Lithionics designs and builds advanced battery systems that focus on performance, safety and reliability. Its smart, sustainable solutions are powering a cleaner, more efficient energy future for RVs, marine, fleets, and even amusement parks. Behind that mission are talented minds like Mason Ripper, an electrical engineer who’s helping to power the possible.
When asked what he does, Mason keeps it simple: he's the guy who builds cool machines. More specifically, he designs and develops in-house tooling and production process improvements that help drive the creation of Lithionics’ advanced power solutions. It’s work that requires a sharp engineering mind. A childhood spent playing with modular robotics kits didn’t hurt.
“My dad was an engineer, so I kind of grew up around it,” Mason says. “I started with robotics back in fourth grade, then moved on to 120-pound car battery-powered robots in high school and college.”
His love for robotics followed him to the University of South Florida, where he didn’t just join a robotics club. He built one. It gave him even more hands-on experience in tackling challenges; a skill that's at the core of his work at Lithionics today.
“The whole point of engineering is figuring out how to break through a problem,” he explains. “But there are often many constraints when you’re coming up with a solution. I’ll say, 'Okay, I’ll make it work.' That’s engineering. It’s a challenge, but that’s the fun part: figuring out how to get things to work and coming up with cost-effective solutions that don’t compromise quality.”
Mason works closely with the manufacturing team at Lithionics to develop a range of tools and devices that aid the production process. His work spans from designing, testing and maintaining cell voltage with handheld checkers to overseeing 3D printing.
“As lithium battery voltage increases, the number of cells in sequences or parallel goes up. It’s important that those cells stay matched in voltage, so you don’t get unexpected runway behavior,” he explains. “I was tasked with finding a more efficient way to balance incoming lithium. I’d already done a first pass on some of our 12-volt systems, and while they worked, they were definitely a learning experience.”
Mason enjoys being involved in all aspects of a project – from mechanical and electrical to software components – including the project to improve the balancing of incoming lithium when building Lithionics battery systems.
Balancing infrastructure is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency and improving product and workplace safety.
“Balancing is what we call a toaster step,” he says. “It’s one of those processes where nothing’s actively happening. Like a toaster, you pop it in, walk away, and it just does its thing. By speeding up that prep step, we’ve improved overall throughput. It helps us feed the production line faster but safely.”
The new balancing infrastructure has had a significant impact on production. Beyond enhancing throughput, it eliminated the need for potentially precarious wiring setups, reducing the risk of sparks and operational errors during assembly.
Team members like Mason embody purposeful innovation — bringing creativity, curiosity and commitment to every challenge. They help us build smarter, better and more responsible power solutions for our customers every day.