Case Study

Robotic Automation Speeds Up Lion Electric’s EV Battery Production

Over the past several years, demand for Lion Electric’s products has skyrocketed. To keep pace with their rapid growth, they partnered with JR Automation, a Hitachi group company, for an automated solution that would allow them to quickly scale up their manufacturing capabilities. 

Challenges solved by:

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  • Lion needed to produce their own battery to have better control of their supply chain.
  • Minimal time to create a product prototype and scale up the production process.
  • Needed a cost-effective solution.

Results

  • Lion Electric and JR Automation developed a cohesive team that tackled the project as one unit working towards the same goals.

  • In a matter of months, the team scaled up the system to deliver a fully automated solution.

  • The system is a prime example of JR Automation's ability to design complex, large-scale systems for its customers.

Story

According to Lion Electric, in the EV space, there’s a big advantage to producing your own battery, which is the most expensive component in an electric vehicle.

In a traditional product launch, companies create and perfect a product prototype before implementing or revising the manufacturing system. However, with minimal time to get up and running, Lion Electric needed the product design and battery production process to be on point as quickly as possible to meet customer demands.

The collaborative relationship with JR Automation, a Hitachi Group Company, allowed both teams to work closely together to achieve their goals quickly. While the Lion team worked on the development of battery components, the JR team was able to flag and identify any potential obstacles that could happen in production. This process allowed JR’s engineers to gain a better understanding of the types of materials required for the application, along with dispensing and other techniques related to battery production. The result was a highly effective and safe automated battery production process.

The system includes a variety of FANUC robots and other automation equipment that will be an integral part of Lion Electric's new production facility. The automated system enables Lion to scale production and keep operating costs at a manageable level.

Diego Castro General Manager Lion Electric

We had to get the product right, the process right, and the suppliers right on the first try, it was fantastic working with the JR team.

Diego Castro

Battery Plant General Manager, Lion Electric

Meet JR Automation, FANUC Authorized Integrator

JR Automation, a Hitachi Group Company, provides intelligent automated manufacturing and distribution technology solutions to transform how the world's leading manufacturers make and distribute products.

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About Lion Electric Co.

The Lion Electric Co. is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles. Lion designs and manufactures all-electric school buses, midi/minibuses for special needs or urban transit as well as urban trucks. Lion is a leading OEM in transportation electrification in North America. Lion’s capabilities include the design, manufacture, and assembly of many of their vehicles’ components, including chassis, battery packs, cabin and powertrain.

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