05-31-2013 SGL Group among the First Users of the New Research Production Line for Lithium-ion Cells in Ulm Member companies of the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (KLiB) have agreed joint use from 2015Wiesbaden/Ulm, May 31, 2013. Under the auspices of the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (KliB), SGL Group The Carbon Company and other member companies are to carry out joint research using a new development production line for lithium-ion batteries that will be constructed at the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-W rttemberg (ZSW) in Ulm. The participating companies, among BMW, Daimler AG, Elring Klinger, Manz AG, and Rockwood Lithium, signed a letter of intent at the groundbreaking ceremony on May 29 in Ulm.
Dr Gerd Wingefeld, a Member of the Board of Management of SGL Group said: As one of the leading producers of graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries in the consumer segment, we have already been working for some years on the further development of our materials for automotive applications. Cooperation with partners spanning the entire value chain is one of the key elements in our development strategy. The new research line at ZSW offers optimum conditions for system- and application-oriented development of materials and processes in joint projects.
As from 2015, the new development production line will be used for research into processes and new materials for the manufacture of large prismatic lithium-ion cells for electromobility and storage of energy from photovoltaic plants. The new line will also make it possible for the first time to study cost-influencing factors in the production process with the aim of reducing battery manufacturing costs.
The new research production line project was initiated by the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (KLiB). Dr Hubert J ger, Chairman of the KLiB and SGL Group Research Director, said: This research production line will cover an important aspect of pre-competitive development, namely process optimization for cell manufacture. Together, we want to build up know-how in order to produce internationally competitive lithium-ion batteries here in Germany.
The research production line is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Baden W rttemberg Ministry for Finance and Economic Affairs (Ministerium f r Finanzen und Wirtschaft). Construction of this line at ZSW will also fulfill a central requirement of Germany's National Platform for Electromobility (NPE). The members of the NPE, a group of representatives from industry, science, and politics, recommended to the Federal Government that research production lines should be built for joint use by all companies.
About the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (KLiB) In 2010, industrial companies and application-oriented research institutes joined together to form the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (Kompetenznetzwerk Lithium-Ionen Batterien or KLiB) in order to strengthen Germany's competitiveness in the key technology of lithium-ion batteries. The aim is to pool expertise from research-based and manufacturing industry (both large and medium-sized companies), science, and trades in a pre-competitive environment in order to strengthen Germany as a high-tech production location and make it the leading battery supplier. The network is subdivided into various working groups covering subjects such as reference cells, test procedures, cell production, production-oriented measuring technology, and battery safety. Members include different actors spanning the entire value chain from battery material and component manufacturers through companies in the production technology and automation sectors to cell and battery producers. Auto manufacturers are also involved in the network.
About SGL Group The Carbon Company SGL Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group's core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group's carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as very good electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to industrialization in the growth regions of Asia and Latin America and increased substitution of traditional with innovative materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group's high-performance materials and products. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.
With 46 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2012, the Company's workforce of around 6,700 employees generated sales of 1,709 million. The Company's head office is located in Wiesbaden.
Further information on the SGL Group can be found online at: www.sglgroup.com.
Important note: This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking sta
