OUR FACTORY AUTOMATION AND ADVANCED TESTING SYSTEMS ARE HELPING TO FUEL THE ADVANCE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY.

Few industries are so committed to constant innovation as the automotive industry. Every few years, automotive manufacturers rethink and redesign every aspect of the automobile from the ground up. And in an industry where improvements on the margin yield outsized results, OEMs have a lot to gain from investing heavily in machinery that can produce high-caliber results.

For many years now, the area of automotive manufacturing that has led research and public interest has been electric vehicles—and, by association, autonomous driver technology. These technologies often work hand-in-hand, with cutting-edge electronic vehicles incorporating advanced autonomous systems, and autonomous vehicles often relying on electric of hybrid-electric engines for their fuel efficiency.

At Eagle, we are committed to delivering automated platforms that can take your electric vehicle manufacturing and battery test to the next level. Whether you are an OEM or a supplier, we can provide the equipment you need to remain at the forefront of automotive innovation. Here are three ways our technology is leading the way.

1. Advanced testing for autonomous systems.

Autonomous vehicles rely on two powerful technologies: LIDAR, which scans an environment at high speed and with enough detail to create a dynamic, real-time map of surroundings even as the vehicle is moving, and AI systems that interprets this input and responds by sending directions to the automobile.

The safety of any autonomous vehicle is only as good as the sensors powering it. Accordingly, autonomous systems require extensive testing to ensure they are accurately mapping surrounding environments, and that they are responding quickly enough to avoid accidents.

Very few vehicles currently rely on fully autonomous driving. However, more and more vehicles are equipped with assisted driving technology that combines autonomous systems with human control. These assisted technologies include:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane departure warning
• Blind spot detection
• Collision warning
• Pedestrian warning
• Traffic sign detection
• Parking assistance

At Eagle Technologies, we provide advanced testing systems for autonomous and assisted driving systems. These test technologies can be incorporated into your production equipment so that you can test at any point in the assembly process to be sure your components meet the high standards required of autonomous systems.

2. Testing and assembly for fuel cells and batteries.

Electric vehicles draw their energy from one of two sources: batteries or fuel cells. Whereas batteries store energy and need to be recharged after a certain amount of use, fuel cells generate energy from a chemical reaction—most commonly between hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the byproduct—and as a result, require refueling to continue operating.

Each of these technologies is currently undergoing extensive research and testing in order to improve them for electric vehicle use. Already, the advances made by these technologies have extended the range of electric vehicles while also reducing the refueling and recharge time. However, there are still major opportunities for improvement, and the EV manufacturers who find the most efficient solution stand to gain significantly in the automobile market.

The technologies we employ during the assembly process for batteries and fuel cells include not only robotic handling and assembly, but the application of thermal adhesives, catalyst coatings, conductive coatings, and other chemical surface treatments.

We also have advanced testing and verification tools that can be used throughout the assembly process to ensure components meet specification standards. In fact, our battery assembly machine on display at the Rockwell Innovation Center in San Jose will be available for customers to view for the next seven years. Stop in and see for yourself!

3. Factory automation for EV components.

While the components for electric storage and generation power an electric vehicle, they aren’t the only parts required to make an electric vehicle run. An electric vehicle’s drive train functions differently all down the line, from the motor, which is comprised of both a rotor and a stator, to the inverter, which translates direct current to alternating current, to the drive unit, which communicates driver input from the accelerator to the inverter, thereby controlling for speed.

Every one of these components requires its own processes for production, assembly, and testing. Our facilities can do all this, with both in-line and end-of-line testing as needed. Our assembly and test capabilities for EV drive trains include:

• EV motors and test stands
• Drive units
• Inverters
• Hybrid engines

We thrive off developing advanced solutions for our customers.

In every area of our businesses, finding more efficient, more reliable, more accurate ways to automate factory production has been one of the leading differentiators keeping us at the forefront of our industry. The solutions we have developed—and the technologies we implement—for electric vehicles can be applied to many other industries as well.

For instance, the battery equipment we build for electric vehicles are also used in home battery packs, marine applications, consumer products such as headphones and hearing aids, and by the Department of Defense. The advanced testing capabilities we use for autonomous vehicle systems can be applied to other autonomous technologies as well. And the assembly techniques we use for EV components part of the toolkit we use in all our automated factory solutions.

Most importantly, we bring a mindset of efficiency and innovation to every project. We are always looking for ways to improve our assembly design, either by reducing the number of steps required for a full assembly, improve the production quality of components, or shrinking the footprint of the production equipment on the factory floor.

We are prepared to apply the same dedication to your project. If you are looking for an automation partner to design systems for your factory, contact us. We can discuss your project, our capabilities, and come to a solution that will yield the results you need.

Brandon Fuller, Eagle Technologies

Eagle Technologies, headquarters in Bridgman, MI

Eagle builds the machines that automate assembly line manufacturing. From high-tech robotics to advanced product testing capabilities, Eagle offers end-to-end manufacturing solutions for every industry.