Renowned film manufacturing brand, Kodak has confirmed to reorganize its film-making facility for EV battery manufacturing.
Some of the company’s high-tech machinery, which was initially designed for photographic film, will be converted into EV battery manufacturing equipment.
The company has invested in Wildcat Discovery Technologies to accelerate its foray into EV battery production.
According to Kodak, the supercell Wildcat batteries require the same coating and technical inputs as their 35mm film. As a result, very minor retooling is necessary for it to enter the EV battery manufacturing market.
This might offer a significant boost to the EV battery sector, which is currently dealing with pricey manufacturing procedures.
The photographic film production equipment owned by Kodak is worth $70-80 million. ESTAR is a photographic film production technology that employs polymers to generate films. The polymers need unique chemical coats, similar to the Wildcat battery manufacturing process.
According to Kodak, moving into EV battery manufacturing might significantly boost its income. The cost of EV batteries outweighs that of photographic film. In certain cases, EV battery expenses account for more than half of the cost of an electric car.
Kodak is currently broadening its product line beyond photography. It is already producing components for medicines, health care, and laboratory chemicals. The inclusion of EV battery production might be a significant step forward for Kodak.
The implications extend beyond the EV business, with Kodak claiming that home storage batteries use a similar coating method. This is a significant break from the past when Kodak-branded batteries were manufactured by other businesses for use in its products.
Kodak will hire additional people as its activities grow to include EV battery manufacturing. Typically, the photographic film sector is contracting due to layoffs and redundancies.
Kodak batteries are nothing new. However, in the past, Kodak mostly leased its brand name to battery items that could be used in film cameras.
Becoming a part of the supply chain for almost any product that requires a battery, including electric automobiles, is a whole new ballgame for George Eastman’s firm.