SONI-SHAPE-LASER OVERVIEW

Transition to Electrification in Niche Vehicle Industry 

Needs

The transition to electrification of niche and low-volume vehicles (producing fewer than 10,000 vehicles annually) requires low-cost battery packs at an acceptable weight, with a scalable battery pack architecture. 

Objective

The primary objective is to develop, test, and demonstrate a modular laser welding technology that can retrofit existing laser welding assets. This technology is customised to fit various battery pack and casing solutions, aimed at achieving the following:

• Decreased manufacturing costs

• Increased flexibility and reconfigurability

• Improved design freedom 

INNOVATIONS IN PRODUCT AND SERVICE

Transition in Welding Process

• Shifting from a wire-fed laser welding process to a fully remote and autogenous (no wire) laser welding process for fabricating aluminium battery casings.

• The new design offers modularity and compactness and can be retrofitted into existing production assets.

Contactless Ultrasonic Integration

• First-time integration of contactless-ultrasonic technology with free-form beam shaping, offering a novel approach to current welding processes for the manufacture of battery casings and architecture.

Advancements in Process Modelling 

• Innovative process modelling and digital twin technologies allow for the prediction of optimal ultrasound wavefronts and beam shape profiles, speeding up technology validation.  

PROJECT DELIVERY

Phases  

1. Phase 1: Design, manufacture, and test the Soni-Shape-Laser platform.

2. Phase 2: Validate and demonstrate the Soni-Shape-Laser platform on battery casing manufacturing.  

Consortium and Expertise

The Soni-Shape-Laser project promotes the manufacturing of battery packs, supporting the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and contributions from: 

• CARRS: Laser-assisted ultrasonic vibration, life cycle assessment (LCA), and sustainability 

• POWERPHOTONIC: Expertise in free-form laser beam shaping  

• IONETIC: Specialises in battery pack design, manufacturing, and customer-centric specifications

• WMG: Focuses on process modelling, validation, and access to advanced laser welding and material characterisation resources 

IMPACT AND BENEFITS

The Soni-Shape-Laser project promotes the manufacturing of battery packs, supporting the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and contributing to:

• Job creation and the retention of battery production in the UK.

• Increasing the UK’s global competitiveness in advanced manufacturing during the net-zero transition using UK-developed intellectual property (IP).

Long-Term Opportunities

• The project will explore technology exploitation for high-grade aluminium welding within various industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical, cutting, additive manufacturing, and cladding . 

• The technology has ready customers in the UK supply chain and export opportunities in the EU and North America.  

MEASURABLE TARGETS

The project aims to achieve:

• 20% increase in productivity. 

• 50% faster changeovers with improved flexibility and reconfigurability.  

• 15% weight reduction by utilising aluminium more effectively. 

• 20% energy and cost savings and reduced emissions. 

POST-PROJECT COMMERCIALISATION STRATEGY

Partnership with IONETIC ensures that Soni-Shape-Laser has a fast path to commercialisation, aligning with market demands and user needs. Further commercialisation will be achieved through:

• Demonstrations to potential funders and buyers.

• Phased investment programmes, coupled with strategic partnerships with end-users and OEMs.