Driving Innovation in America’s battery cell industry
The North American battery cell market is experiencing rapid and dynamic evolution: As of March 2023, industrial production capacities of lithium-ion batteries with a cumulative capacity of approximately 1,700 GWh are either planned or already in operation. The surge in production capacities of battery cells is accompanied by a strong demand for pioneering advancements in both product and production technologies. New cell generations such as solid-state and sodium-ion batteries are facing increasing attention by cell manufacturers, while in production there is at the same time an enormous demand for optimized manufacturing processes such as dry coating. In this fiercely competitive environment, innovation is the key to not only surviving but thriving.
Joining forces in the Fraunhofer Competence Center Battery Cell Production
The Fraunhofer Competence Center Battery Production is a a joint initiative of research facilities within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for the further development of battery production in an international environment. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, based in Germany, is the world’s leading organization für applied research and development. With a total workforce of more than 30,000 employees, Fraunhofer develops key technologies for the future and makes a significant contribution to the successful commercialization of innovations for business and industry.
Translating the latest research findings into production
At the center of the activities is the Fraunhofer Battery Cell Manufacturing Facility FFB in Münster, which operates an open battery factory for research and development purposes. Here, a team of 170 experts works on a wide range of battery research topics. The research facilities are currently being expanded to achieve production capacities of up to 7 GWh per year. As a second partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, based in Aachen, contributes its many years of experience in specialized machinery construction: For example, the Fraunhofer IPT has developed an individual system for the industrial series production of solid-state batteries on behalf of a customer.
It is the objective of the Fraunhofer Competence Center Battery Production to become a central hub for cutting-edge research and innovation in North American battery cell manufacturing.