Battery/EV

Workpiece carriers for battery cell production

Safe handling for round cells & prismatic cell formats - cleanable, ESD-compliant, automation-capable

The production of modern lithium-ion cells requires maximum process reliability, high technical cleanliness and consistent automation capability. Whether round cells (e.g. 2170 or 4680) or prismatic cell formats - the workpiece carriers from ZELL offer precisely the standards required in industrial cell production.

As one of the first partners of Tesla and Panasonic, ZELL developed workpiece carriers for the Gigafactory, which are still in use today for cleaning and handling battery casings.

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Ideal for all core processes in cell production

ZELL systems are established in:

• Cleaning processes (ultrasound, spraying processes, aqueous systems)
• Forming & ageing - incl. temperature and ESD-sensitive processes
• End-of-line testing & traceability
• Automated machine loading (e.g. GROB, DMG Mori)
• Buffering, storage & transportation within and between production cells
• Integration into cleaning systems (e.g. Pero, Eccoclean, iFP)

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🌡️ Innovation: Water-cooled carrier systems for prismatic cells

A real innovation in cell production is the concept developed by ZELL for active water cooling directly in the workpiece carrier.

This solution is used in the forming process of prismatic battery cells, where high temperature stability and precise temperature control are crucial.

Advantages:

• 🌊 Temperature control directly in the carrier - without separate cooling devices
• ♻️ Reusable & low-maintenance
• 🔧 Ideal for lines with high cell density & parallel ageing
• ⚙️ Seamless integration into automated processes

This innovation offers manufacturers a unique opportunity to combine cooling and handling functionality without having to resort to external cooling trays or metal carriers.

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Material advantages & ESD protection

• Standard plastics temperature-stable up to 70-100 °C (depending on process duration)
• ESD-capable materials with defined discharge behavior available
• Easy to clean, resistant to chemicals, dimensionally stable

📄 ➡️ Technical details on resistance, particle-free and ESD properties can be found in the material data sheets in the download area.

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Modular, automation-capable & series-tested

ZELL workpiece carriers are:

✅ Stackable & compatible with standard logistics sizes (e.g. KLT, Euroboxes)‍

✅ S uitable for robot handling with ABB, KUKA, Fanuc, Epson etc.

Traceable through DMC, laser marking or RFID

✅ Ideal for automated palletizing, pick & place, autostore systems

✅ Modular design - can also be adapted for variable cell geometries

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Experience with scaling & key accounts

ZELL has been a reliable partner for precise carrier systems in sensitive production areas since 2008. Our long-standing industrial partners include customers such as: Bosch, Trumpf, BorgWarner, SFS etc.

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Your advantages at a glance

✔ Safe handling for round cells & prismatic cells
✔ ESD-safe, cleanable, temperature-stable
✔ Water cooling for forming processes can be integrated
✔ Stackable, automatable, modularly adaptable
✔ Ready for series production & proven over many years with OEMs and integrators

👉 Get in touch now and work with ZELL to make your cell production more efficient, temperature-stable and automation-capable - with workpiece-integrated cooling and maximum flexibility.

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