Formation and capacity grading is a crucial process in lithium-ion battery production that directly impacts the battery’s performance and lifespan. It is also one of the most energy-intensive processes in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Lead Intelligent Equipment (hereafter referred to as LEAD) has partnered with a globally renowned European automotive brand to develop an ultra-efficient and streamlined formation and capacity grading solution, significantly improving battery testing efficiency and production consistency.
This automotive company is a global leader in automotive manufacturing, with nearly a century of history and a portfolio of several well-known automotive brands. To accelerate its electrification strategy, the company has selected LEAD as its full-line equipment supplier for battery production lines. The formation and capacity grading segment will be implemented by LEAD wholly owned subsidiary, Zhuhai Titans New Power Electronics Co., Ltd, establishing a comprehensive supply chain system in Europe.
High Energy Consumption Becomes a Bottleneck to Production Efficiency Improvement
Formation and capacity grading involves the activation, performance testing, and sorting of batteries, which are crucial for ensuring battery performance, safety, production efficiency, and consistency. The performance and quality of related equipment directly affect the overall performance of lithium-ion batteries. Battery manufacturers universally place high importance on formation and capacity grading equipment. LEAD, as a global leader in new energy intelligent manufacturing solutions, enjoys a high reputation in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing field. With long-standing experience, strong R&D capabilities, and comprehensive global delivery capabilities, LEAD has become the lithium-ion battery solution supplier for this client’s global business expansion strategy.
In Europe, electricity costs are generally high, and the efficiency of energy utilization in production line equipment directly affects subsequent operational costs. Since the formation and capacity grading process requires charging and discharging to test battery capacity and performance, its energy consumption is extremely high, accounting for approximately 40% of the entire production line’s energy usage. It is the most energy-intensive process in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Therefore, during initial discussions, the client set clear expectations for LEAD to increase system efficiency by over 10%, well above the industry average. At the same time, the client also requested minimizing the equipment footprint to further increase production capacity within the already established factory.
Innovative Design Achieves Efficient Energy Utilization and Production Efficiency Improvement
The LEAD team introduced several groundbreaking ideas and new technologies during the product design phase, overhauling traditional formation equipment solutions to significantly improve the performance and quality of the equipment.
Integrated Structure Design
This project adopted a left-right integrated formation cabinet, reducing cable length by more than 40% and lowering the equipment footprint by 30%, achieving a substantial reduction in energy consumption. On the other hand, the integrated structure made shipping and installation much more efficient, reducing commissioning time by more than 30%.
High-Precision Temperature Control System
LEAD’s proprietary water-thermal temperature control solution can precisely control the temperature at each point within a single battery chamber, maintaining it at 45°C ± 2°C. This greatly reduces factory energy consumption and further improves battery consistency.
Negative Pressure Tray System
LEAD pioneered the use of advanced negative pressure constraint tray technology in this project, successfully eliminating the need for a cleanroom in the negative pressure formation process. This resulted in both reduced capital investment in factory construction and lower ongoing operational costs.
After more than six months of pilot production verification, the production line is running smoothly with a reduction in overall energy consumption of more than 25%, perfectly meeting the client’s expectations. This solution significantly reduced equipment maintenance frequency and avoided the high-temperature operating environments of traditional solutions, greatly improving the convenience and comfort for operators.
The client has highly praised the solution, particularly the sealed tray design, which impressed them. They stated that the solution optimized the storage layout, significantly reducing the drying room area, thus lowering hardware investment and operational costs. This change not only enhanced the operational efficiency of the production line but also reflected LEAD’s deep understanding of and efficient response to the client’s needs.
