Cambridge EnerTech’s

High-Performance Battery Manufacturing

Global Production of Safe, Efficient, Higher Energy Density Batteries

March 24 - 25, 2026 ALL TIMES EDT



Advancements in manufacturing will be the catalyst for the growth of high performance battery applications. The manufacturing conference will showcase a global perspective on battery production and will bring together the global stakeholders that represent the complete value chain to showcase the latest innovations in Asia, Europe, and the United States. With presentations focusing on the latest approaches to assembly, automation, efficiency, inspection methods, and cost reduction, valuable insight will be gained into the entire global battery ecosystem. Conference attendees will gain a critical understanding of the state of manufacturing from around the world and who is leading the way to the future of battery manufacturing.

Monday, March 23

7:00 amRegistration Open and Morning Coffee

4:45 pmClose of Day

Tuesday, March 24

7:00 amRegistration Open and Morning Coffee

8:05 amOrganizer's Remarks

Craig Wohlers, General Manager, Cambridge EnerTech

ADVANCES IN CELL MANUFACTURING

8:10 am

Chairperson's Remarks

Rory McNulty, Product & Market Strategy Lead, Anaphite

8:15 am U.S. NMC Pouch Cell Manufacturing for Drones: Performance Tradeoffs and Supply Chain Resilience

Brendan Skelly, Technical Sales Manager at EGI Battery

Jeff Helm

As Group 1 and Group 2 drone demand grows, battery form factor and supply chain security are increasingly decisive. This presentation compares cylindrical and pouch lithium-ion cells for small UAS platforms, examining performance, integration, and scalability tradeoffs. EGI Battery will outline its U.S.-based NMC pouch cell manufacturing efforts, supply chain constraints, and how domestic production supports SAE standardization while reducing reliance on foreign entities of concern.

8:45 am

Dispersion & Milling for Energy Storage Development & Manufacturing

Jonathan Bain, Business Line Manager, BYK Gardner

Highly efficient dissolvers, bead mills, and basket mills are designed for the challenges of battery slurry development. In this presentation, we’ll review the milling and dispersing requirements, processes, and best practices. High-performance dispersing and milling equipment are required for optimum performance of battery slurries.

9:15 am

Safety of Solid-State Batteries (SSB) and Batteries (LSB), the Mechanisms and the Role of Separators

John Zhang, PhD, CTO/CSO, Polypore International

This presentation will focus on the foundational discovery of the Internal Spot Shorting–Induced Thermal Runaway Mechanism (ISSITRM), establishing that catastrophic lithium-ion battery failures originate from localized internal short circuits—not from uniform bulk heating as traditionally interpreted by DSC/ARC analysis. Direct evidence from internal short resistance (Rsc) characterization, nail penetration voltage signatures, laser-induced short simulations, and gas chemistry analysis of thermal runaway events reveals the true initiation pathway of fire and explosion. These findings redefine lithium-ion battery failure physics. Decades of IEEE P1625 and P1725 safety standard discussions and global field experience indicate that internal short–induced thermal runaway accounts for the overwhelming majority of safety incidents. The presentation will outline prevention methodologies developed across the industry and highlight the most effective engineering solution—ceramic-coated separators (CCS)—which suppress short-circuit propagation and have fundamentally advanced real-world battery safety. The nail test failures (Internal Shorts fire/explosion) of various SOLID STATE BATTERIES will be presented and discussed.

9:45 amGrand Opening Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

10:30 am Dense Energy Empower the future

Yun Zhu, Cell Product Engineer, Central Research Institute, EVE Energy Co., Ltd.

With the rapid development of AI, higher requirements are placed on lithium batteries. Higher energy density, output power, lighter weight, smaller size, and diverse forms represent next-gen upgrades for AI-era lithium batteries. This presentation focuses on two cutting-edge technologies from our company: solutions based on silicon-carbon and lithium metal materials. Our optimized silicon anode design with high-voltage LCO cathodes reduces charging time by 80%, increases energy density by over 16%, and improves lifespan by >16%. Compared to silicon-carbon, lithium metal anodes boost energy density by 50%. We achieved a critical breakthrough: at 0.5C charge / 1C discharge, our lithium metal batteries' cycle life improved by 30%. Finally, we envision that combining all-solid-state and shaped batteries is the ideal Dense Energy solution. Our company is developing these technologies for applications in humanoid robots and brain-computer interfaces, driving industry progress.

11:00 am

Toward a Standardized Protocol for Lithium-Metal Quality Assessment in Batteries

Wurigumula Bao, PhD, Project Scientist, PME, University of Chicago

Lithium-metal battery performance is closely tied to lithium-foil quality, yet no industry-wide standards exist to evaluate or compare it. We present a unified assessment framework that integrates structural, chemical, and electrochemical analyses to link lithium-metal properties with cycling behavior. Benchmarking foils from multiple suppliers highlights the key factors governing anode performance and provides practical metrology to ensure consistent, high-quality lithium-metal supply for next-generation batteries.

11:30 am

Scaling AM Batteries’ Powder to Electrode Dry Coating Technology

Hieu Duong, PhD, Chief Manufacturing Officer, AM Batteries

Current battery electrode manufacturing is complex, expensive, and dirty. This presentation will highlight the industrialization progress of AMB’s Powder to Electrode dry coating technology and how it will deliver performance benefits and superior economics. This session is particularly relevant for OEMs, battery manufacturers, investors, and newcomers in the battery ecosystem, and all those seeking to establish or scale battery production while reducing costs and environmental impact.

12:00 pm Hi-Performace & Innovative Tabless Cylindrical Li-ion Batteries for Extreme Application (such as eVTOL, BBU and -40°C Hi-power Devices)

Andrew Liang, PhD., Sales & Marketing VP, Reliance Energy Tech.

The relentless pursuit of superior power output, faster charging, and higher energy density for next-generation applications has driven continuous innovation in lithium-ion battery material, structure, and process design. Here, the innovative cylindrical and tabless cell structure can significantly improve cell power density and fast-charging capability without sacrificing high energy density. Since 2025, Reliance Energy has become the world's first lithium-ion battery manufacturer to achieve the mass production of 21700 RS50 and RS60 tabless cells. These cells have superior performance compared to the benchmark products in the market, including 80A continuous discharge and 15A fast-charge capability, 280 - 300Wh/kg cell specific energy, 730 - 830Wh/L cell energy density, as well as -40℃ 0.2C discharge with 80% capacity retention.

12:30 pmNetworking Luncheon

1:15 pmDessert Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

ADVANCES IN CELL MANUFACTURING

1:45 pm

Chairperson's Remarks

Jonathan Bain, Business Line Manager, BYK Gardner

1:50 pm Honeywell CFX: PFAS & Fluorinated Waste Destruction for Li‑Ion Batteries

Shawn Tanagho, Senior Offering Manager, CFX, Honeywell Separation & Purification Solutions, Honeywell

Rapid growth of lithium ion battery manufacturing and recycling is increasing PFAS and fluorinated waste, elevating regulatory risk, disposal cost, and liability.

Honeywell CFX™ enables on site destruction of gaseous, liquid, and solid fluorinated wastes across the battery value chain. Operating up to 1,400 °C, CFX™ breaks carbon–fluorine bonds, converting PFAS into stable inorganic salts with zero liquid discharge and less off site handling.

2:20 pm

The History and the Resurgence of LFP

Joseph Fisher, Chief Commercial Officer, Princeton NuEnergy

This presentation, will explore the foundational R&D breakthroughs and patent disputes that shaped LFP development. In addition, understanding how China has emerged as the global leader and why LFP is experiencing a strategic resurgence, will be presented. Also, attendees will gain insights into the evolving role of LFP and it’s potential across future applications.

2:40 pm

Cutting Cost and CO2 in BEV Batteries with Dry Coating

Rory McNulty, Product & Market Strategy Lead, Anaphite

To meet global demand for low-cost BEVs, battery manufacturing must change. Conventional wet coating electrode production is capital and energy intensive, and costly. Dry battery electrode production techniques can reduce cell production costs by up to 40%, however, performance and scalability are hindered by cumbersome dry mixing. Anaphite’s DCP technology solves these difficulties, creating flowable, homogeneous composite electrode powders with engineered particle interactions, enabling improved coating speeds and cell yields.

3:00 pm

Enabling High-Energy Lithium-Ion Battery Cells through Fully Aqueous Electrode Processing

Dee Strand, PhD, CSO, R&D, Wildcat Discovery Technologies, Inc.

The replacement of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing is a key step toward more sustainable and cost-effective production. In this work, we present the development of a high-energy lithium-ion battery cell fabricated using fully aqueous slurries for both cathode and anode electrodes. The approach was validated in multi-layer pouch cells with a nominal capacity of 15 Ah, demonstrating its applicability at an industrially relevant scale. The electrochemical performance and fabrication process of the aqueous-processed cells were systematically compared with reference cells produced using the same chemistry, format, and capacity, but manufactured with conventional NMP-based slurries. The comparison includes electrode processing characteristics as well as key performance electrochemical metrics such as capacity and cycling stability. The results show that fully aqueous electrode processing can deliver comparable performance to NMP-based cells while enabling a more sustainable and simplified manufacturing route. These findings support fully aqueous processing as a viable pathway for high-energy lithium-ion battery production.

3:20 pmRefreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

PLENARY KEYNOTE

3:50 pm Shep Wolsky Battery Innovator of the Year Award Presentation and

Chairperson's Remarks

Craig Wohlers, General Manager, Cambridge EnerTech

3:55 pm

LFP Cells Are Boring—Why Should I Care?

Jeff Dahn, FRSC, PhD, Professor of Physics and Atmospheric Science & NSERC/Tesla Canada Industrial Research Chair, Dalhousie University

LFP Li-ion cells are now the most common cells in energy storage products and EVs.  They are inexpensive and since they are relatively safe, they can be made in large-Ah-capacity cells, reducing cost and complexity in battery modules and packs. Even though they are not “sexy,” boring old LFP will dominate in many applications for years to come. However, the high-temperature lifetime of LFP cells is poor, which means they require temperature control in many applications to attain an acceptable lifetime. I will explain why the high-temperature lifetime is poor and discuss some strategies to improve it. I will explain how to make LFP cells exciting, including strategies to dramatically increase their energy density.

4:15 pm

Delivering Advanced Battery Technologies for EV Range and Value

George Cintra, Director, Battery R&D, General Motors

General Motors is building an electrification powerhouse, having launched a dozen EVs into the market, ranging from the Equinox EV to the Cadillac Escalade IQ. General Motors is pioneering next-generation battery and manufacturing technologies, such as prismatic cells with LMR cathodes. Mr. Cintra will provide an update on GM’s battery research & development activities, tools and innovations to deliver longer range, lower costs, and faster charging batteries for EV customers.

4:35 pm

Today’s EV Reality and the Path Forward

Tim DeBastos, Managing Director, North American Battery Development, LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution is the leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer, working with the top OEMs globally in transforming the automobile industry. The market for EVs is expanding rapidly, driven by both consumer demand and regulatory incentives. In North America, there are unprecedented levels of investment to support EVs, by both OEMs and battery manufacturers. This presentation will discuss market growth projections, announced expansion plans, and the challenges ahead.

4:55 pm

Panasonic Energy: Driving Battery Technology Innovation for Sustainable Growth

Masato Fujikawa, Director, Energy R&D Center, Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Energy has been at the forefront of battery technology development, driving the growth of BEVs and AI. To meet increasing market demand, we are expanding our production capacity in North America and strengthening strategic partnerships. These initiatives will contribute both to the realization of a sustainable society and to our business growth. This presentation will highlight the innovative activities within our battery business from a technological perspective.

5:15 pm

New Science Frontiers in Battery Technologies

Shirley Meng, PhD, The Liew Family Professor, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago

At Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, we focus on energy storage materials beyond lithium ion. ESRA aims to enable transformative discoveries in sodium electrochemistry, an abundant and sustainable energy solution, we hope to lay the scientific foundations for breakthroughs in energy storage technologies enabled by sodium chemistry and train the next-generation battery workforce to ensure U.S. scientific and economic leadership. In this talk, I will discuss a few new perspectives for energy storage materials including new solvation architecture designs for liquid electrolytes and new superionic conductors in soft or hard materials. With recent advances in photon and electron characterization tools and computational methods, we can explore ionic mobility, charge transfer and ion matter interactions in electrochemical system in operando. Let us leverage the modern machine learning and artificial intelligence, powered by our materials acceleration platform and correlative characterization to enable the discovery of new phenomena in the next frontiers of battery technologies.

5:35 pmReception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing

6:35 pmClose of Day

Wednesday, March 25

7:30 amRegistration Open and Morning Coffee

ADVANCES IN CELL MANUFACTURING

7:55 am

Chairperson's Remarks

Sam Jaffe, Vice President, Business Development and Product, Mana Battery

8:00 am High Performance Battery Manufacturing Inspection with X-ray CT

Sarah Kobaslija, Product Manager, Product, Lumafield

In manufacturing, the cost of “not knowing” is huge: PPAP gates, DV/PV timing, supplier containment, warranty exposure, and brand trust all hinge on catching risk early and proving quality with confidence. Industrial X-ray CT gives engineering teams essential nondestructive visibility into parts like castings, electronics, and assemblies, so they can validate designs, qualify processes, and resolve escapes faster without waiting on sectioning or third-party labs. This visibility drives tighter feedback loops, fewer surprises at launch, and measurable savings in scrap, rework, and investigation time. This session will explain CT principles and show practical use cases across the vehicle lifecycle. We’ll show how CT helps resolve a range of automotive quality challenges, from porosity characterization in aluminum HPDC transmission housings to connector and PCB inspection for ADAS sensors, seal verification in safety systems, and EV battery analysis. You will also see how cloud-based review accelerates collaboration, and where in-line CT belongs on the factory floor. Real-world outcomes include 8x faster investigations and immediate cost savings when teams move from destructive sectioning to CT.

8:30 am

The Path Forward to Cost Reduction in Manufacturing

Sam Jaffe, Vice President, Business Development and Product, Mana Battery

This talk will review the different stages (electrode manufacturing, cell assembly, and cell formation) and steps (up to nineteen, ranging from mixing to coating to calendaring to electrolyte filling and OCV testing) and will explore approaches to reducing both capex and opex costs in each.

9:00 am

Introducing the OpenCell Project

Adrian Yao, Founder & Team Lead, STEER, Stanford University

Stanford's STEER is launching a new platform called the OpenCell Project, aimed at scaling up commercial benchmarking efforts in a decentralized manner to better inform state-of-the-art innovation trends. At the heart of OpenCell is a new, snappy cell design tool capable of designing commercially relevant form factors using half-cell curves, but the true power of OpenCell comes from the database of digital twins. Both will be demoed in this talk.

9:30 am Battery Projects—Strategies for (Profitable) Success

Mark Bellino, Global Director, Battery Materials and Cells, Hatch Ltd.

In this presentation, Hatch reviews various strategies to setup an investment for a greater chance of success. Building on Hatch's 2025 presentation theme, which reviewed the various challenges and solutions faced during project delivery in the Battery Space. This presentation focuses on achieving profitable operation and addresses the project cash flow.

10:00 am
IonPort Fiber-Based Separators for Secondary Batteries & Solid-State—The Hidden Key to Today’s & Tomorrow’s Battery Breakthroughs

Alexander Onz, Technical Program Manager IonPort Separators, Delfort

Sometimes underestimated but essential, Delfort’s IonPort separators set new standards in efficient cell manufacturing and performance. With exceptional wettability, unmatched thermal stability, and precisely engineered pore structures, IonPort boosts charge/discharge rates, extends battery life, and ensures safety at a competitive price. Suitable for LIB, SIB, AZIB, and solid-state batteries, including the IonPort NX series for polymer, sulfide, and oxide electrolytes. These solutions enable efficient electrolyte film formation while minimizing resistance, setting new standards in performance.

Follow us on Wednesday 10 AM or visit our booth 935 for more insights!

10:15 amCoffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)

GLOBAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN BATTERY MANUFACTURING

11:05 am PANEL DISCUSSION:

Dry Battery Electrode (DBE) Manufacturing is Inevitable: Adopt or Fall Behind

PANEL MODERATOR:

Lie Shi, CEO, AM Batteries

This panel will explore the latest advances, anticipated future, and overriding advantages of DBE that make industry-wide adoption an inevitability. Drawing on expertise from across the international DBE innovation ecosystem, we will convene leaders from startups, corporates, and research institutions to discuss such topics as the DBE adoption curve, key players (and what is holding others back), DBE’s role in future battery chemistries, and more. This panel will ground the discussion in both technology and market realities and cognizant of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends.

PANELISTS:

Bonne Eggleston, PhD, Vice President, Tesla 4680, Tesla

Ramin Amin-Sanayei, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, Battery Group, Arkema

Sam Burrow, CTO, Anaphite

Mike Easson, Senior Technology Analyst, Polar Asset Management Partners

12:05 pm Thriving OEE Excellence in Electrode Coating and Calendering

Daniel Eggerath, Managing Director, Jagenberg Converting Solutions GmbH

Achieving high Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in electrode coating and calendering requires excellence in automation, mechanical engineering, and deep process understanding. This presentation highlights how performance-driven equipment design and in-house development of all key process components—including slot die and slurry delivery systems, drying technology, calendering, and automation—enable robust and efficient electrode manufacturing. A profound understanding of the coating and calendering process, combined with advanced measurement and sensor technologies, allows precise process control and stable operating windows. As a result, commissioning times are significantly reduced, operator training can be completed rapidly, and production runs with minimal scrap and consistently high product quality, forming the basis for sustainable OEE excellence.

12:35 pmNetworking Luncheon (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)

1:20 pmDessert Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)

1:50 pmClose of Conference Track





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