A TRUMPF employee explains where the battery will be cut open by the laser.
Cutting open used or faulty batteries using laser technology enables battery recycling to be scaled up.
Carmakers and battery manufacturers can now recycle used or defective batteries from electric cars on an industrial scale using laser technology from TRUMPF, the company reported. The high-tech company develops laser systems that cut used batteries safely and remove the valuable raw materials from the battery foil.
"Recycling batteries makes ecological sense and, due to laser technology, can now also be implemented economically," said Hagen Zimer, CEO of Laser Technology at TRUMPF. "TRUMPF can draw on extensive expertise in laser welding and cutting for the production of e-car batteries. We have been working with all leading car and battery manufacturers for years and we have incorporated this experience into the development of the new processes."
"The electrodes for new battery cells are created as foil strips coated with valuable materials such as cobalt and nickel," said a company spokesperson. "In a future recycling plant, laser processes can remove the wafer-thin layer from the foil. Manufacturers can collect the dust and process it for new coatings. Until now, it was not uncommon for miles of coated foils to end up as waste in the garbage."
The spokesperson added: "In the future, laser technology could also be used to recycle battery packs. Laser technology is the only way to ensure efficient and automated dismantling, for example, to remove the covers from batteries or to cut off cables. The raw materials can then be sorted and the battery cells that are still usable can be separated and reused directly. Until now, dismantling electric car batteries has been a manual process. It is laborious, slow and sometimes dangerous for workers."
Pierson Cheng, TRUMPF Inc. Automotive Industry Manager, said: "Laser technology has proven its ability to manufacture safer and higher performance batteries. Now we see additional opportunities for lasers in battery recycling-a growing market in North America. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that electric vehicle (EV) sales have quadrupled and predicts a rising demand for EVs will increase the lithium battery market by five- to ten-fold by 2030. Considering these statistics, new technologies, such as laser systems from TRUMPF, will be of critical importance to recycling the materials from these batteries at the end of their lifecycles."
For more information contact:
TRUMPF Inc.
Farmington Industrial Park
Farmington, CT 06032
860-255-6000
info@us.trumpf.com