Austria's AICHELIN Ges.m.b.H has entered a new partnership with Chinese company KILNPARTNER. The strategic alliance will help AICHELIN advance developments for Europe's battery industry and support the transformation to electric mobility.
Improving lithium-ion batteries
High on the agenda of battery manufacturers and the automotive industry is increasing the range of battery-powered vehicles - an important argument that can convince many potential customers to switch to electromobility.
The increase in range also includes the associated increase in energy density with a simultaneous reduction in the dead weight of the lithium-ion batteries used. To achieve this, thermal processes are used as a key technology to treat the essential components of Li-ion batteries. These include the cathode as LFP (lithium iron phosphate) or NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) and the active anode material. The crystal structure and morphology of the material can only be trimmed to "peak performance" if the heat treatment is performed to an exact degree. To be able to achieve this goal, each manufacturer has its own process secrets. The common basic requirement is a flexible and reliable equipment technology, the so-called "kilns".
Partnership at eye level
For 155 years now, exact, and reproducible thermal processes have been the specialty of the AICHELIN Group. Originally engaged in the thermal treatment of iron and steel, the company has for some years been looking at additional fields of application for its extensive experience in heat treatment.
The Chinese company KILNPARTNER has gained an excellent reputation on its home market through close cooperation with manufacturers and research institutes and has been able to successfully put several hundred plants into operation. For the leap onto the European market, they have now found a trustworthy and reliable partner in AICHELIN.
The aim of the cooperation agreement between AICHELIN Ges.m.b.H. and SUZHOU KILNPARTNER Mechanical Technology Co.Ltd. is to jointly provide European battery manufacturers with the best heat treatment technology and to support them throughout the life cycle. The two partners meet at eye level in this cooperation and will have their own brand in Europe.
"It is fortunate that we have met AICHELIN - a famous company that has a high reputation in the world. We firmly believe that through our joint efforts and by complementing each other's strengths, we can make a great contribution to the European market," said Xiaochun Fan, general manager of KILNPARTNER Co. Ltd.
"We at AICHELIN are very excited to work with KILNPARTNER to successfully enter the growing battery powder market in Europe. It is very important to cooperate with KILNPARTNER, an experienced furnace manufacturer from China with many references, to professionally serve the upcoming demand, especially for the EV market," added Michael Reisner, Managing Director of AICHELIN Ges.m.b.H.
