The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has installed a new, small-scale coater, produced by British engineering company E+R (Emerson & Renwick), on its new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).
E+R’s Genesis Air Mini coater accommodates low volume and speed prior to scale-up, enabling customers to achieve electrode coatings in representative roll-to-roll process conditions at a smaller scale.
The new small-scale coater will become an integral part of the FPL, which bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale production, offering organisations a more cost-effective and agile route to market than UKBIC’s larger Industrial Scale-up Line (ISL).
Mark Field, Process Engineer Electrode, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to buy British with E+R’s coater, which will help us minimise clean-up between batch changes. That helps faster iterations and testing of new materials and formulations, which are a critical step in advancing and scaling up battery technology.”
Highlights of the coater include dual HMI screens which separate machine controls from metrology data for improved usability, a Keyence laser profiler, and µEpsilon CS2 capacitive sensor array for live readings of edge meniscus height and dry coating thickness to ensure there is unmatched process control.
The coater also offers significant flexibility with 120° rotation and ±5° tilt, supporting multiple coating geometries and tensioned-web coating modes with minimal change parts.
Andrew Jack, Sales Director of E+R, added: “We’re delighted to see our British made Genesis Mini coater installed at UKBIC. Our compact, flexible coater is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation battery technologies. By complementing UKBIC’s existing facilities, the coater enables rapid prototyping and process optimisation, helping manufacturers bring innovative products to market faster.”
The installation of the coater on FPL complements the facility’s suite of new equipment installed at UKBIC, which includes the Battery Development Laboratory (BDL), the Cell Cycling facility, and the Clean and Dry Zone.
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Notes to editor:
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.
By bridging the gap between research and high-volume manufacturing, UKBIC plays a critical role in supporting the UK’s transition to net zero and strengthening its position in the global battery supply chain.
UKBIC provides state-of-the-art equipment, technical expertise, and training to help manufacturers and researchers validate processes, optimise performance, and reduce risk before committing to large-scale investment.
The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.
UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.
UKBIC is uniquely positioned to tackle complex manufacturing challenges. With expertise in processing diverse materials and products, and access to a broad range of advanced technologies, its engineers bring a comprehensive understanding of issues that span the entire battery value chain.
