LG Electronics Production Engineering Research Institute targets North American battery market

LG Electronics' Production Engineering Research Institute (LG PRI) has appointed Cambridge-based Ratel Consulting as its official representative for the North American market. The move is designed to scale LG PRI’s business as a turnkey provider of battery manufacturing equipment and smart factory solutions by leveraging Ratel’s industry network.

LG PRI offers services ranging from process engineering and automation to intralogistics for electrode, cell, and module assembly. Having previously supported over 260 production lines globally, including 76 in the United States, the institute is now prioritizing module and pack manufacturing projects to meet regional demand for rapid production ramp-ups.

Wonjae Hwang, VP of Smart Factory Business Development at LG PRI, stated that the collaboration aims to provide North American manufacturers with the same technical expertise used within the LG Group. Charlie Parker, principal consultant at Ratel, noted that the focus remains on helping manufacturers hit yield and quality targets quickly, which is a common challenge for companies expanding battery production capacity in the region.