Manz, a global high-tech engineering company with a comprehensive technology portfolio, is known for its innovative production solutions in the fields of solar, electronics and lithium-ion battery technology. With its expertise, the company – together with strong partners – is ready to help meeting the challenges of its customers from the automotive industry, who are about to make far-reaching investment decisions for the establishment of new production capacities for Li-ion battery cells in Europe.

For this year, the company has announced numerous innovations in the energy storage segment; one of these will be presented in the second quarter of 2021 and will be used for laser welding of battery cell arresters in lithium-ion battery production.

In the energy storage segment in particular, Manz is currently experiencing rapidly growing demand for production equipment for powerful and efficient battery systems. With electromobility as a driver and increasing cost pressure in production at the same time, the company provides the complete process for the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cells and modules worldwide as a provider of turnkey production lines. The portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of manufacturing solutions from single machines, for example for laboratory production, to systems for pilot, small and large series production, to turnkey solutions – all from a single source.

For customers, the holistic view results in significant competitive advantages in terms of the effectiveness, performance and safety of their battery cells and modules. The ultimate goal is quality, stability and cost efficiency by reducing friction losses while maintaining a high integration factor. The company offers production solutions for customers in the automotive, stationary energy storage and consumer electronics industries.

With over thirty years of experience, the company is an innovation driver in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cells and modules as well as capacitors. Its extensive process experience enables it to develop processes from idea to series production in the shortest possible time, with close integration of technologies for each process step such as coating, laminating, laser welding, forming, stacking or winding. More than 500 engineers, a large number of patents, and numerous co-operations with renowned research institutions stand for Manz’s innovative strength, based on European standards.

“We support our customers from the initial feasibility study through prototypes of machines that produce smaller quantities in a semi-automated manner under real production conditions to the individual machine or complete production line – and are thus a trustworthy development partner for future markets. In addition, we map the entire value chain with fully integrated turnkey production solutions, including our own new software platform for monitoring production equipment,” emphasizes Andreas Schaal, Sales Manager Energy Storage.

Maximum flexibility in production planning

As a system supplier in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cells and modules, the company offers flexible, scalable, and modular machine and system concepts with a high integration factor. The production lines are thus freely configurable and can be used both as pilot lines and in automated mass production. Manz is the only European equipment manufacturer to cover all essential production technologies for all lithium-ion cell concepts – from wound button cells to stacked pouch cells.

The global sales and service network as well as R&D and production locations in Europe and Asia ensure proximity to customers and enable short development and delivery times. Supplemented by its own subsidiaries in all relevant markets as well as strategic partnerships in important markets such as China, the company is also active internationally in the energy storage segment as a turnkey supplier with its range of products and services. (Source: Manz)

References: M. Wegener: Energy Storage, Lasered!, PhotonicsViews 16(4), August/September 2019, pp. 40-43; DOI: 10.1002/phvs.201900037

Link: Laser Processing, Manz AG, Reutlingen, Germany