The rapid growth of electric mobility requires scalable and reliable manufacturing technologies for battery systems, which represent one of the most critical and cost-intensive components of electric vehicles. Laser-based manufacturing technologies are used in battery production due to their high precision, flexibility and suitability for automated high-volume manufacturing. 

This paper presents recent developments in laser-based manufacturing technologies for lithium-ion battery systems along the entire product lifecycle, from cell assembly to battery pack production and recycling.

First, laser joining processes for battery cell assembly are discussed, including foil stack welding, can-cap welding and laser contacting of cell terminals and busbars. These applications require reliable joining of thin metallic materials with high electrical conductivity while maintaining high productivity and minimizing thermal impact on sensitive battery components.

Second, advanced beam shaping approaches for laser welding of aluminum alloys in battery pack manufacturing are presented, focusing on gas-tight welding of cooling plates. Spatially tailored laser energy distributions and multi-focus optical systems stabilize the welding process and significantly reduce porosity, enabling hermetic seams at industrially relevant welding speeds.

Third, laser technologies for battery recycling are addressed as key enablers for a circular battery economy. Laser cutting enables flexible disassembly of end-of-life battery packs, while laser-based ablation allows separation of active materials from electrode foils in production scrap streams.

The presented applications demonstrate how advanced laser technologies enable efficient and robust manufacturing solutions for battery systems across the entire lifecycle—from cell production and pack assembly to end-of-life recycling.