Chinese manufacturing company LEAD Intelligent Equipment has launched a high-speed dry coating system for battery electrodes, targeting industrial-scale production with improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. The system is designed to support anode production at speeds of up to 80 metres per minute and cathode production at 60 metres per minute, with coating widths of up to 1,000 mm.
The new dry coating solution introduces a solvent-free, energy-efficient process that LEAD describes as a breakthrough in sustainable battery manufacturing. “Battery coating is a critical process in intelligent battery production and plays a critical role in overall battery performance,” the company stated, highlighting the growing importance of clean technologies amid rising battery demand and tighter environmental regulations.
LEAD claims its system cuts energy use during the coating stage—responsible for approximately 35% of energy consumption in cell manufacturing—by over one-third. Central to this is a three-stage temperature control system that uses only factory cooling water and eliminates the need for external units. The electric heating mechanism, which maintains uniform temperature via a variable-diameter design, reduces energy consumption by 60% compared to traditional oil-heated systems.
The system offers full end-to-end process integration, covering powder unpacking, metering, fiberization, film formation, current collector lamination, waste recovery, and quality inspection. It also includes advanced features such as real-time gap monitoring with ±1μm precision and on-the-fly adjustment, alongside recycling capabilities to reduce loss of high-value materials.
LEAD notes that the system is optimized for mass production and operator-friendly, with a focus on lowering both material waste and operational costs. “This dry coating solution reduces overall energy consumption by more than 35%, while also lowering materials and manufacturing costs by over 20%,” the company said.
With a growing customer base in Europe, LEAD continues to expand internationally. Earlier this year, the company supplied end-of-line systems to a battery factory in Italy. The launch places LEAD among several major players pursuing dry coating processes, including Tesla and Volkswagen’s PowerCo, both of which announced similar innovations in 2023 aimed at cutting energy and material usage in battery production.