Sakuu Corporation (formerly KeraCel Inc.) has announced an industrial-grade 3D printing system for e-mobility batteries.
The company believes its printing technology to be a breakthrough process that will ‘unlock the mainstream adoption’ of EV and e-mobility vehicles as it solves challenges around cost, performance, range and sustainability.
Sakuu’s additive manufacturing technology blends the powder bed and jetted material deposition techniques and uses multi-materials in a single layer capability to build up parts. It combines ceramic and metal, as well as Sakuu’s PoraLyte support material, which removes part overhang limitations and enables the creation of devices with internal channels and cavities. The technology, Sakuu says, is able to deliver high energy density solid state batteries (SSBs) with thin monolithic layers and a perfect interface.
The Sakuu AM Platform is said to be able to deliver fast and high-volume production of 3D printed SSBs that have the same capacity but are half the size and a third lighter than lithium-ion batteries. The resulting KeraCel branded SSBs also use 30-50% less material, which is sourced locally to reduce production costs and provide sustainability benefits. Thanks to the technology’s ‘powder to powder process’, the recyclability of the ceramics and metals is said to be easier than conventional methods, with no requirement to extract graphite and the absence of polymer meaning no incineration or burial in landfill.
Read more on 3D printed batteries in the latest issue of TCT Magazine
Meanwhile, the technology’s ability to build complex functional devise at ‘industrial rates’ should see it easily transferred to a range of applications across industry sectors, per Sakuu, but the company will place an initial focus on the two-, three-, and four-wheel electric vehicle market. Other potential markets include sensors and electric motors for aerospace and automotive, power banks and heatsinks for consumer electronics, and pathogen detectors and microfluidic devices for medical.
“For the e-mobility markets specifically, we believe this to be a landmark achievement, and one that could transform consumer adoption of electric vehicles,” commented Robert Bagheri, founder, CEO and Chairman of Sakuu Corporation. “SSBs are a holy grail technology, but they are both very difficult and expensive to make. By harnessing the flexibility and efficiency-enhancing capabilities of our unique and scalable AM process, we’re enabling battery manufacturers and EV companies to overcome these fundamental pain points.
“Furthermore, by adopting it as the technology of choice, these users also benefit from the wider opportunities our AM platform delivers, namely the ability to enjoy on-demand, localised production, which can help drive more efficient manufacturing operations and shorter supply chains.”
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