The assembly of a battery for hybrid and all-electric vehicles is one of the most safety-critical processes in vehicle manufacturing. The assembly process has an influence on the performance, safety, and service life of the vehicle battery, therefore, the choice of the right joining process is crucial. But how does a joining technology that works with processing forces of up to 3000N fit into the picture here?
The flow drilling technology of the K-Flow product line has its origins in classic body-in-white construction and is particularly used at assembly points that are only accessible from one side. Due to the high processing forces and the special joining elements, flow drill fastening enables a safe and fast connection. The joining element forms the "core hole" and the thread at the same time, reducing the need for previous steps and optimizes cycle time.
Challenges in battery assembly
In battery assembly for electric and hybrid vehicles, sensitivity and accuracy are required above all. Due to the insertion of the battery into the body-in-white, the component geometries are becoming increasingly complex and require a flexible and simple, yet safe connection technology without many upstream steps. In addition, cycle time, hose routing and expensive compressed air are other key factors in the manufacturing process that can be efficiently solved with the help of flow drill fastening technology. Also crucial to battery joining is ease of maintenance. Reversible connections are required so that the battery can also be maintained after installation.
The advantages of flow drill fastening prove themselves especially in the assembly of the battery cover
The assembly of the battery cover requires a flexible and non-destructively recoverable joint with a fast cycle time.
Flow drilling provides a reliable mechanical connection that requires no surface preparation. The metallic components are in a conductive connection and form a Faraday cage that prevents electromagnetic interference.
In particular, the cycle time can be optimized with the help of the magazine for flow drill fastening, such as the HLX 70 magazine. The HLX 70 magazine can be retrofitted to all common systems and ensures high productivity thanks to its capacity of up to 70 fasteners.
Potential savings: Magazine technology
Example calculation
| Joints per battery cover: |
102 |
| Battery covers per year: |
202,500 |
| Compressed air consumption standard feed: |
0.03m³*/joint (with 20m feed hose) |
| Compressed air consumption magazine feed: |
0.011m³*/joint |
| Potential savings compressed air: |
392,000 m³* per year |
*simplified for Nm³ = standard m³ (according to ISO6358 with 1.0 bar and 20°C) **example related to one production line per year. The use of the K-Flow HLX 70 magazine can reduce 64% of the air consumption and save an equivalent of 181 metric tons of CO2 emissions yearly compared to a standard blow-feed system. This saving corresponds to emissions from 39 passenger cars driven for one year.
