Battery Manufacturing

Continuous Manufacturing of Battery Masses with Twin Screw Extruders

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The use of ZSK twin screw extruders in a continuous manufacturing process allows for both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly battery production.

The use of ZSK twin screw extruders in a continuous manufacturing process allows for both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly battery production.

Why Continuous Manufacturing for Battery Masses

In the rapidly evolving battery industry, continuous manufacturing of electrode masses offers a transformative approach to battery production. At Coperion, our ZSK twin-screw extruders enable a highly efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly process — delivering superior product quality as well as scalable throughput. Whether you operate in wet or dry processes, our systems offer flexibility, precision, and reliability from lab scale to full gigafactory production.

Coperion’s ZSK Mc18 or STS Mc11 twin screw extruder is the ideal extruder for meeting targeted requirements. It offers highly dispersive mixing capacity, breaking up solid agglomerates very effectively. Subsequent distributive mixing ensures the homogeneity required for high end product quality in battery masses.

The process sections of all Coperion extruders feature a modular design which allows our process engineers to tailor the configuration of the barrel and screw elements to your individual application. Additionally, the intermeshing twin screws of the extruder deliver consistently high conveying efficiency together with an optimal self-cleaning function within the process section, which minimizes residual material in the extruder and reduces waste.

Learn more about the ZSK Mc18 extruder and the STS Mc11 extruder.

Your advantages at a glance

  • High flexibility: The extruder’s throughput can be quickly modified to meet the requirements of the production steps to follow, optimizing the entire process.
  • The process section’s modular construction allows for flexible and individual modifications to recipes and process requirements.
  • Use of the same equipment for the production of electrode compounds in both dry and wet processes.
  • Precise dispersive and distributive mixing leads to higher homogeneity and excellent product quality.
  • The extruder’s high conveying efficiency and self-cleaning function increase material efficiency.
  • Short residence times in the extruder — minimal thermal stress on the material
  • Safe devolatilization of even the most challenging materials to devolatilize
  • Excellent feed behavior, even when processing materials with low bulk density
  • Special construction materials avoid end product contamination
  • Containment-secure systems up to OEB level 4
  • Modern controls and remote service for complex production processes

Continuous manufacturing of battery compounds

Continuous production of battery masses using extruder technology can significantly optimize the battery manufacturing process. The Coperion twin screw extruder, paired with high-accuracy Coperion K-Tron feeders, delivers high process stability and precision, ensuring excellent and reproducible end product quality. Our systems are highly reliable and designed for a long service life. Greater material efficiency as well as more cost-efficient battery cell production can be achieved using continuous production in comparison to conventional batch processes.

  • Increased profitability

    • Reduced space and personnel requirements

    • High reliability, minimizing downtimes

    • Lower investment costs

       

  • Tailor-made machine concept and high flexibility

    • Production range between 2 l/h up to 2,000 l/h possible, depending upon machine size

    • Wide variety of recipes possible

       

  • Extrusion allows for climate-friendly recipes

    • Significant reduction in solvent content or substitution with water in existing recipes when using the wet processes

    • Energy use decreases due to shorter drying times

    • Dry coating process eliminates the need for solvents and water, as well as the energy-intensive drying step
  • Reduced Cleaning Times
    • Continuous processing results in fewer starts and stops, leading to reduced downtimes and machine cleaning
  • Quick recipe changes

    • Ingredient ratios can be changed quickly and easily by modifying feed rates

    • Operators can continuously check product quality and rapidly correct deviations

       

       
Typical set-up of a continuous production line of Li-ion battery masses: 1 Vacuum receiver | 2 Big Bag | 3 Sack discharge station | 4 Glovebox: Additive | 5 Storage tank | 6 Feeder for solids | 7 Feeder for liquids | 8 ZSK Mc¹⁸ extruder | 9 ZS-B side feeder | 10 Degassing
Typical set-up of a continuous production line of Li-ion battery masses: 1 Vacuum receiver | 2 Big Bag | 3 Sack discharge station | 4 Glovebox: Additive | 5 Storage tank | 6 Feeder for solids | 7 Feeder for liquids | 8 ZSK Mc¹⁸ extruder | 9 ZS-B side feeder | 10 Degassing

Typical set-up of a continuous production line of Li-ion battery masses: 1 Vacuum receiver | 2 Big Bag | 3 Sack discharge station | 4 Glovebox: Additive | 5 Storage tank | 6 Feeder for solids | 7 Feeder for liquids | 8 ZSK Mc¹⁸ extruder | 9 ZS-B side feeder | 10 Degassing

Dry Coating Process for Battery Electrode Manufacturing

Looking to improve your battery electrode manufacturing process?

Coperion offers industry-leading technologies for continuous dry coating of battery electrodes, enabling higher efficiency, lower costs, and more sustainable production.

Want to learn more?

Suitable materials for every task

Due to the often abrasive and sometimes corrosive properties of the raw materials being processed, the parts of Coperion extruders that come into contact with the product are made of materials offering particularly high resistance to wear.

This makes it possible to avoid contamination of the end product from detached metal particles over the long term, even when processing ultra-hard silicon carbides.

Want to know more about continuous production or discuss your challenge?

Get in Touch with Us!

Coperion has decades of experience with continuous processes. With our innovative solutions and a variety of customization options, we are confident to find the right solution for your needs.

Contact us!
Coperion Battery Lab System

ZSK laboratory and small-size extruders for battery manufacturing: Advanced technology for research and development.

For proprietary research and development, Coperion offers the ZSK 18 MEGAlab and ZSK 26 extruders. These high-performance laboratory extruders, together with high-accuracy Coperion K-Tron feeders, offer superior performance for research and recipe development and testing, as well as sample and small-batch production. 

Learn more.

Advantages at a glance

  • Ensure short and efficient trials thanks to the small extruder size and the ability to quickly change feeding points and screw elements
  • Achieve high flexibility with a modular process section, enabling rapid system modifications
  • Benefit from high reliability, durability, and extended service life
  • Improve raw material efficiency through self-cleaning screw elements
  • Ensure reliable scale-up to larger ZSK extruders
Coperion test lab

Coperion Test Labs.

We help you optimize your processes safely.

We offer the ideal platform for testing changes or innovations to your products and formulations. In addition to simulation and scale-up expertise, we have the equipment at our disposal for comprehensive tests under realistic production conditions.

Test Centers

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