B&W MEGTEC Introduces the GigaCoater for Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes

Date
09/15/2017

 PDF
New wide-web coating system uses simultaneous 2-sided process to produce up to 3 GWhr of battery electrode output annually

(De Pere, Wis.) Babcock & Wilcox MEGTEC (B&W MEGTEC) has launched the GigaCoater wide-web coating line for lithium-ion battery electrodes.

Developed to provide high-volume production of battery electrodes, each GigaCoater can produce up to 3 GWhr of electrode per year on average. The GigaCoater coating platform utilizes B&W MEGTEC’s exclusive simultaneous 2-sided coating system.

“The energy storage industry is demanding a significant reduction in production costs in combination with increased yields and product quality,” said Jeff Quass, vice president of technology and development, B&W MEGTEC. “The GigaCoater offers increased foil width and faster speeds. Coupled with our simultaneous two-sided coating system, the GigaCoater provides a simplified coating line that approximately doubles manufacturing capacity within the same footprint as a single-side sequential line.”

The dual-coating method, in combination with coating rheology and GigaCoater machine properties, maximizes production time and delivers in-line quality control. Additional GigaCoater specifications include:

  • Web width of 1,300 mm
  • Coating width of 1,200 mm
  • Mechanical speed of 50/m/min
  • Process speed of 40 m/min
  • Wet coat weight of up to 400 gsm/side

“Manufacturing large quantities of lithium-ion battery cells requires a significant change and dimensional up-scaling of the production equipment and output per line to achieve industry targets,” Quass notes. “At the same time, the benefits of two-sided simultaneous coating technology become increasingly important the wider and faster coating lines are required to get.”

The GigaCoater maximizes manufacturing at a significantly lower total production cost with:

  • 50 percent to 70 percent  less floor space than typical single-side coating operations, which allows for more efficient plant layouts
  • Thermal efficiencies that deliver lower energy requirements
  • A wide-web width that significantly reduces the number of coils needing to be handled
  • Simplified material flow that enhances overall throughput
  • Higher automation that maximizes production volume

www.babcock.com

RELATED

 


-->