BFH – Manufacturing Technologies for Battery Production

The research group manufacturing technologies for battery production at BFH is focused on development of new sustainable and cost‐effective production technologies for battery cells and other production lines supporting Swiss battery manufacturers.

The team submits not only technical solutions for battery production but also offers innovative ideas according to the holistic approach.

Test batteries in different geometries can be produced in their own pilot production line for battery cell manufacturing which aims to improve product quality and processing steps with cost effective solutions. This pilot line helps to get deeper understanding and serves as a showcase for industry partners and research groups. It allows to feed the electrodes into the laser cutting unit from role and stacking them automatically in a controlled mini environment under cleanroom conditions. With cooperation of different disciplines and integration of smart sensors to the system, „Industry 4.0″ revolution is implemented for the future applications and their developments.

Beside technical improvements and investigations, the research group can also optimize and up-scale the battery manufacturing lines with virtual production solutions (computer model) from slurry preparation until cell production and formation. A virtual production line can help to detect the bottlenecks of system also enables to minimize production cost and to improve process flow of battery cell production lines.

Research group Manufacturing Technologies for Battery Production offers services in the following areas:

Electrode cutting with laser cutting unit for electrodes up to 300×150 mm dimensions.
Cell assembly in glove box under inert gas atmosphere.
Manufacturing of test batteries for flexible cell dimensions from electrode cutting & automated cell stacking in a controlled mini environment under cleanroom conditions to battery formation.
Modelling (virtual production line), simulation, optimization and upscaling studies of battery production lines.
LiFE, thermal and ion flow simulation in battery cells without license cost.
General production optimization for machine and full lines
Development of smart sensors for optimization, predictive maintenance etc.