In November, Midtronics celebrates 40 years in business, serving the automotive industry with products and services that revolutionize how batteries are diagnosed, charged, and tested. It’s been a path marked with many challenges that have been overcome by founder and CEO, Steve McShane, and his team.
The milestones have racked up, but Midtronics is far from finished in helping push the industry forward. The past four decades have been conquered one step at a time, and that’s how the future will be too: always moving forward.
Where Midtronics Excels Today
Today, Midtronics has become arguably the most trusted name in battery diagnostics and testing by not just the repair shops that use the equipment on a daily basis, but the OEMs too. Virtually everyone involved in the service side of the industry has picked up and used a handheld battery tester, successfully checking a battery’s state of health and state of charge in just a couple of minutes or less.
The most popular products currently offered include the CPX-900 battery and electrical system tester, a handheld diagnostic tool that’s incredibly simple to operate – even without reading a manual. It’s equipped with core features like Conductance Profiling™, a process patented by Midtronics that pinpoints low reserve capacity in batteries, plus many other key features.
As crucial to an auto service business is the ability for deeper-level diagnostics, and that’s where the DCA-8000 dynamic diagnostic charging system shines. Now, failed batteries can be diagnosed in two minutes or less, and this device can charge at the highest safe rate due to continuous battery monitoring.
And while these products are beacons that point to Midtronics’ capabilities today, they just scratch the surface. There are also many others, including hybrid and EV products that are key to the future of the auto industry.
Integrating AI
What’s clear is that stagnation is not happening at Midtronics. A giant leap forward was recently introduced called MDX-AI, a foundation for all new products released that greatly increases the accuracy and speed at which 12-volt batteries are tested.
Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, this technology has all but eliminated one of the peskiest problems in battery diagnostics: ‘Charge and Retest’ decisions. It overcomes many more challenges including diagnostics for deeply discharged batteries as well as being able to test almost instantly in 4 out of 10 cases without any user data input.
Steve McShane says, “MDX-AI was first presented with the announcement of our next-generation diagnostic tester we called the MVT. The use of this technology makes battery diagnostics faster, more decisive, and more accurate than existing tools today and uses the insight we have gained from over a hundred million tests stored on our web server.
“Harnessing almost four decades of experience, expertise, and innovation, MDX-AI solves previously unsolvable problems in battery management, supplying battery service providers with a new source of growth for their battery business. It also helps ensure customers are never stranded because of misdiagnosis of a defective battery.”
An Electric Future
Everyone’s familiar with the push to adopt electrification in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions. That can take on many faces, from hybrid models to PHEVs and fully electric models, as well as up-and-coming technologies like extended range EVs.
Midtronics is committed to being at the forefront with both low-voltage battery testing and diagnostics for electrified models, as well as support for servicing high-voltage batteries. In fact, current products already support rescue charging, module balancing, and more. And it’s clear that Steve and his team are focused on serving both the people who service these vehicles as well as developing technologies alongside car manufacturers.
He says, “Increasingly, these OEMs are turning to Midtronics to help mold the future of EVs and hybrid service including capacity state of health analysis and safety testing. With the potential danger from high voltage systems and the risk of fires in lithium batteries, new opportunities are becoming apparent to the Midtronics team.”
Whether it’s for servicing under warranty or after replacing a battery, or dealing with end-of-service-life decommissioning, Midtronics is in the mix.
“Recycling and repurposing are becoming more important as minerals used in battery manufacturing are becoming more critical. We see a very bright future in supporting the industry’s need to save critical resources, maintain safety of high voltage systems and assure that the protective systems powered by low voltage batteries are protected as well.”
Support for All Automotive Products
Currently, the automotive service industry is positioned somewhere in the middle of the traditional ICE vehicle technology and futuristic electrification. But as the industry evolves, who knows where it’s going to lead? What’s not to be missed is that there’s bound to be a battery component in any vehicle – even if it’s cars eventually taking to the skies, solid state battery implementation, or some other tech that doesn’t look like it’s on the immediate radar.
Midtronics will be there to support battery technology every step of the way, always staying one step ahead.
“Our core strength comes from our innovative culture as well as our focus,” McShane says, “Like no other company in the world, we remain completely committed to the service of automotive battery systems, with the experience and data from millions of service events every year and the dedication to lead in this critical area.
“We are helping the automotive industry prepare for a lucrative electric future. It is my commitment for Midtronics to continue to lead the way with service solutions that enable the industry’s transition to electrical technology, and to provide growth opportunities for our employees and our suppliers.”
