Accrington-based E+R is just such a company. And by choice it has gone two important steps further – with long-term advice and financial support from the RedCAT Group.

The first step taken by the specialist provider of low-carbon coating and vacuum machines now used internationally to make eco-friendly products was to became an early Pledge to Net Zero signatory and work closely with leading research organisations.

The second – with RedCAT backing – has been to develop a groundbreaking Lab/Pilot machine series that its clients can use to research and test their own proprietary products – and then move quickly on the same machine to commercial production in the booming but competitive EV battery market.

RedCAT quickly recognise the technical, and economic importance of E+R’s pathfinding work that parallels RedCAT’s own four-pronged commercialisation journey for original-thinkers and SMEs of innovation, finance (ventures), scale, and advocacy.

Accessing finance – crossing the so-called Valley of Death which destroys many promising companies and projects – is a major hurdle for innovators. Fortunately, RedCAT was able to inject critical early funding from public sources that allowed the Lab/Pilot programme to go ahead.

Understanding E+R’s background is important. For 107 years, the company has made roll-to-roll printing, coating, laminating, and forming machines used initially for textiles and leathercloth, but now in a wide range of modern industries. An example, which helps to describe the basic process, is continuous wall paper production in which rolls of plain paper are unwound, printed, and rewound.

However, in 2000 E+R set itself the target of being known for sustainability, gaining accredited environmental credentials, and becoming a high-tech business.

One result is its low-carbon Horizon series. This includes Genesis Air machines designed to:- eliminate E+R’s own process emissions: – supply its clients with low-carbon manufacturing systems: –  and so enable its clients to offer low-carbon end-products to their own customers.

Today, as well as lithium-coated battery components, E+R roll-to-roll machines make essential parts for fuel cells, flexible electronics, and touch panel displays. The company also works closely with Innovate, the Faraday Institution, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metro University, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), and collaborates with many Northwest companies.

Additionally, it has a large defence sector market, exports to the USA, Australia, India, Spain and Italy, and as Sales Director Andy Jack explains, “… is probably more widely known in the US than UK.”

The Gen Air series initially comprised two models, one with a two-stage drying process described later, and a larger three-stage dryer.

However, market research revealed clear demand for a third model with a single drier with the additional benefit of allowing E+R’s customers to pilot the development, testing – and also demonstrate to would-be buyers – their own proprietary products and processes in a rapidly advancing industry.

Even more importantly and unusually, the latest Lab/Pilot Gen Air model in addition to development work can be used for follow-on 24/7 commercial production runs to further verify markets and generate early revenue streams that offset development costs.

This approach closely parallels RedCAT’s system of commercialising promising post-prototype innovations through technology readiness levels, the difficulties of raising finance, demonstrating product viability to potential customers, scaling up production, and supporting novel products right through to retail market outlets.

The first Lab/Pilot unit – known in-house as Machine One – was built for Ilika

a solid-state battery technology pioneer based in Eastleigh near Southampton which wanted to develop its own sensitive screen coating solution.

The lithium-printed foil components Machine One can produce are the starting point for producing both ‘pouch’ lithium-ion cells for EVs and ‘coin’ batteries used in watches and key fobs.

The process begins with a substrate – typically a roll of copper or aluminium foil 6 to 12 microns (μm) thick. This is slowly unwound under a constant tension, and undergoes a ‘corona treatment’ to make its surface more suitable for coating, or bonding.

In the printing mode, the next stage is a slot die process which puts a thin, uniform ‘slurry’ layer of fine lithium particles suspended in a liquid medium onto the moving foil. Thickness is then measured ‘wet’, and after drying in a hot air dryer at very accurate temperatures, the finished foil is cooled and measured ‘dry’. Quality is measured and marked every 10cms. The Genesis can also be fitted with a Calandering station to compress the coated surface post-drying.

Separate ‘heads’ for printing, coating or laminating mounted on wheeled trolleys are easily swapped over. Machines are usually made in pairs – one cathodic, the other anodic – that are used together. E+R makes its own smaller components via its in-house machine shop. Larger machinings are bought in from the local supply chain.

Machine 10 is currently being built for a client. The project includes installing a demonstration machine at E+R’s Innovation and Applications Centre in Burnley where for more than a decade, in-house scientists have helped to develop low-carbon solutions for the company and its customers, while working on advanced game-changing projects with external companies and universities.

The problem E+R faced as an operating company working to tight budgets was funding the Lab/Pilot development. After a detailed presentation, many questions, and a careful analysis, RedCAT was able to invest £150,000 of Government funding to get the new design up, running and into the hands of British industry.

As result, E+R is helping the Government to meet its legally-binding net-zero targets and also sell British green-tech innovations developed with British taxpayer money to UK and global end-users.

“We are delighted to add the Genesis Air to our impressive portfolio of sophisticated roll-to-roll machines. It further demonstrate E+R’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation that sets us apart from the competition,” explains Sales Director Andrew Jack.

“Some of our milestones speak for themselves. It is important to remember that we are in the business of selling machines and not necessarily generating IP, he says.

“Even so, we now hold more than 100 world-firsts and patents and export 86% of our machines. We are also proud that 75% of our apprentices spend more than ten years in our business. We must be doing something right. However, the best is yet to come!”

“E+R is a truly cutting-edge leader in its global field selling into international primes at the highest level and creating innovative world-leading low carbon products,” says Prof Miranda Barker OBE DL.

The Horizon project has been a turning point for E+R. For example, it is now one of seven world-class UK-based organisations that have agreed to combine their strengths in a ground-breaking project under the direction of the globally renowned Faraday Institution  – ‘Powering Britain’s Battery Revolution’) to develop leading-edge prototype solid-state battery technology for future automotive applications.

Solid-state batteries are different to existing lithium-ion and other types of batteries which contain liquid or polymer gel electrolytes and could be pivotal in helping the UK achieve its current target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by electrifying transport and devices.

E+R signing the Pledge to Net Zero well ahead of attending the 2021 COP26 UN global climate conference in Glasgow as a clear corporate commitment to a leadership role in reducing UK greenhouse gas emissions to limit future temperature rises to well below 2°C – a policy it continues to take very seriously for sound environmental as well as commercial reasons.