MVME7100-0163In its efforts to advance sustainable electric mobility solutions, Comau continues to participate in the European Union’s “Flex-BD” project and is developing a battery dismantling unit
From a circular economy perspective, Comau will test and validate the solution, taking the first step towards cost-effective and efficient reuse of automotive batteries
Comau designed the unit to help handle low-charge batteries while minimizing risks to operators and equipment
For the second year in a row, Comau has reaffirmed its commitment to the European Union Flexible Battery Dismantling (Flex-BD) project, laying the foundation for a truly circular economy.
Flex-BD is a robotic automation system that automates the entire process of dismantling worn batteries using a highly flexible, repeatable and standardisable process. With the recognition of the proof of concept, Comau has now expanded its scope to the secondary utilization of automotive batteries. In doing so, Comau, togetMVME7100-0163her with other partners in the EU EIT manufacturing community, is taking an important step towards making e-mobility more sustainable.
Based on the projected battery production in Europe in the coming years, Comau estimates that the EU could generate more than 1 million waste batteries for reuse by 2030. Komar believes that this market will continue to grow in demand, and to meet future demand, Komar is committed to developing effective waste battery recycling and reuse solutions. At the same time, it will help companies reduce waste and optimize the reuse of raw materials contained in battery packs.
Flex-BD significantly improves manual handling processes, which typically include repetitive and heavy-duty tasks, as well as tasks that come into contact with potentially harmful substances. As a result, it makes the recycling of battery modules and their components more efficient and sustainable, while having a positive impact on the health and safety of workers. On the other hand, by fully automating the handling of low-charge batteries, the re-used batteries minimize the risk to operators and disassembly equipment. Unlike the material and recycling process of full discharge and destruction of the battery, the secondary use of the battery is carried out while maintaining a low but active battery charge state.
The operation of the Flex-BD unit is intuitive and innovative. The battery packs are placed one by one in a dedicated unit where the high-load Comau NJ industrial robot automatically executes its path and changes its end effectors according to the desired application. For example, in a typical recycling application, the robot unscrews the battery cover, removes the battery cover after changing the fixture, reattaches the screwdriver to remove the module, and then uses its fixture to move the part to a dedicated storage area. In addition, Flex-BD uses a highly flexible programming approach baseMVME7100-0163d on reduced code usage, state-of-the-art environment awareness technology and robot responsiveness, with the entire dismantling cycle defined by CAD. The use of LowCode programming also allows the operator to quickly and easily re-determine the beat without having to reprogram the robot.
Comau’s efforts to advance green energy deployment go beyond its expertise in automated manufacturing systems for batteries, motors and drive units, which are critical to enabling mass production of electric vehicles. At the same time, the company is also addressing several key technical and development aspects of battery cell manufacturing, including process design and assembly of rechargeable batteries, as well as the use of renewable energy and the secondary utilization strategy of automotive batteries.
