Sakuu has announced that its Kavian platform can dry-print NCM lithium-ion batteries which retain 83% capacity after 4,000 charge-discharge cycles.
Silicon Valley-based developer of battery 3D printing equipment and technology, Sakuu, has announced the latest performance results for lithium-ion battery electrodes produced by its Kavian manufacturing platform. Test data indicates that a Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) battery produced using the Kavian platform retained 83% of its capacity after 4,000 charge-discharge cycles.
Sakuu states that this level of durability positions the dry-process battery among high-performance commercial lithium-ion batteries suitable for electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage. In comparison, traditional NCM batteries typically need to cycle over 2,000 times while maintaining at least 80% State of Health to be considered suitable for EV applications.
Robert Bagheri, Founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman of Sakuu, said: "We are immensely proud of the performance of the battery electrodes manufactured by Kavian. Our extensive testing confirms that Kavian's dry manufacturing process is reliable, producing performance that meets or exceeds current wet processes. This should further eliminate any doubts about the suitability of using dry processes for printing Li-ion battery electrodes. This breakthrough achievement demonstrates our expertise in materials engineering, as clients have informed us that other additive manufacturers attempting dry processes have struggled to achieve satisfactory results across the entire printed electrode, particularly for cathodes."
The cell used for validating the cycle life performance was a 1Ah capacity cell cycled at a 1C/1C rate, utilizing a graphite anode and a fully dry-printed NCM811 cathode. The experimental results confirmed this performance without the introduction of new materials or additional optimization steps.
Kavian's Manufacturing Capabilities and Chemical Compatibility
The Kavian platform is designed to provide a scalable and resource-efficient alternative to traditional wet-coating electrode manufacturing. It is currently capable of dry printing cathodes and anodes for various chemical systems, including NCA, NCM, LFP, LTO, graphite, and silicon-graphite composites. Furthermore, the dry printing technology is also applicable to emerging chemical systems, such as aluminum-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state systems.
According to Sakuu, the Kavian dry electrode manufacturing process eliminates the need for toxic solvents and water, while significantly reducing factory footprint, energy consumption, capital equipment requirements, and overall emissions. The company reports approximately a 60% reduction in required production floor space, 30% savings in operational energy costs, 55% lower CO2 emissions, and about 20% reduction in capital equipment costs compared to traditional wet processes.
Sakuu is currently preparing the first Kavian production systems for customer deployment and has already delivered hundreds of meters of dry-printed electrodes. The company will share more details at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) in Las Vegas from December 8-11, at booth 611.
Expanding the 3D Printed Battery Ecosystem
The rapid growth of the 3D printed battery industry highlights Sakuu's position in the market. According to market research firm Market Research Intellect, the global 3D printed battery market size is projected to grow from USD 11.86 billion in 2025 to USD 21.89 billion by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.75%. Concurrently, the International Energy Agency's Global EV Outlook 2025 predicts global electric vehicle battery demand will surge from about 1 TWh in 2024 to over 3 TWh by 2030.
As battery demand grows, manufacturers are increasingly turning to additive manufacturing technologies to scale production, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.
Alongside Sakuu, Addionics is advancing the battery field through structural innovation with its smart 3D electrode technology. Instead of altering chemical composition, Addionics focuses on redesigning the architecture of battery current collectors to reduce internal resistance, enhance mechanical stability, and improve thermal management. These solutions can be integrated into existing production lines without major overhauls, resulting in safer, higher-performing, and more efficient batteries.
Academic research is also contributing to innovation in 3D printed batteries. In 2023, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) joined a $2.5 million NASA-led project aimed at 3D printing rechargeable batteries using lunar and Martian regolith. UTEP received $615,000 in funding and collaborated with Youngstown State University and Formlabs to develop shape-conformable batteries for space missions using local materials, aiming to reduce payload weight. The research team utilized additive manufacturing techniques, including Material Extrusion (ME) and Vat Photopolymerization (VPP), to successfully produce battery components including electrodes, electrolytes, and current collectors.
The dry electrode printing process on the Kavian platform 
