ANDRITZ Schuler, a subsidiary of international technology group ANDRITZ, has supplied a 1.5-gigawatt battery cell formation line to a battery manufacturer in southern Germany. The line has been in operation since the beginning of the year, producing battery cells for a German automotive OEM.
The chemistry of the battery cells is activated as the final process step during formation.
The delivered system is a battery cell mass formation line designed for cylindrical cells intended for high-power applications, such as booster batteries in electric vehicles (EVs). These cells are optimized for rapid charge and discharge behavior, placing specific demands on formation accuracy, power electronics, and thermal management during manufacturing.
Formation is the final process step in battery cell production. After electrode fabrication and cell assembly, controlled charge and discharge cycles are used to activate the electrochemistry, establish the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), and validate cell performance. T
he quality and repeatability of this step have a direct impact on cell lifetime, internal resistance, and safety.
The formation line integrates technology from ANDRITZ Sovema, which was acquired by ANDRITZ Schuler. The system includes more than 50,000 formation channels across approximately 200 formation chambers, supported by integrated power electronics and automated material handling. A track-and-trace system monitors individual cells throughout the process, enabling continuous data collection during formation.
According to ANDRITZ, the system is capable of processing more than two million data points per second, supporting process control and quality assurance at scale. The fully automated line includes automated loading and unloading and is designed for continuous operation. The installation footprint is approximately 22 meters in length and 10 meters in width and height. The system architecture emphasizes energy efficiency during formation, which is a significant contributor to overall battery manufacturing energy consumption.
While this installation is located in Europe, the underlying manufacturing challenges addressed by high-capacity formation systems are directly relevant to North American battery production. As EV and battery manufacturing capacity expands in the United States and Canada, formation throughput, energy efficiency, data traceability, and power-electronics integration are becoming critical considerations for gigawatt-scale cell plants.
Financial details of the order were not disclosed.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News