Charged EVs | Versa Materials and AUMUND partner on domestic battery cathode manufacturing equipment, targeting 50% CapEx reduction

Versa Materials Technology, based in Austin, and AUMUND Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly explore the adaptation of AUMUND’s conveying and thermal processing equipment for battery cathode calcination. The MOU establishes mutual exclusivity in both directions: Versa as AUMUND’s exclusive battery cathode materials development partner for the conveyor-based calcination concept, and AUMUND as Versa’s exclusive equipment development partner.

Calcination—the high-temperature step that converts precursor material into cathode active material—is among the most capital-intensive stages of battery manufacturing. Versa’s approach replaces traditional multi-step co-precipitation and saggar-based calcination with a single-step spray pyrolysis process that eliminates the wet precursor train and process wastewater. Versa says the process targets roughly 50% lower capital expenditure and 20% lower operating expenditure compared to conventional saggar-based production, with zero process wastewater. The company is qualifying NMC and LFP/LMFP cathode materials with defense, consumer electronics and energy storage customers.

AUMUND—whose history spans over 100 years across cement handling, bulk material conveying and thermal processing, with 27,000+ installations in 150 countries—is entering battery materials development for the first time through this partnership.

“One of the most persistent bottlenecks in domesticating battery cathode manufacturing is the thermal processing step—specifically, how you convey and calcine material in a controlled atmosphere at production scale,” said Carson Rast, CEO of Versa. “AUMUND is one of the only companies in the world with the engineering pedigree and manufacturing capability to crack that problem.”

Source: Versa Materials Technology