Robotics for electric vehicles battery packs disassembly towards sustainable remanufacturing

Abstract

The automotive industry is involved in a massive transformation from standard endothermic engines to electric propulsion. The core element of the Electic Vehicle (EV) is the battery pack. Battery pack production misses regulations concerning manufacturing standards and safety-related issues. In such a fragmented scenario, the increasing number of EVs in circulation is growing exponentially, opening new challenges for managing the End-of-Life (EoL) of their battery packs. This paper analyses the use of robotics for EVs’ battery pack disassembly to enable the extraction of the battery modules preserving their integrity for further reuse or recycling. 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. The design of the workcell evaluates the technological requirements for disassembly, the analysis of potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX) of the area around the battery pack, and the design and optimisation of robotics tools in the ATEX zone. The work proposes solutions according to the current international standards.