The Sim4Pro project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant 03XP0242B) and carried out at the Technical University of Munich from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2023, aimed to create a digitalisation platform for lithium‑ion battery cell production. The core scientific objective was to develop a detailed, physics‑based simulation of the electrolyte‑filling step, a process that is highly capital intensive and prone to costly defects. Prior to Sim4Pro, electrolyte filling had only been studied experimentally, which required significant time and resources. The project therefore focused on building a model that could be coupled to upstream process simulations, enabling a holistic view of the entire production chain from mixing to final cell assembly.

The technical work was organised in two main work packages. Work package 0 defined the necessary modules and interfaces for the platform, while work package 5 produced machine‑level process models, including the electrolyte‑filling model. The filling model incorporates input data from preceding steps—such as electrode loading, porosity, and surface roughness—and predicts the distribution of electrolyte within the cell pores over real process time. It visualises and quantifies electrolyte saturation, allowing users to assess how variations in electrode waviness or loading affect wetting behaviour. By integrating this model into the Sim4Pro platform, the project enabled robust optimisation and sensitivity analysis across the entire production chain, thereby providing a tool for reducing cycle times, improving quality, and lowering scrap rates.

Key scientific outcomes include the identification of causal relationships between process parameters and cell structure, the development of a quantitative model for electrolyte saturation, and a full‑cell filling simulation that captures dosing and wetting dynamics. The model has been validated against experimental data and is now part of a modular platform that can be extended to other process steps. The platform’s ability to couple process‑level and cell‑level models supports accelerated design cycles and more efficient use of capital equipment.

Collaboration was central to the project’s success. The team worked closely with institutes at the University of Braunschweig—namely IWF, InES, and iPAT—and with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where groups such as wbk, MVM, and TFT contributed expertise in process simulation. Regular workshops, meetings, and digital checkpoints ensured tight integration of the various sub‑models. The partnership produced several joint publications, including papers in *Batteries* (2022) and *Energy Technology* (2022), as well as proceedings from the CIRP ICME conference. The project also supported doctoral training, with PhD candidates Dr. Ing. Florian Günter and Jan Hagemeister contributing to the research, and it incorporated battery‑production topics into courses for roughly 50 students per semester.

In addition to the scientific deliverables, the project generated a range of outputs such as publications, presentations, and detailed reports. The final report documents the platform’s architecture, the validated electrolyte‑filling model, and the integration strategy. By providing a digital, simulation‑driven framework for battery‑cell production, Sim4Pro offers a pathway to more sustainable manufacturing, reduced costs, and higher product quality across the German battery‑cell industry.