[Inno Time] Stewards of Quality: Bridging Jeungpyeong, Korea and Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland

Historical experiences, geographical positions, and cultural traits often reveal intriguing parallels between Korea and Poland. One such parallel synergy is emerging between Jeungpyeong-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea, and Dąbrowa Górnicza in Silesia, Poland. Despite being separated by a seven-hour time difference and 7,900 kilometers, these two locations are where SK IE Technology (SKIET), SK Innovation’s electronic materials subsidiary, pulses with vitality, producing essential components for secondary batteries.

In 2019, SKIET launched Europe’s first plant dedicated to the production of wet separators for secondary batteries—known as SK hi-tech battery materials Poland (SKBMP)—in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland. This milestone came nine years after expanding its production facility to Jeungpyeong, Korea. While the geographical locations and establishment timelines differ, the shared pride among team members at these sites in driving global market leadership is unwavering.

*Defect Detection Recipe: Specific equipment configurations for effectively identifying defects

■ A Morning That Opens the Journey to Uniform Quality Across Asia and Europe

[Poland]

Tomasz’s work as a group leader begins even before he arrives at the company. Every morning on his way to work, he quickly checks in on the shift status over the phone to prepare for the day ahead. In the 24-hour, four-team, two-shift system, his role in the quality control department requires flexible and prompt responses to the production team’s demands. Once at work, Tomasz meticulously analyzes quality results in the daily quality meetings. Reviewing planned and completed tasks, checking product quality, and devising new in-depth analysis and testing plans form the core of his responsibilities.

[Jeungpyeong]

Joong-in’s day begins as he passes through the entry gate, attaching a security sticker to cover his phone camera. Once he dons his protective clothing, shoes, helmet, and mask, he is fully prepared for the day. His first task upon entering the LiBS/CCS production line is to inspect the defect detection equipment. Kwon navigates between the production line and office duties, visiting the line once or twice a day, three to four times a week. His responsibilities extend beyond Jeungpyeong; he must respond promptly to any issues related to inspection equipment at any site and provide appropriate guidance for global operations, including the facility in Poland, leaving no room for complacency.

*LiBS (Lithium-ion Battery Separator): An essential component of lithium-ion batteries, this high-performance polymer film separates the anode and cathode to ensure battery safety while allowing lithium ions to pass during charge and discharge cycles.
*CCS (Ceramic Coated Separator): a high-valued product of SKIET that applies a fine ceramic layer on the separator, which reduces the risk of fire by preventing deformation or contraction of the separator as much as possible despite the heat emitted from large batteries.

■ Each in Their Place, Striving for the Highest Quality

[Poland]

Tomasz is the leader of the Quality Control (QC) Group, the largest within SK hi-tech battery materials Poland (SKBMP). The group consists of 110 members working across 13 teams, all collaborating to ensure the quality of separators produced at the facility. A primary responsibility of his group is managing the quality across all production stages, from semi-finished to finished products for both LiBS and CCS. They continuously monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of each stage and take action when necessary.

Another crucial responsibility involves overseeing the management and measurement equipment. His team currently manages over 420 pieces of equipment, ensuring compliance with International Automotive Task Force (IATF) standards and customer specifications. Regular checks, calibrations, and validations are performed in both internal and external certified labs, as efficient equipment is vital for accurate plant outputs.

Enhancing team autonomy and efficiency is a daily focus, with plans to expand this environment to other production facilities. Collaboration with colleagues in Jeungpyeong is essential, as problem-solving processes form the basis for standardization between the Korean and Polish plants.

Tomasz holds weekly meetings with other quality leaders and dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) inspectors to discuss issues and plan future tasks. He also ensures swift communication with teams on shift during weekends, ready to address any unexpected issues as they arise.

[Jeungpyeong]

As an inspection technology engineer, Joong-in has dedicated his efforts to optimizing defect detectors and inspection equipment. In front of the inspection devices, his movements are swift and focused, with his mind constantly attuned to customer needs as he navigates through various programs and machinery associated with inspections. Customer requirements for inspection equipment can change unexpectedly, making rapid and effective responses essential. To address this, Joong-in not only enhances the performance of inspection equipment but also manages inspection conditions in a diverse and advanced system tailored to meet specific customer demands. These inspection conditions must be applied as a globally unified standard, making integrated history management of revisions and updates a fundamental task.

In the office, he immerses himself in work before heading to the field to directly observe the separators through the inspection equipment screen. By conducting both in-line monitoring and offline tests, Joong-in ensures that all defects are detected and corrected before the products reach the customer.

Perfection is key, and even the slightest error is unacceptable in his work. Verifying and managing the consistency and coherence of the inspection data and systems—ensuring their integrity—is an indispensable part of his role as an inspection technology engineer.

■ The Strength of Collaboration Across Distances

The Jeungpyeong plant, completed in 2010, has been instrumental in supporting the stable establishment of business operations by sending personnel to Poland during the formation of the subsidiary and the setup of the Dąbrowa Górnicza plant. In return, from the commissioning phase, the Polish facility has strengthened its capabilities by sending key personnel to Korea to gain operational skills and expertise. Today, the Dąbrowa Górnicza plant stands as the largest among SKIET’s facilities across the world.

As employees in Poland prepare for their workday, their colleagues in Korea are wrapping up theirs. While time zones, languages, cultures, job roles, and experiences may differ, the teams find more similarities than differences. This unity stems from their shared goal: delivering separator products of the highest quality and consistent performance to customers. “One team spirit,” they affirm. “It’s not about where our products are made; it’s about the fact that they are made by SKIET.