Korean NDT equipment maker wins 15.8 billion won in orders across three LFP production lines and expands CT inspection into HBM semiconductor packaging
Innometry has secured all computed tomography (CT) inspection equipment orders for Samsung SDI’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery production lines for energy storage systems (ESS) in the United States, strengthening its position in battery nondestructive testing (NDT) and inspection.
The company has secured approximately 15.8 billion won in inspection equipment orders covering three ESS LFP production lines at the StarPlus Energy (SPE) plant in the US. The CT inspection systems are designed to examine the internal structure of batteries for defects such as electrode gaps and foreign materials without damaging the cells.
CT-based inspection is increasingly important in battery manufacturing as manufacturers seek to identify internal defects at an early stage, reduce defect rates and improve production yield and cell quality.
According to industry sources on September 1, Innometry recently won an order to supply integrated CT inspection equipment for the third ESS LFP battery production line being developed by Samsung SDI at the SPE facility. Innometry announced on August 27 that it had signed a contract worth approximately 5 billion won to supply ESS battery inspection equipment. Although the customer was not disclosed because of a confidentiality agreement, industry sources identified Samsung SDI as the customer.
The contract represents approximately 12.8% of Innometry’s 38.6 billion won revenue reported last year. The agreement is scheduled to remain in effect through December 31, 2027.
The LFP batteries manufactured on the third line are expected to be supplied to a major global energy storage system integration company.
CT Inspection Across Three US ESS Lines
Samsung SDI is converting battery manufacturing lines at SPE, its joint venture with Stellantis, for ESS production. Two of the four production lines at the facility were initially planned for conversion into ESS LFP production lines. A third line was subsequently added to support a new customer, bringing the total number of ESS LFP production lines at the US facility to three.
Innometry is supplying CT inspection equipment for all three lines.
The first LFP production line is scheduled to begin operations in October. Innometry is supplying approximately 5.5 billion won worth of inspection equipment for the line. The contract, originally announced on January 19 and initially scheduled to run through March, has been extended to February 26, 2027.
The line will manufacture 273 ampere-hour (Ah) prismatic LFP cells for Samsung SDI’s Samsung Battery Box (SBB) 2.0 containerized ESS. The cells are expected to be used in complete ESS products supplied to US energy infrastructure companies and other customers.
Innometry also secured the CT inspection equipment order for the second LFP production line, which is expected to manufacture batteries for Tesla’s ESS applications. The contract, announced on June 1, is valued at approximately 5.3 billion won and runs through September 8.
Including the approximately 5 billion won order for the third line, Innometry has secured around 15.8 billion won in inspection equipment orders for the three SPE ESS LFP production lines. The combined value is equivalent to approximately 40.9% of the company’s revenue from the previous year.
NDT Equipment Demand Expands Alongside Samsung SDI’s LFP Transition
Samsung SDI’s transition toward LFP battery production is also generating opportunities for other Korean battery equipment suppliers. As existing production lines are adapted to accommodate changes in cell capacity and specifications, manufacturers are modifying existing equipment and installing new systems across multiple stages of the production process.
Jeil Machine & Solution is supplying equipment for the mixing process, while Hanwha Momentum and CIS are involved in electrode-process equipment. Philenergy is supplying notching and stacking equipment, and MOT is participating in cell assembly. Nsys and Wonik PNE are involved in post-processing equipment.
The expansion of Samsung SDI’s battery manufacturing investments in Europe is similarly creating opportunities for Korean equipment companies.
In Hungary, Samsung SDI is developing production facilities for prismatic batteries intended for customers including Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, along with 46-series cylindrical batteries with a diameter of 46 millimeters for BMW applications.
Innometry has also secured orders connected to Samsung SDI’s Hungarian projects. On June 12, the company disclosed a contract worth approximately 5.7 billion won to supply battery inspection equipment for a new prismatic battery production line being developed by Samsung SDI in Hungary.
The company had previously received an approximately 5.4 billion won order, announced on February 11, for inspection equipment for a Hungarian production line manufacturing 46-series cylindrical batteries.
Samsung SDI is expected to continue investing in prismatic and 46-series battery production facilities in Hungary during the second half of this year and into next year, potentially creating additional opportunities for inspection equipment suppliers.
Innometry Expands CT Inspection Into Semiconductor NDT
Beyond battery inspection, Innometry is expanding the application of its CT technology into semiconductors and electronic components.
The company is targeting customer qualification and commercial orders during 2026 and 2027 for CT inspection systems designed for applications including glass substrates and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packages.
HBM packaging is emerging as a significant application area for Innometry’s three-dimensional (3D) CT inspection technology. The company is seeking to supply equipment to two global semiconductor companies this year and secured an equipment order from one of them during the first half of the year. The system is currently being manufactured.
The CT equipment is designed to identify internal package defects that may be difficult to detect using conventional optical inspection and two-dimensional (2D) inspection methods.
Traditional inspection processes can require suspected defective semiconductor devices to be separated from production and examined over several hours. Innometry has developed a system designed to integrate CT inspection directly into the production line, allowing suspected defective chips on a wafer to be examined nondestructively within minutes.
The development represents a broader application of industrial CT as an NDT method, combining three-dimensional internal imaging with faster inspection workflows for advanced manufacturing environments.
Potential Ownership Change Draws Attention
Innometry could also face a potential change in its shareholder structure, with attention focused on the stake held by its largest shareholder, eVision.
eVision, a special-purpose company established by private equity fund manager EastBridge Partners and Hands Corporation, holds a 42.71% stake in Innometry.
Approximately six years have passed since EastBridge Partners acquired Innometry, bringing the investment closer to the stage at which the fund could seek to recover its investment. With the related fund approaching maturity next year, the possibility of eVision selling its stake has become a point of interest for the market.
Reference: https://www.thelec.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=13530
For Innometry, however, the company’s expanding CT inspection business across battery, semiconductor and electronic-component manufacturing is positioning nondestructive inspection as an increasingly important part of its growth strategy.
