Industry Application | Adapting to Change, How ATOMROBOT Explores the New Energy Sub-sector Market?

According to Rui Industry Data statistics, in 2021, the automation market industry, including new energy such as lithium batteries, maintained relatively high growth. The main reasons for this are the multiple challenges of the global epidemic, escalating geopolitical conflicts, and other factors driving domestic demand contraction in response to internal needs stimulation, epidemic dividends driving export demand, and other factors.

However, while benign signals are released in the new energy market, the widespread rise in raw material prices also puts enormous pressure on the entire upstream and downstream industrial chains of the manufacturing industry.

In the intersection of opportunities and challenges, as a midstream equipment supplier in the manufacturing industry, how should ATOMROBOT break free from limitations, seize opportunities, and break through to achieve growth?

Take the new energy industry as an example and let’s explore together...

(1) From scenarios to applications, meet customers’ differentiated needs and use them correctly

Reject the "mirage" type of scene application.

"In market development, products must be deeply integrated with customer pain points," said a market development personnel at ATOMROBOT.

From scenarios to applications, the difficulties, bottlenecks, and pain points faced by different customers are different. This synchronous requirement means that the solution provided by the solution provider must be closely linked to the customer's demands, using products as tools to solve problems for customers and seize application opportunities.

Regarding the scenarios of lithium battery industry customers, with the introduction of industrial robots into the backend of cell production and module & PACK production lines, a major challenge arises: How can automation equipment keep up with the efficiency requirements of cell lines?

In the past, many automation equipment fell far short of customer expectations due to various reasons such as high defect rates in terminal applications.

How to drive end-user usage flow?

Based on project experience analysis and insights, ATOMROBOT has developed tailored solutions for scene applications in different battery types.

For example, in the process stages of square winding power batteries, soft-pack consumer batteries, and chemical formation and capacity division, the application of the D3 series high-speed robots, together with 3D vision systems and high-speed robot technology, accelerates the yield rate of battery cells by improving both speed and accuracy. Simultaneously, advanced software packages are synchronized to optimize product stability and compatibility, ensuring minimal failure rates and helping lithium battery manufacturers increase speed comprehensively while reducing operating costs.

(2) From order to fulfillment, linking customer benefits with costs, it's worth it.

Focus on saving development costs for components, with technology as the main driving force, in a continuous and steady race in the industrial robot industry.

In April this year, ATOMROBOT expanded its factory in Xinxiang, Henan, to establish a production base for robot components. This move is an effective response to the recent surge in material prices and is based on a long-term strategic relationship with customers.

ATOMROBOT reexamines the concept of industrial robot products to market integration development chain from the perspective of downstream customer suppliers, exploring cost reduction paths by improving processes and reducing costs at the component level. This enhances the overall cost-effectiveness of the machines, reduces the downstream customers' procurement cost pressures, stabilizes procurement costs, and ensures that products effectively meet customer needs, thus expanding profit margins for both parties.

From a business perspective, ATOMROBOT understands that addressing customer pain points is the key to unlocking value and rejects self-indulgent technological development.

In recent years, the company has provided customized non-standard equipment solutions for the lithium battery and photovoltaic industries, tailoring multiple system solutions for the new energy industry. By focusing on high speed and optimizing the combination of core technologies such as controllers, servo systems, and reducers, the company has greatly improved machine operation efficiency, stability, and compatibility, extending the functionality of its products in new energy processes such as lithium batteries and photovoltaics.

"Our equipment technology must keep pace with any changes in the technical level of the end products to ensure the fulfillment of our mission," said an Atomrobot technician.

(3) From problem to solution, responding quickly to service requests, providing peace of mind.

Customer-oriented, service-first — for all members of ATOMROBOT, this is not just a slogan, but a standardized service practice that starts from identifying customer needs, proceeds through order fulfillment, and extends to post-service implementation.

In the past, competing in the market centered around business models, ATOMROBOT acquired a batch of customers. However, under the business expansion model of "letting the bullets fly for a while," diversified customer demands emerged in parallel. This realization led ATOMROBOT to understand deeply that while technological innovation accelerates efficiency optimization, long-term customer retention requires excellent service.

"From debugging to delivery, it's not the end. We focus on the customer's subsequent usage, promptly collect and feedback customer issues, and dynamically respond to changes in integrator and end-user requirements," stated a service representative from ATOMROBOT.

"Taking a longer-term view, creating more added value for customers, our goals and interests are aligned tactically. Solving their problems is actually helping ourselves," they added.

Industry application | ATOMROBOT

(1) Project Name: Cylindrical Battery Sorting Workstation

The project employs 4 high-speed parallel robots, each with a power of 1 kW.

After production, the finished cylindrical batteries are conveyed to the sorting workstation under an industrial camera via a conveyor belt. The visual system is used for positioning, recognition, and detection, while the robotic arms perform point tracking and grabbing. The batteries are sorted into corresponding positions and outputted by a spiral conveyor, entering the manual boxing process. Automation of the process is completed.

The average operating speed of the robots is 160 pieces per minute per unit, with an accuracy of ±0.5 millimeters and a load capacity of 15 kilograms. Each unit replaces 4 manual workers, resulting in a 200% increase in productivity and a payback period of 15 months.

(2) Project Name: New Energy Battery Electrode Sorting Workstation

The project introduces 8 high-speed parallel robots, each with a power of 1 kW.

Electrodes finished by the powder coating machine are conveyed to the area under the industrial camera via a conveyor belt. A visual defect detection system is used for positioning, recognition, and detection. The robots receive OK/NG instructions and position signals, enabling them to perform high-speed tracking, grabbing, and precise stacking.

The average operating speed of the robots is 90 pieces per minute per unit, with an accuracy of ±0.5 millimeters and a rotation accuracy of ±0.1°. Each unit replaces 3 manual workers, resulting in a 100% increase in productivity and a payback period of 18 months.

(3) Project Name: Battery Aluminum Shell Sorting and Insertion Basket

The project utilizes 4 high-speed parallel robots, each with a power of 1 kW.

After discharge from the stamping machine, battery aluminum shells are conveyed to the area under the industrial camera via a conveyor belt. The visual system is employed for positioning, recognition, and detection. The robotic arms perform point tracking, grabbing, and placing into fixed position mechanisms, while synchronously flipping them into flower baskets, completing the automation process.

The average operating speed of the robots is 110 pieces per minute per unit, with an accuracy of ±0.5 millimeters and a rotation accuracy of ±0.1°. Each unit replaces 3 manual workers, resulting in a 100% increase in productivity and a payback period of 12 months.

(4) Project Name: Solar Cell Insertion into Flower Baskets

The project employs 6 high-speed parallel robots, each with a power of 1 kW.

Bulk solar cell pieces are conveyed to the area under the industrial camera via a conveyor belt. The visual system is used for positioning, recognition, and detection. The robots receive OK/NG instructions and position signals, allowing the robotic arms to perform point tracking, sorting, and placing into specified flower baskets.

The average operating speed of the robots is 80 pieces per minute per unit, with an accuracy of ±0.5 millimeters and a rotation accuracy of ±0.1°. Each unit replaces 2 manual workers, resulting in a 50% increase in productivity and a payback period of 15 months.