RWTH Aachen University is developing scalable manufacturing processes for multilayer battery electrodes under the ProMeBa research project, with the aim of transferring the technology from laboratory development to pilot-scale production.
The project was launched in June 2026 by the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen and several research and industrial partners. It will run until May 2029 as part of a research funding program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Multilayer electrodes can provide advantages over conventional single-layer structures, but their more complex architecture also creates additional manufacturing challenges. ProMeBa is therefore investigating how differently structured electrode layers can be manufactured reliably and reproducibly under industrially relevant conditions.
The project aims to use tailored layer structures to improve ion transport, mechanical stability, battery performance and service life.
ProMeBa Investigates Electrode Materials and Layer Structures
The first stage of the project will examine suitable materials and layer architectures for both anodes and cathodes.
Researchers will investigate parameters including the number of layers, individual layer thicknesses and potential composition gradients. The resulting electrode concepts will then be produced and characterised at laboratory scale using adapted slurry formulations, coating processes and drying parameters.
PEM will focus primarily on formulation and process development for multilayer anodes, together with their laboratory-scale characterisation.
The results will subsequently be transferred to pilot-scale manufacturing.
Two Coating Processes to Be Evaluated
A modular coating module will be developed as part of the scale-up process. The module is intended to be integrated into existing pilot production facilities, supporting the project’s focus on adapting current manufacturing infrastructure rather than requiring completely new production lines.
Two multilayer coating approaches will be evaluated under industrially relevant roll-to-roll conditions.
The first uses a two-layer slot die, while the second relies on multilayer curtain coating. The research will assess which approach can provide the required combination of coating quality, process stability and scalability.
An inline measurement technology for continuously determining the viscosity of electrode slurries will also be further developed. Continuous monitoring is intended to identify process deviations at an early stage and support consistent electrode quality during production.
Electrochemical Testing Supports Process Development
The multilayer electrodes produced during the project will undergo electrochemical characterisation together with test cells.
These tests are intended to provide information on the performance, stability and service life of the different multilayer structures. The results will help researchers assess how electrode architecture and manufacturing parameters influence battery performance.
The project coordinator is Netzsch-Gerätebau GmbH. Other participants include the ISEA Chair at RWTH Aachen, Fraunhofer IKTS, the iPAT Institute at Technische Universität Braunschweig and 8inks Deutschland.
Project Targets Drop-In Manufacturing Capability
A key industrial objective of ProMeBa is to combine electrode architecture development with manufacturing considerations from the beginning of the research process.
The partners aim to develop a “drop-in capable” technology that could allow existing production infrastructure to be selectively expanded for multilayer electrodes. This approach would avoid the need to establish entirely new production lines dedicated to the more complex electrode structures.
The project therefore links material and electrode development with process engineering and industrial scale-up.
ProMeBa Complements Other Battery Research
ProMeBa is part of a broader effort to connect battery material development with scalable manufacturing.
One example is the AIT-led MoSiLIB project, which is developing a composite anode based on silicon and tin sulfide while also investigating the semi-industrial scaling of material synthesis and water-based electrode production.
While MoSiLIB focuses primarily on developing new anode materials, ProMeBa places greater emphasis on the manufacturing challenge of integrating complex multilayer electrode architectures into existing battery production processes.
The research is intended to provide a pathway from laboratory-scale multilayer electrode concepts to pilot-scale manufacturing under conditions closer to industrial battery production.
