Future Car Battery Cell Production - BMW Cell Manufacturing Competence Center

Summary

The BMW Group's Manufacturing Competence Center in Parsdorf showcases the production of the next-generation battery cells for their Gen 6 vehicles. The pilot line features a comprehensive process, starting with mixing active materials to create a slurry, followed by coating thin foils with the mixture and removing solvents through drying. The innovative round cell design enhances the vehicle's range by 30% and accelerates charging times. Key steps include calendaring, cutting, and coiling electrodes into a jelly roll, culminating in a thorough quality check during cell assembly. This initiative sets new standards for e-mobility.

Takeaways

• 🔋 The BMW Group is producing the future battery in a pilot line located in Parsdorf.
• 🚗 The round cell is designed for the Gen 6 vehicles of the Noya Classic, showcasing advancements in e-mobility.
• 👥 Around 15,000 participants are involved in simulating large-scale battery cell production.
• 🔬 The battery cell production begins with dosing and mixing various active materials, solvents, and binders to create a slurry.
• 🖼️ Copper and aluminum foils are coated with the slurry to form the anode and cathode in a continuous process.
• 🔥 A 25-meter long drying section removes solvents from the coated foils across various temperature zones.
• ⚡ The round cell design allows for a 30% increase in range and faster charging times.
• 📏 The calendaring process compacts the foils using rollers to maximize the energy content of the battery.
• 🔄 The electrodes are cut into strips and rolled into a 'jelly roll' with a separator.
• ✔️ In the cell assembly phase, the jelly rolls are inserted into the housing and sealed, followed by quality checks in the formation phase.

Q & A

What is being produced at the BMW Group's cell manufacturing competence center in Parsdorf?

The center is producing the battery of the future for the Gen 6 vehicles.

How many project participants are involved in simulating the production of battery cells?

Approximately 15,000 project participants are involved in the simulation.

What are the key components mixed to form the slurry in electrode manufacturing?

The slurry is formed by mixing various active materials, solvents, and binders.

What materials are used for the carrier foils in the coating process?

Copper is used for the anode and aluminum is used for the cathode as carrier foils.

What is the purpose of the 25-meter-long drying section?

The drying section is used to remove the solvent from the substrate in various temperature zones.

What advantage does the round cell design provide?

The round cell design offers a 30% increase in range and faster charging times.

What happens during the calendaring process?

During calendaring, the foils are compacted by several pairs of rollers to maximize energy content.

How is the jelly roll formed?

The coated electrode roll is cut into six strips and rolled up together with the separator to form the jelly roll.

What steps are involved in the cell assembly process?

The assembly involves smoothing the arrestor foils, inserting them into the cell housing, and sealing the assembly.

What quality checks do the cells undergo after assembly?

After assembly, the cells are transported to the formation stage, where they are loaded for the first time and checked for quality.