Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB
Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB

Concept and Planning for a University Battery Research Facility

For the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI) at the University of South Carolina, Fraunhofer FFB, together with Fraunhofer IPT and Fraunhofer USA, developed a concept for a battery research factory. The project included the development of factory and production concepts, the design of production lines, factory layout planning, and support with tenders and the procurement of production equipment.

Challenge

Establishing a high-performance research infrastructure for battery technologies requires far more than procuring individual pieces of equipment. A holistic approach is needed that takes research objectives, production processes, building infrastructure, and future expansion into account from the outset.

The Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI) planned to establish a research environment for developing, testing, and scaling new battery technologies. A pilot-scale manufacturing infrastructure was to be created to support both research and the transfer of technology into industrial applications. Production lines for pouch and cylindrical cells were planned, initially within an existing building and, in the longer term, as part of a subsequent building expansion.

The particular challenge was to develop a solution that could be implemented in the short term while laying the foundation for the long-term expansion of the research infrastructure. In addition, further requirements had to be incorporated into the planning as the project progressed.

© Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation

Approach

Fraunhofer FFB supported the project using a structured factory planning methodology, ranging from defining the objectives to preparing implementation.

At the beginning, the requirements were analyzed and the framework conditions for the future research factory were defined. On this basis, the project partners developed factory structures, material flows, and production concepts for the planned battery manufacturing processes. In parallel, the required technology chains were developed and evaluated with regard to their integration into the research infrastructure.

Another focus was the development of a concept for a standard pouch cell and the definition of relevant production parameters for the planned cylindrical cell production line. At the same time, the project team supported the preparation of tenders, the selection of suitable suppliers, and the procurement of individual production systems while taking the budget requirements into account.

The collaboration particularly benefited from the Fraunhofer institutes’ experience in establishing and operating battery cell production infrastructure, as well as from an established network of technology and equipment suppliers. Regular coordination enabled close collaboration among all project participants.

Results

The project delivered essential building blocks for CIBI’s future battery research factory:

  • Development of an integrated factory and production concept
  • Development of factory structures and material flow concepts
  • Creation of a rough layout as the basis for further architectural planning
  • Support in the design of a standard pouch cell concept
  • Definition of relevant process parameters for cylindrical cell production
  • Support with tenders and systematic selection of equipment suppliers
  • Preparation of production equipment procurement within the available budget
  • Preparation of specification sheets for the necessary equipment

The factory concept provides the basis for the further planning and implementation of the research infrastructure and supports the long-term development of expertise in battery cell research and pilot-scale manufacturing.

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