Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing

Why Is High-Quality Compressed Air So Important?

• Why is compressed air vital for electric vehicle battery manufacturing?
• Why does this compressed air need to be clean, dry and contaminant-free?
• How can Ingersoll Rand help maximise your air quality?

Why Is Compressed Air Vital For Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing?

A vital commodity for electric vehicle battery manufacturing, particularly for the production of lithium-ion batteries, compressed air is essential for gigafactories and the broader global EV battery supply chain. Serving applications such as handling raw materials like nickel and graphite, electrode, anode and cathode production, cell assembly, welding, drying, cooling, powering gigafactory equipment and quality control, a reliable, high-quality stream of compressed air is indispensable.

Why Does This Compressed Air Need To Be Clean, Dry And Contaminant-Free?

In an industry where safety is paramount, ensuring air quality is uncompromisable. But why is air quality so important when it comes to electric vehicle battery manufacturing? Let’s take a closer look…

1. Clean: Any compressed air that comes into contact with the electric vehicle battery or any of its components, including the anode, cathode, electrode, or cell, must be clean. This is because substandard air increases the risk of faults or weaknesses in the battery.
2. Dry: Dry air is vital to prevent any moisture from damaging the battery and your equipment. Particularly in any pneumatic equipment or production line components, moisture in your compressed air can lead to rusting and corrosion. Not only does this increase the likelihood of costly and often unexpected equipment breakdowns and replacements, but it also creates an unsafe working environment. The same goes for the batteries themselves - substandard air = substandard, potentially unsafe batteries.
3. Contaminant-Free: Ensuring your compressed air is contaminant-free has the same implications as ensuring it is clean and dry. The presence of any contaminants in the compressed air can decrease the quality of your EV batteries and compromise the safety of your working environment.

How Can Ingersoll Rand Help Maximise Your Air Quality?

As mentioned, the compressed air used to manufacture EV batteries must be 3 things: high quality, dry and contamination-free. However, we recognise that ensuring optimal air quality can be a time-consuming and costly endeavour, particularly when ISO-certified, Class 0 air is required. How can we help? To help gigafactories ensure the safety, reliability, and quality of their final products and compressed air, we have devised a foolproof 6-step plan of action. Here’s a brief overview…

1. Ensuring Security and System Optimisation: There are a variety of ways you can ensure the safety and efficiency of your compressed air system, whilst also maximising air quality. In our White Paper, we discuss the benefits of air audits, leak detection and oil sampling for gigafactories and other EV battery manufacturers.
2. Implementing the Right Equipment: Fundamental for success, air quality and efficiency, implementing the correct machinery in your gigafactory at every stage of the production process can help prevent lost productivity and safety risks.
3. An Effective Downstream System: As mentioned, in electric vehicle battery manufacturing, air quality is everything. By having a solid air treatment system in place, you can ensure a continuous flow of high-quality, dry, contamination-free compressed air.
4. System Monitoring and Management: Effective monitoring and management are the secret to getting the best out of your compressed air network. Ensuring air quality and optimising the cost and energy efficiency of your system begins with effective management. This way you can take the pressure off and ensure you are efficiently meeting demand.
5. Heat Recovery Systems: Although not vital to ensuring air quality, heat recovery is a good way to cut costs in your gigafactory. It also helps to lower your carbon footprint and emissions, an essential consideration when it comes to electric vehicles and EV technology, which is a market aiming to reduce the impacts of climate change.
6. Warranties, OEM Parts, and Maintenance: Understanding the warranties, OEM parts, and accessories, and maintenance plans available to you is crucial for 3 reasons: ensuring air quality, protecting your compressed air investment, and preventing unnecessary costs.

Intrigued? Please download our White Paper or contact us for more information on our expert 6-step plan.