Pick the cell and the grid — 3 × 5 18650 cells by default — and get the pair of plates a pack is built in: each cell sits in a bore with a lip on the outside, the lip leaves a window for the nickel strip and an 8 mm channel guides the strip across the plate. The bottom plate is laid out so it lines up when you turn it over onto the cells.
The real generator runs in your browser: set the parameters, then download STEP or STL. Nothing to install, no sign-up.
The first open downloads the CAD engine (about 20 MB).
Each parameter below rebuilds real geometry on every change — this is parametric CAD, not a scaled mesh.
| Parameter | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| CellCELL | 18650 | 18650 / 21700 / 26650 | 18.4 / 21.5 / 26.4 mm nominal diameter. |
| Bore clearanceCLEARANCE | 0.3 mm | 0 – 0.6 | Added to the cell diameter: 18.7 mm bores for 18650. |
| LayoutLAYOUT | square | square / staggered | Square grid, or staggered (honeycomb) rows shifted half a pitch. |
| RowsROWS | 3 | 1 – 3 | Up to 3 per plate; print several plates for bigger packs. |
| ColumnsCOLS | 5 | 1 – 5 | Up to 5 per plate. |
| Wall between cellsWALL | 1.5 mm | 1 – 3 | 1.5 gives the common 20.2 mm pitch for 18650. |
| Balance-wire holesWIRE_HOLES | off | on / off | Ø3 holes between cells for BMS leads. |
| Holder heightHEIGHT | 10 mm | 5 – 40 | How deep each cell sits in the plate. |
| Outer frameFRAME | 0 mm | 0 – 3 | 0 lets plates butt together on the pitch. |
| EndEND | open | open / closed | Open with a lip for spot welding, or a closed floor for storage. |
| Lip overlapLIP | 3 mm | 1.5 – 4 | How far the lip laps over the cell end; the rest is the strip window. |
| Strip channel widthSTRIP_WIDTH | 8 mm | 0 – 10 | 0.8 mm deep channels for 7–8 mm nickel strip; 0 for a flat face. |
Every parameter can go in the page's link, so one link opens exactly the part you want. Example (21700 cells, staggered (honeycomb)):https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/18650-battery-holder-generator?CELL=21700&LAYOUT=staggered
Bore = cell diameter + 0.3 mm clearance; pitch = bore + 1.5 mm wall, both at the defaults. Each row opens the generator for that cell.
Cells vary by maker: 18650s run 18.4–18.6 mm at most, protected cells wider. Raise the clearance if yours don't go in.
STEP AP214 in millimetres, exact B-rep — it opens directly in SolidWorks, Fusion, FreeCAD, Onshape or Inventor, and goes straight into a CNC quote form. STL for the slicer is one click too.
| This generator | Typical online STL generator | Vendor CAD library | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any size within the range | Yes | Yes | Catalog sizes only |
| STEP with exact surfaces | Yes | Usually an STL mesh only | Yes |
| Changes the sliders don't cover | “AI edit” on the page | No | No |
| Account needed to download | No | Usually no | Often |
Every parameter is a link parameter; the link below opens the example part. ChatGPT, Claude or any assistant can write one like it from the parameter list (names, units, ranges) at: parameter list (JSON)
Example: https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/18650-battery-holder-generator?CELL=21700&LAYOUT=staggered
Press “AI edit” in the generator and say what to change — a keyway, holes, a different shape. The AI edits the part's model.py and it rebuilds in your browser, with undo. A few edits a day are free without signing in; to keep the result or go further, copy it into your models and continue with the AI agent.
Edit with AI →For bigger changes, several rounds, or a part you want to keep: copy it into your models (free account). The Forgent3D AI agent reads the model.py, edits it, rebuilds it and checks the result itself.
Copy and continue with the AI agent →PETG, ASA or ABS. Cells are allowed to discharge at up to 60 °C ambient with the can reaching 75 °C, and printed PLA starts to give at about 60 °C — fine for storage, not inside a working pack.
Samsung's cell datasheets ask for more than 1 mm between cells, and a 19 mm pitch leaves about half that. The smallest wall here (1 mm plus the bore clearance) keeps that spacing; the default 20.2 mm also matches the pre-punched nickel strip sold for that pitch.
Press the cells into one plate, lip side out, then turn the second plate over onto the other ends: it is generated as the mirror image, so the bores line up even for staggered layouts with an even number of rows.
Open https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/18650-battery-holder-generator?ROWS=3&COLS=5 — a top and a bottom plate for 15 cells on the common 20.2 mm pitch, Ø18.7 bores and 8 mm channels for the nickel strip. Print both, press the cells into one and turn the other over onto them.
One plate holds at most 3 × 5 cells; print several. With FRAME=0 the plates end exactly half a pitch past the outer cells, so they butt together on the same pitch: https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/18650-battery-holder-generator?ROWS=3&COLS=5&FRAME=0
Yes. Models you generate and the STL / STEP files you export are yours: print them, sell the prints, or use them in a product. No attribution to Forgent3D is required.
Already have your own .scad file? Convert OpenSCAD to STEP → · Preview it in the browser →
