Significance of automation & Industry 4.0 for EV component and battery assembly units

July 5, 2021 9:04 pm

Any factory can be made smart only when all of its functions are digitised.

Jendamark India is a Pune based company providing end-toned automation solutions for setting up powertrain assembly lines for automotive industry. We caught up with the CEO – Himanshu Jadhav, to find out more about their automation solutions and its relevance for the Indian EV and battery companies.

India has been at the forefront of automobile production, and is expected to emerge as the world’s 3rd largest passenger vehicle market in the coming years. Thousands of vehicles are rolled out on the market every week, and the coming years are expected to be the years of the electric vehicle. Automotive OEMs in India are preparing for a surge in demand of EVs. We have observed that there is a lack of experience when it comes to building secure manufacturing setups for EVs, especially for companies who do not have an existing running business with set standards and rigid controls in place.

The FAME – 2 initiative is trying to push the capital in, but lack of guidelines for setting up EV factories and lack of experience and expertise will pose a serious threat in the long run. The objective of the EV vehicle is still the same as IC engine powered vehicle, to move a person from place A to place B, in a safe and secure manner. The components that go into an EV require utmost caution when being assembled together. Any kind of deviations or errors in the assembly process might pose a risk to the safety level of the vehicle, and hamper the process security of the assembly setup. Since there is also a lack of proper regulation when it comes to setting up these facilities, the onus is on the manufacturers to ensure that they build a facility that provides them with the required standards of safety and process security.

Jendamark’s offerings in the EV and battery assembly space

Our foray into the EV market includes battery pack assembly lines, motor lines, rotor lines, inverter lines and universal line for VCU (vehicle control unit), MCU (motor control unit) and LDC (low voltage DC-DC converters). All our lines are equipped with our inhouse developed Industry 4.0 software solution called ODIN Ecosystem.

Jendamark’s journey in the EV space so far

Our EV journey started when Mahindra Electric awarded us to build India’s first Prismatic Cell Automatic Battery Pack Assembly Line with Digital Worker Instructions and traceability. Jendamark designed and delivered State of art Assembly line with Industry 4.0 solutions and process poke yoke that eliminates errors from an automated system. It was a unique challenge as such a concept did not exist and also the product was not originally conceptualised for automation. But, our teams in India and South Africa put together a unique concept which was both technically and commercially well thought off. We got excellent support from the Mahindra Electric team who were with us throughout this journey. We are also in touch with other EV and battery makers to provide turn-key solutions for multiple automation projects.

Automation solutions for EV components score over manual assembly set-ups with example. Among the assembly solutions for EV components, two particular solutions we can focus on are: the Sealant Dispensing Station, and the Auto Tightening Station.

a. Sealant Dispensing Station

Sealants are used in the assembly of the battery case enclosure. The main objective is to protect the module from any moisture intrusion or chemical leakages, and preventing the inside of the battery from exposure to the environment. Thus, it is essential to ensure that the sealant fits the required standards like correct weight of dispensed sealant, the right bead profile (thickness of sealant) etc. It may seem completely doable with a trained operator and a manually operated sealant gun but there is a huge scope for errors, and that is what we are trying to prevent. Our Auto Sealant Dispensing Station is capable of dispensing 4 types of sealants (2 of which have to be mixed right before being applied), inspecting the bead profiles for any errors with the help of vision systems, and is completely automated.

b. Auto Tightening Station

Components like PCBs (printed circuit boards) that go into an EV have numerous minute components that are bolted to it. Traditionally, the bolting activity took place manually where an operator was given a rack full of (extremely) tiny bolts that he was then supposed to bolt to the board along with the required component. The operator had to be trusted with remembering the sequence of bolting, and their variable torques. For a component like the PCB, even a tiny loose bolt can eventually create a safety hazard, hampering the overall safety of the vehicle. Our Auto Tightening Station automatically feeds the bolts to the right location, in the right sequence, and tightens them with the respective torque.

Industry 4.0

Automation need not necessarily mean high costs. Automation is also not a solution ONLY for increasing productivity. In India, in our current scenario, manual flex lines, with automation where product quality is vital, with low-cost digital solutions to control process security, is in our opinion the way forward. The above approach has been put in practice and has resulted in evident success in EV industry in India. The idea is to have a more HUMAN centric approach, make the existing workforce more efficient and ensure that we have solutions which avoid errors in process. A Digital service platform has been developed to keep the customer at the centre.

Jendamark believes any factory can be made smart only when all of its functions are digitised. In line with the same ideology Jendamark has mapped a clear road map and developed solutions to cater to typical manufacturing functions e.g., Engineering, Production, Maintenance, HR Quality, and Top Management. Jendamark being a leader in automation knows customer’s typical problems and uses its domain knowledge to resolve them. That is what differentiates Jendamark and other IT companies that are operating in the manufacturing industry.

Jendamark is a pioneer in offering the industry 4.0 solutions called ‘ODIN Ecosystem’ by understanding the problems in manufacturing industries. ODIN Ecosystem includes –

ODIN Workstation

ODIN Workstation, helps companies manage their workforce in an effective way. It is a process security solution that provides operator guidance, traceability, and production planning. It seamlessly connects to all line devices and ensures correct process sequence is followed by controlling those devices. When the pandemic hit, companies had lost a huge portion of their labour. It put them in a difficult position of hiring and training new workers and get their production back on track.

ODIN Maintenance

ODIN Maintenance is a cloud-based solution that helps companies reduce their asset maintenance cost and improve the lifespan of their machinery through regular, effective & preventive maintenance. It is based on the principle of enhancing the current maintenance process and providing digital tools to technicians to improve their performance and efficiency. Maintenance process smarter and assist technicians in maintaining production machinery, Jendamark has developed ODIN Service. It is a state-of-the-art tool which is designed to assist everyone from maintenance technician to top management.

ODIN X – Reality

The factory of the future will make better use of the technologies, whilst the supporting software and systems will make the technologies easier to access, monitor and control. We at Jendamark, are fully equipped to take on the paradigm shift and help developing economies sustain in the coming Digital Revolution. The main objective of Future Factory solutions is to identify and eliminate errors, thereby improving efficiency by bringing the future into the present using VR and AR.

Virtual Reality

Using VR goggles, workers and engineers can “see” the proper parts and instructions on how to assemble a particular component the right way. VR allows plant managers to simulate the production process and assembly line configurations, identifying potentially dangerous situations. Virtual reality can also be used to immerse an employee in a future workstation, then capturing the employee’s movement to evaluate task feasibility and proficiency.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality displays digital content in the real world. We create our CAD model which can be viewed through any AR compatible device like smartphones or tablets. AR model is hosted on AWS which gives access flexibility. Customers can review designs and give comments without need of any external hardware from anywhere in the world.

ODIN IOT

Jendamark has developed ODIN IOT Platform that helps predict machine breakdowns, and ensures our machine gets the attention it requires to avoid future failures. Jendamark has developed Raven sensor which is capable of measuring.

• Vibrations,
• Temperature,
• Humidity.

ODIN Health

This platform is developed to ensure organisation’s most valuable resource i.e., its employees are looked after – while assisting with critical communications, employee wellbeing, incident management & compliance, but most off all business continuity. All features are bundled in one simple downloadable app.

• Daily Survey
• Temperature and Oximeter screening.
• Incident Management.
• Agile Resource management
• Communication.