At this year’s Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) in Mainz, iQ Power Licensing AG from Switzerland , a developer and marketer of starter batteries for the automotive sector, presented the concept of a modern, industrial 4.0-capable battery factory. It is completely computer-controlled and relies on technologies for production automation as well as networked machine communication. As a result, according to the provider, not only the manpower requirement for production is cut in half, but production times can be reduced by more than 60% with simultaneous energy savings of 25%. In combination with the recycling department, which is also integrated into the manufacturing department, reclaimed resources such as lead can be recycled without any detours. This avoids additional storage and transport costs.

An increase in productivity is desirable not only for profitability reasons. According to the press release, the global demand for lead-acid batteries alone is rising steadily and can only be satisfied by a significant expansion of production. An investigation by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI also assumes an exponential increase in demand for high-performance rechargeable batteries of various types. It is not only the automotive industry that is driving demand, but also the electricity industry, which is trying to stem the energy transition by installing battery-based storage power plants.