The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has begun installation of its new state-of-the-art cell assembly line as part of the ongoing development of its Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).

The first of the new equipment, which will offer customers the opportunity to choose between tabbed and tabless 21700 and 4695 cylindrical cells, has arrived on site in Coventry. In addition, the new pouch cell assembly kit is currently undergoing testing and will be installed later in the year.

The new capability is due to be available to customers in the autumn, following commissioning of the equipment.

Once operational, the cell assembly capability will support a wide range of customer programmes and formats, further strengthening UKBIC’s offering across multiple chemistries and applications. 

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC Managing Director, said: “The installation of our cell assembly equipment will be yet another major step forward in allowing UKBIC’s clients to accelerate technology innovation and manufacturing scale-up within the UK through an end-to-end truly integrated battery production line, which will support their drive to efficiently deliver a quality product to market.”

“We’ll be able to offer a more cost-effective solution to customers, across multiple formats, and also give a natural progression to our larger line when clients are ready for industrialisation.”

The new line complements UKBIC’s existing facilities, including the Giga-scale Industrial Scale-up Line, the Battery Development Laboratory, which offers cell characterisation and analytical capability, the cell cycling facility, and the Clean and Dry Zone. These capabilities help bridge the gap between early-stage R&D and scale up manufacturing for customers. 

To find out more about FPL, go to https://www.ukbic.co.uk/flexible-pilot-line