U.S.-based Ateios Systems has brought online a production line
that cures battery electrodes with electron beams.
The technology replaces the solvents and thermal drying ovens
used in conventional processes with materials that cure under electron beams.
The company cites shorter trial timelines and improved electrode performance,
and is combining new electrode materials with a new manufacturing method
to supply customers.
A Line Capable of 50 MWh of Electrodes per Year Comes Online
On October 1, 2026, Ateios announced that it had installed
an electrode coating line capable of producing 50 MWh of battery electrodes
per year at its facility in Newberry, Indiana.
According to the company, the line is already operational
and is shipping RaiCore-branded electrodes for consumer electronics,
defense, aerospace, and mobility applications.
The newly operational line produces electrodes, a core battery component.
In addition to supplying electrodes, the company supports customers
in building them into battery cells for evaluation.
It is moving from developing manufacturing technology
to prototyping and supplying electrodes for specific applications.
From Drying Solvents to Electron-Beam Curing
The new line uses the company’s RaiCure manufacturing technology.
Instead of the solvents and thermal drying ovens used in conventional wet coating,
it uses materials that cure under electron beams.
Liquid material is coated onto the substrate
and then exposed to an electron beam to solidify the electrode.
According to the company, the exposure crosslinks the material
into a polymer network.
This binds the particles within the electrode together
and supports adhesion to the current collector.
The key difference is a shift from evaporating solvent to dry the coating
to curing the coated material itself.
Company-Reported Benefits: Shorter Trials and Electrode Performance
According to the company, coating trials can be completed
in two to four weeks depending on complexity,
shortening trial programs that typically take three to six months.
Because materials from major suppliers are kept in stock,
the company says it can also eliminate the 10-to-12-week wait
for materials that typically delays a first run.
On electrode performance, the company says that electrodes using
just 1% RaiCure binder achieve twice the electronic conductivity
of conventional electrodes that use PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) as a binder.
It also states that the binder’s stability at operating voltages above 4.2 V
enables 20 to 30% higher specific capacity from the same active material.
Specific capacity refers to the amount of charge
that can be delivered per unit mass.
The company’s CEO said the technology can be integrated
into an existing pilot coating tool and compete with a GWh-scale coater
at one-fifth the capital and operating cost.
These figures on timelines, performance, and cost
are based on comparisons and explanations published by the company.
Combining Kodak’s Coating Technology to Supply Customers
Ateios also collaborates with Kodak on electrode manufacturing.
In March 2026, the two companies announced that RaiCore
had been expanded to lithium cobalt oxide (LCO),
lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistries.
That announcement described an improved formulation reflecting customer feedback
and compatibility with existing battery manufacturing lines.
Kodak contributes its expertise in precise, high-speed multilayer coating.
The arrangement combines electrode material development
with manufacturing technology for coating those materials consistently.
The companies also announced that third-party testing found
total organic fluorine (TOF) in RaiCore electrodes for LCO, LFP, NMC,
and graphite to be below the analytical reporting limit of 20 ppm.
They presented this as verification that the electrodes are free of PFAS,
the so-called “forever chemicals.”
As of March, LCO and LFP electrodes were being used
in battery manufacturers’ pilot programs.
With the new line now operating and shipping,
a supply system has been added that allows customers
to obtain and evaluate the electrodes directly.
Enabling Customers to Test in Their Own Batteries
Even when the electrode manufacturing method changes,
adopters still need to confirm whether it suits
their own battery designs and applications.
Through the Battery Innovation Center and partner cell manufacturers,
Ateios offers support that allows customers to assemble and evaluate cells
without operating their own production line.
The company says the same formulation and cell validation
used in trials carry over to production through toll coaters such as Kodak.
The approach links the stage of testing new electrodes
with the stage of scaling up supply, using partners’ facilities as well.
LC Signal’s Perspective: Changing Materials and Manufacturing Together
This technology combines materials that cure under electron beams
with the process for coating and curing them.
The development covers not only the electrode formulation
but also how it is processed on manufacturing equipment.
The collaboration with Kodak also plays a role
in bringing the materials’ performance into actual production.
For customers, being able to obtain electrodes
and test them in their own cells is the entry point to adoption.
If coating trials can be run in two to four weeks, as the company describes,
the cycle of changing formulations and specifications for comparison
can also be shortened.
A system that connects material development, coating, and cell evaluation
seems likely to play a significant role in helping customers test
the new manufacturing method and move toward adoption.
Key Sources
-
Ateios Systems announcement, October 1, 2026 (distributed via GlobeNewswire):
Ateios Brings 50-MWh Electrode Coating Line Online,
Ships Next-Gen RaiCore Electrodes
-
Ateios Systems and Kodak announcement, March 23, 2026 (published on Nasdaq):
Ateios Systems and Kodak Expand RaiCore Platform
to Major Battery Chemistries and Earn PFAS-Free Verification
This article was prepared with AI assistance using publicly available information
as of October 3, 2026.
Announcement dates follow the dates shown on each published page.
Production capacity, operating and shipping status, trial timelines,
and performance and cost comparisons are based on the company’s announcements.
Third-party test results are also reported as published by the companies.
“LC Signal’s Perspective” reflects this publication’s interpretation
of the available information.