EAS Batteries and Limatica are joining forces: cell production meets innovative measurement technology. Together, they enable precise determination of the self-discharge of large-format LFP cells – not in days, but under one hour. In an interview, Michael Deutmeyer (CEO EAS) and Bastian Ruther (CEO Limatica) discuss the first successful test phases, the production-related integration of the measurement technology, and the strategic importance of this partnership for the innovation region of Central Germany.

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Mr. Deutmeyer, Mr. Ruther – what led your companies to cooperate, and what added value does the combination of cell manufacturing and measurement technology bring?

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Michael D. (EAS Batteries): Our goal at EAS is to continuously improve the quality of our lithium-ion cells. Self-discharge is a key indicator – it directly affects the efficiency and reliability of the cell. Limatica is developing a novel measurement system that can capture the self-discharge rate not after days, but within an hour, by measuring voltage noise. This will allow us in the future to assess cell quality more quickly based on self-discharge and, if necessary, react earlier in production.

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Bastian Ruther (Limatica): The partnership is a win-win situation. We can support a local company with strong cell and battery expertise in increasing quality and efficiency. At the same time, we gain the opportunity to further develop our technology for LFP cells. This enables a rapid assessment of cell self-discharge, which can be directly integrated as feedback into the production process. The determination of self-discharge can take place in less than an hour, rather than several days as is currently the case. EAS thus receives a quick quality evaluation of the produced batch, enabling fast feedback loops into production and reducing scrap. For the measurement of voltage noise, specially developed, high-resolution Limatica hardware is used. Subsequent analysis of the measurement data extracts numerous features for further data analytics.

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Where do you currently stand with the project?

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Bastian Ruther (Limatica): Initial measurements on large-format LFP cylindrical cells show a good correlation between voltage noise and conventionally determined self-discharge. Voltage noise was measured for 30 minutes on cells of different ages in the flat section of the open-circuit voltage curve – an area poorly suited for conventional methods. Subsequently, the cell contacting system was optimized to minimize external disturbances. The project has already entered its second stage now. Cells of EAS are being measured during the quality checkup to train the system and enable reliable predictions. As the measurements are passive, they integrate easily with the tried and proven standard production process of EAS. This will allow EAS to monitor cell quality in real time and continuously improve manufacturing processes. Instead of a single value, a broader data set will support deeper analysis and optimization.

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Michael Deutmeyer (EAS Batteries): The big advantage is that the measurements in this phase can take place alongside production in the coming months. Together with the results from the preliminary trials, this made it easy for us to decide to launch the second project phase. After this training phase, further production-related measurements are planned, in which the determination of self-discharge within one hour is to be validated. The prospect of having initial information about ongoing production available in less than an hour offers a significantly improved monitoring of the manufacturing process. Instead of a single self-discharge value, more data will be available in the future for evaluation and subsequent process improvement. For high-performance applications in aerospace and defense, where the tightest tolerances for cell parameters are necessary, this is of great importance.

 

What strategic significance does this collaboration have for the future direction of your companies?

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Michael Deutmeyer (EAS Batteries): Alongside our activities in national and international research projects, we are always striving to advance cell production innovatively with strong partners and creative minds. Accompanying Limatica’s measurement system with our extensive practical know-how of over 25 years in the cell sector is a prime example of this. To promote this and similar formats, we are currently building an Innovation Hub in Nordhausen – a kind of incubator for all new developments around lithium-ion cells and batteries. With our know-how and comprehensive testing and production facilities, we aim to serve as a springboard for start-ups, helping to significantly shorten development time and pave the way toward commercialization.

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Bastian Ruther (Limatica): For Limatica, it is a great opportunity to test and further develop our technology in another industrial production environment. The cooperation with EAS is a real innovation accelerator for us, and we are pleased to jointly drive the strengthening of battery expertise in Germany and Europe from Central Germany. Our goal is to share these experiences with other founders and jointly put synergies for the future of lithium-ion cells into practice.

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With this partnership, EAS once again demonstrates its focus on innovative product improvement and future orientation, in order to continuously enhance the quality of its cells. For more information about the partnership or the technology, feel free to contact:

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sales@eas-batteries.com and bastian.ruther@limatica.com.

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Learn more about Limatica & EAS product portfolio:

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https://eas-batteries.com/ innovation-factory/pioneering-products

https://www.limatica.com/