Battery Cell Production in the “FFB PreFab”: YSTRAL Batt-TDS Dispersing System Put Into Operation

R&D system from ystral is part of a sample line in the “PreFab” of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB

The machine and plant manufacturer ystral supports the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB (Fraunhofer FFB) located in Münster with a mixing and dispersing system which is used for the testing of manufacturing processes as well as new recipes in battery cell production.

Within the scope of the Battery Cell Research Manufacturing project in Münster, the YSTRAL Batt-TDS Navi machine developed by ystral is used, a dispersing system for the fabrication of lithium-ion-electrode slurries with scheduled quantities up to 12 l, which was developed specifically for R&D purposes, enabling realisation of the entire slurry mixing process within a few minutes. (Photo credits: ystral)

The YSTRAL Batt-TDS Navi dispersing system was developed specifically for R&D purposes and enables the production of lithium-ion-electrode slurries with scheduled quantities up to 12 l. Furthermore, the system is available in three additional sizes for medium- and large-scale manufacturing processes for the production of cathode or anode slurries.

The YSTRAL Batt-TDS inducts powders dust-free under vacuum into a liquid stream, thereby enabling dispersion of the powder particles within milliseconds. The dispersion of polymer binding agents, conductive carbons and abrasive active materials is adapted according to their specific physical properties and structures in the process.

At the end of last year, the Batt-TDS Navi was initially installed in the “FFB Workspace”, which is a research and test area measuring around 400 m2 , where the system could already be presented to first users. “There is great interest on the part of the industry and other research institutions, and the Batt-TDS Navi is probably only going to be idle very rarely in future during regular operation in the ‘FFB PreFab’“, says Marcel Berling, research associate in the electrode manufacturing group at the Fraunhofer FFB. “For us, the rotor-stator operating principle of the dispersion technology from ystral is of particular interest here, as otherwise there is only little research in a scientific context in this regard.”

     Plan view of the “PreFab” of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB in Münster / Germany.
              (Copyright: Fraunhofer FFB)

Focus on pouch cells and prismatic cells 

In the “FFB PreFab” with around 6,800 m² research area, the mixing and dispersing system from ystral is now part of a sample line for small-scale battery cell production. “We are in close contact with the Fraunhofer FFB team, and support operators on site with induction on the system, training and seminars”, says ystral Managing Director David Manke.

The focus of the research factory is on the production of pouch cells and prismatic cells, as they are used for example in electric cars, in medical technology and smart devices. In the “FFB PreFab”, industrial companies along the entire value-added chain of battery cell production have the opportunity to test selected process steps or complete production processes with regard to material, production technology, energy and resource efficiency, quality, throughput and costs, and optimise these for their purposes.

In addition to the YSTRAL Batt-TDS Navi, the ystral system in the “FFB PreFab” also includes handling equipment for the processing of raw materials in powder form. Sacks with hazardous substances such as NMC can be safely opened in an isolator, and the raw materials in powder form can be weighed. The powder materials are then fed to the Batt-TDS via a docked powder hopper without contact with the environment. In addition, part of the ystral system is a flexibly extendable control as well as multiple movable buffer vessels with installed mixer and a capacity of up to 50 l.


More information about YSTRAL Batt-TDS can be found here.

Contact:
ystral gmbh maschinenbau + processtechnik
Thibault Weinert
Tel.: +49 7634 5603-642
Email: [email protected]