ENP Partners With WJM to Pioneer Battery Structural Component Innovation, Delivering Reliable Performance

INTRODUCTION

Pre-nickel-plated steel is based on electrochemical principles, this process deposits a uniform and dense nickel layer onto low-carbon or ultra-low-carbon steel surfaces through electric current application in a specific plating solution. Subsequent heat treatment including heating, temperature maintenance, and controlled cooling achieves the desired iron-nickel alloy layer with targeted physical and chemical properties.

Moving forward, upgrading energy storage battery casing materials to pre-plated nickel steel will significantly enhance product performance. Specifically, this advancement will deliver the following benefits for both products and enterprises:

Pre-plated nickel steel strips enable single-step forming through multi-roller pressing or stamping equipment, with excellent weldability. This process offers low processing costs while delivering superior corrosion resistance.

The adoption of pre-plated nickel alloy steel significantly enhances material strength, increasing tensile strength from 160-180 MPa (typical of aluminum alloys) to over 500-600 MPa. This meets the structural requirements for high-energy-density batteries and automotive Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) applications.

Battery can thicknesses have been reduced from 0.5mm-1.0mm (aluminum) to 0.35-0.40mm using pre-plated high-strength or ultra-high-strength nickel alloy steel. Compared to aluminum, pre-plated nickel alloy steel achieves approximately 2/3 reduction in material thickness while maintaining equivalent can weight.

With a melting point of 1600°C (vs. aluminum's 660°C), steel significantly enhances battery safety by preventing short-circuit-induced combustion, delivering superior thermal protection.

Previoiusly, the global pre-nickel-plated industry had been dominated by overseas manufacturers, primarily from Japan and South Korea,，while China's domestic sector has been in the nascent stages of development from ground zero. Against this backdrop, Jiangsu WJM Co., Ltd. has emerged as a shining star in the industry, demonstrating remarkable innovative capabilities and rapid growth momentum.。

WJM integrates R&D, production, and sales of strip products, with dedicated focus on overcoming critical 'bottleneck' technologies in battery core materials. Our pre-nickel-plated products have now reached full maturity, with optimized processes spanning raw material selection, electroplating, and heat treatment.

The company currently operates a 60,000-ton annual production line for nickel-plated steel and is in the process of establishing an intelligent factory project for high-end materials used in new energy battery cans, with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons. The total investment for this project is approximately 2 billion yuan, covering an area of 233 acres (about 15.5 hectares). The construction includes 185,000 m2 of factory buildings and office spaces.

ENP and WJM have joined forces in a powerful collaboration, striving to drive the robust development of the pre-plated nickel steel strip business and committed to becoming a leading brand with extensive influence in the industry.

At the 9th International Summit on Power Battery Applications (CBIS2024), ENP and WJM made a special appearance with their pre-nickel-plated steel. The summit brought together representatives from domestic and international industry regulators, research institutions, lithium battery manufacturers, and key players across the entire supply chain (including materials and equipment providers), all working together to advance the development of the lithium battery industry.

On November 19, at the "Battery Material Innovation and Industrial Applications" themed forum (sponsored by Zhenli New Materials), Guo Tianzhu, Product Director of Jiangsu WJM Technology Co., Ltd. (Vigorous Metal), delivered a keynote speech titled "Pre-Nickel-Plated: Specialized Material for New Energy Battery Shells."。

Product Director, Mr. Guo presented the performance characteristics of pre-plated nickel steel strips and shared their application prospects in new battery formats like blade batteries and 46-series large cylindrical cells. In battery manufacturing, pre-plated nickel steel strips deliver higher energy density, longer cycle life, and more stable performance. Notably, comparative analysis of technical parameters demonstrates that WJM's products achieve domestically leading comprehensive performance.

WJM's pre-nickel-plated steel generated tremendous interest at the summit, with their exceptional performance characteristics and broad application potential resonating strongly across industry attendees.