Battrion and Hilti: lithium-ion battery cell prototype promises to be better than industry standard
Battrion and Hilti, in a joint collaboration, have built high-power lithium-ion battery cell prototypes that prove to be better than the industry standard.
In a joint development, Battrion AG and Hilti Group have produced lithium-ion battery cell prototypes based on Battrion’s Aligned Graphite® technology. The cell prototypes show a significant performance increase compared to commercially produced, state-of-the-art cells that are used in power tools.
Battrion is an ETH Zurich spin-off which operates a research lab and production facility where they develop their Aligned Graphite® technology. The technology they develop significantly increases the charge and discharge performance of lithium-ion batteries.
The Hilti Group, who supply the worldwide construction and energy industries with technologically-leading products, systems, software and services, are one of the leading power tool manufacturers. The goal with their collaboration with Battrion is to bring the performance gains achieved through Battrion’s Aligned Graphite® technology to Hilti’s popular power tools.
Dr. M. Ebner, CEO of Battrion has said concerning their close working relationship with Hilti:
Through our collaboration with Hilti, we’ve gained important industrial insights, particularly to the power tool market. The built prototypes mark an important step as they demonstrate external validation of the claims of our technology by a market leader.”
This new cell prototype exhibits an increase in their discharge performance of up to 20% in power tool applications. This substantial increase in performance means the Hilti’s cordless power tools are much more effective.
With other cells designs and application, battery cells with Battrion’s Aligned Graphite® show an increase in discharge performance by up to 40%. Not only this, but this innovative technology reduces the charging time by up to 50% when compared to commercially available cells. The technology means that these improvements are not hindered by further heat generation, extending the time in which the battery can be safely operated.
A close relationship for success
Battrion and Hilti’s working relationship dates back to 2014 when Battrion’s co-founder, Martin Ebner, was awarded the Hilti Prize for Innovative Research at ETH Zurich for his work on lithium-ion batteries. It is this close working relationship that DR. Andreas Bong, Head of Corporate Research at Hilti, believes serves as a role model for technology transfer, stating:
This is further proof of the benefits of long-lasting relationships with leading universities and the openness to collaborate with young startups. Hilti honours and strongly supports research that combines scientific excellence with practical application.”
Through collaboration and long-standing working relationship, Battrion’s and Hilti’s joint development project proves a success. With prototypes that outperform industry-standard, Vice President of Research at ETH Zurich, Prof. D. Günther, has expressed his delight at the success of the collaboration, stating:
It excites me to see when research that originated in an academic setting at ETH Zurich progresses towards industrial applications, particularly in such an important and competitive field as lithium-ion battery technology.”