The electric vehicle (EV) battery tray consists of several assembled battery modules. The battery tray ensures that the battery can provide optimal performance and is also an essential part of providing structural stability to the vehicle. Assembling the battery tray involves several complex and coordinated production steps—all representing different challenges and opportunities.
Battery tray assembly includes many process stages, including tightening, applying the sealing application, joining the cooling system, and riveting the compartments. All steps must be completed while ensuring the level of quality of each step.
We offer coordinated, aligned, end-to-end technologies enabling an uninterrupted and continuous production of the battery tray.
Improved operator ergonomics
The initial stage in the battery tray assembly process is tightening with bolt positioning. With no room for error, positioning and ergonomics are crucial to support the operator in performing high-quality tightening on the correct position of the battery tray. An articulated arm equipped with a positioning system and proper operator guidance enables full process control, reducing the risk of assembly defects. The result is a combined, easy-to-install and configure, high-accuracy tightening system that offers improved operator ergonomics.
High-quality sealing of the battery tray is needed to avoid rework and material waste. But the design is complex, and the geometries of the included parts vary extensively. The challenge is consistently and precisely achieving optimal material distribution without wasting material.
Advanced automated applicator system
The E-Swirl 2 AdX from our SCA dispensing product line is an advanced automated applicator system. Thanks to the adjustable swirl pattern and flexible application programming, a change in part geometry or application need is easily addressed. The applicator offers a continuous optimal application despite differences in width and constrictions. A flexible solution is available that perfectly fits the geometry of the individual component/part, thereby enhancing productivity and utilization of sealing material.
The cooling system of an EV battery plays an integral role in managing the temperature of the battery. The reliable joining of different materials is crucial, but flexibility and reduced contamination at the joint during the production phase cycle time is prioritized.
Unique magazine technology with a hoseless design
Our K-Flow flow drill technology is the ideal mechanical fastening solution to meet these requirements. K-Flow utilizes a fastener rotated at high speed, applying pressure to warm up the material. This allows the fastener to pierce the material stack, cutting the thread in a single process to provide efficient and flexible hybrid joining of multi-material stacks. Requiring one-sided access only, the K-Flow process provides reliable, high-quality joints that, in comparison to welding, includes fewer process steps, an advantage that improves operational efficiency.
Featuring an innovative helix design, the K-Flow HLX 70 magazine, mounted on the K-Flow joining system, is a fast and sustainable fastener supply with a unique magazine technology featuring a hoseless design. The solution can reduce cycle times by up to a third and significantly reduce contamination at the joint. The latter is of particular importance in the sensitive EV battery assembly process. In comparison to a feeding solution that uses compressed air, the hoseless design can save up to the equivalent of 181 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
Reducing energy consumption
With the Henrob product line, we offer a comprehensive range of self-piercing riveting (SPR) systems that combines high joint integrity, structural stiffness, and rigidity with short assembly cycle times. The offered solutions are highly flexible. Sheets of varying materials such as aluminum to steel, composites to metals, and similar materials (steel to steel and aluminum to aluminum) can be joined.
Our Henrob portfolio offers a user-friendly short cycle, reliable, and non-intrusive self-pierce riveting technology that offers operational flexibility and high structural integrity. From an environmental standpoint, SPR is superior to welding, and with an operating pressure of only four-bar, our systems further reduce energy consumption.
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