APPLICATIONS & SOLUTIONS
NETZSCH Pumping Solutions for Battery Production
We find and develop the optimum pump for your individual application
Innovation and decades of experience working with positive displacement pumps that's precisely what NETZSCH combines in the field of battery manufacturing. As a global specialist in complex fluid management, we offer you innovative solutions worldwide for all process steps in battery manufacturing.
The satisfaction of our customers is our top priority. Whether in mining, in the extraction of raw materials for battery production, in mixing, wet grinding and in the de-clumping process as well as in coating – NETZSCH has the perfect solution for your problem.
Pumps optimised for battery production application
Our specifically designed pumps for the battery sector enable you to gently convey all the required liquids, including electrode slurries, without pulsation and dose them with extremely high precision whilst fulfilling the most stringent safety and environmental regulations. Together with you, we will find the optimised solution for you and your application in the battery sector.
Our pumps and systems guarantee you pulsation-free delivery, high-precision dosing and maximum corrosion resistance in all process steps. We promise you Proven Excellence – outstanding performance in all areas.
Powerful pumps for raw material extraction for battery production
Batteries consist of anodes, cathodes, separators and electrolytes. Lithium, nickel and manganese are also usually used in coupling inserts for the battery components. Pumps are needed to transport the extracted raw materials. This is where NETZSCH enters the game. The pumps and systems from the global specialist in complex fluid management are extremely powerful and reliable. Since they can be operated over a long period without problems, they represent a cost-effective solution. With NEMO® progressing cavity pumps, you can pump even viscous media such as lithium slurry at low operating speeds. This significantly reduces wear and tear. In addition to the technology of progressing cavity pumps, which has been tried and tested for decades, our TORNADO® T.Envi® rotary lobe pumps and PERIPRO peristaltic pumps in industrial design are also suitable for pumping viscous slurries and liquids with high solids content. Depending on the medium and individual requirements, we select the right pump for you from our broad product portfolio.
Robust pumps from NETZSCH for the mixing and wet grinding process
Pumps are also essential in the mixing and wet grinding process step. This process treats and recycles the sludge from electrolytes that accumulate during battery manufacturing. In the wet grinding of electrolyte sludge, NEMO® helical rotor pumps in FSIP® design and PERIPRO peristaltic pumps in industrial design convey the sludge through the grinding process particularly efficiently thanks to their innovative design. The pumps ensure the abrasive sludge is fed into a container where it gets ground. This grinding process breaks the sludge into smaller particles, which can be more easily separated from the metals they contain. The high abrasiveness demands everything from the pumps in the process. The robust construction of the NETZSCH pumps nevertheless offers you a long service life compared to other technologies. In addition, the progressing cavity and peristaltic pumps are particularly compact and easy to service. The FSIP® design of the helical rotor pumps saves you up to 66 percent in maintenance time, and PERIPRO peristaltic pumps have only one wearing part anyway - the hose. This reduces your downtimes and service times while at the same time saving you money.
Constant delivery in the wet grinding and deagglomeration process
In battery manufacturing, pumps have a significant task in wet grinding and deagglomeration. During the production of batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, electrolyte sludge is produced, consisting of metals and other particles that accumulate. This sludge must be treated and recycled to recover the metals and reduce the environmental impact. We offer different pump technologies to convey the sludge through the wet grinding process. Depending on the medium and the individual application, the PERIPRO peristaltic pump in industrial design and the TORNADO® T.Envi® rotary lobe pump is suitable in addition to the NEMO® BY helical rotor pump in industrial design. Furthermore, using these pumps prevents the clumping of the sludge.
NETZSCH pumps: Conveying and precise dosing in the mixing process
Pumps also play a key role during the mixing process of electrolytes in battery manufacturing. The electrolytes, such as lithium salts in a liquid or polymer form, must be accurately metered and homogeneously mixed to ensure consistent and effective battery performance when manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. In this process step, pumps are essential to transport and dose the electrolytes from the containers to the mixing tanks. Depending on the type of slurry, rotary lobe pumps, peristaltic pumps and progressing cavity pumps offer you high flow rates and the highest dosing accuracy. In addition, due to the choice of materials and construction, NETZSCH pumps have high corrosion resistance and, thus, long service lives. This sustainably reduces your costs for maintenance and servicing.
Highest dosing accuracy in the coating process in battery production
The final step in battery manufacturing is the coating process. The pumping system is an integral part of the battery production lines that convey many types of glue, battery fluid, and other media. Various primary raw materials are pumped into the agitator tank, which is agitated at high speed. Optimally suited for the coating process are the NEMO® helical rotor pumps from NETZSCH. They enable you to continuously feed even highly viscous and highly concentrated slurries and pulsation-free to the coating system. This allows you to achieve a thin and uniform coating thickness. Since the pump system conveys and doses the medium with low pulsation and maximum precision, it meets even the highest coating process requirements in battery production.
NETZSCH pumps for recycling batteries
The demand for lithium-ion batteries, especially electric vehicles, is growing. While, according to a Statista study, battery capacities of only 215 gigawatt hours (GWh) were needed in 2020, this will already be 680 GWh in 2025. Along with the increasing demand for batteries, the demand for recycling and reprocessing old batteries is also rising. NETZSCH offers you various displacement pumps to help you recycle old batteries. Our experts will support you in finding the perfect pump solution for recycling old batteries.
Success stories
NETZSCH product portfolio in the battery sector
FAQ battery production
Positive displacement pumps are used wherever highly viscous, solid-laden or shear-sensitive media need to be conveyed precisely and reproducibly. Typical applications include transfer between mixers and buffer tanks, recirculation within the mixing process, conveyance to coating systems (e.g. slot-die or doctor-blade processes), emptying containers and barrels and dosing of additives or binders.
Progressing cavity pumps operate on the positive displacement principle, delivering a continuous and nearly pulsation-free volume flow. This is crucial for consistent layer thicknesses in the coating process, gentle conveying of sensitive particle structures, stable processes even with fluctuating viscosity and high dosing accuracy. Especially in slurries containing active materials such as graphite, LFP or NMC, low shear stress prevents changes in particle morphology.
Among other things, anode and cathode slurries, binder solutions such as PVDF or CMC/SBR, additive suspensions and solvent-based or water-based systems can be conveyed. The specific suitability depends on the pump type and the application-specific design. Our experts are at your side from the very beginning to help you design the pump.
In the coating process, flow uniformity determines the quality of the electrode layer. Progressing cavity pumps generate a continuous, virtually pulsation-free and laminar volume flow. The result is a stable, reproducible layer thickness, reduced streaking and a more robust process window under varying operating conditions.
Yes. The low shear load prevents agglomerate destruction, unwanted heating and changes in rheology. This is crucial for stable coating windows and reproducible product quality.
Process fluctuations are reduced through continuous delivery, high dosing accuracy and a robust design. This enables reproducible quality over long production runs.
Yes, positive displacement pumps can be easily integrated into automated lines. Speed control through frequency converters or servo drives, integration into PLC or control systems, and coupling to flow, pressure or mass measurements are common.
When it comes to solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), the focus is on occupational safety, emission prevention and system integrity. Magnetically coupled pumps, such as the NEMO® MY magnetically coupled pump, which was specially developed for battery production, are used for such applications. Thanks to contactless torque transmission, these pumps are hermetically sealed and do not require dynamic shaft seals. This prevents the escape of solvent vapours, increases occupational safety, supports environmental regulations and reduces maintenance costs.
In the recycling process, positive displacement pumps are used wherever solid-laden, viscous or non Newtonian media need to be conveyed reliably. Typical applications include the transfer and recirculation of black liquor sludge, the feeding of reactors in the leaching process, the emptying of tanks, containers or filter presses, and the dosing of process chemicals such as acids, bases, reducing agents or flocculants.