Fraunhofer develops robot system for automated used battery recycling

In the “Rob@t2Cell” project, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) are developing a robot-based system for the automated recycling and reuse of battery cells. The IPA announced this on Thursday. The system also decides how the used batteries should be utilized.

In principle, battery cells can be reused, industrially reconditioned, or disassembled into their components for further use in other or similar products. An important factor for automated reconditioning and recycling is the charge level of the battery cells. Depending on whether the battery is to be recycled or reused, the charge level must first be adjusted. For batteries intended for recycling, they are deeply discharged; for reuse, they are gently brought to a predefined charge level to keep functional battery cells alive and to recondition and reuse them later.

Automatic Recycling Process

The process begins with the decision of what purpose a used battery can still be used for and whether it needs to be discharged or charged. Fraunhofer researchers are developing a robotic system to automate this decision and charging/discharging process. This includes automated contacting, intelligent battery characterization, and real-time decision-making on further use, followed by the charging/discharging process itself.

For batteries intended for recycling, automated disassembly is carried out by a robot. The battery cells are exposed and opened. The robot must “meet the highest requirements in safety, high-voltage, and software technology,” writes the IPA. After development, the robot is to be tested in an industrial trial run with the recycling specialist Umicore.

The recovery of raw materials from the battery cells is carried out using a water-based recycling process. It is also intended to process non-deeply discharged cells and be very efficient, promise the IPA researchers.

The project “Automated Circular Economy Plant with Intelligent Discharge and Reconditioning of Battery Cells for a Circular Battery Value Chain – Rob@t2Cell” will run until the end of 2028. In addition to Fraunhofer IPA, Umicore, acp systems, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Resource Management and Resource Strategy (IWKS), and the Institute for Industrial Manufacturing and Factory Operation (IFF) at the University of Stuttgart are involved. Further partners include BorgWarner Battery Systems Technical Center and Siemens.

5.09 million euros in funding for the project will be provided by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR).

(olb)