A UK project is developing a digital twin of its A-samples of solid state battery (SSB) cells for electric vehicles. This is key for working with battery makers in large scale production, says Graeme Purdy, CEO of Ilika.
Ilika is working with HSSMI, a UK based manufacturing consultancy, in the £3m PRIMED project starting in August. This will use the electrode production lines at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) over the following 12 months.
The project builds on two previous projects. The HISTORY project in the Faraday Battery Challenge, now renamed Battery Innovation Programme. saw Ilika develop a prototype 50Ah SSB. The Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) SiSTEM programme designed and built an SSB assembly line and undertook production trials of Ilika’s electrodes on the giga-scale line at UKBIC. In the PRIMED project, Ilika will build and test its P2 SSB cells and take them through an industrialisation process to deliver a 50Ah A-Sample. HSSMI will produce a production scale digital twin model and a business case review to support industrialisation to a gigafactory level.
- Read our interview with Graeme Purdy of Ilika here
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“This project is the natural progression from our successful HISTORY and SiSTEM projects and will enable us to deliver robust 50Ah batteries to the automotive industry,” said Purdy. ”Working with HSSMI will allow us to digitally twin giga-scale production, which will be of paramount interest to our potential licensees. The next 12 months promise to be fast-paced and transformational for Goliath and Ilika.”
Axel Bindel, Executive Director of HSSMI, said “The PRIMED project represents a critical step toward the scale up and commercialisation of solid-state battery technology in the UK. At HSSMI, our role in producing a Production Scale Model and Business Case Review will support the strategic industrialisation of Ilika’s Goliath technology. By leveraging digital manufacturing expertise and working alongside leading industry stakeholders, we aim to accelerate the path to giga-scale readiness and reinforce the UK’s position at the forefront of battery innovation.”
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Richard LeCain, Chief Technology Officer of UKBIC, said: “Following on from the successful trials of electrode production at UKBIC we are delighted that Ilika has chosen to manufacture its first batch of Goliath A-Samples at our facility. This is a major milestone for Ilika and the UK, and UKBIC is proud to be a part of this important step towards giga-scale manufacture of solid-state batteries in the UK and deployment worldwide.”
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