The ‘SkaleD – Scaling extrusion-based direct coating’ project, coordinated by EAS Batteries, aims to revolutionize the manufacturing of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. With an investment of approximately 2.1 million euros from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project seeks to enhance the efficiency of the direct coating process in industrial battery cell production. This development aims to reduce manufacturing costs while addressing environmental concerns by eliminating solvent-intensive processes.
The project brings together five research partners—EAS Batteries, Manugy, Matthews International, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), and the Fraunhofer Research Centre for Battery Cell Production (FFB).
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These partners aim to scale the direct extrusion process developed in the previous ‘OptiEx’ project from pilot to industrial scale. Key innovations in this initiative include the introduction of simultaneous double-sided coating, which could significantly increase production speed and efficiency.
EAS Batteries, based in Nordhausen, Thuringia, highlights the critical role of this research in supporting sustainable energy transitions and enhancing European competitiveness against Asian markets. According to EAS Managing Director Michael Deutmeyer, the federal government’s recognition of the project’s importance reflects the broader need for efficient mass production of battery cells. He also emphasized the importance of continued investment in battery research to ensure Germany remains competitive in the global market.
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The SkaleD project will run for three years, concluding in December 2027. The results of this research are expected to open new markets and facilitate the scaling of this technology to a gigafactory level. EAS Batteries has been at the forefront of battery innovation for 25 years, with a history of producing robust, high-performance cells for industries such as aerospace, maritime, and automotive. In addition to SkaleD, EAS is also engaged in the ZirKat project for recycling raw materials from LFP batteries and the DiLiRec project for further LFP recovery.