It is at the heart of the mobility transition and the most valuable part of an electric vehicle: the battery. So far, most manufacturers have been based in Asia. That is set to change: the EU and the German government are promoting the establishment of production capacity for battery development. The goal: greater speed in electromobility. After all, 15 million electric vehicles are expected to be on the road in Germany by 2030. Digitalization can accelerate battery production “made in Europe.”
Production still has high reject rates. Manufacturers also need to think along the supply chain to a greater extent and to plan the efficient just-in-time provision of source components and raw materials. Digital technologies such as the IoT (Internet of Things) help to better coordinate supply chains and dovetail them with production planning. For more reliable and efficient quality control, manufacturers can combine cameras with established AI processes. For example, a solution from T-Systems helps to detect and rectify faults when checking weld seams.
In future, battery manufacturers will have to keep sight of batteries throughout their entire service life – not least because the regulatory requirements for the industry introduced by the EU Battery Passport will place an even greater focus on sustainability from 2026. All processes relating to the materials, development, production, and operation of the battery cell must then be transparent: from the carbon footprint to the proportion of recycled materials. This transparency can be achieved with digital technologies.
Simulations in the industrial metaverse accelerate factory planning for Industry 4.0 and thus reduce project costs. Before the first walls and machines are built, battery manufacturers can optimize development, work, and production processes in the digital twin of their factory or train their AI in the industrial metaverse. With the support of T-Systems, a European OEM uses the industrial metaverse to clarify “what if” questions in real time. In the digital 3D model, it examines the effects of planned changes on production and thus avoids planning errors during operation.
Those looking to meet regulatory or industry-specific requirements must be able to record and provide their data. Catena-X has established itself as the standard for data exchange and can enable use cases such as the battery passport. T-Systems helps companies get started with Catena-X – for example with tools and technologies such as the PDM WebConnector. It functions like a central data hub and reduces the complexity of big data in the background. This makes it easier to exchange afterward.
