Quality Excellence in Battery Cell Production

As Europe’s battery industry transitions from its startup phase to large-scale mass production, manufacturers face significant challenges in maintaining product quality and reducing scrap rates. Especially early stages of cell production, including mixing, coating, drying, and calendaring, are particularly susceptible to quality inconsistencies. Addressing these challenges necessitates a comprehensive understanding of process dynamics and the influence of machinery on electrode quality.​

This is also reflected in the findings of our CRI report “The Future of Batteries” where scaling inefficiencies emerged as a significant challenge for automotive manufacturers and companies in the energy and utilities sector. With 68% of automotive organizations reporting difficulties in maintaining standards at scale, high scrappage rates and quality issues are critical factors hindering advancements in the battery industry. This is precisely where our new study comes into play.

Our latest study introduces an innovative approach to support cell manufacturers: leveraging process simulation to gain profound insights into production processes. By integrating process simulation into battery cell production, manufacturers can achieve a deeper understanding of their processes, leading to improved quality control, reduced waste, and enhanced overall performance.

“The product quality and consequently the profitability of battery cell production is determined by the level of understanding of your production process. The player with the most accurate physics-based simulation models of its production processes will likely lead the market.”

Michael Müller, Head of Climate Tech & Sustainability, Capgemini Engineering Germany

The publication is a collaborative work of Capgemini, the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB within the “Technology Cluster Battery Cell”. This cooperation aims at fostering innovation by uniting research institutions and industrial players, creating novel methods and toolchains to expedite the battery cell development process from conception to scaled production.

Discover, why process simulation is a strategic tool for enhancing battery cell production. By providing a deeper understanding of production processes and enabling precise adjustments, it offers significant economic and technological benefits. Manufacturers adopting this approach can expect reduced scrap rates, estimated up to 3% in long term scrap reduction, if fully implemented, thus saving up to 138 Mio. € per year for 50 GWh of cell production.

Gain insights from leading experts how to enhance battery cell production.

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About the authors

Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen

The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University was founded in 2014 by Professor Achim Kampker and has been active in the field of lithium-ion battery production technology for many years. PEM covers all aspects of the development, production, and re-cycling of battery cells and systems. Due to numerous industrial projects with companies of all stages of the value chain and central positions in renowned research projects, PEM offers extensive expertise.

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB

The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB is a facility of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft at the Münster site. Its concept provides for a combination of laboratory and production research for different battery cell formats – round cell, prismatic cell and pouch cell. Fraunhofer FFB employees research individual process steps or the entire production chain as required. Together with the project partners – Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology (MEET) at the University of Münster, the Chair PEM of the RWTH Aachen and the Research Center Jülich – the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is creating an infrastructure in Münster that will enable small, medium-sized and large companies, as well as research institutions, to test, implement and optimize the near-series production of new batteries. As part of the “FoFeBat” project, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are funding the establishment of the Fraunhofer FFB with a total of approximately 820 million EUR. The federal government is providing up to 500 million EUR for research facilities and projects at the Fraunhofer FFB, while the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is investing around 320 million EUR in land and new buildings.

Capgemini

Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.

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