In space, batteries are mission-critical systems: every gram matters, every electrical interface is a potential failure point, and repair is rarely an option. Yet battery cells cannot operate on their own. They must be integrated into a battery pack that provides mechanical support, electrical interconnection, insulation, and thermal management to ensure safe and reliable operation in extreme environments.

This packaging function is essential, but it often comes at the cost of added mass, design complexity, long integration cycles and severely limited repair and maintenance capabilities.

BatmAM asked a simple question: What if the battery frame itself could be rethought as a highly integrated system—lighter, faster to manufacture, while remaining compatible with the reliability expectations of space applications?

Traditional space battery packs rely on complex, multi-part architectures, where structural frames, electrical wiring, insulation, and thermal management interfaces are designed and assembled separately. On one hand, this sometimes leads to sub-optimized designs. On the other hand, the numerous parts involve long manufacturing and tedious assembly phases.

In addition, the state-of-the-art cell integration method – welding – makes it virtually impossible to replace a single defective cell or to perform any meaningful maintenance on the pack. As a result, reliability issues can directly translate into costly replacements and limited sustainability, as even minor failures may require full pack replacement.

To overcome these limitations, CSEM and Almatech joined forces in the BatmAM project (Additive Manufacturing for Multifunctional Battery Packaging). Together, this collaboration transformed innovative concepts into a fully validated prototype.

CSEM led the design of the battery pack, building on its patented approach for embedding electrical functionalities directly into mechanical structures. CSEM also supervised additive manufacturing and post-processing, ensuring design integrity and manufacturability.

Almatech contributed its system-level expertise by modelling and simulating the battery pack to verify compliance with system requirements. The Almatech team also performed cell integration and conducted the full set of functional, performance, vibration and shock tests. Thermal vacuum testing was carried out at CSEM’s Battery Innovation Hub, under Almatech responsibility with support from CSEM specialists.

Beyond engineering validation, Almatech supported the dissemination and market/application activities of the project. This included identifying relevant space and non-space use cases, assessing customer needs, discussing potential routes to industrialization and positioning the technology for future satellite, launcher and high-performance mobility applications.

This close collaboration enabled a seamless transition from innovative design concepts to a fully validated breadboard model, as well as an effective transfer of the underlying technology to Almatech.

BatmAM leverages laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), an industrial metal additive manufacturing process, to create a single structure that replaces many traditionally separate parts. Using this approach, a monolithic aluminum battery structure is manufactured with electrical routing, connectors, and sensor interfaces directly embedded into the mechanical architecture.

Mechanically clamped cells replace traditional integration approaches, enabling swappable cells — a capability that is typically impossible in space battery systems — and opening the door to maintenance strategies that are rarely feasible with conventional battery packs. This results in about 30% reduction in the mass of the cell packaging structure compared to conventional solutions, together with a drastic reduction in manufacturing and integration lead time, by a factor of 3 to 4. This acceleration is primarily achieved because electrical functionalities are generated directly during the manufacturing process, without any dedicated assembly or integration steps for wires and connectors.

This DfAM-driven (Design for Additive Manufacturing) approach transforms the battery pack into a fully integrated system and clearly demonstrates how additive manufacturing can elevate mechanical parts into multifunctional, electrically active components.

The BatmAM battery frame has reached a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 thanks to an extensive test campaign, including electrical characterization, vibration and shock testing, and thermal cycling representative of space environments. Together, these tests simulate the mechanical and thermal stresses encountered during launch and operation in orbit. These results demonstrate the robustness and reliability of the solution in conditions relevant for space missions.

The project has reached a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 corresponding to a validated breadboard, meaning that the technology has been demonstrated in a representative environment. The TRL scale is an internationally recognized framework used in the space sector to assess the maturity of a technology, ranging from early laboratory concepts (TRL 1) to fully flight-proven systems (TRL 9). TRL6 means that the technology has been demonstrated in a representative environment. By achieving this level of validation, BatmAM significantly reduces technical risk for the battery frame and paves the way toward future qualifications at system level.

The next steps are focused on future system-level maturation and qualification, including further industrialization, modularity, electrical monitoring, thermal design optimization, qualification logic and adaptation to specific customer missions or platforms.

While initially developed for space applications, this new generation of battery packs also offers clear advantages for terrestrial mobility systems, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), hybrid-electric aircraft and other high-performance electric platforms where mass, reliability, and maintainability are critical.

At the same time, the development continues the space segment, with ongoing and upcoming projects targeting satellite platforms and reusable launchers, where system integration, robustness, and reduced lead times are key enablers.

More broadly, the underlying concept extends well beyond batteries: any mechanical component requiring embedded electrical functions – structural parts, housings, or electromechanical subsystems – can benefit from this approach. The applications are already numerous, and many more remain to be explored.

BatmAM shows how space-qualified additive manufacturing can elevate mechanical components into fully integrated, multifunctional systems. The technology is mature, validated, and ready to be transferred to new use cases.

What would your component become if electrical functions were designed directly into its structure?

Let’s explore your application together!

BatmAM demonstrates the power of collaboration between industry and applied research. By combining Almatech’s space expertise with CSEM’s innovation capabilities, the project transformed an ambitious concept into a credible, validated solution for the next generation of onboard energy systems.

- Michel Garcia, Chief Commercial Officer at Almatech SA

Source: https://www.csem.ch/de/nachrichten/batmam-smart-battery-pack/