Sponsored by Schuler.
After acquiring the Italian group Sovema, Schuler is gradually establishing itself as a system provider in the battery manufacturing sector. Successful startup projects show that the strategy is working.
Chuler passed a significant milestone as a supplier of gigafactories and line construction for Germany's largest battery manufacturer. After the scheduled start of production in May 2025, the line will be able to produce approximately 80 cylindrical lithium-ion cells per minute. In addition to planning, production, and line assembly, Schuler also took over everything online, metal fabrication, and the use of digital solutions that include track operations and plant tracking and plant tracking.
A growing business activity, the researcher recently expanded the manufacturing facilities of Cell Assembly and Construction, following a clearly defined strategy. The Andritz Group, as the parent company of Schuler, has proposed battery production for the electronics sector with seven growing projects. Purpose: Help battery manufacturers produce competitive batteries in Europe and America.
The first step was the Sovema Group's acquisition of the Italian Sovema in August 2022. In the automotive sector, Sovema made a name for itself ten years ago as a laboratory supplier in the field of Lithium-Ion batteries. In addition, the company is considered the world's leading supplier of turnkey mass production systems for lead-acid batteries. Bitrode of the US University offers additional equipment and know-how in the field of electronic battery testing of cells, modules and packs.
With the technology and experience of sovema, Schuler is able to integrate the entire production line in the cell assembly and cell finishing areas: housing processes, housing materials production, and electrolyte filling.
Schuler can scale up assembly lines and production lines and measure mass production of battery cells. Before the takeover, Sovema mainly produced systems for labs and aircraft.
In terms of process technology, Schuler can find its expertise in the production of battery housings (“can & lid Production”), which has been building plants since 2015. In the field of cell houses, the Göpselin-based Company recently exported four fully automatic turchy lines of the world-renowned Carmaker to Germany and the USA. Another Prismatic housing production line, with a production speed of 100 housings per minute, went to Hungary.
Technologies and skills from other business areas of the Andritz group are available. For example, this group has been producing Lithium Mining coins since the 1960s and also offers the filtration systems and purples required for the operation of the active cathode. Andritz also has a wide range of calendering processes, where rolls are used. Finally, the repeated classification of recovery contributes to extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of breakdown, deep discharge, and recycling of batteries. The focus of this development is on the next five to ten years, when increasing sales figures will mean that more production waste from used electric vehicles will have to be recycled.
In November 2022, Schuler received an order from Fraunhofer's research center for Battery Cell Deccurvitued FFB at its Münster site to design a cell-format assembly line for large lengths. Another major project is underway for a while at the German automaker. The focus of this project is the creation of a Pilot Cell Cellot assembly line for the production of “solid” installed battery cells. Compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, these solid state cells have several market-related advantages. These benefits are related to important safety features (unlike lithium-ion batteries, government batteries can catch fire); They have a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries and can produce a much greater range of electric vehicles. Short charging times are another important advantage when it comes to meeting the demanding needs of the electromobility sector. The TurnKey Handover of the plant for this major project is scheduled for May 2025.
Dr. Hermann Uchtmann, stuler's battery projects “Heart Giga Projects” the reasons behind the current market blockade of plant manufacturers in the battery sector: “Taking the current sales figures for electric vehicles as a starting point, the battery market for automotive applications is at a stage where exaggerated expectations have reached the 'trough of disappointment.' We expect it to take a lot more in the coming years. We are using the time to successfully optimize our gigafactory lines in the battery cell production area.”
But how much can the sponsor hold to call the market in allocating competitors in the Far East? For those in charge, the most powerful arguments here are directly linked to the basic concepts of innovation, quality, and efficiency. Uchtmann says: “In the future, we want to make the most of our new edge in the field of plant technology, especially in the area of mass production. This is suitable for a target group, such as the automotive sector, which places very high demands on production. This is how we can combine our high-quality features and special cost-effectiveness in the systems ours became the common denominator.”
In battery cell production, high production quality is evident, above all, in low rejection rates. Another important factor, especially for the German market, is the very low energy consumption compared to competitors' consumption values. Uchtmann says: “Here is an example, we can get high efficiency values for 90 percent of the electronics we use.” According to Uchtmann, further savings can be made by reducing the space required, especially where high costs can arise for the operator – such as operating rooms.
Uchtmann, the services associated with plant construction speak clearly “pro Schuler.” “The decisive advantage is that our plants are pre-determined for use in the European market. Unlike in Asia, European battery manufacturers do not usually have their plants delivered, assembled on site, and set to work. Added to this are the repair and maintenance services we provide to the aftermarket, including the delivery of reliable parts It is here, in the continuous production and availability of the plant, that our technology really pays off: The customer has a partner on their side that they can count on!
Learn more at: www.schulergroup.com.