Automation in Recycling Kuka robots make e-mobility more sustainable

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E-mobility is booming—but what happens to the vast amounts of spent batteries? As part of the "DeMoBat" research project, the Fraunhofer IPA successfully tested how battery systems can be dismantled using the KR Quantec from Kuka, in order to recycle valuable components.

In March 2023, EU countries made a decision of enormous significance: from 2035 onwards, only emission-free cars and vans will be allowed to be newly registered in Europe. The future of the automotive industry lies in e-mobility, as the forecasts also show: While approximately 27.7 million electric vehicles were driving around the world in 2022, this number is expected to exceed 226 million by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In Germany, by then, nearly a quarter of all cars will be electric vehicles—currently, it's just two percent.

With the increasing number of battery electric vehicles, the pile of spent batteries is also growing, as they currently have an average lifespan of about ten years. At the same time, the raw materials for their production are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. One solution is battery recycling.

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Using the industrial robot KR Quantec from Kuka, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA in Stuttgart demonstrates a viable approach: In the research project "De Mo Bat—Industrial Dismantling of Batteries and Electric Motors," experts from twelve consortium partners studied over several years how battery systems from electric vehicles can be sustainably and economically refurbished.

Battery disassembly: complex and life-threatening

The focus was on the disassembly of batteries. The prerequisite for being able to recycle their components is a pure separation into their constituents. "Dismantling batteries presents three major challenges," explains Anwar Al Assadi, group leader at Fraunhofer-IPA. "First, working with high-voltage technology requires specially qualified professionals. Second, manual disassembly involves health risks due to high voltage and dangerous gases, with the worst-case scenario being spontaneous combustion. And third, disassembly by hand takes a very long time and is accordingly cost-intensive. This often makes recycling currently unprofitable."

This challenge is ideally suited for a robot-based solution. Thus, a KR Quantec with a payload capacity of 270 kilograms was completely operated using the Pitasc software developed at Fraunhofer-IPA and controlled by Kuka's "Robot Sensor Interface" software, which facilitated the integration of external sensors. "In this way, we were able to regulate important disassembly steps in real-time and automate various processes that had to be done manually until now."

Robot kills three birds with one stone

Thus, Kuka's technology in battery disassembly helps solve three problems at once:

• The use of robots alleviates the shortage of skilled workers,

• minimizes the safety risk for employees and

• ensures that battery recycling is economically viable due to its efficiency.

The value of robots in this context is demonstrated by the successful research project at the Fraunhofer-IPA. Here, the KR Quantec carried out a variety of disassembly steps: from loosening screws and opening seal joints to cutting cables. "The complexity lies in the fact that there are incredibly many different battery systems on the market," explains Al Assadi. "And each looks different inside." Sometimes, manufacturers even change the structure of the battery systems within a vehicle series. As a six-axis articulated robot, the KR Quantec is perfectly suited for this task: With its six degrees of freedom, it can optimally adjust to the different dimensions and geometries of the battery system, and its payload capacity can handle the high torques.

Battery model and screws are automatically recognized

Ideal for this application is software like Pitasc from Fraunhofer-IPA, which, in conjunction with the robotic components, recognizes what needs to be done regardless of the specific battery model. Supporting vision systems for automatically recognizing screws and other components eliminate the need for manual teaching of the robot for each individual process step. To prevent collisions with components, a success check is performed after each disassembly step using sensors and 3D camera systems. The signals are then transmitted to the central process control, ensuring a safe process flow.

Al Assadi points out that a significant complication arises from automakers needing to pack as many components as possible into the batteries in very confined spaces. This greatly limits the range of motion during disassembly. Additional challenges include the varying positions of cables and the numerous adhesives in a battery, which are much harder to automate than unscrewing. "However, we have found solutions for these issues as well, which we now want to further develop for industrial use." He emphasizes that it is crucial to construct flexible systems to address these challenges effectively.

KR Quantec: Attractive for a variety of applications

The versatility of the KR Quantec series is one of its major advantages. "Thanks to its sleek geometry and small footprint, the Quantec allows for the construction of a flexible and future-oriented system," states Thomas Schmidberger, Global Business Development Manager Electronics at Kuka. "Additionally, like all Kuka robots, it is standard ESD-certified to ensure safe handling of electrostatically sensitive components." The new generation of the KR Quantec offers exceptional energy efficiency thanks to standard DC controllers: Energy consumption has been significantly reduced both in motion and in standby operation. In production movement, the six-axis robots consume about 30 percent less energy than the previous model due to the regeneration of braking energy, and in the 'waiting in control' operating state, they use even 60 percent less.

Thus, the KR Quantec is not only suitable for the disassembly of batteries but also attractive for a wide range of applications. Its modular system also promises tailor-made robots and quick delivery times—and ultimately, a low total cost of ownership (TCO). With a carrying capacity of 120 to 300 kilograms, the robots in the KR Quantec series also belong to the high payload class and have the largest payload and reach portfolio in this segment on the market. The ability to upgrade the payload capacity in the field, along with the Motion Modes for high process quality, make them a sensible and safe investment for the future of any production.