According to the International Energy Agency, to achieve ambitious net-zero targets, around two billion electric cars will need to be on the roads worldwide by 2050. Lithium-ion batteries are essential to power these vehicles. However, defective batteries pose a serious risk, especially during transportation or production.
Traction batteries are usually transported with a low state of charge, as fully discharged batteries can cause problems such as reduced capacity, faster drainage or electrical short circuits. These problems pose the risk of fires, which can cause catastrophic damage at any point in the supply chain - to human life, vehicles and infrastructure.
SICK AG, a leading manufacturer of global sensor technology, has developed a system that detects and prevents battery fires before serious damage occurs.
Innovative FLIR thermography for fire prevention
Having already successfully developed systems for detecting hotspots and fires in tunnels such as the Gotthard road tunnel, SICK AG was faced with a new challenge. A German car manufacturer commissioned SICK to develop a system for detecting thermal faults in EF batteries on a new assembly line - within a particularly tight time frame of just three months.
To accomplish this task, SICK AG turned to Teledyne FLIR, a specialist in thermal imaging technology. Together they developed a tailor-made solution that reliably detects hotspots, analyzes data and documents deviations.
FLIR A70: Precision in battery testing
The new area hotspot detection system (AHD) is based on the FLIR A70, a state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera. This enables the precise inspection of any battery for thermal anomalies and clearly sets it apart from conventional testing methods such as laser thermography. While the latter can only perform isolated measurements, the FLIR A70 provides a comprehensive overview of all critical areas of a battery in real time.
The system detects batteries that are above the temperature threshold, warns personnel and ensures that potentially dangerous units are quickly removed from production.
Easy integration into existing production systems
Despite the short development time, SICK was able to create a flexible sensor system that can be integrated into almost any production environment. The AHD system communicates via ProfiNet and enables decentralized storage and analysis of data. It also provides operators with access to real-time information so that data-driven decisions can be made.
The system also supports integration via TCP/IP, making it suitable for modernizing older production lines.
