IEC 62899-501-1:2019

Overview

IEC 62899-501-1:2019 is an international standard for printed electronics that defines quality-assessment procedures for flexible or bendable primary and secondary cells and batteries. It specifies recognized failure modes and mechanical stress test methods to determine reliability characteristics of printed, bendable cells as used in flexible electronics applications. The standard aligns terminology and test context with existing battery standards and the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEC 60050-482).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Applies to flexible/bendable printed primary and secondary cells and batteries; focuses on mechanical reliability and failure characterization.
• Mechanical tests: Defines methods for assessing mechanical stability of packaging and contacts, bending tests, torsion properties, and mechanical stress points (e.g., localized contact or puncture testing).
• Geometrical measurements: Procedures for determining cell thickness, volume, and volume-change calculations. Measurements are to be made under controlled conditions (default 20 °C ± 5 °C) and using multiple measurement points (minimum sample count recommended).
• Failure criteria: Specifies observable failure states, including mechanical package damage, electrical failure modes, and heat generation as indicators of unsafe or failed cells.
• Test conditions and sampling: Recommends testing at least five cells from a lot and pre-conditioning/storage practices (e.g., storage for at least 24 h at specified temperature) before certain measurements.
• Terminology and references: Uses definitions from IEC 60050-482 and cites related normative documents for primary and secondary cell parameters.

Practical applications and who uses it

IEC 62899-501-1:2019 is intended for:

• Battery and printed electronics manufacturers - to design flexible cells and verify mechanical robustness during product development and production.
• Test laboratories and quality assurance teams - to establish repeatable mechanical testing and failure-mode identification for certification and quality control.
• OEMs and integrators - to evaluate component reliability for wearable devices, flexible sensors, printed batteries in IoT devices, and other flexible electronics.
• Standards bodies and conformity assessors - to harmonize testing approaches and reference failure criteria when aligning with safety or market-entry requirements.

Use cases include reliability benchmarking, design validation for bendable batteries, incoming inspection protocols, and failure analysis for returned or field-failed flexible batteries.

Related standards

• IEC 60050-482 (IEV: primary and secondary cells and batteries)
• IEC 60086-1 / IEC 60086-2 (primary cell parameters)
• IEC 61960-3, IEC 61951-1 / IEC 61951-2 (secondary cell performance/designation)
• IEC 62133-1 / IEC 62133-2 (secondary cell and battery safety requirements)

Keywords: IEC 62899-501-1:2019, printed electronics, flexible batteries, bendable cells, mechanical testing, failure modes, quality assessment, battery reliability.