On March 3, global attention in the battery industry turned to Seoul. Under the spotlight of the annual innovation awards at InterBattery 2026, Lead Intelligent Equipment (hereafter referred to as LEAD) stood out as the only Chinese company recognized among this year’s winners.
Powered by its industry-leading dry mixing and coating system, LEAD distinguished itself amid strong competition from leading Korean equipment manufacturers, securing the exhibition’s Best Equipment of the Year Award.
This marks not only the sole award granted to a non-Korean company at this year’s event, but also a historic first for a Chinese enterprise since the award’s inception. LEAD is now the first—and so far the only—Chinese intelligent-manufacturing company to receive this top honor at InterBattery, underscoring its technological leadership in dry-electrode processing solutions.
A Historic Breakthrough
The Only Non-Korean Winner, Redefining the “Home-Field Advantage”
As one of the most influential global barometers for battery and energy-storage technology, InterBattery has long drawn intense industry attention. The awards are organized by the Korea Battery Industry Association, with evaluation conducted by a panel of leading global experts in battery technology. The selection process is known for its rigor and professionalism.
For 2026, entries were assessed across five key criteria:
- responsiveness to evolving policy and regulatory environments
- contribution to supply-chain development
- ESG sustainability performance
- product commercialization readiness
- safety and reliability
Together, these dimensions evaluate not only technological advancement but also real-world industrial value and scalability.
Historically, award categories at InterBattery have largely been dominated by Korean companies, with Chinese enterprises notably absent from the winners’ list. Against this backdrop, LEAD’s breakthrough carries particular significance. As the only non-Korean company honored this year, LEAD has effectively overcome a long-standing nationality barrier in one of the industry’s most competitive arenas.
The recognition serves as strong validation of LEAD’s technological strength—and signals to the global market that China’s high-end intelligent equipment capabilities are now fully competitive at the highest levels of international battery manufacturing innovation.
Engineering Breakthrough
Dry-Electrode Coating Sets a New Industry Benchmark
The dry mixing and coating system recognized in this year’s award combines technological innovation with clear industrial value. It directly addresses long-standing challenges associated with conventional wet-coating processes—including high energy consumption, heavy pollution, and elevated production costs—while delivering a fully integrated process solution spanning:
- powder unpacking
- precision dosing
- fibrillation
- film formation
- lamination
- scrap recovery
Together, these capabilities form a closed-loop dry-electrode manufacturing platform designed for next-generation battery production.
Across several key performance indicators, the system achieves breakthrough-level advancements:
Ultra-high process precision
Roller-gap adjustment accuracy reaches ±1 μm, ensuring exceptional electrode surface density uniformity.
Breakthrough in material compatibility
The system overcomes one of the most persistent technical barriers in dry cathode coating, enabling scalable mass production of both LFP and NMC electrodes, while supporting manufacturing across liquid-electrolyte and all-solid-state battery platforms.
Gigafactory-level throughput capability
Supporting coating widths of up to 1,000 mm, the solution enables 5–8 GWh single-line production capacity, meeting the requirements of large-scale next-generation battery plants.
Delivering measurable ESG value
By simplifying the production workflow and eliminating solvent-intensive steps, the system reduces: production energy consumption by over 35%，material and manufacturing costs by approximately 20%.These improvements closely align with the award committee’s evaluation priorities around sustainability performance and circular-economy readiness.
A Globalization Milestone
From “Made in China” to Setting Global Standards
This cross-boundary breakthrough represents another major milestone in LEAD’s global expansion journey—and marks a meaningful step forward for China’s new-energy equipment sector as it continues to strengthen its international presence.
As a global leader in intelligent manufacturing equipment, LEAD will continue to place technological innovation at the center of its strategy, accelerating the localization and advancement of core enabling technologies while contributing scalable solutions that support the worldwide transition toward cleaner energy systems.
Exhibition Preview
The next edition of InterBattery 2026 will take place from March 11 to 13 at COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul.
At the exhibition, LEAD will showcase its award-winning dry mixing and coating system, alongside its full portfolio of intelligent battery manufacturing solutions, demonstrating integrated capabilities designed for the evolving needs of global gigafactory deployment.
