Press releases

Fraunhofer FFB, the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University and Capgemini has published the results of a recent study on the potential of process simulation in battery cell production. The background to this is the high reject rates and quality losses during the battery industry’s ramp-up process. According to a global Capgemini study, around 68 percent of companies in the automotive sector report corresponding difficulties in complying with standards on a large scale.

The construction of the “FFB Fab” marks the beginning of the second construction phase of the large-scale research facility in Münster-Amelsbüren. Modern production and research facilities covering an area of 20,000 square meters will be created, enabling industry-oriented production research and development in the gigawatt range. Completion of the construction phase is scheduled for the end of 2027. At the same time, the research operations are being set up in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The development of the research production facility for battery cells (FFB) as a central element of a technologically advanced and competitive battery value chain in Germany and Europe is thus entering its final phase.

Digital solutions for battery cell production play an important role in increasing efficiency and ensuring quality in production. The Fraunhofer FFB has started the three-year “TRAICELL” project with several partners from research and industry. The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is concerned with the traceability of crucial data and with artificial intelligence to optimize battery cell production.

A comprehensive energy and mobility transition requires innovative, technology-driven solutions along the entire value chain of batteries and battery technologies. The 17th edition of the international conference "Kraftwerk Batterie – Advanced Battery Power", taking place from April 2 to April 3, 2025, in Aachen, will provide new insights into these developments. As an English-language networking platform, the conference at the Eurogress Congress Center brings together experts from research, development, and application, offering cross-industry insights into the latest advancements and innovations.

The efficient and scalable production of battery cells and packs plays a crucial role in the future of e-mobility. Together with eight partner companies, the Fraunhofer FFB is presenting innovative solutions for industrial battery cell and pack production at the world's largest industrial trade fair (March 31 to April 4, 2025, Hall 6, Booth D62). A model manufacturing process will demonstrate how robot-assisted technologies can optimize production.

Electrode-drying using the roll-to-roll process (R2R) has been one of the most cost- and CO2-intensive manufacturing steps in the production of lithium-ion batteries to date. A laser-assisted R2R drying process, which was developed as part of the IDEEL research cooperation, could change this in the future. It combines conventional, oven-based convection drying with laser drying based on high-power diode lasers and reduces the drying time by over 60 percent while maintaining the same quality of results.

Producing batteries for electric cars requires a complex and globally networked supply chain. In a recent study, researchers from Fraunhofer FFB and the University of Münster analyzed the ownership structures and geopolitical dependencies along this supply chain. The result: China controls almost the entire value chain of lithium-ion batteries - from the extraction of raw materials to the production of the batteries. The People's Republic not only controls domestic production facilities but also those abroad - for all raw materials and downstream processes. No other region globally has comparable control along the entire battery supply chain.

In the ‘SkaleD’ project, five research partners from industry and research are further developing a process that directly coats electrodes in industrial battery cell production. This will reduce the costs and resources used in the mass production of lithium iron phosphate cells, replace solvent-intensive processes, and create the conditions for a sustainable energy transition as well as for European competitiveness in relation to Asian markets.

The project "Sodium-Ion-Battery Deutschland-Forschung - SIB:DE FORSCHUNG", funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to evaluate the suitability of sodium-ion battery technology (SIB) for the European energy and mobility transition to speed up industrial implementation. To this end, 21 national partners from science and industry are pooling their expertise from battery material development to the production of large-format cells to enable the fast transfer of research results into practical applications.

For the operation of the first research factory, the “FFB PreFab”, the Fraunhofer FFB has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the "Stadtwerke Münster". Starting November 1, 2025, the municipal utility company will supply 6.36 gigawatt hours of regional green electricity annually via a direct connection to the Fraunhofer FFB. The electricity will come from the first agri-photovoltaic system in Münster, which is being built southwest of the Amelsbüren district in Hartmannsbrock Street.