Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing
NREL's research in advanced roll-to-roll technologies and processing techniques is used to produce clean energy technologies to help reduce costs and increase precision.
![A photo of a man in a laboratory watching a black material run around various metal rolls.](/manufacturing/assets/images/research-roll-to-roll-41972-lg.jpg)
Capabilities
NREL supports advanced manufacturing through roll-to-roll-related capabilities and projects.
![Two NRELians stand with roll-to-roll equipment in a laboratory.](/manufacturing/assets/images/r2r-46020.jpg)
Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing Multilab Collaboration
In a multilab collaborative effort, NREL researchers are accelerating roll-to-roll materials manufacturing for a broad range of energy-, water-, and industry-related technologies to lower costs and improve efficiency. Our roll-to-roll manufacturing research uses various U.S. Department of Energy funding mechanisms and spans several technology areas.
![The gravure coating station of NREL's roll-to-roll coating equipment](/manufacturing/assets/images/amo-42684.jpg)
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
NREL works with industry to optimize roll-to-roll manufacturing for low-cost water electrolyzers to reduce manufacturing cost and labor. These efforts could result in more affordable hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane electrolysis.
![TAn illustration of paper moving across the top of a closed-loop belt with water droplets transferring from paper to belt and then from belt to reservoir at the bottom of the loop.](/manufacturing/assets/images/non-evap-body.jpg)
Non-Evaporative Drying of Porous Materials
NREL researchers and collaborators are helping the paper manufacturing industry save energy and water with a novel non-evaporative drying process using polymer chemistry. This research is possible due to funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office.
Share