Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology

Battery Systems

The demand for innovative battery technologies is steadily increasing due to the energy and mobility transition.

The Battery Systems division at Fraunhofer IWU supports producers and users from battery design and the integration of innovative materials through to the scaling of efficient production processes and refurbishment strategies. In terms of development technology, we start above the cell chemistry level.

We offer development support in the design, simulation and production of battery pack prototypes and have particular expertise in the areas of lightweight construction and thermal management as well as joining and forming technology, handling technology and system integration in vehicle development.

Our research focuses on environmentally friendly production concepts that take into account the requirements of dismantling, including re-use and recycling. In lightweight construction, the focus is on crash-absorbing metal foams, aluminum alloys, fiber composites and their hybrids. Cooling lines integrated into the structure or phase change materials are examples of solutions for the active or passive temperature control of batteries.

We would be happy to work with you and to develop an individually optimized battery system for your application scenario!

Research Topics

  • New materials and design principles (Design for ReX)
  • Development of production solutions suitable for series production
  • Variant-flexible research platform for automated disassembly, dismantling, and reprocessing
  • Testing and benchmarking

Our range of services: Innovative solutions for the future

We offer customized services that help you take your products and processes to the next level. Our expertise includes:
  • Component development and functionalization: We design and optimize your components for maximum performance.
  • Lightweighting technologies: Benefit from our advanced solutions for reducing the weight and improving the efficiency of your products.
  • Circularity considerations and life cycle analyses: We support you in designing your products sustainably through comprehensive analyses and innovative circularity approaches.
  • Disassembly technologies: Our (further) development and demonstration of disassembly technologies enable resource-saving recovery of your products.
  • Efficient production technologies: We help you make your production systems more flexible, integrate automation, and use artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and productivity.
  • Production management: Optimize your production processes with our expert management approach.
  • Material and component testing: Ensure the quality and reliability of your products with our comprehensive testing procedures.
  • Construction of battery prototypes and demonstrators: We create innovative prototypes and demonstrators to bring your ideas to life and accelerate market launch.

Let's work together on your future! Contact us to learn more about our customized solutions.

Reference Projects

 

COOLBat: CO2-reduced battery housings of the next generation

The battery system is the central component of an electric car. The CoolBat project is demonstrating how innovative design principles, materials and production processes can help to manufacture housings for these battery systems in a climate-friendly way and at the same time integrate better performance characteristics.

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FutureFlexPro — Battery module construction

The objective of the “Battery module construction” sub-project of the BMBF FutureFlexPro project was to redesign a battery module, taking into account cell geometry and arrangement, thermal management, fire protection and module disassembly. The design of the battery module was based on materials and production technologies from the participating Fraunhofer Institutes.

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EKODA: A second chance for batteries, gearboxes and cogwheels

Used and damaged cars are often disposed of via energy-intensive scrapping processes, even when many of their parts are still fully functional. In the EKODA project, we are developing a better alternative: First, each component is examined in a complex testing process. An evaluation system then provides recommendations on how these components could be reused. 

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