Samsung's Note 7 post-mortem

25 Jan 2017

Following several months of in-depth investigations, Samsung Electronics has announced the cause of the Note7 incidents: design and manufacturing flaws associated with the lithium-ion batteries used in the phones, which were produced by Samsung's battery suppliers.

The company released the findings at a press conference in Seoul, Korea on Sunday.

DJ Koh, president of mobile communications business, Samsung Electronics, shared results of the investigation and expressed his apology and gratitude to Galaxy Note7 customers, mobile operators, retail and distribution partners and business partners for their patience and continued support. Koh was joined by executives from UL, Exponent and TUV Rheinland, leading independent industry groups that conducted their own investigation into various aspects of the Galaxy Note7 incidents.

According to Samsung, problems were found in two different manufacturing situations, both involving different series of batteries. The first series involved a battery casing that was too small, leading to what Samsung described as an "electrode deflection and incorrect positioning of the negative electrode tip in the upper right corner of the battery".

The second problem came about due to what Samsung says was an "abnormal weld spot", a manufacturing problem that "led to an internal short circuit".

Preventing a recurrence

Additional protocols have been implemented based on what the company learned from the investigation. These include multi-layer safety measures and an eight-point battery safety check.

Samsung has also formed a Battery Advisory Group, consisting of external advisers, academic and research experts to ensure it maintains an objective perspective on battery safety and innovation. The Battery Advisory Group members include:

• Clare Grey, Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge;
• Gerbrand Ceder, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley;
• Yi Cui, Ph.D., Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University; and
• Toru Amazutsumi, CEO, Amaz Techno-consultant.

“We are pleased that the reasons for the Galaxy Note7 incident have finally been clarified,” says Craige Fleischer, Director Integrated Mobility, Samsung South Africa.

“Samsung is a company that learns from our experiences and we are committed to incorporate the learnings to evolve. Our customers’ safety comes first and we have taken action on improving our quality assurance process by implementing an 8-step battery check. This process has been endorsed by three of the world’s leading industry groups.”