As the new energy industry advances into the “TWh era”, energy storage cells are undergoing an unprecedented technological leap. With the mass production of 500Ah+ and 600Ah+ storage cells becoming the industry norm, battery manufacturers are now pushing toward ultra-large-capacity cells of 1000Ah and beyond. The manufacturing logic of energy storage cells has shifted from “scale expansion” to a new phase where quality and efficiency determine competitiveness.
Leveraging its deep expertise in equipment R&D, Lead Intelligent Equipment (hereafter referred to as LEAD) has introduced a fully self-developed electrode manufacturing solution designed to precisely address the pain points of large-capacity cell production, setting a new industry benchmark for high-efficiency and high-precision manufacturing of large-scale energy storage cells.
Targeting Pain Points
Extreme Challenges in Ultra-Large-Capacity Battery
Electrodes are the energy carrier of lithium-ion cells, and their quality directly determines battery capacity, cycle life, fast-charging capability and safety performance. Amid fierce competition and mounting cost pressure across the energy storage sector, front-end electrode manufacturing is facing three critical challenges:
Decisive Influence on Yield
The manufacturing process and quality of electrodes have a decisive impact on downstream yield and production stability, directly influencing the cost competitiveness of energy storage battery manufacturers.
Extensive Physical Dimensions
To support ultra-large capacities of 500–1000Ah+, electrodes must become exceptionally long and wide. This places exponentially higher demands on web handling, tension control and coating uniformity.
Giant Energy Costs
The coating process accounts for more than 40% of total energy consumption in battery manufacturing. Achieving energy-efficient electrode drying has therefore become a key breakthrough point for cell makers seeking scalable profitability.
Engineering Breakthroughs
Technological Integration Redefining Process Precision
To address the core bottlenecks in large-scale energy storage electrode manufacturing, LEAD has launched integrated coating and calendering solutions tailored specifically for large-capacity storage cells. By introducing intelligent full-process control technologies, LEAD pushes electrode manufacturing precision to new limits, laying a solid foundation for higher yield and greater cell performance consistency.
Multi-Stage Closed-Loop Extrusion Coating: Eliminating Non-Uniformity at the Source
Through comprehensive real-time monitoring and refined management of airflow velocity, air pressure, oven concentration and electrode dynamics, combined with precision algorithm optimization, the system significantly improves web handling stability and drying consistency. Surface density consistency and uniformity COV are precisely controlled within 0.2%, effectively preventing coating non-uniformity from the source.
Zoned Intelligent Drying Control: Resolving Internal Inadequate Dryness
Using multi-zone independent temperature regulation, the solution precisely matches the drying requirements of thick electrodes. It effectively addresses common industry challenges such as under-dried coatings and gas swelling caused by residual solvents, providing dual assurance for coating consistency and further strengthening electrode quality.
Closed-Loop Calendering and Slitting Control: Enabling Stable Performance at 120m/min
Powered by high-precision closed-loop control, the system maintains electrode thickness accuracy within ±1μm and slitting precision within ±0.2mm even at a high calendering and slitting speed of 120m/min. This effectively resolves defects such as wrinkling, wavy edges and dimensional deviations in large-format electrodes, ensuring the stability of downstream cell assembly.
Cost-Reduction Technologies
Dual Breakthroughs in Drying Quality and Energy Efficiency
To address high energy consumption and uneven drying associated with conventional drying methods, LEAD has comprehensively upgraded its coating and drying processes. The solution ensures more uniform heating of electrode coatings, improves thick-electrode drying quality, and reduces both energy consumption and equipment footprint, doubling plant space utilization efficiency. In this way, LEAD achieves breakthroughs in quality enhancement, efficiency improvement and carbon reduction across one of the most energy-intensive stages of battery manufacturing.
Layered Radiation Architecture: Eradicating Thermal Dead Zones
Using a coordinated multi-heat-source approach tailored to different production stages — and even different zones within the same process — the system eliminates uneven heat distribution in an all-round way. This ensures uniform heating across all electrode areas and prevents drying inconsistency at the source.
Multi-Source Thermal Compensation: Preventing Electrode Edge Cracking
Designed for processing of ultra-wide electrodes, the system applies zoned multi-source thermal compensation to effectively eliminate poor edge drying. This helps prevent electrode warping and deformation while avoiding internal microcracks within the coating layer, ensuring long-term structural stability.
AI-Driven Intelligent Control: 20% Faster Drying, 30% Lower Energy
By collecting real-time thermal imaging data throughout the drying process, AI models accurately predict drying endpoints while continuously optimizing radiation parameter combinations based on historical data. Combined with far-infrared explosion-proof technology, the solution increases drying efficiency by 20% while reducing energy consumption by approximately 30%.
Proven Strength
Full-Stack Empowerment Behind 600GWh+ Orders
As a global leader in intelligent manufacturing solutions for the new energy industry, LEAD has maintained a long-term strategic focus on the energy storage sector. Backed by fully self-developed technologies across the entire value chain and strong process integration capabilities, LEAD now offers turnkey production line solutions for energy storage systems above 1000Ah capacity. Its capabilities span the full manufacturing lifecycle, including cell production, module and PACK assembly, energy storage container assembly and intelligent factory construction, enabling seamless process integration and efficient project deployment from end to end.
To date, LEAD has secured cumulative energy storage orders exceeding 600GWh. Shipments include more than 220 sets of ultra-wide dual-sided high-speed coating systems for front-end large-scale storage battery production, as well as over 300 sets of ultra-wide calendering-slitting integrated systems. Both its core technologies and market share continue to rank among the industry leaders.
Looking ahead, LEAD will continue to deepen its presence in the ultra-large-capacity energy storage sector, introducing next-generation solutions with higher efficiency, lower energy consumption, stronger consistency and more advanced intelligent capabilities. Through comprehensive support in reducing manufacturing costs, enhancing product competitiveness and optimizing production capacity, LEAD aims to work alongside industry partners to drive high-quality growth in the large-scale energy storage era and jointly build a zero-carbon energy future.
