DG Innovate plc (LON:DGI), the advanced R&D company developing pioneering solutions in sustainable mobility and energy storage, has announced the transformative acquisition of new equipment to boost operations across its two business lines. The purchase of a jet mill and furnace will enhance development of energy storage products, while a motor pilot production line and 3D manufacturing simulation software will move the Company closer to achieving at-scale manufacturing of its proprietary Pareta® electric drive system, increasing current production from just a handful of devices per year to around 1,000.
Together, the equipment will further DGI’s ability to develop innovative technology and significantly improve production processes, turbocharging the Company’s ambitions in sustainable mobility and energy storage.
Peter Bardenfleth-Hansen, DG Innovate CEO, said: “the new equipment allows us to move complex processes in-house, bringing us closer to developing higher performance motors and more sustainable batteries. This equipment will decrease turnaround time across R&D and manufacturing, and allow us to develop a market-leading product much faster. This shows growing momentum behind DGI’s technology and our ability to commercialise it at scale.”
The jet mill and furnace will allow DGI to improve the processing of key materials used in the production of sodium-ion batteries. The jet mill will grind components to precise specifications within micrometres – a fraction of a human hair – whilst the furnace will deliver extreme heat up to 1,700⁰C to facilitate close temperature control. These are rare pieces of equipment in the UK, meaning in-house access represents a competitive advantage.
The motor pilot production line features advanced machinery that will set the foundations for DGI to manufacture the proprietary Pareta® electric drive system at a commercial scale. In addition, the 3D manufacturing simulation software will allow DGI to design the production line virtually, as a digital twin, thereby optimising the workflow and layout of the pilot facility. The purchase will have the immediate benefit of allowing DGI to increase its production capacity to around 1,000 devices per year and – in the longer term – ensure the most efficient production configuration is employed as production scales up further.
