Intralogistics Scenario Battery Production: Navigating Complexities

The production of storage cells is increasingly coming into focus for the manufacturing industry – yet the intralogistics scenario in battery production is highly demanding. SEW-Eurodrive and SYNAOS exemplify the synergy between hardware and software in crafting integrated solutions.

The lithium-ion battery is a superstar of energy transition.

Without it, there would be no everyday electric mobility, no shift in transportation, and no departure from diesel and gasoline engines in cars, ships, airplanes, industrial plants, or chainsaws.

Now, superstars have a way of keeping people around them busy with all sorts of peculiarities, quirks, and special requests. The lithium-ion battery is no exception, at least when it comes to how battery cells are produced.

The Lithium-Ion Battery: A Production Diva

High-performance lithium-ion batteries for electric drives, for example, require a consistently dry, not-too-warm room climate. Their energy density makes the materials extremely sensitive to dust particles, heat, and humidity.

For comparison: While the average German living room has a humidity level of 40 to 60 percent, battery factories maintain around 0.04 percent humidity at a constant room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, the components of a battery cell are highly sensitive to shocks, impacts, vibrations, and electrostatic discharge. For instance, lithium-ion batteries contain flammable electrolytes that can cause explosive fires in the event of falls or collisions. Electrostatic discharges can lead to irreparable material damage.

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Battery Production: A Growth Market Amid Challenges

Despite the risk of explosion, battery production in Europe is a booming industry.

However, this is because Europe is a follower, not a pioneer. So far, Asian companies have been dominating global battery production. Massive investments from the Western automotive and mobility sectors aim to change that.

Currently, there are 80 battery-producing gigafactories planned or already operational in North America and Europe alone. McKinsey analysts predict that by 2030, 150 new gigafactories will be needed worldwide to meet the global demand for electromobility.

High Demands on Intralogistics

The production of battery cells is extremely relevant, highly complex, and highly sensitive, posing numerous challenges for the manufacturing industry and intralogistics.

"In terms of intralogistics, battery production is as demanding as the pharmaceutical industry. Just think of cleanroom requirements. Moreover, these industries place high demands on the digitization of manufacturing and the interaction of information processes," explains Steffen Strickrodt, Vice President Customer Success at SYNAOS.

"Often, classic production facilities resemble clean, tidy workshops. In comparison, we should think of battery factories more like operating rooms: clinically clean, sterile, almost aseptic. Because the end products are highly complex," Strickrodt continues. "The processes must be very precise, fast, and smooth.

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Robots Don't Smoke or Stumble

Battery factories present an intralogistics scenario that is particularly demanding for humans. This makes the use of robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) not only economically attractive in terms of efficiency but also virtually indispensable in terms of error susceptibility and product safety. In battery production, AGVs are indispensable assistants.

It may sound banal, but robots do not smoke, inadvertently blow harmful particles into the air, stumble, freeze, or break their backs when carrying 800 kg of cathode material.

"The load-bearing capacity, robustness, and reliability of AGVs make them indispensable helpers in battery production. Our partners at SEW-Eurodrive have been working for years on how to build specialized AGVs for the requirements of intralogistics in battery production. We have been working together very successfully within large projects, and we are always impressed by the hardware that SEW-Eurodrive develops and markets," says Strickrodt.

SEW-Eurodrive and SYNAOS: Specialized Hardware, Adaptive Software

"Our AGVs specially developed for battery production are made of stainless steel. They are designed for use in cleanroom applications of ISO class 6. This allows, for example, controlled entry and exit processes between white and gray areas in battery production," explains Daniel Geider, Industry Segment & Account Manager at SEW-Eurodrive.

He continues: "The way lithium-ion battery cells are manufactured undergoes constant change. Some process steps use highly innovative methods. That's why each customer project is individual and sometimes requires new solutions. With the modular automation kit Movi-C and the Maxolution system solutions, we can flexibly respond to all requirements of battery cell production, automate manufacturing processes as well as material handling and transport."

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Lionel Roche, MAXOLUTION® System Solutions – Sales Mobile Assistance Systems, adds: "The mobile assistance systems from SEW-Eurodrive can seamlessly connect various manufacturing areas of a battery factory and transfer loads over 1,000 kg between vehicles with the required precision. In one of the largest battery factories in Europe, we have deployed 42 driverless transport vehicles of different types in the first expansion stage. The longest distance traveled is 345 meters, including an elevator ride."

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Future Viability through Scalability

"As the tasks become more complex, the interplay between hardware and software and its scalability becomes increasingly important," explains Steffen Strickrodt.

In a joint solution from SEW-Eurodrive and the Norwegian machinery manufacturer Tronrud Engineering, the SYNAOS Intralogistics Management Platform is used as the central control system. The software solution orchestrates intralogistics in the demanding production environment and directs the mobile robots via the standardized, interoperable communication interface VDA 5050.

"In terms of the configuration and composition of batteries, there are currently no clear focal points or dominant standards. As a result, vehicle and battery manufacturers must be flexible. Intralogistics systems play a special role here because they must enable flexible manufacturing," explains Strickrodt.

"The fruitful collaboration between SYNAOS and SEW-Eurodrive is an example that hardware manufacturers and software providers must primarily seek one thing: the greatest benefit for their common customers."

Lionel Roche from SEW-Eurodrive adds: "Battery production is an important growth market, and a major challenge that requires special solutions that can also be scaled in other applications. We look forward to partnering with SYNAOS on further projects."