American Battery Factory Inc. announced its partnership with Lead Intelligent Equipment (LEAD) to secure custom automation equipment and machinery for use in its first gigafactory up to 20GWh in Tucson, Arizona. The partnership marks a critical stage of the engineering and production design phase for the gigafactory. ABF hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility in October 2023, initiating plans to produce battery cells for numerous applications and with the intention to optimize energy storage, destress the power grid and make true energy independence a reality.

This key milestone is the next step on the critical path toward finalizing facility engineering details and beginning a robust construction effort in Arizona. Produced by LEAD in close collaboration with ABF, the fully automated production line will be built from the ground up to provide a tailored solution for assembly. From mixing and coating to stacking and packaging, machinery including the slurry system, cathode and anode laser chamber and turnkey line equipment will cover every key step of the battery cell manufacturing process.

In addition to the machinery, LEAD will initially provide onsite support including system installation, commissioning and training. Due to the size of the machinery, decisions in the planning phase have considered the impact on everything from electrical to plumbing and the related geotechnical considerations which then impact the necessary size of the foundation. With a targeted completion in 2025, the first ABF gigafactory will include the company's headquarters, a research and development innovation center as well as the initial 2 x 2 GWh factory module.

The LFP battery cells produced onsite will be distinct from other lithium battery chemistries, incorporating the safest chemistry and environmentally friendly design while lasting up to 10,000 life cycles/30 years.