Startups and energy technology companies alike are exploring the manufacturing of batteries with 3D printing and the implications it could have for production.
Three organizations — Sakuú, Blackstone Technology, and Photocentric — are currently developing technologies that could produce batteries that are lighter, smaller, cheaper, and charge faster than those currently available.
How Sakuú Is Innovating
Sakuú, in collaboration with Porsche Consulting, recently announced plans to build its first additive manufacturing facility for lithium metal and solid-state batteries.
According to the startup, its Swift Print battery cells can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes on its Kavian 3D printers, which use ceramic, glass, metal, and polymer in the same layer. That flexibility could expand lithium-ion battery shapes beyond cylinders, rectangles, or pouches.
How Blackstone Is Innovating
Blackstone, which printed its first functional battery in 2021, introduced an approach it says requires 25% less energy than traditional methods.
The company’s Thick Layer Technology, which utilizes 3D screen printing, would be 30% cheaper and could be used for both solid-state and liquid-electrolyte batteries. 3D screen printing’s layer-on-layer method also allows for virtually any shape.
How Photocentric Is Innovating
U.K. company Photocentric bases its technology on resin 3D printing with photopolymers. The company’s achievements include developing polymer electrolyte binders, as well as cathode and anode powders, into printable photopolymer resin.
The technology is awaiting a patent but could lead to cost-effective mass manufacturing of light batteries.
