Web cleaning systems support contamination control throughout battery manufacturing, helping to reduce defects and improve production yield.
AKRON, Ohio – The best battery in the world has limited commercial value if it cannot be produced reliably or profitably. Ahead of The Battery Show North America, experts at Meech International argue that America’s long-term competitiveness and ability to challenge China’s dominance will depend on achieving consistently high manufacturing yields through effective contamination control.
“Billions of dollars are being invested in battery production capacity on both sides of the Pacific, but the global battery race will not necessarily be won by those who build the most factories,” said Matt Fyffe, VP & General Manager, Meech USA. “Even the world’s most advanced battery has limited commercial value if you can’t produce it reliably or profitably. Contamination control is unlikely to be a headline-grabbing topic on the quarterly earnings call, but it is one of the factors that can have a significant impact on productivity, quality and profitability. America’s new production facilities must place a premium on quality and manufacturing excellence, ensuring this is a race to the top, not simply a race to build more capacity.”
Research from Fraunhofer FFB and RWTH Aachen University found that battery cell manufacturers commonly experience scrap rates of 15-30% during the first years of production, with losses of around 10% still common after five years. While Western manufacturers continue to grapple with double-digit scrap rates during ramp up, China’s battery leaders are seizing a significant strategic advantage by focusing on further improving yields for mature processes.
Meech will use The Battery Show North America (Detroit, 12-15 October) to highlight the critical role contamination control plays throughout every stage of the battery manufacturing process, from electrode production and slitting through to cell assembly and final handling. Its work with battery manufacturers, OEMs and research facilities worldwide has enabled the company to identify multiple stages where contamination and static routinely contribute to scrap, rework and reduced yield.
Visitors to booth 6203 will discover how strategic placement of web cleaning and static control solutions can significantly contribute to increased yields, helping US battery manufacturers gain a competitive edge. Meech experts will also be available to discuss how building contamination control into processes from the outset can support a ‘zero faults forward’ approach to manufacturing.
“Many battery manufacturers still think about contamination in terms of cleanrooms, but this is a huge oversimplification,” continued Fyffe. “Contaminants find their way into processing lines at many different stages, from material handling and slitting to cell assembly and final packaging. Early identification of risks and implementation of appropriate mitigation can have a measurable impact on yield, productivity and long-term profitability. Across successive industries, China has shown that its advantage is not simply production capacity. It is the ability to manufacture consistently at scale. In the global battery race, yield is going to be every bit as important as innovation; competitiveness is determined not by elegant design, but by what you can reliably produce.”
The Meech Battery Technology Portfolio
Meech will be showcasing a range of static control and web cleaning technologies for battery manufacturing at The Battery Show North America 2026, including RoClean™, CyClean™ and CyClean™-R.
CyClean™ and CyClean™-R use balanced positive and vacuum airflows with integrated static neutralisation to loosen and extract dry, unbonded particles without directly contacting sensitive substrates. Meanwhile, RoClean™ combines a precision rotating brush with dynamic airflows and static neutralisation to remove unbonded and semi-bonded contaminants.
Together, these contact and non-contact cleaning and static control technologies allow Meech to tailor contamination control to the material, process stage and contaminant involved, helping battery manufacturers reduce the risk of defects being carried forward into later stages of production.