Maxell to mass produce all-solid-state batteries for factory robots

March 19, 2023

TOKYO — An alternative to lithium-ion batteries for powering industrial robots will go into mass production this summer in Japan, Nikkei has learned.

Japanese electronics company Maxell plans to mass produce what are being called the world’s first high-power, all-solid-state batteries for industrial machines.

All-solid-sate batteries contain solid electrolytes instead of the liquid or polymer electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries.

Compared with their lithium-ion counterparts, all-solid-sate batteries have three times the energy density and pose less risk of fire, but cost more than four times as much to make. Mass production has so far been limited to small sizes like those used in wearable devices.

Maxell, which produces a wide range of batteries, has drawn on its ability to keep costs down in key production steps like mixing. The company will use a sulfide-based model for its industrial all-solid-state batteries. This design delivers more power than typical oxide-based batteries.

Maxell will spend 2 billion yen ($15 million) to build a production line for the batteries at a plant in Oyamazaki, near Kyoto. The company is in talks with several makers of factory automation equipment on possible supply deals.

Potential uses for the batteries include articulated robots with arms that move parts on an assembly line.

Maxell aims for 30 billion yen in related revenue in fiscal 2030.

Japan’s electronics industry, which took an early lead in bringing lithium-ion batteries to the mass market, has high hopes for all-solid-state batteries. Led by Toyota Motor and Panasonic Holdings, four of world’s top five patent holders in technology related to the new batteries are Japanese.

But rivals including South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and LG Chem are catching up fast. High-power batteries, crucial for applications like electric vehicles, are set become a major battleground.

Japan’s TDK and Murata Manufacturing are among the makers of all-solid-state batteries for wearables and other small devices. Tokyo data provider Fuji Keizai has forecast the overall market for all-solid-state batteries to grow to about 1.6 trillion yen, or $12 billion, in 2035.

Source:Maxell to mass produce all-solid-state batteries for factory robots – Nikkei Asia