Honeywell has launched an AI solution to optimise battery gigafactories from the outset by improving battery cell yields and expediting facility startups for manufacturers.

Honeywell’s Battery MXP is designed to cut time to full production, reduce material scrap and increase delivery rates for battery manufacturers.

The new platform is aimed at addressing shortfalls with conventional battery manufacturing where material scrap rates can reach 30% at steady state and even higher during the facility startup process.

Battery MXP incorporates AI to detect and remediate quality issues before they result in scrapped material. The platform is designed to help manufacturers cut production ramp-up time, reduce startup material scrap rates by 60% and increase delivery rates to meet the growing demand for lithium-based batteries.

“With Honeywell’s Battery MXP and its automation capabilities, we will be able to quickly and effectively establish a foundation for our network of gigafactories,” said John Kem, president of American Battery Factory. “This solution is vital in our manufacturing operation because it allows us to reduce scrap and scale up quickly, while also ensuring we meet the US and international demand for high quality lithium iron phosphate batteries as we prepare for the unprecedented surge expected over the next decade.”

By providing bidirectional traceability and genealogy, Battery MXP tracks battery cells from raw material to finished product in real time, helping to ensure product quality at every step. The solution also helps to address other key challenges faced by battery manufacturers by offering solutions for process controls, workforce management and thermal runaway battery fire prevention. These safety elements aid both operators in the gigafactory and end-users of the batteries to stay safe.

“The electrification of everyday life continues to increase global demand for quality lithium-ion batteries to power electric vehicles, consumer electronics and battery energy storage systems,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, President of Honeywell Process Solutions. “With the construction of more than 400 gigafactories planned worldwide by 2030, Honeywell’s Battery MXP is a crucial technology that enables manufacturers to maximise cell yields and reach peak production much quicker than traditional methods.”