2025-07-16    Lankwitzer

Where Will PET Film Go in the 800V Era?

In 2018, BMW fired up the world’s first mass-production line for battery “UV-insulation coatings,” with German coating powerhouse Lankwitzer Lackfabrik 

GmbH as its partner.By 2025, Lankwitzer had coated 600 million battery cells for BMW, which were installed in 4 million new energy vehicles. Within weeks, 

CATL, BYD and Volvo all announced UV-coating pilot programs. Once hailed as the cost king, PET film is now being quietly shown the exit as 800V 

architectures, higher energy densities and faster takt times raise the bar.

1. PET film: the myth implodes  

Adhesion ceiling of only 0.5-3.5 MPa impact loads trigger cohesive failure and full delamination.  

Low-surface-energy PET starves structural adhesives, risking dielectric breakdown at 800 V.  

 Manual or semi-auto lamination traps bubbles and wrinkles, driving yield off a cliff as takt speeds rise.

2. Lankwitzer UV coating: the five-tool player  

 0 VOC, 100 % solids, cures in seconds-no ovens, slips straight into CTC lines.  

 >16MPa bond to Al or steel, ≥45 kV/mm dielectric strength, UL 94 V-0 flame rating.  

 Dual-hub setup: headquarters in Germany plus a Shanghai subsidiary. 

 Already awarded mass-production programs by BMW, Volvo and more.

3.Market Landscape: The 2025 Tipping Point  

Research firm GGII forecasts that global penetration of UV insulation coatings for power batteries will exceed 25 % by 2025, translating into a 

US$1.4 billion market.

Mass production: BMW (Lankwitzer), Tesla Berlin (pilot), BYD Chongqing.  

Pilot / testing: CATL Kirin, SVOLT Dragon Armor, VW MEB Spain.  

Domestic China: Multiple domestic coating companies are in the process of development.

4.Conclusion  

PET  film will linger for a short while on low-cost, low-speed lines, yet under the triple pressure of 800 V architectures, CTP/CTC 2.0 designs and 

gigafactory takt times, Lankwitzer’s UV coating—boasting superior adhesion, higher dielectric strength, faster cycle times and zero VOC-has 

already secured the pole position in the next-generation battery-insulation race.

“Mechanical cell components are a differentiator for cell-to-system integration, system lifetime and sustainability.”Prof. Achim Kampker,PEM | RWTH Aachen University

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