The number of vehicles with electric drives worldwide is forecast to grow by around 30% per year until 2030. At the same time, the production processes for the electrified powertrain are changing. While semi-automated production processes have dominated traditional automotive manufacturing with combustion engines up to now, the manufacture of battery cells and electric motors is increasingly developing into fully automated production processes. As a leading manufacturer of automation technology, Festo has the right solutions for this along the...

Experts estimate that around 3 million tons of used batteries from electric cars will be due for recycling in 2030. This inevitably raises the question of sustainability, as batteries are energy storage devices made from critical raw materials. Festo therefore not only offers modular automation concepts for cell production, the assembly of battery modules and packs and for platform integration, but also for dismantling and recycling or separating the materials.

Ergonomics improves efficiency thanks to a servo-pneumatic balancer that enables employees in assembly and logistics to lift and move loads effortlessly, using just two fingers. At the heart of the balancer is the powerful and reliable drive solution YHBP from Festo with automatic weight detection and safety Performance Level d – perfect for the automotive and packaging industries.

The success and reputation of electric vehicle manufacturers depend on the safe and flawless functioning of batteries. HAHN Automation Group has therefore developed a battery tester that carries out a complete test of the mobile energy storage units fully automatically. A 3-axis gantry for optical and leak tests, consisting of electric drives from Festo, takes centre stage.