TU Braunschweig has commissioned three new battery cell production facilities at the Battery Labfactory Braunschweig (BLB) research center. These facilities will be used to expand research into sustainable, industry-oriented battery production processes. The expansion was supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space with more than ten million euros. The new facilities will allow researchers to investigate manufacturing processes for battery electrodes under conditions similar to those found in industrial production environments.
Electrodes and solid-state batteries
The new infrastructure comprises three different production facilities. Firstly, a pilot plant for dry coating will study alternative manufacturing processes for battery electrodes. Unlike conventional wet coating, this process does not use solvents and is considered a possible approach for significantly reducing energy consumption and production costs. A second facility will be used for tandem wet coating. This plant is intended for research into circular battery cell production. Along with an existing recycling plant, it will analyze closed material cycles under industrial conditions. The third facility uses additive manufacturing. This facility develops solid-state electrodes using 3D printing technology, which is being investigated for future battery generations.
Focus on the entire value chain
The three facilities will complement the existing research infrastructure in Braunschweig. According to the Technical University, this will enable research along the entire value chain, including basic research, material development, cell concepts, and demonstration processes on a pilot scale.
