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Strategic Partnership｜IEST Instrument and TeraView Join Forces to Advance Battery Electrode Inspection

Company News

Updated on 2026/10/15

Abstract

TeraView, a UK-based company specializing in terahertz measurement technology, and IEST Instrument have entered an exclusive strategic partnership under which IEST Instrument becomes TeraView’s official partner in China for the TeraCota 3500 terahertz battery electrode inspection system. The partnership targets a known gap in electrode quality control: conventional methods such as laser-transmission thickness gauges and beta-ray areal-density gauges cannot measure multiple parameters on a single device, cannot guarantee that different measurements come from the same location on an electrode, and cannot measure both sides of an electrode separately in one pass. The TeraCota 3500 uses non-contact, non-ionizing terahertz waves to measure double-sided coating thickness, coating density, areal loading, and conductivity at a single electrode location, in line, during production. IEST Instrument and TeraView will jointly work to introduce this technology to China’s battery manufacturing sector.

1. Overview

As the lithium-ion battery industry continues to iterate and upgrade at a rapid pace, electrode inspection stands as a core process step in battery production, directly determining a cell’s safety, consistency, and cycle life. Conventional inspection approaches, such as laser-transmission thickness measurement and beta-ray areal-density measurement, have made this possible for years, but they carry structural limitations: a single device typically measures only one parameter, different parameter readings often cannot be confirmed as coming from the same physical location on the electrode, and measuring both sides of a double-coated electrode separately usually requires additional equipment or process steps. These limitations leave room for improvement in both measurement efficiency and accuracy.

Terahertz Non-Destructive Testing refers to / is defined as a measurement technique that uses terahertz-frequency electromagnetic waves, which are non-ionizing and lower in single-photon energy than X-rays or beta radiation, to probe a material’s structure or coating properties without contacting or damaging it.

2. The Partnership: IEST Instrument and TeraView Join Forces

To help battery manufacturers achieve higher-quality production, IEST Instrument has formally entered an exclusive strategic partnership with the United Kingdom’s TeraView, becoming TeraView’s official domestic partner in China for its terahertz battery electrode inspection system, the TeraCota 3500. Under the partnership, the two companies will work together to introduce this technology into China’s battery industry.

Under the agreement, IEST Instrument will act as TeraView’s official partner in the Chinese market, supporting the introduction of the inspection technology to battery producers across one of the world’s largest battery manufacturing markets.

The partnership combines TeraView’s expertise in non-contact terahertz inspection with IEST’s local market knowledge and technical capabilities. The companies aim to encourage wider adoption of real-time, non-destructive electrode inspection across China’s battery industry.

TeraCota 3500 is TeraView’s terahertz-based measurement system for battery electrode manufacturing, designed to simultaneously determine coating thickness, coating density, areal loading, and conductivity for both cathode and anode electrodes using a non-contact terahertz sensor. The technology is intended to support process control and product consistency while helping manufacturers improve production efficiency.

Figure 1. IEST Instrument and TeraView engineering teams during a technical exchange visit at TeraView’s UK facility.

3. Multi-Parameter, Non-Destructive Electrode Inspection

The precision terahertz inspection equipment introduced through this partnership is built on globally established terahertz non-destructive testing technology, and is designed to change how lithium battery electrode inspection is typically performed — moving toward in-line, non-destructive, high-precision, multi-parameter integrated inspection during the electrode production process, addressing longstanding pain points in electrode production inspection.

Figure 2. A TeraView terahertz inspection gantry system representative of the platform used in the TeraCota product line.

3.1 Multi-Parameter Integrated In-Line Inspection

Coating Thickness Measurement refers to / is defined as the measurement of the thickness of the active-material coating applied to a battery electrode’s current collector, a parameter directly linked to cell capacity, consistency, and manufacturing yield.

The system can simultaneously and continuously measure a battery electrode’s double-sided coating thickness, coating density, areal loading, and conductivity in real time. Consolidating these measurements into a single device, in place of multiple separate pieces of traditional inspection equipment, can reduce production-line investment, system integration effort, and floor-space requirements.

3.2 Non-Destructive and Efficient, Built for Production Lines

The system uses a non-contact, non-destructive terahertz measurement principle that does not damage the electrode substrate or coating, making it compatible with high-speed mass-production lines. Real-time, in-line measurement with real-time data feedback is intended to reduce the missed-detection and false-detection risk associated with sampling-based inspection.

3.3 High Precision Across Multiple Electrode Material Systems

Built on a proprietary photoconductive antenna design and associated algorithms, the TeraCota 3500 is designed to deliver precise measurement across a range of electrode material systems, including anode electrodes.

3.4 Non-Ionizing Radiation: Safety by Design

Terahertz waves are a form of non-ionizing radiation, with single-photon energy far lower than that of ionizing radiation sources such as X-rays or beta radiation. Under normal operating conditions, terahertz inspection is designed to balance measurement performance with operational safety, intended to provide battery production lines with a safer, more reliable in-line inspection option.

4. Mutual Empowerment: A Shared Path for Industry Upgrading

This strategic partnership with a UK-based, high-end terahertz technology company represents an important step in IEST Instrument‘s continued focus on precision lithium-battery inspection and its positioning within high-end intelligent manufacturing. Building on this partnership, the two companies plan to draw on their respective strengths — combining overseas advanced technology with localized professional service — to align closely with the production scenarios and process requirements of China’s lithium battery industry, and to continue optimizing inspection solutions, upgrading technical service, and expanding application scenarios.

Dr Don Arnone, TeraView’s CEO and co-founder, said: “This strategic partnership with IEST Instrument marks an important step in expanding access to TeraView’s terahertz inspection technology within the battery industry. By combining the capabilities of the TeraCota 3500 with IEST’s local expertise, we can help battery manufacturers improve process control, product consistency and production efficiency.”

David Reece, TeraView’s vice-president of business development, said: “IEST Instrument’s understanding of the domestic battery manufacturing market makes it an ideal partner for TeraView. Together, we can provide manufacturers with practical, high-performance inspection solutions that deliver reliable, real-time insights into electrode quality and help drive the development of more efficient production processes.”

This strategic agreement solidifies TeraView’s footprint in China, paving the way to introduce its cutting-edge terahertz inspection technology to a broader network of battery manufacturers. As the industry places greater emphasis on stringent quality assurance and process optimization, the partnership will deliver tailored solutions for the domestic market. By enabling real-time assessment of electrode quality, both companies aim to help manufacturers elevate production consistency, yield, and overall efficiency.

Figure 3. IEST Instrument and TeraView team members at TeraView’s UK office during a technical exchange.

5. About IEST Instrument

IEST Instrument develops precision testing solutions for the lithium, sodium battery and solid-state battery industry, covering material, electrode, and cell-level characterization. Trusted by pioneers like CATL, BYD, Tesla, LG, Apple and global R&D centers. Through this partnership, IEST Instrument becomes TeraView’s official partner in China for the TeraCota 3500 terahertz battery electrode inspection system.

6. About TeraView

TeraView is a UK-based company, headquartered in Cambridge, that has focused on terahertz measurement technology since 2001, with applications spanning semiconductor inspection, coatings measurement, and battery electrode inspection. Its TeraCota product line applies terahertz sensing to non-contact, in-line coating measurement across several industries, including lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

7. FAQs

7.1 What is terahertz non-destructive testing for battery electrodes?

Terahertz non-destructive testing uses non-ionizing terahertz-frequency waves to measure electrode properties, such as coating thickness, density, areal loading, and conductivity, without contacting or damaging the electrode. The TeraCota 3500 applies this principle for in-line battery electrode inspection.

7.2 What is the difference between terahertz inspection and traditional laser or beta-ray electrode inspection methods?

Traditional laser-transmission and beta-ray gauges typically measure a single parameter per device and often cannot confirm that different measurements came from the same electrode location or measure both sides simultaneously. Terahertz inspection with the TeraCota 3500 measures coating thickness, density, areal loading, and conductivity together, at the same location, on both sides, in one pass.

7.3 How do I choose an in-line inspection system for high-speed battery electrode production?

Selecting an in-line inspection system depends on how many parameters need tracking, whether double-sided measurement is required, and whether the production line needs real-time feedback rather than sampling-based checks. The TeraCota 3500 is designed for non-contact, real-time, multi-parameter inspection suited to high-speed production environments.

7.4 What parameters can the TeraCota 3500 measure simultaneously?

The TeraCota 3500 is designed to simultaneously measure double-sided coating thickness, coating density, areal loading, and conductivity on battery electrodes, including anode electrode material systems, using a non-contact terahertz sensor.

7.5 Is terahertz battery electrode inspection safe for continuous production-line use?

Terahertz waves are non-ionizing radiation, with single-photon energy far lower than ionizing radiation sources such as X-rays or beta radiation used in some conventional inspection equipment. Under normal operating conditions, this allows terahertz inspection to be used continuously on a production line while maintaining operational safety considerations.

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