• Comau and Intecells will showcase their innovative roll-to-roll battery cell surface treatment solution, based on field-proven cold plasma technology
• By improving wettability of electrode and separator surfaces, the solution significantly reduces production time and energy consumption while helping improve cell performance
• The joint development for battery and energy storage applications has potential uses across other industries and manufacturing processes
• Comau will also highlight its recently delivered cell formation and testing system for the National Institute of Chemistry (NIC) and its broad portfolio of end-to-end solutions for mobility and stationary battery systems
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Detroit, October 12, 2026
Comau and Intecells are bringing a new approach to battery cell manufacturing to The Battery Show North America, where they will jointly present an industrial roll-to-roll surface treatment developed around Intecells’ field-proven cold plasma technology.
Designed to make key battery production steps faster and more energy efficient, the innovative system will be on display at Huntington Place in Detroit, October 12-15 in Booth #3626. In 2025, Comau acquired a stake in Intecells, combining Intecells’ technology with its own ability to industrialize, integrate and scale advanced processes for production. Benefits range from improved cell performance to significant reductions in production time, energy consumption and investment costs. The companies will also explore how the underlying technology can be applied to other industries where surface treatment could increase efficiency or product performance.
The initiatives target a market expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% from 2025 to 2030, while strengthening Comau’s presence in North America. Using cold plasma to treat the surface of battery electrodes and/or separators, the solution lets the electrolyte spread and penetrate the materials more quickly and evenly. This can significantly shorten filling, soaking and drying while reducing the heat required, lowering both energy consumption, floor occupation and associated costs. In addition, it can also help lower cell resistance, contributing to better battery performance.
“The growth of cell manufacturing technology is creating significant opportunities across a market that spans batteries for both transportation and energy storage systems as well as renewables and electrification infrastructure. For our customers, this means finding better ways to manufacture batteries at scale while controlling energy use, production time and costs. Our investment in Intecells addresses these needs with innovative technologies that deliver tangible benefits. Together, we will continue to bring plasma-based solutions to battery manufacturing and other industrial applications.”
Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau
“We need to transform battery manufacturing beyond iterative improvements in order to meet the energy demands of AI data centers and global mobility. Intecells is excited to partner with Comau, a world-class industrial automation leader, to scale our atmospheric plasma technology and combine advanced manufacturing physics with gigafactory automation – enabling cell producers and OEMs to deploy lower Capex, higher efficiency production lines across the globe.”
Dr. Xiaohong Gayden, Founder and CEO of Intecells.
At the show, Comau will also highlight the new cell formation and testing hub it has built for the National Institute of Chemistry (NIC). Developed to meet customer requirements for flexible, industrialized cell formation and testing, the semi-automated platform supports pouch, cylindrical and prismatic cells, ranging from laboratory prototypes to high-power cells for automotive and industrial applications. With dedicated formation chambers and climatic and room-temperature testing stations, the NIC battery lab can accommodate different cell formats and testing requirements and is open to academic and industrial users across Europe.
Both projects reflect Comau’s broader, end-to-end capabilities across battery manufacturing, supporting customers from early-stage validation through industrial production with flexible, highly tailored solutions. Many of these will be featured at The Battery Show North America. Reflecting its global footprint and focus on local market needs, Comau will also participate in The Battery Show India, October 22-24, 2026, at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, NCR (Hall 7, Booth 115). The company’s comprehensive portfolio spans battery cell, module and pack manufacturing, battery end-of-life solutions, robotics for sensitive environments, digital technologies, e-Drive and e-Transmission manufacturing, hydrogen and other advanced electrification applications.
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About Intecells
Intecells is a Michigan based company that develops unique battery manufacturing processes and equipment based on plasma technology. Applied to current slurry-based manufacturing, and available now, its technology enhances performance by reducing capex, cycle time and energy consumption, as well as increasing cell capacity. Soon to be commercially available, the Intecells dry coating technology produces electrodes and solid-state batteries. The goal is to reduce overall cell manufacturing costs by 50%, and energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 70%. Intecells customers include battery manufacturers, automotive OEMs and battery material producers. Intecells is a NAATBatt International 2022 “Top 10 New Battery Company”.
Press Contacts
Joel Epstein
jepstein@tannerfriedman.com / U.S. Cell: 1-248-884-4743
About Comau
Comau is a worldwide leader in delivering advanced automation solutions. The company designs and develops products and systems that help customers improve productivity, flexibility, and competitiveness across a wide range of industries – all while keeping sustainable production at the forefront. Comau also offers project management, consultancy services and, through its Academy, innovative training.
The company’s technology portfolio includes products and solutions for vehicle manufacturing, with strong competencies in batteries and e-Mobility, as well as cutting-edge robotics and digital solutions for a variety of sectors such as logistics, distribution and fulfillment, renewable energies and storage, shipyards, aerospace, heavy industry, food & beverage, pharma and more. Together with fully owned companies Automha and Invent, Comau’s end-to-end automation and intralogistics capabilities span manufacturing, storage, distribution, and material flow optimization. Automha specializes in intelligent, high-performance automated storage and retrieval systems, while Invent provides advanced picking and sorting technologies, material handling systems, and warehouse control software. Together, these complementary capabilities help optimize logistics operations and enhance distribution performance.
Comau is headquartered in Turin, Italy, Automha in Bergamo, Italy, and Invent in São Paulo, Brazil. The combined global footprint spans 9 innovation centers and 15 production facilities across 12 countries, supported by more than 4,000 employees worldwide.
www.comau.com | www.automha.com | www.invent-corp.com
Press Office – Headquarters
Giuseppe Costabile – Corporate Communication Manager
giuseppe.costabile@comau.com | Mob. +39 338 7130885
