Comau UK to provide battery manufacturing line for UKBIC

UKBIC is part of the UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge program, which is designed to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe and recyclable batteries. The Comau-developed Module and Pack assembly line is the first of UKBIC’s innovative battery manufacturing equipment to have been installed, commissioned and available for its customers to use, a press release reads. One of the elements of this project was the requirement for agile flexibility, which will allow a range of Modules & Packs to be manufactured at a single premise. The final facility developed by Comau UK has overcome this challenge, giving UKBIC the ability to support a wide range of customer requirements without the need for major process or site changes. Working in collaboration with engineers from UKBIC, Comau provided the necessary technology and know-how to manage the entire battery Module & Pack manufacturing process, from cylindrical cell preparation and pouch cell stacking to the battery pack assembly. To meet the demand for UK-produced batteries, the 18,500 square metre UKBIC facility with its new Module and Pack manufacturing line will allow British companies to determine whether their prototype technology can be manufactured at the required volume, speed, performance and cost to be commercially successful. The facility is located in Coventry, England, about 30 miles southeast of Birmingham and 20 miles from Comau’s UK facilities in Rugby. “We are honoured to be at the forefront of technology development efforts that will expand the UK electrification market by bridging the gap between basic research and product development,” says Andrew Lloyd, Comau’s Automation Systems and Electro-Mobility Business Segment Leader in the press release. “Being selected as the main technology partner by UKBIC for its Module and Pack assembly line is a direct result of our proven ability to support our customers in every step of the electrification process.” “The combination of Comau UK’s close collaboration with the customer and their dynamic resolve to adopting solutions has proven to be a winning approach for both companies,” adds John Coombes, Managing Director, Comau UK. “More importantly, the cutting-edge facility will allow UKBIC to remove barriers that can slow the development of these promising new technologies.”