CREDIT: DURR
Dürr presents its latest innovation in simultaneous two-sided coating technology for battery manufacturing. The new GigaCoater, designed for battery cell OEMs, combines wider substrate capabilities with faster coating speeds, promising significant manufacturing cost reductions while maintaining automotive-grade quality across widths up to 1,200mm.
Since 2006, Dürr has led the way in simultaneous two-sided coating technology for battery electrode production, constantly refining and enhancing its offerings. This latest iteration, developed through substantial research and development investment, showcases Dürr’s commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that drive efficiency and cost-effectiveness in manufacturing.
The GigaCoater features a straight-path product flow with two coating stations combined in a single location, complemented by a non-contact flotation drying system. This streamlined configuration results in a more compact manufacturing footprint, reduces energy consumption, and eliminates edge curl after drying. The innovative coating process uses a slot-die against a backing roll, followed by a tensioned-web-over-slot-die (TWOSD), enabling simultaneous two-sided coating of the foil in a single pass. The air flotation dryer ensures even, non-contact drying on both sides, further improving electrode quality.
Significant reduction in operating costs
The simplified layout of the GigaCoater results in substantial operational cost savings. These savings come from reduced energy consumption thanks to the single-dryer system, reduced coil handling, fewer personnel needs thanks to the one-level design, lower material waste, and a smaller space requirement. Together, these efficiencies offer enormous annual savings.
In addition to cost savings, the GigaCoater enhances product quality by eliminating edge curl, ensuring uniform drying on both sides, and improving top-to-bottom alignment.
Extension of simultaneous two-sided coating product family
With the GigaCoater, Dürr expands its portfolio of simultaneous two-sided coating machines, which previously consisted of the PilotCoater and ProCoater. The PilotCoater can handle foils up to 350mm with coating speeds of up to 10m/min, making it suitable for production, as well as ongoing process and product development. The ProCoater, a larger scale coating line, accommodates web widths from 350mm to 700mm and coating speeds up to 50m/min, supporting large-scale lithium-ion battery production. Both products are already in use by leading battery manufacturers worldwide.