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WHAT IS A LAB-SCALE POUCH CELL LINE

WHAT IS A LAB-SCALE POUCH CELL LINE?

A lab-scale pouch cell production 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 POUCH CELL

KEY PROCESS STAGES

It typically covers three main stages: raw material preparation, electrode preparation, and cell assembly, providing a complete workflow for laboratory-scale battery prototyping and testing.

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

Main Equipment
Process Stage Equipment Function
Raw Material Preparation Battery Raw Material -
Tube Furnace Material sintering and heat treatment
Vacuum Planetary Mixer Slurry preparation
Electrode Preparation Electrode Coating Machine Electrode coating
Roll Press Machine Electrode calendering
Electrode Slitting Machine Electrode width cutting
Electrode Sheet Cutting Machine Electrode sheet cutting
Cell Assembly Die Cutting Machine Electrode punching
Stacking Machine Electrode stacking
Winding Machine Jelly-roll winding
Tab Welding Machine Tab connection
Vacuum Drying Oven Drying before electrolyte filling
Pouch Forming Machine Aluminum pouch forming
Cell Core Hot Press Core densification & thickness control
Electrolyte Filling Machine Electrolyte injection
Vacuum Sealing Machine Cell sealing
Formation & Grading System Cell activation and testing

 

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, Aluminum foil
Anode Graphite, Silicon Carbon, LTO, Copper foil
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)
Aluminum Laminated Film 113 μm, 152 μm
Tab Aluminum tab (positive), Nickel / Ni-Cu tab (negative)
Kapton Tape 0.035–0.15 mm thickness

 

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.

 

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 vacuum planetary mixer is a key equipment in the electrode preparation process, used for mixing cathode and anode materials with binders and conductive additives to produce uniform battery slurry.

Under vacuum conditions, it effectively removes air bubbles and ensures consistent dispersion of active materials, improving coating quality and electrode performance. It is widely used for lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state battery material research and development.

The coating machine is a key equipment in pouch 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.

Selection
Function Desktop Coating Machine Floor-Type Medium Coating Machine
Machine Type Compact bench-top system Floor-standing system
Target Application Small-size pouch cells R&D Larger-size pouch 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 Continuous or 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 pouch 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 100–200 mm Customizable
Rolling Width 100–400 mm Customizable
Heating System Heating or non-heating optional Heating or non-heating optional
Pressing Type Manual / electric options Electric / hydraulic roll pressing
Roll Orientation Horizontal (default) / vertical optional Horizontal / customized layout
Winding System Optional unwinding & rewinding Optional unwinding & rewinding
Application Scale Small-batch laboratory production Pilot-scale
Reference Picture

Based on the cell design and manufacturing process, electrodes are either cut or slit into required dimensions for stacking or winding processes.

These machines ensure accurate electrode size control, clean edges, and high consistency, providing reliable preparation for subsequent cell assembly steps.

Electrode processing is selected after calendering, based on the final cell design:

Selection
Item Slitting Machine Sheet Cutting Machine
Application Process Winding process Stacking process
Process Stage After electrode calendering After electrode calendering
Function Cuts wide material rolls into strips with specified widths Cuts electrode sheets into specified lengths and sizes
Cutting Direction Longitudinal cutting Length cutting / sheet cutting
Output Form Continuous electrode and separator strips Individual electrode sheets
Subsequent Process Ready for electrode and separator winding Further die cutting and stacking
Slitting Machine Semi-Automatic
Slitting Machine Automatic

The winding machine is used in the pouch cell assembly process to continuously wind cathode, anode, and separator layers into a jelly-roll cell core. It ensures accurate alignment, stable winding tension, and consistent cell structure, providing a reliable foundation for subsequent packaging and sealing processes.

Selection
Machine Type Machine Image
Manual Winding Machine
Semi-Automatic Winding Machine
Automatic Winding Machine

The Z-folding stacking machine is designed for pouch cell assembly, using a Z-shaped folding method to stack cathode, anode, and separator layers alternately into a cell core.

It provides accurate electrode alignment, stable stacking performance, and flexible layer setting, making it suitable for lithium-ion battery R&D and small-scale production.

Selection
Machine Type Machine Image
Manual Stacking Machine
Semi-Automatic Stacking Machine
Automatic Stacking Machine

The die cutting machine is used in the electrode stacking process to punch electrode sheets into precise shapes and sizes. It ensures consistent dimensions for cathode, anode, and separator alignment, enabling accurate and stable cell stacking.

It is an essential equipment for preparing electrode pieces before pouch cell assembly.

Selection
Model Manual Die Cutter Automatic Die Cutter
Applicable Range Within 250mm × 250mm L90-350mm × W40-450mm
Yield 800 - 1000 pcs/h 2400 pcs/h
Reference Picture

Ultrasonic tab welding is used to connect electrode tabs in pouch 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.

Vacuum drying oven is used after electrode welding or electrode preparation 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.

The pouch cell case forming machine is used to shape aluminum laminated film into a preformed pouch structure for battery assembly. It ensures accurate cavity formation for electrode stacking or winding, providing proper space and alignment for internal cell components.

Selection
Model Manual Forming Machine Automatic Forming Machine
Al-laminated Film Size Max. 330mm × 220mm (Customizable) Customized
Booster Cylinder 3T~5T (Adjustable) 30T (Adjustable)
Max. Forming Depth Max. 6mm (Depends on film strength) Customized
Reference Picture

This equipment is mainly used for hot pressing the battery core after winding or stacking, making it easier for subsequent casing and assembly. The wound or stacked core is placed on a forming template and shaped through controlled heating and pressure.

It helps ensure consistent cell thickness, reduces spring-back of the electrode core, lowers the risk of internal short circuits, and improves overall thickness uniformity of the finished cell.

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

Selection
Model Manual Filling Machine Automatic Filling Machine
Filling Range 0-2.4mL adjustable 0-50 mL
Stroke Number 1-9999 times 250000 times
Reference Picture
Customized Customized Customized

The aluminum laminated film heat 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.

The sealing process is typically divided into three stages: top/side sealing, pre-sealing, and final sealing.

Sealing Process

  1. 1.The electrode assembly with tabs is accurately placed into the pre-cut aluminum laminated film pouch cavity.
  2. 2.After loading the cell, the pouch is folded so that the inner layers face each other and fully wrap the battery core.
  3. 3.A heat sealing machine applies constant temperature and pressure along the sealing lines. The inner layers are melted and bonded together to complete top sealing and side sealing. (Top & Side Sealing Machine)
  4. 4.Electrolyte is then injected into the cell, followed by formation and aging processes.
  5. 5.A vacuum pre-sealing machine is used to evacuate air and perform preliminary sealing. (Pre-Sealing Machine)
  6. 6.The final step is secondary sealing and trimming of the gas chamber. (Final Sealing Machine)
Selection
Machine Function Features Reference Picture
Top & Side Sealing Machine Top edge and side edge sealing Suitable as sealing for solid-state batteries
Pre-Sealing Machine First sealing after electrolyte filling Suitable for solid-state batteries; can also serve as final sealing for liquid-electrolyte batteries without needle puncture
Final Sealing Machine Second sealing after formation With needle puncture function to release gas chamber before final sealing
3-in-1 Sealing Machine Integrated top/side sealing, vacuum standing, pre-sealing Highly integrated, most common customer selection

The cell formation and grading system is used in the final stage of pouch 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 6A / 10A / 20A / Customized
Tesing Voltage 5V/ 10V / 20V / Customized
Channel 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 / 128 / 256 / 512 / Customized
Clamp

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