Sakuu announced on October 12, 2026, that it had produced a functional, metal-free battery test cell with a 100% dry-printed anode and cathode. The cell was manufactured on the company’s Kavian platform at its Silicon Valley research and development facility.
The design combines carbon composite materials, a carbon fiber veil and polymeric current collector technology. Sakuu said the cell retains the safety characteristics of its polymeric current collector architecture while providing the structural integrity of carbon fiber. The resulting cell is flexible and lightweight, according to the company.
Sakuu’s polymeric current collector design uses individually sealed, series-connected layers rather than the parallel-connected configuration the company associates with conventional lithium-ion cells. A thin conductive polymer film carries current vertically through the stack across the contact surfaces. Sakuu said a short circuit, defect or puncture causes energy to dissipate slowly without generating enough heat to produce a fire.
The company used a carbon fiber veil to address the tendency of thin polymer films to wrinkle. The fibers penetrate the current collector and are embedded in the dry-powder anode and cathode. Sakuu said this configuration improves contact between adjacent layers while providing mechanical reinforcement and electrical conductivity.
Testing of the carbon fiber test cell showed mechanical integrity, interfacial contact and low contact resistance, according to Sakuu. The company said the combination of flexible electrode and current collector layers could support future structurally integrated battery designs for applications including aerospace, transportation, wearables, data centers and energy storage systems.
Sakuu also said its additive manufacturing platform can dry-print carbon fiber battery electrodes and supercapacitor electrodes. The company is developing the equipment for commercial-scale manufacturing, including regionalized production of batteries and supercapacitors.
Source: sakuu.com
