Digital Pushers Fraunhofer Researchers Accelerate the Production of More Powerful Batteries

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According to researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) in Kaiserslautern (Germany), battery production must be digital to bring innovations to fruition more quickly ...

The demand for batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems is growing rapidly. To ensure their production functions reliably and efficiently, the Fraunhofer ITWM relies on digital simulation tools and innovative measuring systems, as explained. They are developing models for key steps in battery manufacturing that span the entire production chain—such as mixing, coating, or drying the electrodes. This allows processes to be digitally analyzed and optimized before they are implemented in the factory. According to the experts, the virtual models help to avoid errors that would otherwise only occur during production. At the Battery Show 2026 in Stuttgart (Germany), Hall 1, ITWM will showcase its expertise from June 9 to 11. But let’s take a closer look beforehand at what’s happening there...

Simulation Software Detects Errors Before they Cause Harm in Practice

With the Battery and Electrochemistry Simulation "Tool BEST," the Flow Processes Department provides simulation software that allows lithium-ion batteries to be modeled three-dimensionally on a computer. This works from electrode microstructures to the behavior of complete cells. The range of capabilities of BEST is extensive. It includes predicting cell performance, optimizing charging strategies, and investigating aging and degradation phenomena. This enables predictions of how batteries will behave during operation. Cell properties are forecast through physics-based simulations of virtual copies of real batteries. For example, researchers also examine how design parameters, such as the electrode layer thickness specified for batteries, influence behavior. Other influencing factors include material properties and usage scenarios. BEST can additionally be combined with other software tools and is also available as part of the "BatteryDict" module in the "GeoDict" software from ITWM spin-off "Math2Market," as noted by the Kaiserslautern team. In the future, simulations are expected to also be possible via a web platform in the Fraunhofer Cloud without needing to install BEST directly.

The Foam Process for Insulation Can also be Simulated

Also part of the portfolio is FOAM, a software tool that simulates the foaming process in battery module production, as further explained. Battery cells in a module must be thermally insulated from each other and mechanically fixed to prevent overheating. To achieve this, cylindrical cells are often arranged side by side, and the gaps between them are filled with foam. The initially liquid filling medium expands, hardens, and forms a solid foam that encloses and isolates the cells from each other. With FOAM, it is possible to simulate the spread, expansion, and homogeneity of the foam and to analyze in advance whether all areas that need to be filled will be reached. After the foaming process has been completed in practice, the positions of the cells must be checked to ensure they have not shifted during hardening. Questions addressed include whether the cells are in the desired position and whether the layer thickness covering the cells is uniform. This is where the terahertz measurement technology of Fraunhofer ITWM comes into play for precise quality control. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range between microwaves and infrared to examine materials contactlessly and non-destructively.