BMW Group and the College of Zagreb’s CRTA have developed AI programs that scale back time and supplies in battery cell manufacturing steps by over 50%. The “Perception” venture makes use of real-time and historic information to foretell cell efficiency, scale back check sequence, and probably eradicate the post-charge quarantine storage part.
The BMW Group has developed synthetic intelligence programs able to lowering the time and supplies required in particular person battery cell manufacturing steps by greater than 50%, as a part of a joint analysis venture with the College of Zagreb’s Regional Centre of Excellence for Robotic Expertise (CRTA) in Croatia.
The “Perception” venture, launched in 2024, covers your entire battery cell worth chain — from electrode manufacturing by means of to end-of-line testing and direct recycling. On the coronary heart of the system is an AI community that pulls on current check information alongside real-time manufacturing information to foretell battery cell course of parameters and efficiency outcomes, lowering the variety of check sequence required with out compromising high quality.
The work is centered on BMW’s Battery Cell Competence Middle (BCCC) in Munich, Germany, the place the corporate develops battery cells for future high-voltage battery generations. Take a look at sequence on the facility have historically required substantial time, supplies, and manufacturing and laboratory capability.
Past lowering check sequence, the AI fashions are additionally being utilized to ultimate cell approval. After preliminary charging, battery cells should at the moment be saved for an outlined interval at exact temperatures — a part generally known as “quarantine” — earlier than set up in a battery housing. The venture’s AI programs can carry out a full cell evaluation upfront, with the potential to eradicate this storage step solely.
“We’re engaged on scaling the newly developed AI fashions from the prototype setting,” says Christian Siedelhofer, head of expertise growth lithium-ion battery cells on the BMW Group. One choice into consideration is enabling cell producers to make use of the fashions instantly. “We’re additionally analyzing to what extent these fashions are appropriate for added use instances inside our manufacturing community,” he provides.
Doctoral candidates and college students on the College of Zagreb are collating and structuring manufacturing information and utilizing it to construct AI fashions able to figuring out course of patterns and producing optimization predictions.
The collaboration can also be framed as a expertise growth initiative. “Our joint venture will get doctoral candidates and college students all for AI and battery cells and the thrilling work we do at our Battery Cell Competence Facilities,” says Stefan Kerscher, head of expertise growth battery cells on the BMW Group. “We’re delighted when younger abilities determine to embark on a profession with our firm.”
BMW consolidates its battery cell experience throughout three competence facilities: the BCCC in Munich handles analysis and growth; the Cell Manufacturing Competence Middle (CMCC) in Parsdorf produces cells below near-series situations; and the Cell Recycling Competence Middle (CRCC) in Salching, Decrease Bavaria – operated with Encory GmbH – implements a direct recycling idea for which BMW holds the mental property.
