logo

Wider and Faster: Design the Future of Innovation

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

ST Youngwon is Disrupting the Battery Separator Market

2월 26, 2025
by 홈페이지 관리자

Worldfolio Interview – February 26, 2025

While the separator production industry focuses on increasing production yield and reducing costs, ST Youngwon
emphasizes large width and customization.

<SOON-SIK KWON, CEO OF ST YOUNGWON>
 

SOON-SIK KWON | CEO OF ST YOUNGWON

📌In Korea’s domestic market, increasing saturation has made it challenging to gain new market share. Experts now suggest this could be an ideal time for Korean companies to consider exporting, especially with regulations like the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act promoting onshoring and supply chain restructuring—factors that could benefit Korean companies. Do you agree that this is a favorable time for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to diversify and internationalize? What do you see as the primary challenges and opportunities in collaborating with overseas companies?

I believe this is an opportune time for Korean SMEs to enter the international market. Historically, Korean SMEs have relied heavily on large conglomerates, supplying directly to them and benefiting from their growth. But today, and in the coming years, I see a strong potential for SMEs to step out and establish a presence globally. However, a significant challenge lies in competing not only with these domestic conglomerates but also with major players in international markets—companies from Germany, Japan, and Taiwan, to name a few.

Speaking specifically about the secondary battery industry, Korean companies have been engaging with other key players, like WCP(W-Scope). Until recently, the secondary battery sector was relatively stagnant, but now there is a strong push to expand on the global stage. This is indeed critical; entering the global market means competing with countries like China, where manufacturing systems are rapidly expanding and where they can offer some of the lowest prices. In addition, established companies from other developed countries already hold significant reputations in the global market, something we’re still building. These are some of the core challenges we face as we look to expand internationally.

📌Since batteries are central to electric vehicles, cost and safety are paramount. There is a growing trend to treat batteries as commodities rather than proprietary technologies, with efforts focusing on cutting prices and increasing productivity. For separators, this trend is even more pronounced, which could lead to more regional battery separator production worldwide. How do you see the separator market evolving over the next three to five years to meet 2030 goals?

As you noted, separators are crucial within the battery industry, especially for electric vehicles and the secondary market. The idea of producing separators closer to regional battery production centers worldwide is already in motion. Right now, China manufactures around 70% of the world’s batteries, but this is changing with new market entrants, including the United States, Europe, and India, which are becoming increasingly competitive in the secondary battery space. India, for example, is emerging as a key player in battery manufacturing.

While visiting China, one can see that approximately half of the vehicles, including motorcycles, are electric—a level not yet reached in India, the United States, or Europe. However, these regions are developing rapidly, and they’re likely to adopt secondary batteries and electric vehicles at an accelerating pace.

In international competition, Indian companies offer lower prices, while the U.S. and Europe have strong supply chains for producing batteries domestically. Korea, on the other hand, excels in the production of raw materials, with competitive infrastructure and high-quality standards to support our technological advancements. Looking ahead, I foresee intense competition among China, Korea, and India in the raw materials market for secondary batteries.

📌Taking a step down the supply chain to the level of production equipment, you mentioned that Korean SMEs often find themselves “sandwiched” between different competitors. I’m an engineer with five years of experience working in Japan, and in my work with Japanese companies, I noticed they’re not very flexible in terms of price competitiveness. They excel at high-spec products, but their pricing is rarely competitive. On the other hand, while China has strong core capabilities, it often falls short on quality. You’ve managed to succeed in China, achieving over $30 million in sales. Can you share the approach that allowed you, as a separator equipment manufacturer, to grow so quickly over the past two to three years?

I agree with your observations on Japanese and Chinese companies. When we meet with clients who have experience with German and Japanese companies, they’re often very satisfied with the quality and technology but find the price and speed lacking. Japanese companies, for instance, tend to move slowly, and their products come at a premium price. China, by contrast, offers speed and affordability but often sacrifices quality. Korea, in many respects, represents a middle ground—we offer good quality at a reasonable price.

Our company, ST Youngwon, has a unique competitive edge in this area. We’ve developed the 8300 series, a highly innovative production line that German and Japanese companies have been struggling to match. When we presented this to our clients, the response was overwhelmingly positive due to the combination of high quality and efficiency. If we continue developing this line and building client trust, I’m confident we’ll maintain a strong competitive position.

📌Let’s discuss your DURONIC 8300 series, which increased separator film width by over 30%. How did you achieve increasing the size to 8.3 meters wild where all other competitors are limited to around 5 meters? How has your team been able to reach this level while maintaining cost, quality, and yield?

Developing the 8300 series was challenging and required extensive problem-solving. In secondary battery manufacturing, it’s not just about having advanced machinery like those from Brückner in Germany or JSW in Japan; merely owning high-spec machinery does not guarantee success. Rather, success hinges on how you operate and optimize that machinery. Film production, specifically, is directly tied to manufacturing success. Even with top-tier equipment, improper use can lead to defective products.

To overcome this, we assembled a team of highly skilled engineers with 10 to 15 years of experience. Together, we identified the technical obstacles we needed to address in the development phase. We also secured government support through grant programs, which helped us tackle complex technical requirements, such as ensuring precise airflow through the many nozzles involved, as well as refining the clamping magnets, the closing system, and the extraction equipment.

This process was not without risk. The machinery involved is incredibly expensive, and a failure would impact not only us but also our clients. Nonetheless, we relied on our expert team and dedicated R&D unit, which enabled us to successfully bring the DURONIC 8300 series to market. To my knowledge, the 8300 series remains unmatched globally, and the production site in China is currently the only one in the world using it.

📌Korean companies excel at adopting digital technologies to enhance production capabilities and management. How are you advancing technology to stay competitive and disruptive in the industry? Specifically, how do you incorporate AI, digital technology, or automation?

Digitalization has limitations in film and separator manufacturing, but we are taking steps to maximize it. As I mentioned, production quality can vary greatly depending on the operator; their expertise determines whether we achieve Level A, B, or C output. This places a huge responsibility on on-site managers. To address this, we are working on standardizing our processes by automating data collection critical to secondary battery production, such as temperature and airflow. Automated systems will identify the optimal data points for consistent, high-quality production. Previously, the manual TDO tasks, which were performed by hand, will be automated through automatic width adjustment system, enabling the computer server to take on the roles of detection, diagnosis, and control.

This initiative is still in development, but once completed, we’ll not only upgrade existing machinery at our clients’ sites but also introduce new products and technology for future clients. Currently, our production process is about 60% automated, with the remaining 40% handled by skilled professionals. With this enhanced automation, we aim to reach an 80% automation level, minimizing risk. Our R&D team consists of numerous AI experts who play a key role in this transition.

📌Established in 2021, ST Youngwon specializes in innovative production systems for lithium-ion battery wet separators. Despite being a newcomer in a mature market dominated by Japanese and German companies, ST Youngwon has achieved significant milestones, including the $30 million export tower award and leadership with the 8300 series. As a young company led by a young CEO, what is your vision? Could you also elaborate on the challenges newcomers face in this industry?

<Inside the Korea factory>

Our priority is product customization. Success isn’t just about delivering a product to a client—it’s about communicating and consulting with them to understand their needs, solving any issues they encounter, and providing ongoing support. The relationship doesn’t end at delivery; we’re committed to after-sales service and ensuring our products work seamlessly in their operations.

As you mentioned, we’re a young company with a young workforce, most of whom are in their 30s or 40s. This gives us an edge, as we’re unafraid to embrace AI, develop innovative solutions, and tackle new challenges. As CEO, I prioritize simplifying the decision-making process, enabling us to move quickly. Our clients appreciate this speed and responsiveness.

Looking at the industry more broadly, I believe many Korean SMEs lack opportunities to expand globally. For those that do, the traditional corporate culture won’t suffice in a competitive international market. Competing globally requires creativity, adaptability, and the ability to develop new products and services rapidly.

People often ask me about our company’s goals, especially since much of our data is publicly available online. This is a difficult question to answer because we’re an order- and contract-based business. We’re currently focusing on strategic partnerships with companies in India, but our targets depend on the orders we secure. However, I can share that our revenue goal for next year is 100 billion KRW, and we’re aiming for 150 billion KRW the following year. Simultaneously achieving these goals, we will work to help our customers realize their objectives, striving to become a leading company that drives the global battery industry.

📌You provide one-stop consulting to customers, allowing for product customization and after-sales support. However, as a young company, two main challenges come to mind. First, your market recognition is limited compared to established companies like JSW. Second, while you excel in tailoring products, you may face challenges establishing a local presence as you expand internationally. How do you plan to address these challenges given your company’s structure?

I’ll address the second question first. Regarding local presence, our primary clients are currently in China and India, where Korean equipment and machinery are often viewed as superior to local alternatives. Manufacturing in China or India doesn’t provide a substantial advantage for us right now, as the high quality and reputation of Korean-manufactured machinery is one of our competitive strengths. This focus may change if we expand into the U.S. or European markets, but for now, clients in China and India appreciate and even prefer that our products are manufactured in Korea.

<Production site in China>

As for the first question about market recognition, establishing a complete production line requires a significant investment—around 100 to 150 billion KRW for one production line pair. Our competitors like JSW and Brückner are well-known for their technology and pricing, but we also offer competitive pricing, advanced technology, and a strong track record in on-time delivery. This solid performance has allowed us to gain credibility with our clients, and we’ve proven we can match, and sometimes surpass, larger competitors. So, while we may be a young company, our reputation does not currently limit our ability to meet and exceed client expectations.

📌You mentioned an ambitious objective of reaching 150 billion KRW within the next two years. Assuming continued growth beyond that, what do you see as the main drivers for reaching this target? Are you planning to expand with existing customers, capitalize on new markets, or broaden your product offerings?

Our main focus is the Indian market since the Chinese market has become highly saturated and stagnant. Last October, we participated in a battery show in New Delhi and were struck by the high demand and level of interest from buyers—it far exceeded our expectations. Unlike our competitors, JSW and Brückner, we offer comprehensive consulting services that support clients not only with equipment and machinery but also with strategic guidance on entering the secondary battery industry. While consulting services have seen limited uptake in China, they resonate deeply with our new clients in India, who are asking fundamental questions about entering this field and need end-to-end solutions.

Our “all-in-one” consulting service is unique in the industry and is quickly becoming a major differentiator. Indian clients are seeking guidance on where to start and how to navigate the secondary battery market, and this service, combined with our equipment, is winning them over. This comprehensive approach positions us as their trusted partner rather than just a machinery provider, and I’m confident this strategy will help us reach our target of 150 billion KRW in revenue.

📌The rapid expansion of battery manufacturers into Western markets has disrupted the historically stable separator market, pushing companies to invest in new plants outside Asia. In the U.S., Asahi Kasei recently announced plans for a new plant in Canada, expected by 2027. Meanwhile, in Europe, companies like SK IE Technology, LG Chem (in partnership with Toray), and WCP have been expanding, with new plants in Hungary since 2022. How do you view the U.S. and European markets? Are they short-term opportunities or more of a long-term goal?

I view the Western market conservatively. I think the U.S. and Europe will become centers for companies and factories that produce completed batteries. However, when it comes to materials and components, Southeast Asia, China, and Korea will continue to lead due to significantly lower labor costs. In my view, factories in Southeast Asia and China will focus on producing materials and parts, which will then be supplied to the U.S. and Europe for final assembly into electric vehicles. It’s far more costly for the U.S. and Europe to produce secondary batteries from scratch because they lack cost-effective manufacturing processes. While there is activity in the Western market, I strongly believe Southeast Asia will emerge as a primary hub for producing the essential raw materials for secondary batteries.

📌For our readers, what would you like them to take away from this interview in a few sentences about you or your company?

Many readers are likely familiar with general news about secondary batteries, but that’s often the extent of it. In this interview, we delved into the future trajectory of the secondary battery market, particularly in Europe and Southeast Asia. For readers interested in a deeper understanding of the industry, I hope this interview provides valuable insights into the market dynamics and regional developments shaping this field.


📌For more information, please visit: https://styoungwon.co.kr/

📌Worldfolio Interview: The Worldfolio: ST Youngwon is Disrupting the Battery Separator Market

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

FIX 2024 Hosts ‘Global Media Pick TOP3 Awards’ for 33 Best Innovators: “Exploring International Growth for Korean Companies”

10월 25, 2024
by 홈페이지 관리자

Representatives from eleven global media and 33 award-winning companies gather for a commemorative photo at the FIX 2024 ‘Global Media Pick TOP3 Awards’ on October 24 | Photo by AVING News

The inaugural Future Innovation tech eXpo 2024 (FIX 2024), held at EXCO in Daegu, continues to gain momentum as it showcases innovations in future mobility, robotics, and ABB (AI, Big Data, Blockchain). On October 24, FIX hosted the ‘Global Media Pick Top 3 Awards,’ recognizing 33 top tech companies selected by global media.

This awards event featured 11 international media outlets with expertise in technology. Each selected three innovative companies from the 463 participating exhibitors, and 33 companies were awarded media accolades. The event created an opportunity for international promotion and exchange among the awarded companies.

Media attendees at FIX 2024 included news outlets from the U.S., Malaysia, Japan, China, and Spain. Influential participants included Spain’s Clipset, a YouTube tech channel with 2.5 million subscribers; China’s major news outlet, SINA; and Malaysia’s Business Today, an official media partner of the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Over two days, these media companies selected the top innovators from 463 exhibitors.

Local companies from Daegu-Gyeongbuk were among the 33 honored. MORAI, Autonomous a2z, and SL Corporation received awards in the mobility sector, while in ICT, Zio Robot, VSion, MDA, Biolink, and ST Youngwon were selected. In robotics, the awardees included YOUNG HYUN Robotics, Irova, Mobinn, and Jimbo Robotics.

Lee Wook Jin, CEO of YOUNG HYUN Robotics, expressed his gratitude, stating, “It has been an incredibly busy two days with numerous consultations and immense interest from attendees. Winning this award as a local Daegu company chosen by global media is a true honor. My thanks go to Daegu City and EXCO for their support.”

Miriam McNabb, editor of U.S.-based drone tech media outlet Dronelife, noted, “Selecting just three standout companies was challenging given the remarkable potential and innovation among all participants. FIX 2024 is one of the best exhibitions I have attended recently, offering a unique opportunity to compare cutting-edge technologies in one place.”

Davis DK Kim, a reporter from AVING USA, with representatives from his top 3, ST Youngwon, AICU, and Jimbo Robotics. | Photo by AVING News

Juan Castromil of YouTube Channel Clipset (Spain) with representatives from his top 3, BPLAB Steam Education, YOUNG HYUN Robotics, and Irova. | Photo by AVING News
Selva Rajan, Editor in Chief of Business Today (Malaysia), with two representatives from his top 3, ACEWORKS and BorgWarner Chungju. (British Embassy Seoul absent) | Photo by AVING News

Miriam McNabb, Editor in Chief of Dronelife (USA), with representatives from her top 3, RGBLab, Hyundai Elevator, and MORAI | Photo by AVING News

Alexis Kouros, Founder and Editor in Chief of Helsinki Times (Finland), with representatives from his top 3, Samsung SDI, Autonomous a2z, and MarkLines.| Photo by AVING News

Zhang Meng, a reporter from SINA (China), with two representatives from his top 3, Kennametal Korea and Korea Simulator. (NeXber absent)| Photo by AVING News

Chen Dongfang, a reporter from Chinabyte (China), with all representatives from her top 3, MDA, Innopharma, and Mobinn. | Photo by AVING News

Leo Thevenet, Editor in Chief of Le Café du Geek (France), with representatives from his top 3, SL Corporation, Embassy of Israel, and Kumyang.| Photo by AVING News

Deepanshu Taumar, Editor in Chief of ET Auto (India), with representatives from his top 3, KN Corp (K&P, K&E, K&D), and AutoL. (Hioki Korea was absent) | Photo by AVING News

Hoàng Phuong Trang, a reporter from Vietnam Plus (Vietnam), with representatives from her top 3, Biolink, PixelRo, and Zio Robot. | Photo by AVING News

Hiromi Yuzuki, a reporter from Gadgetouch (Japan), with representatives from her top 3, Breathings, LearningVision, and A Pius Ark. | Photo by AVING News


This recognition offers Korean companies an invaluable platform to connect with global media, supporting their international expansion and future growth aspirations.

FIX 2024 features specialized exhibitions, conferences, and business programs focusing on mobility, robotics, AI, and startups. The Daegu International Future Auto & Mobility Expo 2024 at EXCO’s East Wing will showcase trends in UAM, autonomous driving, batteries, components, and services. Meanwhile, the 2024 ICT Convergence Expo Korea, held in the West Wing, will exhibit AI, big data, blockchain, ICT, and metaverse technologies. The 2024 Daegu Robot Expo will display industrial robots, humanoid robots, and digital transformation solutions for the robotics industry. The “Start-up Arena” will also be newly launched, facilitating meetings between startups and experts from startup accelerators like Samsung C-Lab and Plug and Play.

https://youtu.be/JNqEnBmTYHU?si=2g4U_zYKhstdXwT4


https://www.youtube.com/live/tG_Da-_InVg?si=_6_6lFNt9_7fm-EK

 

 

 

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

ST Yeongwon Launches Secondary Battery Separator Production Facility At ‘ITCE 2024’… Wins Overseas Media Awards

10월 25, 2024
by 홈페이지 관리자

Date of contribution October 25, 2024

 

ST Yeongwon (CEO Kwon Soon-sik), a company specializing in manufacturing secondary battery separators, participated in the “2024 Korea ICT Convergence Expo (ITCE 2024)” to be held at EXCO in Daegu until the 26th and unveiled the facility “UFLOW85,” which combines coating processes to match the ultra-wide-angle wet production line of lithium-ion battery separators

<ST Yongwon’s executives and employees are shouting fighting at the ITCE 2024 ST Yongwon booth>

ST Yeongwon’s new facility dramatically increases separator production efficiency and enables uniform quality control. It was developed based on the secondary battery separator production facility of the existing Duronic 8300 model.

The “Duronic 8300” boasts the industry’s best production capacity with a width of 8.3m and a top speed of 120m/min, and can improve production by about 60% compared to existing facilities.

After producing a wet separator, it was separately coated on three or more individual coating lines based on the first coating process line of the existing secondary battery production facility.

The biggest feature of this “UFLOW85” is that it combines the coating process with the excellent manufacturing performance of the existing “Duronic 8300.”

Meanwhile, ST Yeonwon, who participated in ITCE 2024 with the support of the Daegu Creative Economy Innovation Center (Director of the Korea Center), was honored as an innovative technology company selected by overseas media in recognition of the excellence of the product at this event.

Daegu = Reporter Jeong Jae-hoon jhoon@etnews.com

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

Overseas media attending FIX2024 praised domestic innovative companies.

10월 25, 2024
by 홈페이지 관리자

 

While FIX 2024 was being held at Daegu EXCO from the 23rd to the 26th, overseas media attracted attention by holding the ‘Global Media Pick TOP3 Awards Ceremony’ to select innovative companies with potential among FIX 2024 participating companies.

Overseas media companies covering tech and business such as ICT, drones, and automobiles from 10 countries including the US, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Spain participated in FIX 2024.

Major media companies include 11 influential companies including ‘Clipset’, a Spanish tech YouTube channel with 2.5 million subscribers, ‘SINA’, one of the top 3 media channels in China, and ‘Business Today’, the official media partner of government agencies such as the Malaysian Ministry of Trade and Industry.

While attending the expo, they selected 33 of the most innovative technology companies among the 463 participating companies.

 

Local companies were also listed. In the mobility field, ▶Moray ▶Autonomous A2Z ▶SL won awards.

 

In the ICT field, ▶GeoRobot ▶Viewsion ▶MDA ▶Biolink ▶ST Youngwon  awards. In the robot field, ▶Younghyun Robotics ▶Iroba ▶Mobin ▶Jimbo Robotics won awards.

Lee Wook-jin, CEO of Younghyun Robotics, said, “It was a hectic two days with the interest and business consultations of numerous visitors,” and added, “I cannot hide my joy for receiving such a great award as a Daegu native company selected by overseas media. I would like to thank Daegu City and EXCO for their great help.”

Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of Dronelife, a U.S. drone-related tech content media, praised the event, saying, “It was the best exhibition I have visited recently,” and “It was difficult to select three companies with the most potential and innovation among the numerous participating companies.”

 

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

ST Youngwon Wins $30 Million Export Tower…Aiming to Achieve KRW 150 Billion in Sales by 2025

8월 31, 2024
by admin

ST Young-won (CEO Kwon Soon-sik) recently won the $30 million export tower at the 60th Daegu-Gyeongbuk Trade Day transfer ceremony.

ST Youngwon is a leading manufacturer of wet separator production facilities, a core material for secondary batteries. In recognition of its technological prowess, the company won the Grand Prize at the Daegu Startup Awards in August and the Minister of SMEs and Startups at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Startup Festival in October, continuing its winning streak at various awards in Korea this year.


Kwon Soon-sik, CEO of ST Young-won (right), is receiving a $30 million export tower from Daegu Market in Hong Joon Pyo.

Established in 2021, ST Youngwon has established a supply chain for local separation membrane producers in China after proving its short-term technology. Based on this, it has achieved $60 million in overseas sales this year, including $30 million in export towers. The goal is to achieve 150 billion won in sales by 2025. It plans to further expand its global business area in line with the continued growth of the electric vehicle secondary battery market.

The wet separator inline production system developed by ST Youngwon boasts the best global performance by significantly improving productivity compared to existing equipment with an ultra-wide 8300mm and a maximum speed of 120m/min. Through this, it is expected to greatly contribute to enhancing the business competitiveness of overseas separator producers.

Kwon Soon-sik, CEO of ST Young-won, said, “The electric vehicle secondary battery market will grow steadily in the future,” adding, “We will lead the overseas market with the technology accumulated so far.”

Daegu = Reporter Jung Jae-hoon jhoon@etnews.com

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

“ST Youngwon”, a secondary battery separator equipment company, won the Daegu Startup Awards

8월 31, 2024
by admin

Kwon Soon-sik, CEO of ST Young-won, who received the honor at the 7th Daegu Startup Awards. <Courtesy of Daegu City>

At this year’s Daegu Startup Awards event, ST Young-won (CEO Kwon Soon-sik, photo), a separator manufacturing equipment company related to secondary batteries, won the grand prize.

The Daegu Metropolitan Government selected the winners of the 7th Daegu Startup Awards on the 24th. Reflecting the recent industrial trend, a large number of companies in the secondary battery and medical healthcare sectors were selected as winners.

Established in February 2021, ST Youngwon recorded 9.8 billion won in exports last year, making strides. Exports in the first half of this year reached 40.5 billion won, continuing a remarkable growth trend. Sales are expected to exceed 50 billion won this year. Located in Seongseo 5th Complex (Secheon Industrial Complex), the company develops equipment for manufacturing the world’s largest high productivity separation membrane.

The grand prize was awarded to CT Cells Co., Ltd. (co-CEO Kim Min-seok and Lee Jung-min), a medical healthcare company. It developed a next-generation anticancer drug and was selected as the Baby Unicorn 200 by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in 2021. This year, it was also listed in the ultra-gap startup 1000+. It recently succeeded in attracting large-scale investment (Series A 5 billion / Series A Bridge 12.5 billion won). The company is headquartered in Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun.

<Joo> Inner Eye (CEO Kim Seung-gon), which supplies equipment to Hyundai Motor through the development and commercialization of a secondary battery inspection system, and <Joo> Il million (CEO Kim Yoo-seok), who developed an AI-based video automatic production and search platform, were selected as the excellence prize.

Geum Yong-pil, a professor at Daegu Catholic University, and Jeong Yeon-jae, director of the Intellectual Property Center at the Daegu Chamber of Commerce, were awarded as the founding merit.

The award ceremony will be held at Daegu Samsung Creative Campus on the 25th. Reporter Son Sun-woo sunwoo@yeongnam.com

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

에스티영원, 인라인 코팅공정 결합한 이차전지 배터리 분리막 생산 장비 출시(전자신문)

8월 31, 2024
by admin

이차전지 분리막 제조전문기업 에스티영원(대표 권순식)이 리튬이온전지 분리막의 초광폭 습식 생산라인에 코팅 공정을 인라인으로 결합한 새로운 설비를 세계 최초로 개발해 출시했다고 2일 밝혔다.

이 설비는 분리막의 생산 효율을 획기적으로 끌어올리고, 균일한 품질관리가 가능해 관련업계 주목을 받을 전망이다.

이번에 개발한 설비 ‘유플로우(UFLOW)85’는 기존 이차전지 분리막 생산설비 ‘듀로닉(DURONIC)8300’ 모델을 기반으로 했다. 기존 이차전지 생산설비의 코팅공정은 습식 분리막 생산 후 1개 라인 기준 별도로 3대 이상 개별 코팅라인에서 코팅했다. 분리막을 생산한 후 일정한 폭으로 슬리팅하고, 별도 공정에서 강화막을 코팅하는 방식이다.

에스티영원이 개발해 2022년 12월부터 중국에 공급해온 ‘듀로닉8300’은 폭 8.3m, 최고 속도 120m/min으로 업계 최고 수준의 생산능력을 자랑하며, 기존 설비 대비 약 60% 향상된 생산량을 달성할 수 있는 장비다.

‘유플로우85’은 기존 ‘듀로닉8300’의 우수한 제조성능에 코팅공정을 인라인으로 결합한 것이 가장 큰 특징이다. 하나의 연속적 라인에서 분리막 제조와 코팅을 동시에 수행할수 있도록 설계됐다.

분리막 생산과 동시에 인라인으로 코팅 공정을 진행함으로써 공정을 대폭 단순화하고, 생산 효율성을 크게 향상시켰다. 이는 공정 결합으로 인한 공간 절약과 시간 단축으로 생산원가 절감에도 크게 기여할 것으로 예상된다.

아울러 인라인 코팅 공정을 통해 분리막 전면에 균일한 품질의 코팅막을 형성할 수 있다. 이는 다수의 별도 코팅 장비를 사용하는 기존 코팅 방식에서 발생할 수 있는 품질 편차를 최소화하고, 안정적인 제품 성능을 보장할 수 있다.

에스티영원은 기존 ‘듀로닉8300’ 모델을 포함해 이번에 출시한 신규 생산라인 구축을 희망하는 고객사를 대상으로 공장 컨셉부터 장비설치·분리막 생산까지 심도있는 원스톱 컨설팅을 제공할 계획이다. 또 글로벌 리튬이온전지 분리막 시장에서 자사 기술 경쟁력을 한층 더 강화해 시장 지배력을 확대해 나간다는 계획이다.

회사 관계자는 “이번 신제품 출시로 에스티영원의 기술력을 다시 한번 입증하게 됐다. 인라인 코팅 공정 도입으로 생산성과 품질 모두를 크게 향상시킬 수 있게 됐다”면서 “앞으로 고객사의 다양한 요구에 부응해 지속적인 연구개발을 진행함으로써 리튬이온전지 분리막 산업의 발전을 선도해 나가겠다”고 말했다.

출처 : 전자신문, 정재훈 기자(2024.06.02 15:03)

https://www.etnews.com/20240530000315

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

ST영원 ‘글로벌 강소기업 1000+’에 선정

8월 31, 2024
by admin

주식회사 에스티영원은 대구광역시와 대구테크노파크에서 최근 수출 선도기업 육성을 위하여 중소벤처기업부 주관으로 진행한 ‘글로벌 강소기업 1000+ 프로젝트’에서 ‘강소+’로 선정되었다.

‘글로벌 강소기업 1,000+ 프로젝트’는 성장잠재력이 높은 수출 중소기업을 수출액 규모별로 ‘유망’, ‘성장’, ‘강소’, ‘강소+’로 구분해 단계별 맞춤형 지원으로 수출 경쟁력을 강화하는 사업이다.

‘강소+’에 선정된 에스티영원은 리튬이온 배터리의 핵심 소재인 분리막 생산설비를 제작하며, 습식 분리막 생산단위 공정장비와 전체 생산라인의 독자적인 개발을 통한 획기적인 생산성을 바탕으로 중국, 인도 베트남 등 아시아 시장 확대와 미국 시장 진출을 계획하고 있다.

  • Home
  • News Coverage

NEWS COVERAGE

banner img news
NEWS COVERAGE

세계 최초 코팅 인라인 2차전지 분리막 제조기기 출시 눈길

8월 31, 2024
by admin

코팅 공정 결합 ‘UFLOW85’ 생산 효율성 높이고 품질도 향상
연구개발 지속 분리막 사업 선도 목표…설비 컨설팅 사업 다각화

2차전지 분리막 장비 전문기업 ‘에스티영원’이 코팅 공정을 분리막 초광폭 습식 생산라인에 결합한 제품을 최초로 선보여 업계 주목을 받고 있다.

3일 에스티영원에 따르면 신제품 ‘UFLOW85’는 기존 DURONIC8300 모델에 코팅기를 더한 것이 특징이다. 이전의 제품은 3대 이상의 개별 코팅라인을 동시에 운영해야 하는 탓에 효율이 떨어지는 단점이 있었다.

그러나 이번 신제품의 경우 하나의 라인에서 분리막 제조와 코팅을 동시에 수행할 수 있도록 설계돼 생산성을 높이고 품질도 크게 향상시킬 수 있다.

에스티영원은 지난 2022년부터 DURONIC8300을 해외 수출하고 있다. DURONIC8300은 폭 8.3m, 최고 속도 120m/min으로 업계 최고 수준의 생산력을 자랑한다. 새롭게 출시한 UFLOW85은 분리막을 생산과 동시에 코팅 공정을 진행해 공정을 단순화하는 것은 물론 공정 결합을 통해 공간 및 시간을 단축시켜 생산원가 절감에도 기여할 수 있다.

또 UFLOW85의 코팅 공정은 분리막 전면에 균일한 품질의 코팅막을 형성할 수 있다. 별도 코팅 장비를 사용하는 기존 코팅 방식과 달리 품질 편차를 최소화한다. 에스티영원은 신제품 출시가 분리막 시장에서 기술 경쟁력을 인정받고 시장 점유율을 강화하는 계기가 될 것으로 기대하고 있다.

에스티영원 관계자는 “코팅 공정의 도입으로 생산성과 품질 모두를 크게 향상시켰다”며 “고객사들의 다양한 요구에 대응해 지속적인 연구개발을 진행하며 2차전지 분리막 산업의 발전을 선도해 나가겠다. 또 신규 생산라인 구축을 원하는 고객사를 대상으로 공장 컨셉부터 장비설치 및 분리막 생산까지 원스톱 컨설팅을 제공할 계획”이라고 했다.

※분리막= 양극과 음극이 접촉하지 않도록 분리하는 절연 소재의 얇은 막. 양극재와 음극재, 전해질과 함께 2차전지를 구성하는 핵심 ‘4대 소재’로 꼽힌다.

출처 : 매일신문, 정우태 기자(2024.06.03 15:26)