New Electric Utility Vehicle Factory in Louisiana
Amid cranes and bulldozers, the steel skeletons of buildings that will stamp, weld, paint and assemble electric vehicles are rising on a sprawling site in Ellabelle. Construction is on track for the plant to open before the end of 2021.
EVs have several advantages over gas-powered cars, including lower operating costs and quieter operation. They are also safer and have lower emissions.
Manufacturing Process
The frame, wheels and seating are Electric Utility Vehicle factory all made of strong, lightweight aluminum and/or magnesium. These materials save weight and protect the occupants from crashes, while at the same time minimizing energy drains on the batteries. The windows are made of solar glass that helps keep the interior from overheating in summer and frost in winter, while reducing the amount of energy needed to heat or cool the vehicle.
The machinist takes the product designer’s CAD model and converts it into a format that is compatible with the CNC machine. He or she then sets up the machine to perform machining operations to create parts that are ready for assembly. This step includes selecting the appropriate cutting tools and adjusting them to accommodate the material being cut.
Some EV components are made from hard plastics or metals, but many of them are now being manufactured from recycled components. This reduces demand for virgin materials and also eliminates the risk of contaminating the environment with waste materials. Nevertheless, the use of EVs will continue to increase the need for rare-earth minerals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium.
The flourishing logistics and warehousing industry and the increasing number of charging stations are driving demand for electric utility vehicles. This in turn is propelling the North America e-mobility market. To cater to this growth, leading material handling equipment manufacturers such as Hyster Yale are establishing facilities in the region.
Body Assembly
With their simpler power trains, utility EVs can be modified in an incredible variety of ways to meet specific business needs. For instance, a company operating in cold environments can mount snow plows or salt spreading accessories. They can also add a cargo box for transporting equipment and supplies, or a passenger carrier configuration for short transportation needs.
The electric motor in an EV requires fewer parts than the traditional engine, so component manufacturing accounts for only 47% of total vehicle assembly labor hours for BEVs, as compared to 54% of time spent assembling ICEVs. But that still adds up, because electric motors require more coiling and impregnation/sealing of wiring.
Battery pack production is the most complex aspect of EV manufacturing, as it involves numerous engineering challenges not found in conventional vehicles. To ensure quality, inspection of EV battery cells is critical. RoBEX uses a wide range of vision systems and gauging technologies to help ensure stack alignment, injection seal integrity, and weld inspection for each cell. These tools are essential in ensuring consistent, quality output and mitigating a host of potential failure points throughout the EV manufacturing process. Moreover, they enable OEMs to achieve maximum uptime and minimize the impact of human error. This is especially important when meeting cradle-to-grave emissions goals. In addition, RoBEX helps manufacturers implement a high-throughput, flexible manufacturing system that allows them to keep up with the demands of a rapidly growing market.
Paint Shop
The paint shop process is the final step before the EV enters the general assembly area. A Kuka robot places the body on a conveyor that transports it through multiple tanks and spray booths in order to achieve a perfectly painted finish. All these processes are facilitated with industrial IoT and optimized HMI. DELMIA screens on the plant floor display what is happening in each area of the factory enabling workers to interrogate and assess each process digitally.
A major challenge for the paint shops is energy consumption and sustainability targets that demand carbon-neutral production. In response, Durr developed EcoQPower, a solution that optimizes energy consumption independently of the actual production conditions. This enables energy savings in the double-digit percentage range.
Another energy-saving innovation from Durr is EcoInCure, which uses green electricity to power the drying ovens. The technology replaces natural gas and thus significantly reduces CO2 emissions while maintaining high drying quality. In addition, the system enables the use of transverse transport lines for the bodies, which halve the oven’s required length and saves space Electric Sightseeing Car factory in the factory. In combination with Eco+Layout, this reduces the overall footprint of the plant by about 20%.
General Assembly
Many types of traditional vehicles are switching to electric power due to the need for cleaner air, a desire to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and the increasing cost of gas. A number of companies are committing to moving their fleets into the green zone, including First Student — which will convert its entire school bus fleet to electric vehicles by 2035 — Cirba Solutions (which has committed to processing end-of-life batteries and Gigafactory manufacturing scrap, creating enough battery materials to equip 1 million EVs), and Waymo – which will move all its ride-hailing cars to an all-electric Jaguar I-PACE platform this spring.
As these companies move to electrify their entire fleets, they will face a series of workforce challenges. For example, EV assembly involves working with high-voltage electrical wire connections, so workers must receive specialized training on how to handle them safely. And in some cases, such as when an auto company converts a brownfield manufacturing plant to an EV production facility, the workforce may need to be retrained or relocated.
The demand for electric utility vehicles is growing worldwide, thanks to the need for clean transportation and warehousing. They are also used for recreational purposes such as hunting and fishing, or for agriculture and forestry. They are able to negotiate dirt roads, and are more efficient than traditional gas-powered utility vehicles, which create emissions.