Silicon Valley-based developer of battery printing equipment and technologies Sakuu has reported new performance results for lithium-ion battery electrodes manufactured on its Kavian Manufacturing Platform. Test data shows that a nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) cell produced using Kavian retained 83% of its capacity after 4,000 charge–discharge cycles. The company states that this level of durability places the cell among the top-performing commercial lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage. By comparison, conventional NCM cells generally need to cycle just above 2,000 times while maintaining at least 80% state of health to be considered suitable for EV applications.
“We’re so proud of the performance of Kavian-manufactured battery electrodes,” said Robert Bagheri, Sakuu founder, CEO, and executive chairman. “Our extensive testing confirms that Kavian’s dry manufacturing process can be reliably trusted to deliver a product that will meet or exceed the capabilities of current wet processes. This again dispels any doubts as to the suitability of using a dry process for printing lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery electrodes. This myth-busting achievement is a testament to our materials engineering expertise, as customers tell us other additive manufacturers experimenting with dry processes struggle to achieve satisfactory results across the entire printed electrode — particularly the cathode.”
The validation cell demonstrating this performance was a 1Ah unit cycled at 1C/1C, combining a graphite anode with a fully dry printed NCM811 cathode. The result was achieved without introducing new materials or additional optimization steps.
Manufacturing Capabilities and Chemistry Range
Kavian is designed as a scalable and more resource-efficient alternative to traditional wet-coated electrode manufacturing. The platform can currently dry print both cathodes and anodes across multiple chemistries, including NCA, NCM, LFP, LTO, graphite, and silicon-graphite. The technology is also adaptable to emerging chemistries such as aluminum-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state formulations.
According to Sakuu, Kavian’s dry electrode manufacturing eliminates the use of toxic solvents and water, while significantly reducing factory footprint, utility consumption, capital equipment requirements, and overall emissions. The company reports approximately a 60% reduction in required production floor space, 30% savings in operational utilities, 55% lower CO₂ emissions, and about 20% lower capital equipment costs compared to traditional wet processes.
Sakuu is currently preparing the first Kavian production systems for customer deployment and has already delivered hundreds of meters of dry-printed electrodes. The company will present additional details at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) in Las Vegas from December 8–11, where it will exhibit at booth 611.
Expanding the 3D Printed Battery Ecosystem
Sakuu’s position in the market is underscored by the rapid growth of the 3D printed battery sector. According to Market Research Intellect, the global 3D printed battery market is projected to expand from $11.86 billion in 2025 to $21.89 billion by 2033, reflecting a CAGR of 10.75%. At the same time, the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2025 forecasts that global electric vehicle battery demand will surge from around 1 TWh in 2024 to over 3 TWh by 2030.
With battery demand rising, manufacturers are increasingly turning to AM methods to scale production, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.
Alongside Sakuu, Addionics is advancing the field through structural innovation with its Smart 3D Electrodes. Rather than changing chemical compositions, Addionics focuses on redesigning the architecture of battery current collectors to reduce internal resistance, enhance mechanical stability, and improve thermal management. These solutions can be integrated into existing production lines without major overhauls, enabling safer, higher-performing, and more efficient batteries.
Academic research is also contributing to innovation in 3D printed batteries. In 2023, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) joined a NASA-led $2.5 million initiative to 3D print rechargeable batteries using lunar and Martian regolith. With a $615,000 grant, UTEP collaborated with Youngstown State University and Formlabs to develop shape-conformable batteries for space missions, leveraging local materials to reduce payload weight. Using AM techniques such as material extrusion (ME) and vat photopolymerization (VPP), the team has successfully produced battery components including electrodes, electrolytes, and current collectors.
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Featured image shows Kavian platform dedicated to the production of dry electrodes. Photo via Sakuu.
