Home
Search History
Clear History
{{item.search_key}}
Hot Searches
Change
{{item.name}}
{{item.english_name}}
Subscribe eNews
Once A Week Once Every Two Weeks
{{sum}}
{{sum}}
Login

Please Login

Subscribe To Tags, See What You Want To See

Sign Up For Events, Expand your network

Unlock Private Messages, Participate In Interactions

 Register

Hi.{{userInfo.company_name_english||userInfo.truename_english}} Hi.{{userInfo.truename||userInfo.phone||userInfo.email}}

Applications

A second life for used wind turbine blade

PureCycle rPP in Class-A surface automotive bumper prototype

TotalEnergies ENEOS operates rooftop PV system for Samsung Electronics in Vietnam

Products

WITTMANN MicroPower machines installed at large silicone processor

TotalEnergies Corbion launches new PLA foam as polystyrene alternative

Asahi Kasei adds slitting facility for dry film photoresist used in semiconductor packaging

Activities

  • PLAST 2026 concluded beyond expectations

  • CRRE inks agreement with 5 key players in wind and solar equipment circularity

  • Fakuma 2026: Multi-faceted program for plastics industry

Pictorial

News Videos

A talk with Italian injection molding expert BMB

Inside Moretto: A tour of their Italian production facilities

Top 10 Technology Trends awards presented at CHINAPLAS 2026

Conference Videos

Summit Dialogue: Policy alignment and practices in plastic recycling across Asia

Interview: Pathways for development of plastics recycling in Malaysia

Driving systemic change: Unilever’s evolution in the circular economy

Corporate/Product Videos

Why Do Shoe Soles Keep Cracking? The Raw Material Truth No One Talks About

Tired of repairing the same roads? 30 seconds to unmask the real troublemaker in your asphalt.

Labels peeling, tape yellowing, slitting snapping? One raw material change fixes all three.

News
NEW
HOT
 Events
NEW
HOT
 SPE Asia
NEW
HOT
 Special
NEW
HOT
 Live
NEW
HOT
 eNews
NEW
HOT
 Essential Guide
NEW
HOT
 Event Calendar
NEW
HOT
 Survey
NEW
HOT
 CHINA INSIGHT
NEW
HOT

Home > News > Recycling

Researchers build robotic disassembly system for battery recycling

Source：Adsale Plastics Network Date ：2021-08-19 Editor ：JK

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) of the U.S. have developed a robotic disassembly system for spent electric vehicle battery packs to safely and efficiently recycle and reuse critical materials while reducing toxic waste.

 

According to Tim McIntyre, principal investigator in ORNL’s Electrification and Energy Infrastructures Division, only a small percentage of lithium-ion vehicle batteries are recycled today, and the majority of the processes used to do so are not automated.

 

Whether a recycler simply wants to get through the outer housing to access batteries and replace worn components, or completely recycle battery stacks for recovery of cobalt, lithium, metal foils and other materials, the first step is battery diagnostics for safe and efficient handling and disassembly.


“With our system, when the robot picks up the battery pack and puts it on the production line, it marks the last time a human will touch it until it’s in pieces and parts,” introduced Tim McIntyre.


1_web.jpg

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a robotic disassembly system for used electric vehicle batteries.


Limiting human interaction is important for both safety and efficiency. The robots swiftly remove bolts and other housing regardless of any remaining charge, whereas human operators must undertake an exacting, lengthy process to discharge used batteries before breaking them down manually.

 

Automated disassembly reduces human exposure to toxic chemicals found inside the batteries and high power levels that are approaching the 900-volt level in some newer vehicles.

 

The automated system, developed as part of DOE’s Critical Materials Institute, or CMI, can be easily reconfigured to any type of battery stack. It can be programmed to access just the individual battery modules for refurbishment or reuse as stationary energy storage, or the batteries can be taken apart down to the cell level for separation and materials recovery.

 

The work builds on expertise developed in previous ORNL projects for the CMI that focused on robotic disassembly of hard drives for recovery of rare-earth magnets. Engineers also proved that those magnets can be directly reused in electric motors.


2_web.jpg

The newly developed line aims to make battery recycling safer, faster.


“Automatic disassembly of components containing critical materials not only eliminates labor-intensive manual disassembly, but provides for an efficient process to separate the components into higher value streams where the critical materials are concentrated into individual feedstocks for recycle processing,” said CMI Director Tom Lograsso.

 

The researchers follow the same protocol each time: breaking down the used component manually and collecting data on that process to create the robotic tools and controls needed to drive an automated system, stated Jonathan Harter, ORNL project team member.

 

“Industry is not limited on the amount of batteries they can take into this process. There is a significant backlog already accumulated. The limiting factor is the time it takes to perform the electrical discharge and perform disassembly manually,” said Jonathan Harter. He estimated that in the time it takes in some processes to disassemble 12 battery stacks by hand, the automated system could handle 100 or more.

 

The next step could be building the process up to commercial scale, and the team also sees opportunities to apply the same kind of disassembly system to electric vehicle drive trains for recovery of materials such as rare earth magnets, copper, steel and intact power electronics.

 

To make recycling more economically feasible, it must be done at high throughput and be flexible enough to process multiple consumer products in a single facility, Jonathan Harter added.

 Like 丨  {{details_info.likes_count}}
Automotive
Recycling
 Tangshan Zhonghao Chemical Co., Ltd      
 SACMI (SHANGHAI) MACHINERY EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.      
 DONGGUAN DEHUA PRECISION MOLD CO., LTD      
 ZHANGJIAGANG XINRONG MACHINERY CO.,LTD      
 TAIZHOU TUOFANG PLASTIC MOULD CO.,LTD      
 Guang Dong Veryone Technology Co.,Ltd.      
 HEFEI TAIHE INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO.,LTD.      
 BEIJING ENERGY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES CO.,LTD.      
 WINDORA MATERIALS LLC      
 GREENWICH (CHINA) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED      
 NINGBO YUFINE PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.      
 GREENCORE RESOURCES LIMITED      
 SHANGHAI WEIPU TESTING INTERNATIONAL GROUP CO., LTD.      
 LINKER NEW MATERIALS CO., LTD      
 Coperion GmbH      
 TAIZHOU MIXIN MACHINERY CO., LTD.      
 ZHEJIANG ROTOUN PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY CORP.      
 GUANGDONG GUOHENG YOUHE ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.      
 KADIDE      
 HUIZHOU LITUO ADVANCED MATERIALS CO.,LTD.      
 SUZHOU UNIKING NEW MATERIAL CO., LTD      
 SUZHOU BECHTON PLASTIC MACHINERY CO., LTD      
 YUYAO KAWAGUCHI Manufacturing Co., Ltd.      
 LINYI HUASU ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.      
 GUANGDONG ENMEI CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD      
 ANHUI ZHONGXIN HONGWEI TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD      
 SUZHOU GELEFU M&E TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.      
 FUJIAN NAN'AN STAR RUBBER&PLASTIC MACHINERY CO., LTD.      
 GUANGDONG HTASO NEW MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD      
 JIASHAN ITAFLON FLUORO TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD.      
 BRUECKNER MASCHINENBAU GMBH      
 FUJIAN YANGZHU NEW MATERIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD      
 HUBEI XINJIANSHI MACHINERY TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD      
 HEBEI GELIA PLASTIC MACHINERY SALES COMPANY      
 FOSHAN SHUNDE MINGSANFENG MOULD CO., LTD.      

The content you're trying to view is for members only. If you are currently a member, Please login to access this content.   Login

Source：Adsale Plastics Network Date ：2021-08-19 Editor ：JK

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) of the U.S. have developed a robotic disassembly system for spent electric vehicle battery packs to safely and efficiently recycle and reuse critical materials while reducing toxic waste.

 

According to Tim McIntyre, principal investigator in ORNL’s Electrification and Energy Infrastructures Division, only a small percentage of lithium-ion vehicle batteries are recycled today, and the majority of the processes used to do so are not automated.

 

Whether a recycler simply wants to get through the outer housing to access batteries and replace worn components, or completely recycle battery stacks for recovery of cobalt, lithium, metal foils and other materials, the first step is battery diagnostics for safe and efficient handling and disassembly.


“With our system, when the robot picks up the battery pack and puts it on the production line, it marks the last time a human will touch it until it’s in pieces and parts,” introduced Tim McIntyre.


1_web.jpg

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a robotic disassembly system for used electric vehicle batteries.


Limiting human interaction is important for both safety and efficiency. The robots swiftly remove bolts and other housing regardless of any remaining charge, whereas human operators must undertake an exacting, lengthy process to discharge used batteries before breaking them down manually.

 

Automated disassembly reduces human exposure to toxic chemicals found inside the batteries and high power levels that are approaching the 900-volt level in some newer vehicles.

 

The automated system, developed as part of DOE’s Critical Materials Institute, or CMI, can be easily reconfigured to any type of battery stack. It can be programmed to access just the individual battery modules for refurbishment or reuse as stationary energy storage, or the batteries can be taken apart down to the cell level for separation and materials recovery.

 

The work builds on expertise developed in previous ORNL projects for the CMI that focused on robotic disassembly of hard drives for recovery of rare-earth magnets. Engineers also proved that those magnets can be directly reused in electric motors.


2_web.jpg

The newly developed line aims to make battery recycling safer, faster.


“Automatic disassembly of components containing critical materials not only eliminates labor-intensive manual disassembly, but provides for an efficient process to separate the components into higher value streams where the critical materials are concentrated into individual feedstocks for recycle processing,” said CMI Director Tom Lograsso.

 

The researchers follow the same protocol each time: breaking down the used component manually and collecting data on that process to create the robotic tools and controls needed to drive an automated system, stated Jonathan Harter, ORNL project team member.

 

“Industry is not limited on the amount of batteries they can take into this process. There is a significant backlog already accumulated. The limiting factor is the time it takes to perform the electrical discharge and perform disassembly manually,” said Jonathan Harter. He estimated that in the time it takes in some processes to disassemble 12 battery stacks by hand, the automated system could handle 100 or more.

 

The next step could be building the process up to commercial scale, and the team also sees opportunities to apply the same kind of disassembly system to electric vehicle drive trains for recovery of materials such as rare earth magnets, copper, steel and intact power electronics.

 

To make recycling more economically feasible, it must be done at high throughput and be flexible enough to process multiple consumer products in a single facility, Jonathan Harter added.

全文内容需要订阅后才能阅读哦~
立即订阅
2nd PSG Reader Survey 2026 Plastics Sourcing Guide Book A
湖北拓盈新材料有限公司 BELIKE CHEMICAL CO., LTD. TALC POWDER SUPPLIER

Recommended Articles

Recycling
A second life for used wind turbine blade
 2026-07-10
Recycling
South Korean research team turns mixed plastic waste into high-purity hydrogen
 2026-07-09
Recycling
AkzoNobel achieves carbon reduction target ahead of schedule
 2026-07-07
Recycling
TotalEnergies Corbion releases first Sustainability Report in PLA industry
 2026-06-29
Recycling
Blended-textile recycling: Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem established
 2026-06-29
Recycling
Starlinger bottle-to-bottle recycling system supports PET recycling in Pakistan
 2026-06-24
CPRJwebsite_EMP_Souring Request_EN 信百勒 英文横幅
Suzhou Greefu Machinery Technology Co., LTD DSP Chemical Co., LTD JIANGSU YICAN SPECIAL PLASTICS CO., LTD.
  • Must See
    • News
    Images
    Watch it
1
Olin and Huntsman merge to create US$12B+ North American chemicals leader
2
Allotex and Daicel HPP partner to advance corneal allograft technology
3
From waste to wallet: Turkey's new plan to recycle 25bn bottles annually
4
Amcor accelerates healthcare packaging expansion in India
5
MGS partners with KraussMaffei to scale medtech manufacturing
1
Labels peeling, tape yellowing, slitting snapping? One raw material change fixes all three.
2
Why Do Shoe Soles Keep Cracking? The Raw Material Truth No One Talks About
3
Tired of repairing the same roads? 30 seconds to unmask the real troublemaker in your asphalt.
4
A talk with Italian injection molding expert BMB
  • Hot Specials

You May Be Interested In

Change
  • People
  • Company
loading... No Content
{{[item.truename,item.truename_english][lang]}} {{[item.company_name,item.company_name_english][lang]}} {{[item.job_name,item.name_english][lang]}}
{{[item.company_name,item.company_name_english][lang]}} Company Name    {{[item.display_name,item.display_name_english][lang]}}  

Polyurethane Investment Medical Carbon neutral Reduce cost and increase efficiency CHINAPLAS Financial reports rPET INEOS Styrolution Evonik Borouge Polystyrene (PS) mono-material Sustainability Circular economy BASF SABIC Multi-component injection molding machine All-electric injection molding machine Thermoforming machine

Researchers build robotic disassembly system for battery recycling

识别右侧二维码，进入阅读全文
下载
x 关闭
订阅
亲爱的用户，请填写一下信息
I have read and agree to the 《Terms of Use》 and 《Privacy Policy》
立即订阅
Top
Feedback
Chat
News
Market News
Applications
Products
Video
In Pictures
Specials
Activities
eBook
Front Line
Plastics Applications
Chemicals and Raw Material
Processing Technologies
Products
Injection
Extrusion
Auxiliary
Blow Molding
Mold
Hot Runner
Screw
Applications
Packaging
Automotive
Medical
Recycling
E&E
LED
Construction
Others
Events
Conference
Webinar
CHINAPLAS
CPS+ eMarketplace
Official Publications
CPS eNews
Media Kit
Social Media
Facebook
Linkedin
Adsale Group ｜  About Us ｜  Terms of Use ｜  Privacy Policy ｜  Contact Us ｜  Media Kit ｜  Consent Letter for Processing Personal Data ｜