Italian automation specialist, Comau, has teamed up with the EU-funded Spinmate project to develop scalable manufacturing techniques for solid-state battery cells. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a scalable pilot line, as a first step towards large-scale manufacturing of Generation 4b cells and modules for solid-state batteries that will support the electrification of the automotive sector.
Comau will help create large-scale manufacturing processes for next-generation solid-state batteries and develop advanced equipment for solid-state cell assembly. The company will also develop new proprietary algorithms for the design and optimisation of cell manufacturing equipment and apply its digital solutions in a new environment.
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The Spinmate project, which stands for “Scalable and sustainable Pilot line based on INnovative MAnufacturing TEchnologies towards the industrialization of Solid-State Batteries for the automotive sector”, started in 2022 and has a duration of four years, with a budget of almost €7 million. The project is subsidised under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and is led by Avesta Battery & Energy Engineering.
Comau is no stranger to the European battery research scene, having joined the European Battery Alliance (EBA), the Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA) and the European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) at the beginning of 2021. The company is also part of the non-profit organization ‘Upcell’, which aims to build a European value chain for batteries.
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Gian Carlo Tronzano, Head of Battery Cell Global Competence Center, confirms that initiatives such as the Spinmate project are key to achieving the world’s energy transformation goals and underscores Comau’s dedication to helping promote and enable a truly circular economy. Comau is proud to be at the forefront of the effort to speed technology advances toward the industrialization of next-generation, solid-state batteries and their related technologies, thus helping create value for OEMs and suppliers alike.
