lithium-ion battery project—technology used to power the next generation of hybrid and electric motor vehicles,” said Diversified Plastics Vice President, Annette Lund. “With our many years of experience producing difficult and complex injection-molded parts, weʼre confident Johnson Controls-Saft will leverage and benefit from our unique technical abilities.”

About Diversified Plastics, Inc.

Diversified Plastics is an injection molder of high-precision, close tolerance, small- to medium-sized injection molded components for medical device, filtration, aerospace and a variety of other industrial markets. The 34-year-old company is a full-service injection molder, from design assistance and mold construction, to intricate molding and clean room assembly. Diversified Plastics is ISO 9001:2008 and 13485:2003 certified, and UL registered.