As one of the world’s leading experts for automation in the automotive industry, Kuka has extensive experience and expertise in engineering, project management, process knowledge, commissioning and service for the automated production of electric vehicles.
Since 2010, the company has been developing automated assembly systems for the production of components in the electrified powertrain and integrating them successfully at customers’ plants. Kuka delivers assembly lines for electric motors, rotors, stators, hybrid transmissions, axles and integrated axle systems ““ with the corresponding test systems in each case.
Electromobility requires powerful high-voltage batteries (HVB). Here, Kuka offers modular, flexible and scalable automation, enabling efficient battery production. With expertise in the planning, design and commissioning of turnkey production lines for battery modules and battery packs. The portfolio of products and services covers the wide range of production processes from precise laser welding to the associated measuring and inspection systems.
High-performance batteries for electromobility must meet stringent safety requirements and the highest quality standards. Each battery component is repeatedly subjected to testing and inspection during production, culminating in the end-of-line test of the battery.
One challenging assembly task in automotive production is the “˜marriage’ of the powertrain to the vehicle body. This also applies to electric vehicles in which the electric motors are already integrated into the axle modules. A particular challenge is the bolting of the heavy batteries into the underbody. The positioning of these components can be performed using lift tables on slides, robots or automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS).
Automotive manufacturers are faced with the challenge of producing ever greater numbers of electric vehicle models alongside their portfolio of conventional vehicle models with internal combustion engines. Increasing type variety, more frequent changes of models and widely varying batch sizes require maximum flexibility and versatility. Kuka SmartProduction unites precisely these factors and enables customers to produce different assemblies for internal combustion and electric models cost-effectively in a common set-up of cells.