Hahn, together with Festo, has developed a modular, scalable tester that combines electrical, mechanical, optical and leakage testing in a single system. The accurate handling system from Festo positions testers and cameras for full inspections, reduces interface effort and increases reliability. The result: faster commissioning, lower integration costs and high quality assurance in mass production.
Reliable end-of-line tests are essential when mass-producing battery packs. The testing requirements are complex: electrical tests such as surge tests, charging and discharging cycles, and communication tests with the battery management system must be covered, as must mechanical and optical tests. In addition, leakage tests must ensure that housings and seals meet the requirements. Customers are also requesting to have the option to flash specific software directly onto the battery modules.
The challenge for Hahn was to combine all these requirements in a modular, scalable testing system with a high degree of integration and easy installation into existing production lines.
Hahn worked together with Festo to develop an end-of-line tester that comprehensively tests battery packs immediately after assembly. The system combines electrical tests, mechanical tests, leakage tests and visual inspections.
The handling system from Festo is crucial to the performance of the tester: it positions the tester and cameras so precisely that the test object can be inspected from all sides. At the same time, electrical test procedures are integrated, including overvoltage tests, charging/discharging cycles as well as communication with the battery management system. In addition, the system allows customer-specific firmware to be imported.
Components, integration, expertise: numerous Festo components are used in this project. The handling system is especially remarkable, as it is enhanced by other standard components such as cylinders, valve terminals and highly complex actuators and CNC axis solutions. This combination provides a uniform system that significantly facilitates integration into the overall system.
The collaboration between Hahn and Festo is characterised by complete trust and close, long-standing cooperation, from the initial online design to the final sizing.
Hahn uses the opportunity to develop the initial designs digitally and, in a second step, consults experts from Festo who finalise the design of the handling system, axes and actuators. This results in a consistent, efficient development process: Hahn benefits from the product range and system expertise from Festo, as well as from technical support right through to commissioning.
Hahn Automation is a global company specialising in factory automation. Although Hahn was originally firmly rooted in the automotive industry, it has diversified in recent years and is now also active in the consumer goods, medical and electronics sectors. Core competencies are assembly technology and testing technology, preferably in modular concepts that can be flexibly adapted to customer-specific requirements. One of the latest developments is an end-of-line tester for battery systems that shows how close cooperation with an automation partner accelerates development, integration and quality assurance.