Fraunhofer IWS launches DRYplatform to accelerate dry-coating battery research
At the heart of the platform is Fraunhofer’s DRYtraec process, which replaces conventional wet coating of battery electrodes. By eliminating solvents and energy-intensive drying stages, DRYtraec is said to cut costs and environmental impact. The system features a flexible dry-air multi-chamber design with precise humidity control, high-intensity mixers for powder preparation, and interconnected data infrastructure linking inline and offline analysis for rapid process optimisation.
Fraunhofer IWS positions the platform as strategically important for Germany’s battery industry. According to the institute, it will support partners across the battery value chain: powder suppliers can validate formulations, equipment manufacturers can optimise systems, and cell producers can test performance under near-industrial conditions.
Dry-coating technology offers a route to safeguard industrial competitiveness by strengthening research, machinery and plant engineering while supporting early adoption by cell manufacturers. The platform complements the Fraunhofer Research Fabrication Battery Cell (FFB), which is commissioning a DRYtraec-based production line later this year, creating a continuous pipeline from research to pilot production.
The institute notes that DRYplatform will enable efficient, scalable evaluation of dry-coating methods for lithium-ion, solid-state, sodium-ion and lithium–sulphur batteries. This will allow companies to assess whether to supplement or replace wet-coating processes in future cell manufacturing – a decision expected to influence battery production strategies in the coming decade.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) provided €3.7-million in funding for the project.
“DRYplatform integrates state-of-the-art dry-coating and analytics infrastructure, from powder preparation and cell testing to the digital interconnection of all process data,” said Prof. Christoph Leyens, Director of Fraunhofer IWS. “It accelerates the transfer from science to industry and provides our partners with a research environment unmatched anywhere in the world.”
Dr. Benjamin Schumm, Head of Particle Technology, added: “We systematically linked material development, plant engineering, and process analytics. That lets us deliver fast, reliable answers to complex questions – a capability only possible through the breadth of expertise at Fraunhofer IWS.”
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