German research partners launch battery cell stacking innovation project

A German consortium has secured €3.64 million in federal funding to develop a novel production system for battery cell stacking, aiming to significantly improve manufacturing efficiency and flexibility.

The EXINOS2 project, coordinated by acp systems AG alongside research institutions KIT and Fraunhofer FFB and industrial partners, will develop a series-ready production system over three years. The project builds on previous battery manufacturing research to address key production challenges.

Traditional battery cell stacking requires multiple automated gripping operations with rigid tools to precisely layer electrodes and separators. These systems create mandatory pauses between gripping operations, resulting in discontinuous production. They also require expensive new tooling and time-consuming changeovers for different battery formats.

The consortium’s approach creates a composite of separator and electrode sheets before the stacking process, enabling continuous production. The system features software-controlled flexible handling systems that can quickly adapt to new cell formats without hardware changes, including for electrode cutting operations.

The project, running from January 2025 to December 2027, aims to strengthen Germany’s position in battery manufacturing technology. The development includes digital methods like multi-physical plant simulation to optimize component positioning and accelerate system commissioning through digital twin technology.

The initiative is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and builds on findings from previous battery competence clusters ProZell and InZePro [link in German].