Apparatus and method for manufacturing wrapped Z-folded cell stacks

A method for manufacturing Z-folded cell stacks, the method comprising:

• a) providing first and second cell components and providing a separator web,
• b) alternately stacking the first and second cell components while interposing said separator web in a Z-shape or meandering manner such that said separator web is folded around a previously placed cell component on a first side and then around a subsequently placed cell component on a second side opposite the first side to thus obtain a cell stack;
• d) providing a length portion of the separator web in a separator buffer storage, the separator buffer storage comprising forming a loop of the separator web by means of a plurality of deflection rollers which are movable relative to each other wherein the length portion has a variable length adjusted by relative movement of the plurality of deflection rollers;
• e) severing the separator web at a trailing end in a conveying direction of the length portion with a movable separating gripper and holding a separation point in a region of the trailing end with the separating gripper;
• and
• f) wrapping the length portion of the separator web provided in step d) around the cell stack obtained in step b), with the separation point being fed with the separating gripper holding the length portion, to provide a wrapped cell stack;
• wherein step f) is performed at least partially in parallel on a previously obtained cell stack while step b) is performed to obtain a next cell stack.