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and adhesion methodologies were needed to ensure aluminum parts are properly joined to steel.“ We’ ve increased our riveting, our laser welding and our friction drilling capabilities, and augmented our laser and plasma treatments,” explains Magnus.
Battery assembly
Alongside mega casting, a vital element of the project is a new battery assembly plant. This gigafactory is designed for a potential annual production capacity of 50 gigawatt-hours( GWh), aimed at supplying batteries for approximately half a million electric vehicles per year.“ The decision to create our own battery assembly plant was driven from a product perspective,” says Magnus.“ To really optimize EV architecture, you must maximize the use of the battery. By manufacturing our own batteries, we’ ve been able to integrate the battery cells and modules in the floor structure of the car, so the battery is part of the body. This delivered a lot of product related improvements- the integrated battery improves structural rigidity, we can integrate our crush structure, and we can reduce weight. It also helps optimize the interior space within the car.
“ From my perspective as a plant manager, In-sourcing such as this, gaining more control over the battery and battery assembly and being able to pick the best chemistry in the cells and integrate that into the car will be a competitive edge.”
Torslanda’ s search for continuous improvement has also involved the adoption of some AI tools.“ The two areas that look most promising are in maintenance and quality control. For the former, we are using AI to monitor frequencies and vibrations, so we can predict and foresee equipment breakdowns. We can also use AI to assist our maintenance technicians and engineers. We have set up an AI chat bot system that has access to maintenance manuals, both from suppliers and open source, and
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