MiKoBatt
How Battery Cell Production Can Become Significantly Cheaper Through Microenvironments
The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University is conducting research with two industrial partners in the "MiKoBatt" project on the ecological, economical, and sustainable production of battery cells in order to enable German and European manufacturers to gain commercial competitive advantages in the future. To this end, factory and machine concepts are to be developed that allow efficient battery cell production with the help of so-called microenvironments.
Reducing energy consumption and saving operating costs
Such environments are intended to protect special materials from the negative influence of humidity or air, for example. The concept is intended to reduce the air space volumes to be conditioned in battery cell production compared with classic dry rooms and clean rooms, thus significantly reducing energy consumption, saving operating costs to a large extent, and improving the protection of the product and the employees.
In-depth know-how on product drying and quality management
In the project, PEM is primarily concerned with gaining a deeper understanding of the many interactions between product and environment with regard to air quality – for example, with regard to dryness and particle contamination. Only with the help of distinct knowledge about the product drying and quality management will it be possible to increase energy efficiency in a targeted manner as well as to advance innovative, effective approaches to solutions in industrial large-scale production. Battery manufacturing requires a tightly controlled production atmosphere to ensure process stability and to maximize quality, cycle life, storage capacity, and production yield. In order for the use of microenvironments to reduce the currently high operating costs, issues such as the handling of sensitive materials, transport, storage of intermediate products, and the optimum dew points for different products must be clarified.
Further information is provided in this press release.
The project
- "MiKoBatt": Factory and machine concepts for economically efficient battery cell production with microenvironments
Research objectives
- Exploration of the manifold interactions of product and environment with regard to air quality
- Significant reduction in energy consumption and high operating cost savings in battery production
Research and project partners
PEM of RWTH Aachen University
PowerCO SE
(Project coordinator)
Jagenberg Converting Solutions GmbH
Duration
- 04/01/2023 through 03/31/2026
Project management
Funding code
- 03XP0541C
Grantor