The first successfully 3D printed battery from Sakuu
Sakuu Corporation, a company specializing in additive manufacturing and solid-state battery technology, has announced a significant achievement in the production of fully functional 3D printed batteries of custom shapes and sizes.
The patterned batteries were printed with openings for thermal management in a dry process using Sakuu's Kavian™ platform at the company's Silicon Valley battery pilot line facility. This groundbreaking achievement has marked an important step towards the company's planned commercial-scale production of next-generation SwiftPrint™ batteries, including solid-state batteries, from its Kavian™ platform in gigafactories worldwide.
Karl Littau, Chief Technology Officer at Sakuu commented: “Our development shows that the Kavian™ platform can enable commercial-scale, sustainable production of a wide range of battery technologies from lithium-ion to lithium metal to even solid-state batteries—whereas traditional methods of advanced cell manufacturing continually run into core impediments that prevent mass-scale production. Further, our printing process can allow for substantial gains in energy density for a completed battery. Finally, our platform can customise the form factor of the battery—whereby the battery itself can become part of product design via customised shapes and sizes. This is a profound moment with enormous implications for advanced battery manufacturing.”
Sakuu to sell technology to other manufacturers
Sakuu's proprietary multi-material, multi-layer approach allows for low-cost high-speed manufacturing with flexibility in shape and form, resulting in high-performance batteries in core categories that matter most to clients and customers. Utilising proprietary lithium metal battery chemistry, the printing process starts with raw materials and concludes with a fully functional high-performance battery. The patterned battery printing enables a more effective use of battery cell volume with new pathways in thermal dynamic regulation, allowing for integration of fixturing, sensors, and thermal transport pathways. Sakuu plans to sell its Kavian™ platform to other battery manufacturers and leading automotive, e-mobility, and aerospace manufacturers to shorten their supply chain and gain key cell performance and safety attributes, as well as material and energy savings, and sustainability benefits for maximum product design innovation. The company also plans to license its own battery chemistries for traditional roll-to-roll manufacturing or in gigafactories using Kavian™ manufacturing.
