The paradigm shift within the automotive sector, resulting from the move to increasing levels of electromobility, has posed enormous challenges for manufacturers and suppliers alike. Many businesses, such as automation specialist’s Zimmer Group, who for years have focused their systems division on components for conventional powertrain technologies are now pro-actively developing the concepts and solutions needed to support the manufacture of EV components.
Electric Vehicle manufacturers are actively seeking innovative, automated solutions to enhance their manufacturing and assembly processes to improve efficiency and productivity levels. Also, in instances such as this, It is not uncommon for the product development and manufacturing concept processes to take place in parallel.
Although the uptake of electric vehicles is increasing year on year, production volumes of both the vehicles, and the batteries that power them, is still at a relatively low level by comparison to conventionally powered alternatives. The solution at this stage therefore requires a flexible approach to the manufacturing process, supported by flexible automation concepts.
Automotive Industry Partner For 30 Years
Zimmer Group has been supplying end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for powertrain assembly and loading processing lines in the automotive industry for 30 years. In order to pro-actively advance the technological transition from combustion engines to electromobility, a number of modular solutions for EV vehicle manufacturing have already been developed by the Zimmer Group’s System Technology division.
(Zimmer Group end of arm tooling has been at the heart of automotive powertrain manufacture for 30 years)
Ian Sinclair, Managing Director of Zimmer Group UK explains: “We started developing EOAT solutions for electromobility in our research and development department back in 2014 and have since invested more than 50,000 engineering hours in developing and perfecting systems for this growing market segment. We had to develop the first gripping systems under enormous deadline pressure, as the time constraints were set very tightly by our customer at that point, however It took just four months from the first meeting to delivery. Today, we are suppliers to all leading automotive manufacturers in the EV sector, such as Tesla, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz, BYD and many more. We are very proud of that achievement.”
Just five years ago, Zimmer Group Systemtechnik had 90 percent of its customers in the established automotive sector. For decades, the company had generated good sales with a range of customers involved in manufacturing the main components of the combustion engine such as the engine block, crankshaft, cylinder head and camshaft etc. Ian Sinclair comments: “Even at that time the demise of the combustion engine was on the horizon and the trend towards EV’s and Hybrids was starting to develop. Thanks to the already close cooperation between Zimmer Group and the automotive industry, the company was ideally placed to assist these automotive manufacturers by developing the innovative, flexible solutions required to produce EV powertrain components.”
The Zimmer Group is now a valued R&D partner to a number of premium automotive manufacturers and integrators of production lines, providing handling systems and fixtures for the production of battery cells, battery packs and battery modules. The company also supplies specific system solutions for rotors, stators, contact rings, gears and various added value parts along the supply chain.
