Romoss Supplier Amprius Faces 74 Suspended or Revoked 3C Certifications Amidst Power Bank “Time Bomb” Fears

In our hyper-connected world, a portable power bank is no longer a luxury; it’s an essential lifeline for our always-on devices. However, what was once a savior for our drained smartphones is now, for some, a ticking time bomb.

In a significant development, tech brands Remax and Anker Innovations have each announced substantial product recalls for their power banks, collectively impacting over 1.2 million units. The culprit? A safety lapse originating during battery production, where the presence of foreign metal particles introduced a risk of overheating and, in the worst-case scenario, combustion.

According to reports, as of July 3rd, Remax confirmed that 330,807 of its products were eligible for recall, with 79,891 units already returned or safely disposed of. Anker Innovations reported that over 200,000 users have initiated their recall requests, and the company has dispatched more than 100,000 fire-resistant safety bags to facilitate the return of affected power banks.

Industry insights suggest that Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., a key supplier of lithium batteries for Remax power banks, is at the center of this recall. The seriousness of the situation is underscored by the fact that all 74 of Amprius’s 3C certifications have been suspended or revoked by certification bodies. Consequently, the Wuxi Municipal Market Supervision Bureau has officially sealed all lithium battery products manufactured by the company.

The root cause appears to be a critical compromise in the manufacturing process. Reports indicate that an outsourced manufacturing facility illicitly substituted raw materials for the cathode and anode separators in the batteries. This unauthorized alteration created a risk of separator failure, potentially leading to the explosive outcomes that prompted these widespread recalls.

Anker Innovations’ recall announcement appears to corroborate this narrative. The company’s statement explicitly mentioned discovering “unapproved raw material changes in certain batches of industry-standard cells from a supplier.” This admission highlights the intricate and sensitive nature of the supply chain in the electronics sector, where a single point of failure can have far-reaching consequences for consumer safety and brand reputation.