10087990ACT-SYS: Rapid, edge analytics driven, multi-point, inline inspection solution for assessment of pouch cell battery quality during manufactureClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKDemand for Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) is growing exponentially (6-fold increase expected in the next 5 years) due to shift in electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage solutions (ESS) markets. However, scaling up battery cell production is extremely difficult, time-intensive, and wasteful (with manufacturing scrap as high as 30% are typically encountered in new production lines). Consequently, tighter quality control and industrial standards are critical for moving forward and achieving a truly sustainable/circular battery economy. This proposal provides Hy-Met, a midlands based deep-tech instrumentation start-up, a route to field trial their disruptive inspection solution "ACT-SYS" (i.e., sensor, electronics, and software combination) that they have developed recently to provide real-time intelligence into battery cell production process (during manufacture, assembly, and end-of-line) enabling complete traceability in cell fabrication and huge waste reduction in gigafactories. This is data that would normally not be available to production lines and furthermore provides a real-time inline cell quality tracking capability. This project brings together three key partners (Hy-Met, MTC, & UKBIC) for the first time to collaborate on this feasibility study to identify key bottlenecks in battery manufacturing process where adequate monitoring/control measures are currently lacking and propose a breakthrough multi-point 100% cell inspection technique. With the help of MTC, Hy-Met will build this novel sensing solution (based on their existing hyper metrology platform). Hy-Met will also attempt to build fully functional minimum viable prototype(s) that could be tested in laboratory conditions and validated by UKBIC and international advisory board for both technical viability of the proposed ACT-SYS solution and its wider impact.