ALBATROSS: A robotised system for high-throughput electrolyte screening via automated electrolyte formulation, coin-cell fabrication, and electrochemical evaluation

TL;DR

ALBATROSS is an automated system that streamlines electrolyte formulation, coin-cell assembly, and electrochemical testing, significantly reducing time and labor while producing high-quality, reliable battery data for advancing electrolyte research.

Contribution

This work introduces ALBATROSS, the first fully automated system for high-throughput coin-cell fabrication and testing, integrating custom robotics within an inert environment.

Findings

Achieved less than 1.2% RSD in discharge capacity

Standard deviation of less than 3 Ω in EIS measurements

Enabled automated testing of up to 48 cells without human intervention

Abstract

As battery technologies advance toward higher stability and energy density, the need for extensive cell-level testing across various component configurations becomes critical. To evaluate performance and understand the operating principles of batteries in laboratory scale, fabrication and evaluation of coin cells are essential processes. However, the conventional coin-cell assembly and testing processes require significant time and labor from researchers, posing challenges to high-throughput screening research. In this study, we introduce an Automated Li-ion BAttery Testing RObot SyStem (ALBATROSS), an automated system capable of electrolyte formulation, coin-cell assembly, and electrochemical evaluation. The system, integrated within a argon-filled glovebox, enables fully automated assembly and testing of up to 48 cells without researcher intervention. By incorporating custom-designed robot gripper and 3D-printed structures optimized for precise cell handling, ALBATROSS achieved high assembly reliability, yielding a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 1.2% in discharge capacity and a standard deviation of less than 3 {\Omega} in EIS measurements for NCM811||Li half cells. Owing to its high reliability and automation capability, ALBATROSS allows for the acquisition of high-quality coin-cell datasets, which are expected to accelerate the development of next-generation electrolytes.