Automated production of battery cells

With certified robots for dry and cleanrooms as well as decades of experience and comprehensive services, KUKA offers cost-effective concepts for the automated production of battery cells – whether it is pouch cells, prismatic cells or cylindrical cells.

KUKA as an innovative automation partner for the production of all kinds of lithium-ion battery cells

From electromobility to entertainment electronics

The use of lithium-ion batteries has become increasingly important due to their high energy density. Demand is continuously increasing, which can pose challenges for your company. KUKA offers you support as a reliable and experienced partner with certified and specific products as well as customized services – in Europe, the U.S., China and anywhere else around the globe. Thanks to our technological knowledge and innovative robotics, we meet all requirements of electric car manufacturers and producers of portable electronics.

Maximize the throughput of your battery cell production with safe robots, proven technologies and excellent service:

Task-specific industrial robotics
- Robots in different cleanroom classes
- Robot certified for extremely dry environments
- ESD protection for all four-axis and six-axis robots?
- Scalable manufacturing cells
- Linear units for expanding the workspace
Find a suitable robotic solution
German Engineering
- Safe handling of battery cells in sensitive environments
- Short start-up times thanks to intelligent software
- Manufacturing processes for lithium-ion cells in very small robot cells
- Expertise in laser welding, friction stir welding, hemming, soldering, ultrasonic welding
More about KUKA technologies
360° Customer Support
- Excellently trained service technicians & programmers
- Global infrastructure and regional hubs for rapid spare parts supply
- Network of system partners in your area
- Training for every need
- 24/7 professional support
All services (PDF)
KUKA provides support through:
- Consulting, feasibility studies, prototype construction at the TechCenter
- Simulation services
- Customer-specific integration services
- Programming services
- Cycle time optimization
- Upgrade & Refurbishment Services
Services that can be ordered online via the my.KUKA customer portal

Electromobility

Battery cells for the future of mobility

In e-mobility, cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cells with lithium-ion technology are used. We offer companies in e-mobility a wide spectrum of expertise, from battery production to cleanrooms, as well as an integrated portfolio of robots with high payloads and reaches. Our presence extends across Europe and around the world. These are the right prerequisites for automating battery production – from the cell onwards. This benefits not only customers in the automotive industry, but also manufacturers of electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles as well as ships and aircraft. Thanks to full automation, the health risks for employees in dry rooms can be avoided.

The battery is the heart of the electric car and is now to be increasingly produced in Europe. KUKA supports factories in automating production.

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3C electronics industry?

Leverage robotics to increase the quality of products in consumer electronics

Our flexible small robots (KR DELTA, KR SCARA and KR AGILUS) and cobots have been successfully supporting the 3C electronics industry for many years. We also use our expertise when manufacturing significantly smaller battery cells required for batteries from laptops, tablets, smartphones and other small devices. With cleanroom solutions, utmost accuracy and fast cycle times with little space requirements, our automation solutions create significant advantages for entertainment electronics.?

With our lightweight and space-saving small robots and cobots, you can produce large quantities of small battery cells for products in the entertainment industry in the shortest possible time.

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Power tools

High-performance batteries for tools

From saws to screwdrivers and on to drills: the trend is toward tools with powerful batteries. More capacity and power, faster charging and a long service life are the hallmarks of the battery systems installed in the power tools. KUKA also offers automated production solutions for this: our robots are characterized by maximum accuracy, enabling low production tolerances to be achieved. This makes it possible to produce durable and robust batteries that can be used in high-quality products.

Power tools are enjoying high growth rates, making it worthwhile to automate the production of round cells for batteries.

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Energy storage systems

Storage systems for sustainable use of electricity

Particularly when it comes to renewable energies, energy storage systems (ESS) play a crucial role. This is also true for sustainable mobility. The battery packs are modular in design so that modules can be retrofitted or exchanged as required and the ESS can be configured to suit the specific application. Thanks to software and robots with a small footprint, KUKA supports companies in the development of these new technologies – which, in the future, will also be increasingly used in electric car batteries.?

As a professional partner, KUKA offers companies in Europe and around the world support in the automated production of battery systems for energy storage systems (ESS/EES).

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Top performance around the clock: Battery cell production under special conditions

Robots are used for the loading, unloading and handling of (lithium-ion) batteries. They are adapted to the specific environmental requirements and are designed for both cleanrooms and dry rooms. Since the material of the battery must be protected from moisture, our robots can operate in a production environment with less than 0.04% air humidity and without the robot seals becoming brittle. Our cleanroom and dry room robots have a specific design to protect the battery material from particle emissions.

Cost-effective manufacture of lithium-ion batteries thanks to intelligent engineering and certification

Suitable for cleanrooms

All cleanroom tests for our robots are carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute IPA in Stuttgart in accordance with ISO 14644-1. The cleanroom variants are distinguished by:

Low-particle and low-emission robotics thanks to cleanroom-optimized finishing
Rust-free cover plates and fastening materials (e.g. screws, washers) with corrosion protection
Seals with good abrasion resistance

Suitable for dry rooms

Currently, the best technology for high-performance storage batteries is lithium-ion batteries. These require battery cell production in a dry cleanroom. The KR AGILUS, certified for the dry rooms, is distinguished by:

Suitable for handling in very low air humidity or at a very low dew point
Smooth surface and internal connection technology
Certified by Fraunhofer IPA

Very compact design

Thanks to a small footprint, our robots and robot controllers are ideally suited for compact cells in battery cell production.?

ESD protection

Our robots are already ESD-protected in the standard configuration. This allows the batteries to be handled without electrostatic energy.

IPA certification ?Fraunhofer TESTED DEVICE?? and ?CSM??

Task-specific robotics for battery cell production

KR DELTA (payload 3–6 kg; ISO 4)

Thanks to its lightweight, carbon-fiber design and a movable A4 aluminum plate, the DELTA robot achieves impressive speeds while remaining extremely precise at the same time.

KR SCARA (payload 6–60 kg; ISO 5)

The cleanroom models are perfect for low-particle, space-saving automation and offer outstanding precision during the rapid pick & place of prismatic cells of different sizes.

KR AGILUS (payload 6–11 kg, ISO 2/ISO 4)

The robot is suitable for cleanrooms and meets the requirements for dry-room environments. Particularly suitable for machine tending.

KR CYBERTECH nano (payload 6–10 kg; ISO 4/ISO 5)

In combination with the KR C5 micro robot controller for small robots, the extremely stable robot with a long reach enables compact cell design without a transformer (220/230 volts).

KR QUANTEC (payload 120-300 kg; ISO 7)

Highly flexible, modular machine enables quick conversion for various configurations. It offers optimal handling of large batteries and efficient process linking.

Linear axis: for more efficient formation and aging

The linear unit with a payload capacity of 5,000 kg simplifies the connection of various production steps in the production of lithium-ion cells, including formation and subsequent aging.

KR C5 micro

The robot controller unites robot, PLC, motion and safety control in an ultra-compact housing within a volume of just 16 liters.

Are you ready to rethink your battery cell production?

Our state-of-the-art robotics are at your disposal. Let’s take your production to the next level together.

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Quickly program the robot and put it into operation

In the production of battery cells, it is not just the technology of the robots and the expertise in the processes used that are decisive. The software also plays a central role. In the ever-evolving world of battery cell production, selecting the appropriate application software is critical in maintaining competitiveness and meeting performance and sustainability requirements. Using high-performance software, manufacturers can increase the quality of their battery cells and maximize production efficiency.?

Application software for every case: Quick start-up, high process reliability

→ KUKA.AppTech: Programming of KUKA robots in the application environment

→ KUKA.RobotSensorInterface: Interface for communication between the industrial robot and its sensor system

→ KUKA.LaserTech: Connection of laser welding and laser cutting systems to the robot controller

→ KUKA.RoboSpin: Cost-effective spot welding of aluminum joints

→ KUKA.PLC mxAutomation: Universal PLCopen-certified PLC interface

→ KUKA.SafeOperation: Safety-oriented monitoring of robot workspaces

→ KUKA.FrorceTorqueControl: Programming of process forces and torques for a robot motion

→ KUKA.GripperSpotTech: Control of tools and grippers in the work environment

→ KUKA.SeamTech: Seam detection and seam tracking for laser and arc welding applications

→ KUKA.VisionTech: 2D object recognition, code and OCR recognition as well as quality control

→ KUKA.RoboTeam: Cooperation of up to 4 robots in a team as well as synchronization of external axis kinematic systems such as workpiece positioners or robot linear axes

→ KUKA iiQoT: Industrial IoT platform for digitalized battery cell production

The digital twin: Perfectly planned battery cell production

In order to save as much time as possible when installing the new production processes and the individual process steps, as well as to plan production capacities optimally and efficiently, we create a digital twin of your entire process chain. Our simulation software can identically display the subsequent process. With the aid of additional services, the production of your battery cells can be reliably planned and calculated in advance.

Try simulation software now Simulation services from KUKA