US electronics giant Honeywell has introduced its Battery Manufacturing Excellence Platform (Battery MXP), software package, which is designed to optimize the operation of gigafactories by improving battery cell yields and expediting facility startups.
Battery manufacturers’ material scrap rates can be as high as 30% at steady state and even higher during the gigafactory startup process, wasting energy and material as it takes several years to ramp up to efficient and profitable production, according to the company.
By providing bidirectional traceability and genealogy, Battery MXP tracks battery cells from raw material to finished product in real time. The software enables manufacturers to detect and resolve quality issues before they result in scrapped material. It uses machine learning to identify conditions that lead to quality issues and provide insights that manufacturers can use to improve their efficiency and productivity. This could reduce startup material scrap rates by 60% and increase delivery rates, the company said.
Battery MXP is also designed to support process controls, workforce management and thermal runaway battery fire prevention.
“With Honeywell’s Battery MXP and its automation capabilities, we will be able to quickly and effectively establish a foundation for our network of gigafactories,” said John Kem, President of American Battery Factory. “This solution allows us to reduce scrap and scale up quickly, while also ensuring we meet the US and international demand for high-quality lithium iron phosphate batteries.”
Source: Honeywell
