Comau has designed and developed a flexible manufacturing system to
produce next-generation 8 and 16-cell battery modules
● The innovative and automated solution reduces production costs while
allowing ACC to produce up to 8 Gigawatt hours annually by 2024
● Through its extended European network, Comau has guaranteed local
sourcing for the manufacturing lines despite worldwide geo-political
challenges
Grugliasco (Turin), October 6, 2022 – Comau has been selected by Automotive Cells
Company (ACC), a joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies/Saft and
Mercedes-Benz, to design and develop a highly integrated battery module production line
for its future Gigafactory in Billy-Bercalu Douvrain, in the north of France. With the
projected capacity to ultimately ramp up to 40 GWh, ACC is set to become a European
leader in enabling cleaner, efficient mobility for all. Under the terms of the agreement,
Comau will supply ACC with the expertise and equipment needed to automate
manufacturing of the next-generation EV batteries. Featuring the inherent flexibility to
handle both 8- and 16-cell modules, the Comau-designed lines will allow ACC to produce
up to 8 Gigawatt hours (GWh) annually by the end of 2024. Furthermore, the
comprehensive solution leverages Comau’s extended European network, thus
guaranteeing local sourcing of technology, auxiliary equipment and components for the 5
manufacturing lines, 3 of which produce both models while 2 are dedicated 8-cell MEB
lines.
One of the unique elements of the project was the requirement to employ a stacking
force of 300-500 decanewtons to produce the two distinct module formats compared to
the industry average of around 100 decanewtons. To meet this challenge, Comau and
ACC engineers worked in tandem to tailor the process in order to guarantee the intended
product geometry and battery characteristics. This simultaneous engineering approach
has also enabled Comau to remove one of the originally-designed lines, improving the
process dynamics and helping ACC optimize its CAPEX investments.
Source: PR_ACC_Comau_ENG.docx