ABB has entered into an agreement with transport solutions provider Scania to provide a range of robotic solutions for the company’s new automated battery assembly plant in Sweden.
Scania will invest more than SEK1bn (£81m) in the facility over several years and the new Södertälje plant is expected to be fully operational by 2023.
The18,000m2 facility will be built next to Scania’s chassis assembly plant and will be highly automated, from goods reception through production to delivery. It will assemble battery modules from cells supplied by Northvolt’s battery factory in Skellefteå, with the completed packs delivered directly to the vehicle assembly hall.
Multiple ABB robots will be involved in the assembly process, including the IRB 390, IRB 4600 and IRB 6700 models, along with additional solutions to support the production process. According to ABB, this marks the first time the IRB 390 robot will be used in a battery production facility.
Originally designed for the packing industry, the IRB 390 can mount contact plates in batteries at a rate of one plate every second, 24 hours a day. ABB’s RobotStudio simulation and programming software will enable full verification of the production line prior to deployment, shortening lead times and supporting the quality process.
Tony Persson, head of battery assembly at Scania, said: “The factory is designed in line with Scania’s efforts to be at the forefront of industrial digitalisation, automation, and the use of advanced robotic technology to streamline production processes with increased flexibility. That is where the robots and solutions from ABB fit in.
“For Scania, the factory is also an investment that will further strengthen Sweden’s position as a hub for cutting-edge technology in the electrification of heavy vehicles, which is crucial in the transition to sustainable transport.”
Scania and ABB are also collaborating on building production infrastructure for electric vehicles. Recently, they created charging solutions for heavy goods vehicles powered by batteries manufactured by Northvolt. The Northvolt facility – one of Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery factories – has also been developed with ABB.
