Battery Engineering Center

In the global endeavor to reach net zero emissions, electric vehicle (EV) batteries present a key focus area for OEMs and battery manufacturers. Innovation is urgently needed as batteries will have to become safer, more efficient, sustainable, and affordable to enable a full transition to electric mobility. Henkel’s Battery Engineering Center addresses those challenges with the aim of accelerating innovation and co-developing next-generation EV battery technology. 

A Flagship of Innovation

As a TISAX-certified facility, the Battery Engineering Center at the Inspiration Center in Duesseldorf features two state-of-the-art laboratories designed to spearhead pivotal technological advancement for the development of next-generation EV batteries. Material application, full-scale battery system testing, simulation, and product development are seamlessly integrated under one roof in the Battery Application Center and the Battery Test Center. Cultivating a collaborative mindset and strong partnerships with other research centers, a specialized team of renowned EV battery experts is committed to supporting OEMs and battery manufacturers in accelerating their projects and getting ahead of a dynamic market. 

To foster cross-regional collaboration, we're growing our e-mobility capabilities and will open new Battery Engineering Centers around the world. Running on shared digital platforms, this global network will further accelerate innovation and enable growth for the entire EV industry.

Battery Assembly and Disassembly

Equipped with best-in-class high-tech tools and led by a team of specialized battery and automation experts, the Battery Engineering Center provides the perfect setup for disassembling, optimizing, and reassembling EV battery systems to module level. The facility is designed to handle all types of full-scale battery systems in an electrostatically discharged environment. Supported by automated digital systems mimicking a real-life production environment, the Battery Engineering Center enables customers to implement reliable, fast, and sustainable processes for battery assembly from small development conditions up to series scale.

Digital Modeling and Simulation

Modeling and simulation are key enablers that help speed up innovation by allowing us to predict and optimize material and battery performance. To support customers early on in their design phase, we simulate and test material behavior under various conditions and provide our customers with material cards that deliver valuable data for prototyping. Moreover, our modeling and simulation experts create digital twins of EV batteries and digitally test the battery systems in different scenarios. We validate these simulations and our models through real-life stress tests, ensuring both the reliability of our data and the efficacy of our solutions.

Automated Material Application

From thermal interface materials to adhesives and sealants to conductive and dielectric coatings, advanced materials address complex challenges across the battery value chain and help improve the overall EV battery performance, safety, and sustainability in several ways. At the Battery Engineering Center, Henkel works with OEMs and battery manufacturers on automated dispensing of a wide range of materials on full-scale battery systems. With production-scale dispensing capacity and smart dosing equipment, the Battery Engineering Center enables the implementation of reliable, fast, and sustainable processes for battery assembly with advanced materials.

Full-Scale Battery System Testing

The Battery Engineering Center boasts advanced battery testing capabilities that examine the battery system performance under a variety of different conditions. The team utilizes temperature cycling as well as charge and discharge processes to validate the predictions from the simulation phase and generate testing data. The generated data is seamlessly integrated with the simulation team, making sure that insights from real-world testing are fed back to the digital models. The Battery Engineering Center offers full-scale battery system testing capabilities, including a climatic chamber, fast charging infrastructure, ESD-protected areas, and a network of qualified partners for abuse tests.