Energy storage battery outer mold disassembly device

Can a robotic disassembly system save electric vehicle batteries?

By Allison Proffitt August 23, 2021 | Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a robotic disassembly system for spent electric vehicle battery packs to safely and efficiently recycle and reuse critical materials while reducing toxic waste.

Can a robotic cell disassemble a battery pack?

The analysis highlights that a complete automatic disassembly remains difficult, while human-robot collaborative disassembly guarantees high flexibility and productivity. The paper introduces guidelines for designing a robotic cell to disassemble a battery pack with the support of an operator.

How ATEX 3 battery pack was disassembled?

Following the recommendations given after the safety analysis, as a specific potentially explosive atmosphere (ATEX) 3 zone, the battery pack was manually disassembled. The manual disassembly brought to a disassembly procedure which was decomposed and analysed to identify how to automate the same operations with a robot.

How to design a battery disassembly system?

The design of the disassembly system must consider the analysis of potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX) 1 of the area around the battery pack and, if necessary, adopt tools enabled to work in the corresponding ATEX zone.

Why do EVB batteries need to be dismantled?

The absence of the battery information limits the availability of technical details, disassembly sequences, and chemical compositions of the EVBs. Manually dismantling EVB necessitates employing highly skilled workers and implementing stringent safety protocols, escalating costs, as noted by Harper et al. in their 2019 study on recycling.

Can a battery pack be disassembled?

Current battery packs are not designed to be disassembled, spaces between modules are narrow, and joint technologies are mostly irreversible (e.g., glued parts, welded plates, one-way screws), bringing to a difficult non-destructive disassembly.