On September 24, ARMOR BATTERY FILMS, a subsidiary of ARMOR GROUP, officially opened its new Industry 4.0 manufacturing facility in France, focused on carbon-coated current collectors for advanced battery applications. After 20 months of construction and initial ramp-up, the site was inaugurated in the presence of government representatives, local officials, international clients and strategic partners.
The plant increases ARMOR BATTERY FILMS’ production capacity fivefold, offering an annual output of 150 million square meters—equivalent to roughly 40 GWh or 800,000 electric vehicle batteries at 50 kWh each. The facility has been designed to scale further, with potential expansion up to 100 GWh. “Our new equipment allows us to meet both highly specific niche demands and large-scale volumes for gigafactories,” said Laurent Martel, Industrial Director.
Equipped for both inline and intermittent coating processes with adjustable widths, the infrastructure supports rapid industrialization and flexible product design. By situating the plant in France—a strategic partner for North America—the company aims to accelerate time-to-market for customers in the European Union and North American regions. Enhanced proximity is expected to improve responsiveness, strengthen commercial reach and capture emerging opportunities in these markets.
A dedicated 500 m² R&D center within the facility houses three laboratories focused on formulation electrochemistry and physicochemistry, including a dry room for coin and pouch cell testing of coated current collectors. Many products have already been validated for lithium-iron phosphate, nickel-manganese-cobalt, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur and dry-process applications. “The new equipment enables us to deepen our understanding of collector performance and share more relevant data with our customers,” noted Pierre Guichard, Head of R&D. He added that the company plans to unveil a new current collector tailored for LFP technologies in electric vehicles.
Despite challenges such as policy delays and gigafactory setbacks, the global lithium-ion battery market—valued at $75.2 billion in 2024—is projected to grow at 15.8% annually through 2034. ARMOR BATTERY FILMS is positioned to serve high-growth sectors beyond electric vehicles, including data centers, energy storage, defense, aerospace and e-mobility. With a broad client base across North America, Europe and Asia, the company aims to be a leading Western alternative to Asian current collector manufacturers.
“Lithium-ion batteries are central to the energy transition and industrial sovereignty,” said Hubert de Boisredon, CEO of ARMOR GROUP. “Our carbon-coated collectors enhance safety and extend lifespan by more than 20%, underscoring France’s ability to innovate and industrialize at scale.”
Source: ARMOR BATTERY FILMS News
