MSE Filterpressen® presents a new fully automatic filter press for battery cell manufacturing and beyond – the CellTRON® series

CellTRON® high-tech filter press for the highest filtration requirements

CellTRON® Fully automatic filter press with automated CIP cleaning function

CellTRON® fully automatic filter press with advanced machine enclosure

CellTRON® fully automatic filter press with intelligent PLC control

This series of filter presses is used for fugitive, dust-explosive, and hot products, as well as substances with toxic and radioactive properties.

Powerful, sustainably produced, and cost-effective batteries are essential for the future of global electromobility, especially for the electrification of transportation systems. The so-called battery cell forms the heart of each battery, accounting for the largest part of value creation. Both rechargeable battery cells used in the mobility sector and stationary energy storage systems in the energy sector create a steadily increasing demand for batteries with the highest storage density and reliability. Manufacturing high-quality battery cells requires significant technological expertise. Only if the battery can impress in terms of price and performance will its use in the automotive sector increase sustainably.

MSE has also upgraded itself for electromobility and has systematically revised and optimized the existing filter press system. The goal: to develop, build, and make market-ready an industrially competitive machine for the production up to the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

For the first time in the history of mechanical solid-liquid separation, MSE has succeeded in developing a compact machine that safely filters highly aggressive products at any time and anywhere. In close collaboration with industry-specific customers, a standalone series of filter presses has been developed, expanding the range of filter presses offered. This high-tech filter press is intended to set the international benchmark and is characterized by fully automatic and absolutely safe operation, long service life, high performance at competitive prices, as well as sustainable and environmentally friendly production conditions.

With this new business field, MSE aims to actively drive the further development of battery cells as a key component of electrification. Riccardo Rumé, Managing Director of MSE Filterpressen GmbH, explains: “CellTRON® stands for the innovative strength of a 'Made in Germany' brand. We want to further strengthen our global market position and become a leading worldwide manufacturer of specialized filter presses. Therefore, we will accelerate skill development over the next few years through intelligent partnerships and collaborations and build on an even broader foundation. This is important to create maximum value for the customer and to secure future developments.”

The CellTRON® Filter Press for Highest Filtration Demands

The filter press, as one of the oldest process filters, forms the solid backbone of mechanical solid-liquid separation with its high automation, efficiency, and integration capability. With the introduction of the CellTRON, MSE takes a decisive step into the future. The basis of the new filter press line is a fully automatic membrane filter press equipped with specially designed filter plates. True to the philosophy of “reliable” and “efficient,” the new product series features industry-leading and innovative filter press discharge with lifetime error reporting, an automated filter cloth washing system with an additional CIP complete cleaning function, and an automatically opening machine housing with an integrated pivoting hopper for defined filter cake discharge. Unlike conventional filter presses, this new development guarantees complete, nearly gas-tight enclosure of the filter press to protect operating personnel and ensure product quality.

Engineers faced a major challenge in designing the spatial separation between the system and its environment. “The goal was to develop a underpressure-proof enclosure with reasonable technical effort that prevents the escape of sludge residues and filter cake dust at all times. Additionally, the construction should be designed to prevent adhesion and drying of the filter cake or dripping water on any surface at all costs. Therefore, it was developed and constructed according to Hygienic Design criteria,” explains Mr. Rumé during the presentation. Generally, the development of the CellTRON® focused on optimizing the entire process chain. “By bundling expertise at the Remchingen site, we ensured that we develop new standards in this regard and quickly transfer them to series production.”

The new filter press, primarily developed for the battery cell manufacturing industry, is said to precisely meet the specific requirements regarding the dewatering of special (metal) sludges. (Further composition not disclosed due to confidentiality agreements.)

In addition to standard configurations for applications such as battery cell manufacturing, this technology series is also suitable for demanding applications requiring the highest safety and efficiency standards with maximum operational reliability. The CellTRON® product line can handle fugitive, dust-explosive products, as well as substances with toxic and radioactive properties, but also pharmaceutical, food products, and hot suspensions with filtration temperatures of over 130°C. With this filter press technology, MSE has a decisive unique selling point: “With the new CellTRON series, we have consistently further developed our proven product for use in harsh environments and have worked on an innovative, technically reliable solution for fully automatic and safe operation that delivers measurable improvements for the customer,” says Dietrich Schmitt, Project Manager EMSR at MSE Filterpressen GmbH, adding: “Not because it has lost its fascination in its previous form. Quite the opposite.”

The CellTRON® series is available in sizes from 470x470mm as CT4 for pilot plants up to 2000x2000mm as CT20 for maximum capacities with filter areas from 1 m² to 1,300 m². A configuration “Light” is available for high product and safety requirements, and an “Xtreme” configuration for the highest product and safety standards. Each filter system can be delivered as a complete unit with piping, valves, instruments, pumps, and tanks upon request.

Maximum Personal Safety – Absolutely Tight and Safe Filtration with the CellTRON® Series

The new design, which could have come from the pages of NASA, presents the CellTRON® as a sealed complete unit and emphasizes its unique core character. The special splash guard with insight into the filter press and the integrated hopper unit are immediately noticeable. The particularly smooth interior surfaces effectively drain the filter wash water, residual filtrate, CIP fluid, and uncontrolled escaping liquids, preventing any contact with the environment at all times. The individual enclosure elements can be moved, depending on the available space, at the push of a button along the press's longitudinal axis. However, only within the area of the integrated hopper. This allows liquids escaping during the assembly of individual enclosure elements to be collected and directed away via the collection hopper. A special sealing and wiping technology ensures complete sealing between the individual elements. Contamination of the floor and environment with aggressive media is thus always excluded. Additionally, the emission of unpleasant odors is significantly reduced. An associated advantage is the elimination of costly and elaborate steel constructions for buildings and rooms. For the “Xtreme” variant, nearly all materials used are stainless steel. Product-contacting assemblies are also manufactured with a surface quality of Ra ≤ 0.6 and a minimum slope of 30°, to minimize sticking and contamination of the product.

Within the protective enclosure, three separate systems enable the cyclic self-cleaning of the filter press. Depending on the cleaning needs, liquids such as H₂SO₄ are sprayed onto the filter press at various angles using special CIP nozzles. Additional translational and rotational movements of the distributor pipes allow reproducible cleaning and increased service life of the system. Drying of the medium is additionally prevented. Human errors are largely eliminated, personnel safety is increased, and high product quality is ensured. Thus, the MSE CellTRON® filter press series is a perfect symbiosis of quality, design, and function, with only one factor in mind: efficiency.

The CellTRON® heralds a new era of filter presses with its specifications, complementing the traditional MSE filter press family, which includes numerous filter presses with a long track record of excellent performance and flexibility for demanding applications.