BATTERY FACTORY: At its R&D lab in Watertown, Mass., A123 makes and tests small batches of lithium-ion batteries, relegating its large-scale manufacturing to facilities in Asia. (1) A machine splits a reel of electrode into strips narrow enough to fit the width of the final battery. (2) Rolls of electrode foil sit in racks on a wall, like fabric in a store. (3) Most materials are safe enough and tough enough to work in the open air, as in this example. (4) However, to store the more sensitive components, such as powders and electrolytes, researchers must have recourse to the low-oxygen, low-humidity, dust-free environment inside this glove box.