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ITS Awarded Battery Production Inspection Research Grant
We are delighted to share that we have been awarded a research grant by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK for EV battery inspection development.
We are now working with world-leading researchers at Birmingham University to find ways to improve the manufacturing quality and efficiency of lithium batteries.
The purpose of the research
Over the past decade, with global recognition of the need to reach Net-Zero, there has been a drive to reduce carbon emissions. This has seen an acceleration in the production of electric cars and the batteries that power them.
A significant challenge for the electric car industry is that most lithium battery manufacturers experience a relatively high defect rate during production. There is currently no means of performing real-time battery inspection, resulting in the loss of entire batches when defects are found.
Together with Birmingham University, our aim is to create a real-time monitoring process to allow manufacturers to stop production and resolve issues when they present themselves, as opposed to after an entire batch has been produced.
Our progress
Our research began in July 2022 and we are exploring the feasibility of using our patented technology in the coating metrology process – the coating process in battery production.
We have already proven that the technology is able to pick up coating defects in the lab and are now researching how to scale for industry. Our focus is on developing a more advanced system with sensors capable of detecting defects at the scale and speed of industrial production.
To find out more about the surface coating process, read our case study on visualising surface coatings in manufacturing.
We will be posting updates as research progresses so make sure to stay tuned on our LinkedIn and Twitter for future updates.
