Laser cutting is a promising technology for the singulation of conventional and advanced electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. Even though the continuous development of laser sources, beam guiding, and handling systems enable industrial relevant high cycle times, there are still uncertainties regarding the influence of, for this process, typical cutting edge characteristics on the electrochemical performance. To investigate this issue, conventional anodes and cathodes were cut by a pulsed fiber laser with a central emission wavelength of 1059–1065 nm and a pulse duration of 240 ns. Based on investigations considering the pulse repetition frequency, cutting speed, and line energy, a cell setup of anodes and cathodes with different cutting edge characteristics were selected. The experiments on 9 Ah pouch cells demonstrated that the cutting edge of the cathode had a greater impact on the electrochemical performance than the cutting edge of the anode. Furthermore, the results pointed out that on the cathode side, the contamination through metal spatters, generated by the laser current collector interaction, had the largest impact on the electrochemical performance.

Due to the increasing demand for high-performance cells for mobile applications, the standards of the performance of active materials and the efficiency of cell production strategies are rising. One promising cell technology to fulfill the increasing requirements for actual and future applications are all solid-state batteries with pure lithium metal on the anode side. The outstanding electrochemical material advantages of lithium, with its high theoretical capacity of 3860 mAh/g and low density of 0.534 g/cm³, can only be taken advantage of in all solid-state batteries, since, in conventional liquid electrochemical systems, the lithium dissolves with each discharging cycle. Apart from the current low stability of all solid-state separators, challenges lie in the general processing, as well as the handling and separation, of lithium metal foils. Unfortunately, lithium metal anodes cannot be separated by conventional die cutting processes in large quantities. Due to its adhesive properties and toughness, mechanical cutting tools require intensive cleaning after each cut. The presented experiments show that remote laser cutting, as a contactless and wear-free method, has the potential to separate anodes in large numbers with high-quality cutting edges.

The complexity offered by additive material extrusion (MEX) presents new opportunities for novel design, especially with regard to multi-material components. However, this design freedom has heretofore only been scarcely used thus stifling innovation. One reason for this development is the complicated nature of adhesion at the interface of multi-material parts. Hence, this publication aims to investigate the process-dependent influences in multi-material MEX by conducting tensile tests on ABS-PLA multi-material specimens. By implementing a distance gauge into the tool change procedure, positional fluctuations of the nozzle will be eliminated and the effects of extrusion temperature, line placement, and over- or under-extrusion on composite strength can be determined more precisely. In addition, thermal imaging is conducted to give an informed estimate of the effects of build chamber or build plate temperature on diffusion at the material interface. The results show a clear influence of extrusion temperature and over-extrusion on composite strength, while the effect of line placement is determined to only be minor. The build chamber temperature is predicted to have no meaningful effect on composite strength. Overall, the results suggest that deviations in printer calibration, by as little as 0.04 mm, can have a significant influence on composite strength.

Car manufacturers are currently challenged with increasing the sustainability of their products and production to comply with sustainability requirements and legislation. One way to enhance product sustainability is by reducing the carbon footprint of fossil-based plastic parts. Particle foams are a promising solution to achieve the goal of using lightweight parts with minimal material input. Ongoing developments involve the use of expanded particle foam beads made from engineering plastics such as polyamide (EPA). To achieve this, a simulated life cycle was carried out on virgin EPA, including mechanical recycling. The virgin material was processed into specimens using a steam-free method. One series was artificially aged to replicate automotive life cycle stresses, while the other series was not. The mechanical recycling and re-foaming of the minipellets were then carried out, resulting in an EPA particle foam with 100% recycled content. Finally, the thermal and chemical material properties were comparatively analysed. The study shows that the recycled EPA beads underwent polymer degradation during the simulated life cycle, as evidenced by their material properties. For instance, the recycled beads showed a more heterogeneous molecular weight distribution (an increase in PDI from two to three), contained carbonyl groups, and exhibited an increase in the degree of crystallization from approximately 24% to 36%.

Lithium metal exhibits strong adhesive properties and a highly reactive nature, which complicates conventional mechanical separation methods. Laser cutting, as a contactless process, is possible under a defined drying room atmosphere. However, it is a costly process and therefore not suitable for industrial usage. Consequently, the development of a cost-effective process gas is imperative for the future implementation of lithium metal. In this research, the laser cutting of 30 µm lithium copper composite foil is performed under different process gases (nitrogen and argon) and ambient atmospheres with different water contents to determine the ablation potential depended on the process gas. To assess the laser–material interaction, the impact of pulse repetition frequency and cutting velocity on the material behavior was investigated. To this end, the ablation behavior, the resulting cutting edges, and the electrochemical performance were thoroughly explored. The findings reveal a dependence of the ablation behavior on the water content in the ambient atmosphere, as well as a reduced energy input for a complete shot through when using an inert gas. The resulting cutting edges result in nearly similar outcomes with regard to the heat-affected zone. The electrochemical performance illustrates the influence of the laser process with different gases, taking into account the changed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, using high-temperature thermoplastics has been proposed for the production of structures in space. To determine whether this is feasible, a systematic study investigating the impact of the space environment on the AM process must be conducted. Existing investigations have focussed on AM in microgravity and AM of either low-temperature thermoplastics or individual high-temperature thermoplastics at low pressure. This study examines the mechanical characteristics of high temperature, space compatible thermoplastic parts produced by AM in a low-pressure environments. Four different thermoplastic filaments were investigated—polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), and two types of polyetherimide (PEI) (ULTEM 9085 and ULTEM 1010). Their mechanical performance, internal structures, and crystallinity were compared to those manufactured under atmospheric conditions. It was observed that the low pressure enabled the manufacture of ULTEM 1010 specimens, which could not be achieved in ambient atmosphere. The low pressure additionally improved the interlayer adhesion of PEEK and ULTEM 9085 specimens. PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM 1010 specimens exhibited bubbling when printed under low-pressure conditions, most noticeable in the compression and H-90° samples, resulting in worse mechanical properties than samples manufactured in atmosphere. The mechanical performance of bending and H-0° specimens remained consistent irrespective of the printing environment; this was thought to be due to conduction to the print bed being the dominant form of heat transfer, resulting in similar thermal histories.