Battery Scale-Up
-- key capabilities --
- Mixing
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We develop high torque, high sheer and continuous mixing techniques. A unique feature of our Energy Innovation Centre is the continuity between small and large scale mixing. This capability allows for seamless transition from small to large batch size, as identical mixing technologies are used at both scales.
- Coating and drying
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Once mixed, the anode and cathode slurry is moved to our reel-to-reel coater and three zone dryer. The equipment enables hundreds of metres of commercially relevant electrode materials to be fabricated in a matter of hours.
Thickness/evenness of coating can affect the way a battery performs.
- Calendaring and slitting
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Reels of coated material (single or double sided) can be calendared and slit as required.
Cell Stacking, Tab Welding, Packaging, Electrolyte Filling
Electrodes are automatically assembled into large, high capacity stack cells, filled with electrolytes, vacuum sealed, tabbed, formed in high precision formation units (192 channels), degassed and resealed.
- Formulation/ageing
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We investigate how battery performance degrades over a range of different usage cases. Understanding how and why cells age is critical to achieving the safe and reliable operation of a battery pack over its intended lifespan.
- End of life
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Consideration of the battery value chain and identification of key breakpoints, such as when it is economical to service, test, recover, remanufacture and redeploy the battery, is key in ensuring remanufacturing is implemented in a sustainable way.