Accelerating the Production of Higher-Performance Batteries
The battery factory of the future is increasingly digitalized. Simulations play a central role in developing new cells while intelligent sensor systems monitor production in real time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM are developing methods that enable production processes to be mapped virtually and key parameters to be measured during production. The experts will be presenting their solutions for more stable production processes and higher-performance batteries at the Battery Show Europe 2026.
Demand for batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems is growing exponentially. Fraunhofer ITWM relies on digital simulation tools and innovative measurement systems to ensure that manufacturing processes function reliably and efficiently. The researchers develop models for key steps throughout the battery production chain, such as mixing, coating or drying electrodes. This allows processes to be analyzed and optimized digitally before being implemented on the factory floor. The virtual representations help prevent errors that would otherwise occur during production, thus reducing scrap rates.
The Battery and Electrochemistry Simulation Tool BEST, a simulation software tool provided by the Flow Processes department, enables lithium-ion batteries to be modeled in 3D on the computer and can map everything from electrode microstructures to the behavior of complete cells. BEST offers a wide range of capabilities, from predicting cell performance and optimizing charging strategies to analyzing aging and degradation phenomena. “BEST enables us to predict how batteries will behave in use. We can also predict cell properties using physically based simulations on virtual replicas of real batteries. To mention just one example: We are investigating how design parameters such as the electrode layer thickness influence battery behavior,” explains Deputy Head of Department Jochen Zausch. “We also take other important factors into account, such as material properties and application scenarios.” BEST can be combined with other software tools and is also available as part of BatteryDict, one of the modules in the GeoDict software produced by the Fraunhofer ITWM spin-off Math2Market. In the future, it will also be possible to create simulations via a web platform in the Fraunhofer cloud, thus eliminating the need to install BEST locally.
The portfolio also contains a software tool named FOAM, which simulates the foam encapsulation of battery modules during battery production. The cells in a battery module must be mechanically fixed and thermally insulated from one another to prevent overheating. This is typically achieved by arranging cylindrical cells next to each other and filling the spaces in between with foam. The liquid medium expands, hardens and forms a foam that encapsulates the cells. “With FOAM, we can simulate the flow and expansion of the foam, then use the results to determine in the computer model of the real battery whether all voids will be filled and whether the foam will be distributed evenly,” says Zausch.
Once the foam encapsulation in a real battery production is complete, the cell arrangement must be inspected to find out whether any of the cells changed position during the hardening process. Are the cells in the intended position? Is the coating covering the cells uniformly thick? This is where Fraunhofer ITWM’s terahertz measuring technology comes into its own as a means of precise quality control. This technology uses electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range between microwaves and infrared waves to facilitate contact-free, non-destructive materials inspection.
Inline thickness measurement of coatings on battery foils
Over the next few years, it is expected that some 1,000 electrode foil production lines will be constructed in Europe, with similar figures projected for Asia and North America. Inline systems used to monitor quality during the manufacturing process must be contact-free. Researchers in the Material Characterization and Testing department have therefore expanded their expertise in terahertz measurement technology to inline-monitor the battery foil coating process. “Battery foils are the main components of lithium-ion battery cells. The continuous monitoring of material parameters—layer thickness and electrode conductivity—is vital in terms of product quality. We use our terahertz measurement technology to monitor them inline during production,” says Daniel Molter, Deputy Head of the Material Characterization Department. The measurements are carried out inline on single-layer and multi-layer coatings of anode and cathode foils at various points in the wet or dry process. The measurement process is always contact-free and non-destructive and eliminates the need for radiation protection.
The researchers at Fraunhofer ITWM will be presenting their digital simulation tools for the production and design of battery cells and their innovative inline coating thickness measurement system for anode and cathode foils at the Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart from June 9 to 11, 2026, where they can be found at the booth of the Fraunhofer Battery Alliance (Hall 1, Booth A47).
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2026/june-2026/accelerating-the-production-of-higher-performance-batteries.html
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