Roller and Surface Technology for Sensitive Thin Films in Battery Manufacturing

Bill Stahl, INOMETA, GmbH

The film production phase of battery manufacturing can have a direct impact on output quality, volume and profitability of the final product.  Because of the complex process of producing sensitive film, which includes calendaring, coating, laminating, slitting and winding, ensuring quality and consistency during film production is critical.

This session will focus on the impact that rollers used to produce film for battery manufacturing has on the outcome of the final product. It will look at the importance of the choice of materials such as aluminum or carbon fiber and why manufacturing tolerances are critical and explain how these have a direct effect on maintaining low roller deformation under load, low starting torque and mass inertia. In the coating phase, we will review the impact of traction, cut resistance, low surface roughness and why these are important to consider.

After 40 years of building rollers for a wide variety of sensitive film manufacturing processes, including film for battery production, we have encountered many of these issues and helped provide solutions for the process.  Our goal is to share what we have learned and demonstrate how your manufacturing can reduce waste, maintenance downtime and increase production volume and quality.