Development of a Specialized 18650 Lithium Ion Cell and Automated Manufacturing Line in California, USA
Authors: Fay Alex , Nagata Mikito 
Published: February 2020

Through investments in automated manufacturing, Quallion will reduce the costs of its domestically produced lithium ion cells and batteries, greatly expanding their potential uses in aerospace, military, and industrial applications.

Quallion has demonstrated high quality, long life, and high performance lithium ion battery technology in critical applications such as implantable medical devices and low earth orbit satellites. Quallion’s long life lithium ion cell chemistry was the basis for its selection for a US Government program to build a US based manufacturing capability for space grade lithium ion cells, as well as anode and cathode materials.

This vertical integration allows for full configuration control and integration of unique Quallion technologies into large format prismatic cells; however, these materials and cell level advantages remain out of reach of the vast majority of potential applications due to high cost manufacturing associated with custom cell designs and labor intensive processes. Neither Quallion’s small medical cells nor its large satellite cells are cost effective for applications such as military air, sea, and ground vehicles; commercial vehicle applications; or other industrial settings; but new automated manufacturing will enable production of cost effective cells to bring cutting edge lithium ion technology to an expanded pool of users.

By leveraging an industrial standard cell design and automating key production processes, Quallion is making its energy storage products more affordable. Quallion’s manufacturing enhancement programs are supported by grants from the State of California, which has opened up additional opportunities to leverage federal matching programs. Quallion targeted the most common industrial battery form factor for its manufacturing program, the cylindrical 18650 cell. Produced in large quantities by Asian industrial giants, the 18650 has a broad base of component and equipment suppliers that reduce the degree of customization of cell design and process, thereby reducing costs. This cell design is also compatible with many Quallion battery pack designs, which have used commercial 18650 cells in conjunction with unique packaging technologies for military and aerospace programs to date.

Quallion also automated key manufacturing processes to reduce unit cost and increase production capability, including: winding of electrodes, assembly of 18650 cells, formation and testing of cells, welding of cells into modules, testing of modules and finished batteries, including those with integrated battery management systems. These manufacturing enhancements will reduce direct labor costs per piece, a critical requirement to retain a competitive domestic manufacturing base, enhance factory throughput, and improve product quality through reduced production errors.

When completed in 2014, the automated production facility will enable cost competitive, US based production of lithium ion batteries for land, sea, and air applications. These batteries will enable second order cost reductions through weight reduction, fuel savings, and reduced battery replacement compared to legacy Ni-Cd and lead acid batteries.

Quallion’s 18650 batteries will feature the same cutting edge technologies that have made Quallion stand out in high reliability medical and space markets, but they will be produced more affordably by leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques.

Advanced technologies included in Quallion’s 18650 cells will include a wide operating temperature to enable discharge between -40 to 71C and Zero-Volt deep discharge tolerance which enables a cell to be fully discharged multiple times and stored in that state indefinitely without any reduction in capacity or performance. Cells will also feature Quallion’s long life lithium ion chemistry which demonstrates unrivaled cycle life and calendar life performance.

The new manufacturing line will also allow for experimentation and prototyping of new chemistries and cell designs in an industrial setting, and Quallion will make its facilities available to others seeking to demonstrate their electrochemical technology.