Kavian platformand SwiftPrint batteries manufacturerSakuu Corporationhas announced that it has successfully and consistently 3D printed completely operational performant batteries in custom sizes and shapes since December 2022.
At Sakuu’s Silicon Valley battery pilot line facility, these batteries were 3D printed as patterned cells with patterned openings for thermal control in a completely dry method. Sakuu claims that this is a “first-of-its-kind” recorded manufacturing accomplishment and an essential milestone towards its intended mass production of next-generation SwiftPrint batteries, which include solid-state batteries, in gigafactories around the world using its Kavian platform.
“我们认为，我们拥有唯一已知的解决方案，用于使用新颖的Kavian平台制造固态电池。总的来说，我们的增材制造和电池团队已经完成了最不可能的事情。” Sakuu创始人兼首席执行官Robert Bagheri说。“打印自定义的图案电池，始于原材料，并以功能齐全的高性能电池结束，这是一个突破性的突破，有可能改变所有行业未来电池的制造方式。这个里程碑促进了我们的卡维安平台与我们的商业规模的电池生产计划之间的整合，到2030年通过全球合作伙伴Gigafactories网络的能源输出目标。”
Functionalities of Sakuu’s new batteries
“Our development shows that the Kavian platform can enable commercial-scale, sustainable production of a wide range of battery technologies from lithium-ion to lithium metal to even solid-state batteries—whereas traditional methods of advanced cell manufacturing continually run into core impediments that prevent mass-scale production,” said Karl Littau, Chief Technology Officer at Sakuu.
Sakuu has developed a fully industrialized process for printing batteries that employs a proprietary multi-material, multi-layer method in a dry and parallel process rather than slow layer-by-layer 3D printing or screen-printing—inherently wet methods that require substantial energy to eliminate undesired solvents and are prone to poor printing quality and unreliability. The Sakuu invention can provide low-cost, high-speed production capabilities, as well as form and shape versatility, all while producing batteries in core categories that are important to customers and clients alike. Sakuu’s first printed batteries, for instance, successfully illustrated cycling performance at C/5, IC current rates, and high energy density at 800-1000 Wh/L.
Sakuu’s printing process, which employs proprietary lithium metal battery chemistry, begins with raw material and completes with a fully prepared patterned battery, “ushering in a new era” in production and energy storage. The success of patterned battery printing facilitates more efficient use of battery cell volume through new thermal dynamic regulation pathways. This enables the incorporation of sensors, fixturing, and thermal transport pathways, along with regulation via the patterned design—particularly when thin sub-cell battery structures are piled with identical patterned openings for thermal management in alignment.
“此外，我们的打印过程可以为完整的电池带来可观的能量密度增长。最后，我们的平台可以自定义电池的外形，从而可以通过定制的形状和尺寸成为产品设计的一部分。这是一个深刻的时刻，对先进的电池制造产生了巨大影响。” Littau补充说。
Sakuu的Kavian平台将由其他电池公司以及领先的汽车，电子机动性和航空航天公司购买。那些希望大量生产电池的人可以在获得重要的细胞性能和安全功能的同时，固有的能源和材料节省以及最大化产品设计创新的可持续性优势，同时削减供应链。此外，Sakuu打算使用Kavian Manufacturing或常规的卷到滚动制造公司在Gigafactories中许可其自己的电池化学作品，包括固态和Li-Metal。
3D打印电池
Previously,Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory(LLNL) collaborated withAmpcera, a battery material specialist, to create the next generation oflithium battery使用3D打印技术的阴极。该项目从US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Officeand required the research partners to use solvent-free Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) processes. The project’s goal was to develop novel 3D battery structures capable of quick charging and increased energy densities while reducing manufacturing costs and energy consumption.
Furthermore, a Swiss investment firm specializing inbattery technologyBlackstone Resources宣布的计划早在2025年就将新颖的3D印刷钠离子电池设计设计研发子公司黑石技术,将与一个财团的学术合作nd industrial partners to illustrate its 3D printed solid-state batteries in a real-world use case. The 3D printed solid-state batteries, in particular, will be implemented on aEurabuselectric bus to validate their efficiency on the road.
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Feature image shows 3D printed battery. Image via Sakuu.
