Matthews International to open facility to refurbishment calender rolls for battery production

Matthews International says it expects to open its state-of-the-art service facility for the refurbishment of calender rolls for lithium-ion battery electrode production in June 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.

This facility, part of Matthews’ Saueressig Engineering and Energy division, supports the growth of its North American energy business, serving the rapidly growing renewable energy market.

Joe Bartolacci, president and CEO, says: “We are very excited about the start-up of our San Antonio facility, designed to apply our published patents for use of dry electrodes in the production and reconditioning of lithium-ion batteries and multiple roll calenders (MRCs).

“This patented technology has the potential to reduce the cost of production and accelerate mass market adoption of fuels cells for a variety of end-use markets, including the electric vehicle market.”

Greg Babe, chief technology officer, says: “This new facility is the culmination of combining a set of unique capabilities that support both the development of MRCs and hydrogen fuel cells.

“With top-tier electric vehicle customers already using our technology, we believe the impact on the industry will be significant as the market continues to grow.”

With demand for green energy technologies accelerating, planning is also under way for a proposed expansion of the San Antonio facility to include a technical center for application testing and a demonstration site of its proprietary equipment for both battery electrodes and hydrogen fuel cell component production.

The technical center supports the company’s North American customers and augments existing R&D capabilities in the Saueressig operation in Vreden, Germany which drives the company’s global R&D activities.

The facility will be a complement to the company’s Burlington, North Carolina, site which is ramping up its energy production capabilities as an extension of its cutting and embossing business.

The North American expansion solidifies the established global position Matthews holds in production lines for the clean energy market, where the company says it is a leader in calendering lines for electrode production of lithium-ion batteries for the electric vehicle market, and on its growing expertise in hydrogen fuel cells following the acquisition of Terrella Energy Systems in May 2021 and its Joint Development Agreement with Illuming Power in February.