German laser specialist Trumpf has revealed a series of laser systems designed for industrial-scale battery recycling. The company aims to enhance the cost-effectiveness of dismantling electric vehicle batteries for reconditioning or recycling using these systems.
Trumpf is developing laser systems to “safely cut open used batteries and extract valuable raw materials from the battery foil.” These new laser processes were showcased at the Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart this month.
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The company, based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, notes that battery dismantling has traditionally been a manual process, which is “time-consuming, slow, and sometimes dangerous for workers,” particularly due to the relatively small quantities of disused electric vehicle batteries. Trumpf believes that laser technology can enable “efficient and automated disassembly,” such as removing battery covers or cutting cables. The separated components can then be sorted for further processing.
For the inner workings of battery cells, a second laser development will be utilized. This system will facilitate the extraction of valuable materials from the coating of the foil between battery anodes and cathodes. Thin carrier foils coated with materials like graphite at the anode and a mixture of lithium and other metal oxides at the cathode are used in batteries. These materials are valuable and are found in the coating, not the foil itself.
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While conventional recycling processes involve shredding the foils and chemically separating them into components, Trumpf’s laser processes aim to remove wafer-thin coatings from carrier films. The resulting dust can be collected and used to extract valuable active materials for new coatings. However, Trumpf has not specified when the system will be deployed in an industrial plant for the first time.
Trumpf has been actively involved in battery recycling through various initiatives. In 2021, it was reported that Jaguar Land Rover joined Trumpf as an investor in a new $20 million funding round for US startup Battery Resources. The following year, Trumpf formed a strategic partnership with Cellforce, the battery cell joint venture between Porsche and Customcells, which now uses high-precision laser technology from Trumpf in battery cell production.
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“Recycling batteries is environmentally sound and, thanks to laser technology, can now also be economically feasible. Trumpf can leverage its extensive expertise in laser welding and cutting for the production of electric car batteries. We have been collaborating with all major car and battery manufacturers for years, and we have incorporated this experience into the development of the new processes,” said Hagen Zimer, CEO of Laser Technology at Trumpf.