Chinese battery maker halts production for 6 months amid fire and explosion scandal

Chinese power bank maker Romoss has suspended production for six months and closed its online stores after recalling nearly 500,000 products due to faulty batteries that could cause fires.

ROMOSS UP10 backup charger. Photo: Gadgetviper .

Romoss Technology, one of China’s largest manufacturers of portable power banks, has suspended production for at least six months, SCMP reported, citing local sources. The company has also closed stores on many major Chinese e-commerce platforms.

The move comes after a large-scale product recall, along with a decision by China's civil aviation authority to ban unlicensed power banks on flights.

Romoss’ future is now in serious jeopardy after its products were found to have a serious defect that could lead to fires. On June 16, the company recalled nearly 500,000 portable chargers from three different models due to a problem with batteries manufactured between June 5, 2023 and July 31, 2024.

Romoss isn't the first big name in the industry to run into trouble with its power banks. Earlier, on the evening of June 30, Anker issued its second recall in June, warning customers about five additional power bank models to stop using "immediately due to the risk of overheating, melting, smoking, or fire," including the Anker Power Bank (models A1257 and A1647), Anker MagGo Power Bank (model A1652), and Anker Zolo Power Bank (models A1681 and A1689).

"While the possibility of malfunction is considered minimal, to ensure maximum safety, we have decided to initiate a voluntary global recall of certain Anker power bank models," Anker wrote in the announcement.

The explosion scandal originated from supplier Amprius. Chinese regulators have revoked the 3C certification of many products using the company's battery cells, including well-known brands such as Romoss, Anker, Ugreen and Baseus.

China Compulsory Certification, or 3C, is a mandatory quality and safety certification system for products sold in China.

Earlier in the international recall announcement, Anker said the defect did not arise during the manufacturing process. It came from “unauthorized alteration of the diaphragm material” by the supplier.

The “diaphragm” here is like the safety valve of the Lithium-ion battery, blocking contact between the positive and negative poles, avoiding short circuits. Because of this problem, the power bank is at risk of catching fire under harsh conditions of use such as quickly charging the product in a thick quilt.

Source: https://znews.vn/hang-pin-trung-quoc-dung-san-xuat-6-thang-giua-be-boi-chay-no-post1566945.html