How 3D printing is playing a key role in the production of solid

Aug 09, 2023

by Oliver Johnson

23 November 2022

09:00

Sakuu

In August, Sakuu opened a new battery printing and engineering facility in Silicon Valley, following the opening of a battery pilot line facility. The company, which uses a 3D printing platform that was created by the company itself, has also announced partnerships with NGK Spark Plugs and LiCAP Technologies.

The new battery printing and engineering facility will be used as the flagship engineering hub for the company, with battery, engineering, material science R&D and additive manufacturing teams based there. The building is set to be the first of the company's gigafactories.

Arwed Niestroj, Sakuu SVP of Customer Enablement, said: "The new facility paves the way for Sakuu's first 3D printing platform gigafactory, dubbed Sakuu Gigafactory One. The facility will allow teams to fine-tune all aspects of our battery printing technologies to enable swift deployment of our gigafactories. The facility will be Sakuu's engineering hub. It will house a confluence of teams: battery, engineering, material science, R&D, and additive manufacturing, and will oversee new gigafactory employee training and client product demos."

The partnership with NGK will see Sakuu supplied with ceramic materials for the production of its solid-state batteries. Speaking about the MOU that was signed with NGK, Niestroj said: "NGK ceramic materials will play a key role in Sakuu's proprietary ceramic battery components as we advance to commercialise our first SwiftPrint solid-state battery."

Read more: Charging up - The growing use of 3D printing for battery applications

The method that Sakuu uses for the 3D printing of its batteries involves a 3D printing platform named Kavian, developed by the company. The Kavian platform integrates multiple processes and materials to print fully functioning batteries at scale.

Speaking about the capabilities of the system, Niestroj said: "The Kavian platform can print fully functioning batteries at scale. The Kavian platform can print ceramic, glass, metals, and polymer – in the same layer. The platform uses binder jetting for larger areas, and distinct material jetting for finer details. Conventional additive manufacturing processes perform each 3D printing step in series, whereas Kavian performs all steps in parallel, enabling a streamlined model that saves energy, cost, labour, materials, and time, while also increasing quality and reliability."

According to Niestroj, the company created its own platform so that it could utilise only the materials that are essential to the production of batteries. The SVP also added that the Sakuu batteries solve electric vehicle battery issues concerning cost, performance, sustainability and range.

He added: "Greater mainstream adoption of electric vehicles will be particularly encouraged by cost and performance improvements."

Speaking about the most beneficial aspects of using 3D printing for batteries, Niestroj said: "Sakuu's 3D printing technology has proven to be very advantageous in printing battery layers that are much thinner than would be possible in a conventional battery roll to roll manufacturing process. This reduces material use, increases energy density, and thus reduces cost."

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by Oliver Johnson

23 November 2022

09:00