Our fully automatic Z-type electrode stacking machine, a core piece of production equipment dedicated to manufacturing stacked lithium-ion battery cells. It performs high-precision, fully automated alternating lamination of cathode electrodes, anode electrodes and insulating separators to form the stacked electrode assembly — the core electrochemical component that determines the battery cell’s capacity, energy density and fundamental electrical performance.

The machine adopts a symmetrical dual-station feeding layout optimized for continuous high-speed production. The left-side platform serves as the cathode electrode feeding and precision positioning station, while the right-side platform is designated for anode electrode feeding. Both stations are paired with dedicated vacuum suction manipulators — visible as the pick-up heads fitted with pneumatic tubing — which handle thin, fragile electrode sheets without causing physical damage or positional shift. The central mechanism houses a continuous separator unwinding system, which delivers the white microporous insulating separator that physically isolates positive and negative electrodes to prevent internal short circuits while enabling unobstructed lithium-ion transport during charge and discharge cycles.

The stacking process follows a strictly sequenced, cyclical workflow governed by the machine’s central control system. First, the cathode-side manipulator picks up a single pre-qualified cathode electrode sheet from the left positioning platform, and places it at the exact center of the stacking table with micron-level alignment accuracy. Next, the separator unwinding mechanism draws a full layer of separator horizontally across the surface of the placed cathode, completely covering the electrode area. After separator placement, the anode-side manipulator picks up an anode electrode sheet and deposits it directly over the separator layer, aligned perfectly with the cathode electrode beneath to ensure full edge coverage by the anode. A second separator layer is then laid over the anode electrode, completing one full stacking unit cycle.

This alternating stacking cycle repeats continuously, building up the electrode assembly layer by layer. For a standard-capacity battery cell, the final assembled electrode stack contains approximately 39 total cathode and anode electrode layers, with the anode typically including one additional layer to fully enclose all cathode edges — a standard design practice to mitigate lithium plating risks and improve operational safety. The total number of electrode layers is not a fixed value: it is dynamically configured and adjusted according to the target cell capacity, dimensional specifications, nominal voltage and energy density requirements. Higher-capacity, higher-output battery cells require a greater number of stacked electrode layers to incorporate more electrochemically active material and deliver increased charge storage capability.

Throughout the entire stacking process, integrated machine vision positioning systems and high-precision servo motion control ensure consistent alignment accuracy across every electrode and separator layer, eliminating positional deviation that could cause internal short circuits, capacity loss or accelerated performance degradation. The continuous Z-fold separator design creates a seamless, uninterrupted insulating barrier throughout the electrode stack, enhancing the overall structural integrity and long-term cycling reliability of the finished battery cell. Compared to conventional winding-based cell manufacturing, this stacking architecture delivers more uniform internal stress distribution, higher volumetric space utilization and superior large-current discharge performance, making it the preferred process for high-rate, high-energy-density pouch cells and prismatic lithium-ion battery production.