Comau
Comau developed and deployed an automated e-drive assembly line for Geely Automobile Holdings at its Geely Veremt plant in Ningbo, China, for the end-to-end assembly of the electric motor, gearbox, and inverter. Designed with Geely, the complete line uses a flexible automatic production system to assemble the permanent magnet motor rotors, gearboxes, and electronics drives, in addition to automated quality control and testing. The innovative solution increases the plant’s automation rate from 40% to 80% while delivering a full-scale production capacity of 120,000 jobs per year.
Comau leveraged its 45+ years of experience in powertrain assembly when combining best-practice technology and process innovations to achieve Geely’s high-volume production targets. Using multiple robots to install the motor rotors, the automated line also features 3D vision positioning and guidance, automatic high-speed magnet installation, automatic injection of rotor cores and the automatic dual-position dynamic balance correction, and magnetization. The electric drive line includes advanced three-in-one assembly such as motor stator casing, thermal sleeve, motor static testing, motor dynamic testing, automatic bearing feeding and pressing, automatic bolt feeding and tightening, and the automatic measurement and selection of gaskets.
Since its initiation, Comau has dedicated significant design resources to the project, including 20 engineers who completed the design phase in just 4 months. The project execution team also overcame additional challenges due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and product optimization changes, delivering the line in just over 12 months. Production was officially launched in late 2021.
“We have developed solutions that make our manufacturing process more agile and efficient as a concrete result of our collaboration with Comau,” says Geely Veremt Vice President, Mr. Sun Yongjing. “Furthermore, the automated lines help ensure that our new products will continue to have the same high level of quality and excellence that make the Zeekr - Holding of Geely Group, editor’s note – successful brand around the world.”
According to IHS Markit, electric vehicles are expected to comprise 60-80% of all new car sales in 2050[1]. The prediction has prompted automakers to look for ways to automate the assembly of e-axle drives, which combine electric motors, transmissions, and power electronics in a single unit. This has created opportunities for industrial automation companies such as Comau, which is at the forefront of this trend.
The successful delivery of this project has provided a strong production guarantee for the manufacturing of Geely’s pure-electric vehicles. It has also enriched Comau’s design and manufacturing experience with electric drive automatic production lines, which will be leveraged in the implementation of subsequent projects.