Bosch has announced that it will present its industrial battery recycling technology at Hannover Messe from April 17 to April 21, 2023.
A press release from the company noted that it has developed special machinery, equipment, and software for recycling batteries for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
In addition to fully automated battery module discharging stations, these include ergonomically flexible workstations for technical analysis and safe battery disassembly, transfer systems for transporting batteries of different weight classes, and software for guiding workers through the various process steps.
The company also offers a track-and-trace solution for batteries' condition, material origin, and processing status.
The subsidiary Bosch Rexroth supplies Battery Lifecycle Company, a joint venture between Remondis subsidiary TSR Recycling and Rhenus Automotive, with Europe’s first fully automated system for discharging and disassembling battery modules.
Battery Lifecycle Company is building a fully automated plant at its site in Magdeburg, with Bosch Rexroth supplying the technology. The site will test used batteries from different manufacturers, deep-discharge them, and prepare them for subsequent shredding. The new plant’s workpiece carriers will each transport battery materials weighing up to 150 kg at 18 meters per second.
The model project in Magdeburg is the first to use this patented Bosch discharging solution: battery modules will be chemically deactivated in a reliable process, ensuring that further processing can occur without voltage. The residual energy in the modules can be used to operate the recycling system.
In addition, the site will use proven Bosch industrial technology for battery production on-site, including flexible, modular transfer systems and the ctrlX Automation control platform. The Battery Lifecycle Company site will recycle up to 15,000 metric tons of battery materials each year. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in the summer 2023.
Dr Stefan Hartung, Chairman, Board of Management, Bosch, noted that electro-mobility can only establish itself long-term if sufficient raw materials are available for battery production. “Recycling plays a key role here, and helps place our output on a sustainable footing: we reuse what we use, and we recover raw materials,” he added.
Bosch estimates that by 2030, Europe will see 70% of all newly registered passenger cars as EVs. The company noted that experts predict that by 2030, Europe will require recycling capacity for up to 420,000 metric tonne of battery material each year.
Also Read