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Lab Scale Cylindrical Battery R&D Pilot Line

What is a Lab-Scale Cylindrical Cell Lab Line?

A lab-scale cylindrical cell lab line is a compact system designed for the research and development of lithium-ion, sodium-ion, solid-state, and next-generation batteries.

Equipment configurations can be customized based on research requirements and budget.

Assembly Flow Chart of Cylindrical Cells

Key Process Stages

It typically covers four main stages, providing a complete workflow for laboratory-scale battery prototyping and testing, ensuring precision and consistency from the initial material selection to the final performance validation.

This end-to-end workflow ensures traceability and repeatability, critical for scaling up battery technologies from lab prototypes to commercial production.

Four-Stage Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 Electrode Sheet Preparation

Furnace
Sintering raw active material
Ball Mill
Grinding and normalising the sintered material
Mixing Machine
Mixing active, conductive, and binder material into slurry under vacuum
Coating Machine
Apply layer of slurry onto the current collector and dry it with an attached heater
Roller Press
Compress the electrode to a desired thickness/density

Step 2 Cell Assembly

Slitting Machine
Slitting / cutting electrode sheet to strips of desired size
Ultrasonic Welder
Joining of multi-layer electrodes and/or tabs to collectors
Winding Machine
Form layers of Anode, Separator, and Cathode into a cell core
Short Circuit Tester
Test for integrity of the cell
Vacuum Oven
Remove any moisture within the cell

Step 3 Case Formation & Sealing

Spot Welder
Allow contact to be made from the cell to the bottom of the case
Grooving Machine
Create an indent on the neck of case to allow for proper seal (after inserting the cell core)
Welding Machine
Attach cell to cap (positive)
Filling Machine
Inject the case with electrolyte under suitable environment within Glove Box
Sealing Machine
Align cap with the open end of case and seal case inside glove box under suitable environment
Wrapping Machine
Wrap the newly finished battery with heat-shrinkable PVC for isolation of positive and negative terminals
Battery Analyzer
Charge/discharge the assembled battery for cell activation

Step 4 Battery Testing

Battery Tester
Test the battery’s performance and Resistance Tester to measure battery’s internal resistance.

 

Raw material preparation is the first step in battery development. This stage focuses on synthesizing, mixing, and processing active materials used in battery electrodes.

Main Materials
Component Common Materials / Structure
Cathode LFP, NMC, NCA, LCO
Anode Graphite, Silicon Carbon, LTO
Separator PE, PP, PP/PE/PP
Electrolyte LiPF6, EC, EMC, DEC, DMC, additives (VC, FEC, etc.)
Binder PVDF (cathode), SBR/CMC (anode)
Conductive Additive Carbon black (Super P), CNT, graphene
Solvent NMP (cathode), deionized water (anode)
Cathode Current Collector Aluminum foil (single/double-side glossy, carbon-coated Al foil)
Anode Current Collector Copper foil (single/double-side glossy, carbon-coated Cu foil)
Cylindrical cell cases 18650 cases, 21700 cases, etc.
Tab Aluminum tab (positive), Nickel / Ni-Cu tab (negative)

 

Widely used for cathode and anode material calcination, sintering, and heat treatment in battery R&D. Supports precise temperature control and controlled atmospheres such as vacuum, nitrogen, or argon.

Selection

Swipe left and right on the table to view the complete data.

Types Muffle Furnace Tube Furnace Atmosphere furnace

Chamber size

100*100*100mm

200*150*150mm

300*200*200mm

400*300*300mm

Customized

40*205mm/ 60*205mm/ 80*205mm/ 100*205mm/

40*350mm/ 60*350mm/

80*350mm/ 100*350mm/

40*440mm/ 60*440mm/

80*440mm/ 100*440mm

Customized

100*100*100mm

200*150*150mm

300*200*200mm

400*300*300mm

Customized

Temperature

1200C/ 1400C/ 1700C

Customized

1200C/ 1400C/ 1700C

Customized

1200C/ 1400C/ 1700C

Customized

Reference Picture

Planetary ball mill is widely used in the raw material preparation stage of battery production, especially for cathode and anode active material research and development. It enables high-energy grinding, mixing, and particle size reduction to improve material uniformity and electrochemical performance.

Jars and Balls

In battery material R&D, zirconia (ZrO₂) grinding jars and zirconia grinding balls are the most commonly used configuration.

They are preferred because of:

  • Ultra-high purity processing
  • Zero metal contamination
  • Excellent wear resistance
  • Suitable for ultra-fine grinding applications

The coating machine is a key equipment in cylindrical cell electrode preparation, used to evenly coat cathode or anode slurry onto current collectors (Al or Cu foil). It ensures uniform thickness, stable loading density, and consistent electrochemical performance.

Function Desktop Coating Machine Floor-Type Medium Coating Machine
Machine Type Compact bench-top system Floor-standing system
Target Application Small-size cylindrical cells R&D Larger-size cylindrical cells & pilot-scale
Production Scale Low throughput laboratory use Medium-scale laboratory production
Coating Width 50–300 mm Customizable
Coating Length 200–800 mm Customizable
Heating System Heating or non-heating optional Heating or non-heating optional
Vacuum System Built-in vacuum pump included Not standard / optional depending on configuration
Coating Mode Single / small-scale coating Three roll transfer intermittent coating
Production Scale Low throughput laboratory use Medium-scale laboratory production
Reference Picture

Roll press machine is used in the electrode preparation process of cylindrical cell production. It compresses the coated electrode sheets to increase density, improve adhesion, and ensure uniform thickness, which directly enhances battery performance and cycle life.

Selection
Function Desktop Roll Press Machine Floor-Type Medium Roll Press Machine
Machine Type Bench-top / small laboratory system Floor-standing system
Roll Diameter 100 mm 210mm
Rolling Width 100–400 mm 330mm
Heating System Heating or non-heating optional Heating or non-heating optional
Pressing Type Manual / electric options Hydraulic roll pressing
Roll Orientation Horizontal (default) / vertical optional Horizontal / customized layout
Winding System Not available Optional unwinding & rewinding
Application Scale Small-batch laboratory production Pilot-scale
Reference Picture

The cylindrical electrode cutting machine precisely cuts wide electrode strips into fixed-length sheets to match the size of cylindrical cell winding cores.

The cylindrical electrode slitter processes raw electrode rolls into standard-width strips ready for winding cylindrical cells.

It maintains precise sizing and smooth cut edges with outstanding repeatability, laying solid groundwork for follow-up battery winding and assembly.

Selection
Cutting Machine Types Reference Picture
Sheet Cutting Machine
Desktop-style Slitting Machine
Floor-standing Electrode Slitting Machine

Vacuum drying oven is used after electrode welding or electrode preparation(after winding process) to remove residual moisture and ensure stable storage conditions. It helps prevent oxidation and moisture absorption of electrode sheets, improving battery safety and consistency before cell assembly.

Selection
Types Vacuum Drying Oven Blast box Three layer partition vacuum drying oven
Capacity optional 25L/ 50L/ 90L/ 210L Customized 20L/ 42L/ 70L/ 136L/ 210L/ 240L 430L Customized
Temperature Heated up to 250C Normal temperature 300 C Max temp: 150C/ 200C
Vacuum bump Needed No need Needed
Reference Picture

 

Ultrasonic tab welding is used to connect electrode tabs in cylindrical cell assembly. It uses high-frequency vibration to achieve solid-state bonding without melting the materials, ensuring low resistance, high conductivity, and reliable electrical connection.

Selection
Function Desktop Ultrasonic Spot Welder
Machine Type Bench-top / small laboratory system
Rated Power 40KHz/ 2000W 20KHz/ 2000W 20KHz/ 3000W 20KHz/ 3600W 20KHz/ 4000W 20KHZ/ 6000W Customized
Ultrasonic Frequency 20KHZ/ 24KHZ/40KHz
Welding Capacity 2–40layers/ 10-90 layers of copper/aluminum foil; Please consult for details
Welding Area 4*4mm/ 4*12mm/ 4*20mm/ 15*20mm
Operation Type Manual operation

The winding machine is a core laboratory and pilot-line equipment specially developed for the R&D of lithium-ion pouch batteries and cylindrical cells. It is designed to synchronously wind positive electrodes, negative electrodes and isolating separators in a layered structure, serving as the key process equipment for forming battery cell cores.

Selection
Winding Machine Types Reference Picture
Manual Winding Machine
Semi-Automatic Winding Machine
Automatic Winding Machine

This pneumatic spot welding machine is primarily designed for welding 18650 cylindrical cell or battery packs. It delivers reliable and consistent welding performance for nickel tabs ranging in thickness from 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm.

Selection
Product Name Manual Single Needle Spot Welder
Operation Type Manual operation
Welding Thickness 0.03 - 0.25mm
Welding Current 2500A
Controller Controlled by microcontroller,achieve monopulse, dipulse, multiple-pulse welding
Air Pressure Range 0.1 - 0.7 Mpa ( air compressor is required)

The Semi-Automatic Grooving Machine is developed for grooving cylindrical steel and aluminum shells pre-assembled with jelly rolls. It performs uniform grooving for cylindrical lithium cells and features interchangeable dies to accommodate various cell specifications. The standard setup is configured for 18650 cells, and it can be quickly adapted for other cell sizes by replacing the dies.

Selection
Grooving Machine Types Reference Picture
Manual Winding Machine
Automatic Winding Machine

The electrolyte filling machine is used to precisely inject electrolyte into cylindrical cells. It ensures accurate dosing and uniform distribution based on the required filling volume and process conditions.

Selection
Filling Machine Types Reference Picture Operating Environment Customized
Manual Liquid filling machine

Vacuum Glove Box

Customized

Vacuum Glove Box

Customized
Semi-Automatic Filling Machine

Drying room

Customized

It is suitable for placing the injected lithium battery in a vacuum state, allowing the electrolyte to quickly and evenly penetrate into the cell.

It is easy to operate and suitable for all types of batteries(especially soft bag battery and cylinder battery). Unique periods of vacuum control system allows electrolyte to thoroughly saturate the electrodes to ensure the best battery charging-discharging performance.

Selection
Electrolyte Diffusion & Degassing Chamber Type Reference Picture
Vacuum static box
Vacuum Filling and Degassing Machine

 

The cylindrical cell case sealing process is a key step in lithium-ion battery packaging. It ensures reliable encapsulation of the cell and directly affects battery safety, sealing performance, and cycle life.

Selection
Filling Machine Reference Picture Customized
Manual sealing machine Customized
Automatic sealing machine Customized

 

The automatic equipment integrates pad placement and PVC heat shrinking for single cells. Equipped with two temperature controllers, the two-stage shrinking furnace works at 100–180 °C. Batteries covered with PVC film are preheated in the first low-temperature section, then fully shrunk in the second high-temperature section.

Selection
Model TMAX-SK01
Application  18650, 21700
Film speed  50PCS/MIN
Film precision  ±0.1MM
Power supply  380V/220V 
Picture

 

The cell formation and grading system is used in the final stage of cylindrical cell production for battery activation and performance evaluation. It performs initial charging and discharging to activate the cell, stabilize electrochemical performance, and ensure consistency.

It is widely used for cell formation, capacity testing, and grading screening in lithium-ion battery R&D and production.

Selection
Tesing Current 3A/ 6A / 10A / 20A / Customized
Tesing Voltage 5V/ 10V / 20V / Customized
Channel 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 / 128 / 256 / 512 / Customized
Clamp

Laboratory Showcase