How to Improve Electric Vehicle Manufacturing with Robots
The integration of robot automation is pivotal as the entire automotive industry urgently needs to improve its electric vehicle manufacturing processes. With the exponential growth in demand for electric vehicles, manufacturers find themselves in a position where process improvement is no longer simply a matter of “good enough,” making it extremely urgent.
A recent article in Nature points out that battery and automakers have already spent billions of dollars to reduce manufacturing costs. If you‘re an automaker, you can’t afford not to incorporate robot automation into your production process. Your competitors have already started doing so!
Is Electric Vehicle Manufacturing the Same as Other Car Manufacturing?
While the electric vehicle manufacturing process is fundamentally the same as other car manufacturing processes… there are some key differences. These differences will influence your choices when you automate these processes with robots.
The core difference is in manufacturing the car’s battery. This step consumes significantly more energy than equivalent steps in other cars. Some studies suggest that battery manufacturing consumes 50%-80% of the battery’s lifespan. Furthermore, manufacturing a suitable electric vehicle battery is far more complex than manufacturing a fuel tank for a traditional car.
Some argue that manufacturing electric vehicles is much easier than manufacturing traditional cars. However, the reality is different—electric vehicle assembly involves just as many steps as other car assembly, but these steps differ slightly.
How to Improve Car Manufacturing Processes
According to GreenCar, electric vehicle production has increased at least fourfold in the past two years. This reflects both surging demand and continued growth—major global automakers have begun planning to cease production of gasoline or diesel vehicles within the next 10-15 years.
If you want to keep pace with this growing demand, you need to find more efficient and productive manufacturing processes. It’s worth noting that using robots is a reliable and proven method for improving car manufacturing in the automotive industry.
In fact, automakers have been using robots for years. Tasks like welding, screwing, and painting are common in many car factories. In short, using robots can improve the productivity, stability, and quality of car manufacturing. Therefore, implementing robot automation can deliver the same significant improvements in productivity, stability, and quality for electric vehicles.
7 Assembly Steps Enhanced by Robot Automation
Which tasks can you let robots do? Assembly is one of the most frequent tasks in electric vehicle manufacturing. Many assembly tasks require a high degree of consistency and accuracy.
Here are seven common assembly tasks:
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Battery Cells— One of the core components of an electric vehicle is the battery cell. This involves assembling complex cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes into a casing. This often requires high-precision robots for assembly.
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Battery Modules— Next, the battery cells need to be placed in module frames to protect them from shocks, heat, and vibrations. Robots are typically used to assemble these modules.
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Battery Frames/Casings— Robots can also be used to assemble battery casings, preparing them for insertion into battery modules.
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Battery Packs— The battery pack is the final form before being installed in the car. This can be done using large robots to assemble the batteries into the vehicle.
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Electric Motors— The electric motor is the power source for an electric vehicle. This assembly step might be too delicate for robots. However, if so, robots can be used to manage the machine, such as a semi-automated machine that manufactures the electric motor.
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Powertrain— The powertrain refers to the entire set of components that generate motion in the car, including the battery, electric motor, gears, etc. Manufacturers can use robots to assemble almost all powertrain components.
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Cooling Systems— Keeping components cool is crucial in electric vehicles. Manufacturers can use robots to precisely install components of cooling systems, including but not limited to pipes, heat sinks, and connectors.
Other Robotic Tasks in Electric Vehicle Production
Beyond assembly, robot automation extends to a wide range of other critical manufacturing tasks. These include robot inspection, machining, welding, and painting.
How to Program Electric Vehicle Robots
When planning to integrate robot automation into electric vehicle manufacturing, what‘s the first step? After you’ve determined a suitable automation program, how to program the robot becomes a consideration.
People often only start thinking about programming after purchasing a robot. However, this is too late, as your options have greatly diminished. Therefore, it’s better to determine the robot unit and programming options before purchasing the robot.
The programming tools play a crucial role in determining how easily you can use the robot and upgrade its program later. With the right tools, even the most complex tasks can be solved through programming. Assembly tasks, in particular, require programming many specific points and complex trajectories. You don’t want to program these manually one by one.
To fully leverage the benefits of robot automation in EV production, selecting the right offline programming and simulation software is crucial. It allows you to efficiently program complex manufacturing steps, ensuring a smooth deployment regardless of the robot brand you choose.
