The European battery industry is under enormous pressure: capacities must be built up quickly, processes must be efficient and scalable at the same time – and all of this under significantly stricter requirements for quality and technical cleanliness than many companies have been used to so far. In practice, however, it becomes apparent that the biggest challenges often do not lie in the technology itself, but in understanding its consequences for industrial implementation.
Cleanroom production – a new world for many manufacturers
In an exchange with Simon Voss as part of the BETTERE Expedition, this very area of tension became clear. Many companies come from traditional industries such as automotive or mechanical engineering and are entering new territory in battery manufacturing in certain aspects. For them, cleanroom production is not an evolution, but a paradigm shift. “Cleanroom production is such a new world for most manufacturers” – this sentence aptly describes why similar problems occur in so many projects: for many companies, cleanroom manufacturing is still unfamiliar, so typical challenges keep recurring.
This is because the cleanroom is not an isolated topic. It affects not only individual production steps, but the entire system: from incoming goods through packaging all the way to personnel flow. This is exactly where a gap often arises between expectations and reality. Materials that are transported under uncontrolled conditions enter highly sensitive production environments. Packaging concepts are not aligned with the actual processes. Additional steps such as cleaning or repacking become necessary, even though they were not originally planned - with direct effects on time, costs, and efficiency.
Between lean and cleanliness: a structural conflict of objectives
This conflict of objectives becomes particularly clear in the interaction with classic lean principles. Many organizations are designed to optimize material flows, avoid waste, and simplify processes. It is precisely this logic that reaches its limits in the cleanroom. Cleanliness requires separation, additional process steps, and often deliberately built-in redundancy. What would be considered inefficient in a lean context is necessary here in order to ensure quality.
The actual challenge is therefore not to implement lean or cleanroom “correctly,” but to combine both worlds in a meaningful way.
Planning is decisive – from the very beginning
A central learning from projects is as simple as it is consistent: cleanroom must not be understood as a downstream requirement. “We plan processes for clean as a starting point – not as an afterthought.” Technical cleanliness is thus the starting point – not the result. If this concept is not taken into account early on, conflicts in layout, material flow, and organization inevitably arise.
What initially appears to be a detail quickly develops into a structural problem during operation, often with considerable need for rework. Planning and operation are inseparably linked here.
Material flow: quality is created in the process, not only in the product
A good example of this is the material flow itself. In many cases, suppliers meet the defined specifications, but the packaging concept is not aligned with real production, since packaging and production processes are often not considered together.
The result is additional process steps, inconsistent zone transitions, and increased contamination risks between individual production stages. In extreme cases, an entire process becomes inefficient, even though each individual component has been implemented “correctly” when viewed in isolation. In the discussion, it was put even more clearly: if packaging and process do not fit together, in the worst case the entire supply chain can become the greatest contamination risk.
This shows that quality is not only created in the product, but in the interaction of all participating processes.
Personnel flow: the underestimated lever
A similar situation can be seen with personnel flow – an aspect that is underestimated in many projects. Personnel airlocks that are too small, incorrectly dimensioned areas, or a lack of coordination between procedures lead to waiting times and bottlenecks in everyday operations.
Typical situations from practice: several employees have to pass through an airlock at the same time that is not designed for this - resulting in waiting times of up to 20 minutes in some cases. What initially appears to be an organizational detail has direct effects on productivity and stability in operations.
These issues are often only visible once production is already running – and adjustments then become significantly more complex.
Making complexity manageable
This is exactly where the value of a holistic planning approach lies, one that goes beyond classic layout considerations. Simulations are an important aspect here because they help to make real processes visible at an early stage. While simple models can already answer a large portion of the questions, detailed simulations enable a much deeper understanding of the processes and their interactions.
Complexity cannot be avoided – but it can be structured. Or, as it was formulated in the discussion: “We transfer complexity into clarity.”
Europe’s challenge: planning under uncertainty
In addition to these operational topics, the discussion also reveals a higher-level challenge for Europe. The build-up of the battery industry is taking place under uncertainty: investment decisions are made cautiously, planning horizons are often short, and many actors hesitate to enter into long-term commitments.
“Nobody knows what will happen in two years” – this uncertainty has a direct impact on projects and makes it difficult to build stable structures. It influences not only individual decisions, but the entire dynamic of industrialization.
From individual topics to an overall system
A common mistake is to consider cleanroom, production, and logistics as separate topics. In reality, however, they are inseparably connected. If these relationships are not taken into account from the beginning, inefficient solutions or conflicts of objectives in operation inevitably arise.
The central insight from the exchange is therefore less technical and more systemic: successful battery factories are not created through individual measures, but through the interaction of all elements. Cleanliness, efficiency, and scalability must be considered together.
Conclusion: what really matters now
The discussion clearly shows that the greatest challenges in battery manufacturing are not isolated individual problems, but the result of a lack of integration. Clear recommendations for action can be derived from this.
First: define cleanroom as the starting point.
Technical cleanliness must be part of factory planning from the outset – not as an additional requirement, but as a structuring element for layout, processes, and organization.
Second: develop material and personnel flow together.
Efficiency does not arise through isolated optimization, but through coordinated overall systems. Packaging, logistics, airlock processes, and layout must be considered together.
Third: consistently use simulation.
Complex production systems can no longer be planned purely analytically. Simulation helps to make bottlenecks, waiting times, and risks visible at an early stage and to make well-founded decisions.
Fourth: take cleanroom out of isolation.
It must not be treated as a separate discipline. Production, logistics, and cleanroom must be understood and planned as an integrated system.
And finally: involve experience early on.
Many of the challenges described do not arise from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of practical experience in implementation. This is where it is decided whether projects start stably and efficiently – or have to be corrected during operation.
In the end, it is not about reducing complexity, but about making it manageable. Those who succeed in doing so lay the foundation for a competitive and independent battery production in Europe.
Expanding perspectives – beyond the article
The challenges and relationships outlined here are only a section of a much larger systemic picture. Anyone who wants to understand how leading players think holistically about cleanroom, production, and logistics – and what consequences this has for future battery factories – will find further key insights in the in-depth discussion with Simon Voss.