Siemens claimed that it can verify battery safety in advance by predicting performance and lifespan from battery materials to finished products through its feasible digital twin solution (xDT). Siemens expressed its ambition to build a sustainable battery manufacturing ecosystem that encompasses all process steps with its partners.

On the 15th (Friday), Siemens held a press conference in conjunction with ‘Siemens Battery Day’ at the Orche Hall in the E-Tower to share Siemens’ battery strategy and news related to Battery Day 2024. The event, hosted by ‘Siemens Digital Industries Software (DISW),’ was attended by Oh Byung-joon, President of Siemens Korea, Puneet Sinha, Senior Director and Global Head of Battery Industry, and Tino Hildebrand, Senior Vice President of Siemens Korea and Head of Siemens Digital Industries (DI) Division.

As the electric vehicle market grows and demand for batteries skyrockets, it has become important to quickly launch batteries that meet industry-specific requirements. Battery manufacturers face the challenge of considering the entire life cycle of a battery, including sustainability, materials, efficient design, end-of-life reduction, and reuse/recycling, and achieving regulations such as a “battery passport” containing battery information.

In particular, the battery industry is focusing on improving battery production efficiency. Senior Director Punitha said, “Before electric vehicles become popular, energy efficiency and cost issues are homework that must be solved. Energy density needs to be doubled and costs need to be reduced by 50%.” He also pointed out that “the scrap generation rate is 40% for new companies and close to 10% for old companies, which is inefficient in mass production.”

Siemens proposes 'digital twin' as a solution. Digital twin is a concept that combines the 3D virtual world and the real world, and is a technology that achieves optimization through virtual design and simulation of battery products, equipment, and factories, and then applies them to reality. Siemens' 'Xcelerator' is an integrated solution that helps customers' digital transformation based on digital twin, automation technology, and generative AI.

In particular, Siemens emphasizes 'xDT (Executable Digital Twin)' beyond the concept of digital twin. xDT is the concept of predicting the performance and lifespan of batteries from the molecular level to the system level and verifying the process by simulating it in real time.

While existing solutions are one-way digital twins that obtain optimization results through one-time simulation, xDT is a two-way digital twin that continuously collects and analyzes manufacturing data in real time, immediately applies predictions, and controls the factory and solves problems. xDT is being applied in battery, drone, and robot processes.

Digital twin technology can be used to predict performance changes according to temperature during battery manufacturing, and reduce the risk of battery thermal runaway, thereby enhancing the safety of electric vehicles. Siemens CEO Oh Byung-joon said, “Siemens solutions are frequently used in Hyundai Motor Company’s battery performance development lab and pack design simulations. Through simulations, technologies are being developed to delay battery thermal runaway from 5 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes, or to confine gasoline materials inside before explosion.”

In addition, the digital twin solution can be used to determine the life of the battery. Without verifying the actual vehicle, it is possible to obtain data by predicting the performance of the battery 10 years later in a simulated vehicle, and by receiving actual information from the vehicle manufacturer and integrating and comparing it with the simulation results, it is possible to discover factors that deteriorate performance. Mr. Oh said, "Many companies are investing in the field of battery life measurement, and we are researching how to reuse even data that has reached the end of its life."

However, predicting battery life is the most difficult part. CEO Oh added, "Since various factors, including environmental influences as well as the battery, have a diverse impact on issues such as the performance degradation of the popular battery 'LFP (lithium phosphate battery)' in winter, it is important to collect and analyze data by comparing the actual information of the vehicle."

“Siemens’ digital twin solution puts sustainability at the heart of battery production, enables flexible response to realities, scale-up, sharing of blueprints for innovative technologies with partners and acceleration of the manufacturing phase,” said Vice President Tino.

Siemens considers sustainability a key strategy. Siemens emphasizes that companies within the battery industry ecosystem should collaborate with Siemens’ solutions and that sustainability should be incorporated into every stage from battery design to finished products. Another way to optimize engineering resources, power, etc. is through a digital twin strategy.

CEO Oh said, "It took three months to deliver, install, and produce the 'stacking equipment,' a large-capacity battery equipment that stacks battery cells, but if we verify how the equipment will work in advance with a digital twin, we can save about 30% of the time." He added, "Siemens' sustainability strategy is to shorten the production and delivery time from three months to two months, and to enable customers who utilize Siemens solutions to also contribute to sustainability."

Siemens provides end-to-end solutions ranging from consulting, design, engineering, automation, SW, regulation, certification, security, and logistics. Senior Director Puneet emphasized coexistence with partners, saying, "Unlike other processes, the battery industry involves battery manufacturers, energy companies, power storage companies, automobile manufacturers, and equipment manufacturers. It involves all areas including the chemical, mechanical, and assembly industries, and there are many areas that are difficult to verify through actual experiments, so collaboration among automobile companies is important."

To this end, Siemens is focusing on the 'digital thread'. The digital thread refers to a template that defines the connection relationship and mutually transferred data of Siemens' end-to-end solutions. Siemens' customers can easily integrate various solutions into their process lines through the template. Siemens' customer LG Energy Solution is reviewing the introduction of a solution that can monitor and control mixer equipment in tanks using virtual sensors.

Meanwhile, Siemens is forming partnerships with global battery manufacturers, including LG Energy Solution, Northvolt, Toyota, and BOSCH. For example, PEUGEOT, a pack engineering company, reduced engineering time by 50% by creating prototypes in virtual reality. FREY, a startup, automated its factories by converging IT and OT to implement smart factories. Voltaiq, an Asian battery supplier, also reduced its battery scrap rate by 10% compared to the past. Punit said, “If we adopt Siemens’ solution, we can save about $100 million a year.”