At the 66th Battery Symposium, we exhibited a new structural electrode component for next-generation batteries: an "Advanced Conductive Mesh"

View of the I-PEX booth at the 66th Battery Symposium.

I-PEX exhibited at the accompanying exhibition of the 66th Battery Symposium, held from November 18th (Tue) to 20th (Thu), 2025, at the Aichi Industrial and Labor Center (WINC Aichi) in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to visit our booth.

At the I-PEX booth, we showcased our advanced conductive mesh, an electrode component for secondary batteries currently under development. This product utilizes our unique surface treatment technology cultivated through our connector plating technology.

This article will introduce I-PEX's exhibit at the 66th Battery Symposium and its future prospects.

Click here for more information about our advanced conductive mesh

The 66th Battery Symposium: A Specialized Academic Conference on Batteries Where Experts Converge

I-PEX booth exhibits

The Battery Symposium is an academic and industry exchange event focused on battery technology, including secondary batteries. Researchers, engineers, and manufacturers gather to present the latest research and technological developments in the battery field. Beyond presentations, the event also serves as a hub for industry-academia collaboration and business discussions through corporate exhibitions.

This discussion forum, which brings together numerous battery experts from both Japan and abroad, provides a valuable opportunity to grasp the latest industry trends and forge new partnerships.

We participated in this exhibition to raise awareness of our advanced conductive mesh which is currently under development, and to connect with potential battery development partners. This event gave us direct access to leading experts at the forefront of battery technology, allowing us to showcase the potential and technical advantages of our product to a highly targeted audience.

Exhibiting the Advanced Conductive Mesh

Advanced Conductive Mesh (left: copper-metallized product, right: aluminum-metallized product)

New structural materials for next-generation batteries, replacing conventional metal foil.

At the I-PEX booth, we showcase our advanced conductive mesh, an electrode material for secondary batteries currently under development.

In conventional secondary batteries, aluminium foil serves as the cathode current collector and copper foil as the anode. The advanced conductive mesh reimagines this approach by metallizing copper or aluminium onto nonwoven fabric, the same material used in disposable masks. This innovation has been realized by applying the surface treatment and plating technology that I-PEX has cultivated over decades of connector manufacturing and is being developed as a next-generation alternative to traditional metal foil electrodes.

A 3D structure that is lightweight, high in specific surface area, and flexible

Cross-section of advanced conductive mesh

Combining the inherent lightness and high specific surface area of non-woven fabric with highly efficient conductive paths and excellent flexibility, this current collector is being developed to help achieve longer life and greater capacity in next-generation batteries.

Furthermore, regarding the active material paste responsible for the exchange of lithium ions during charging and discharging, the conventional approach of "coating it on the surface of the foil" has been shifted to a new structure of "inserting it into the voids of the nonwoven fabric." By allowing the active material to penetrate and integrate with the voids of the current collector, the contact area is increased, proposing a new approach that suppresses interfacial delamination of the electrodes.

This aims to further improve battery durability and performance.

The results of the demonstration using batteries for microdrones were also released

Micro drones using battery packs equipped with advanced conductive mesh achieve flight times of over 16 minutes

One of the main targets for the "advanced conductive mesh" is batteries for micro-drones used for infrastructure inspection. At this exhibition, we also presented the verification results obtained from actually prototyping batteries for drones. The achievement of approximately twice the flight time compared to commercially available products of the same weight attracted considerable attention from visitors.

In addition, our exhibition booth included a corner where visitors could actually touch and experience real samples. We made efforts to help visitors intuitively understand the texture and structural characteristics unique to nonwoven fabric with metal plating, and even though it is a product that may seem difficult to understand at first glance, such as an internal component of a secondary battery, we received a great response from many visitors.

Learn more about flight tests using microdrones here.

After the exhibition

Many people visited the I-PEX booth at this exhibition. This was our second consecutive year exhibiting, and the number of visitors increased by more than 1.5 times compared to last year. Researchers from major automobile manufacturers, domestic and international battery manufacturers, and universities and research institutions showed interest in the structure and provided samples, which once again made us realize the growing interest in our technology.

Given the nature of the components used inside batteries, a major challenge was capturing visitors' attention at a glance. However, the hands-on exhibits and the release of empirical data from actual prototypes proved successful, leading to fruitful discussions with many experts in the battery and energy fields.

Future Outlook

Through this exhibition, we were able to reaffirm the industry's high expectations and potential for "advanced conductive mesh."

Going forward, we plan to provide detailed technical explanations and gather requirements from those who have requested samples, and then sequentially provide the samples. We will accelerate the building of partnerships with battery development partners while accumulating technical verification in actual usage environments.

For consultations and inquiries, please contact I-PEX.

The "advanced conductive mesh" is a new structural electrode component for next-generation batteries that combines I-PEX's plating and surface treatment technologies cultivated in connector manufacturing with the three-dimensional structural characteristics of nonwoven fabric.

By filling the gaps inside the current collector with active material, we aim to increase the contact area, suppress interfacial peeling, extend the lifespan, and increase the capacity. Starting with applications for micro-drones for infrastructure inspection, we are expanding its application to various fields.

If you are involved in the development of next-generation batteries, or if you are interested in receiving samples of our "advanced conductive mesh" or in a partnership, please feel free to contact I-PEX.

About I-PEX Inc.

I-PEX stands for “Innovative Product development & Engineering solutions eXpert” providing value in the form of inspiration and astonishment in the global marketplace. The company was founded in 1963 as Dai-ichi Seiko, a precision mold manufacturer, and has since produced numerous world-firsts and unique products and solutions. I-PEX currently operates in five business fields: Connectors, Contract Manufacturing (Automotive Components & Electronics Components), Molds & Equipment, MEMS Foundry, and Energy Solutions. By delivering the sharpest tip to the world, we will contribute to exciting value-creation in the digitalized society by working globally with every customer who opens up the new era.