Process and product innovation in electric mobility enabled by photonics
At Politecnico di Milano, the Laboratory for Laser Applications, SITEC, looks towards the development of new processes enabling new products and solutions for electric mobility exploiting the increased availability of laser-based manufacturing solutions in the industry.
Lasers provide flexible manipulation of energy input for material transformation in a digital manner. The advent of electrification in mobility embedded these technologies in critical components such as the drive train and the energy storage systems. Lasers offer more solutions for this emerging industry, where process and product innovation is often achievable through well-known and novel ways of interaction between material and light. At Politecnico di Milano, laser based-manufacturing tools are exploited for next-generation of electric mobility with a wide range of applications from biodegradable batteries to material recovery systems and flexible electronics.
The electrification of mobility poses challenges and opportunities to the vehicle manufacturers. Laser based manufacturing processes have been widely adopted in key products of the electric vehicles (EVs). Powertrain and energy storage systems already exploit laser cutting, welding, heat treatment, and surface structuring processes. Some of the key applications of laser-based manufacturing processes are welding of hairpins and stator laminates of the electric drives, electrode structuring, cutting, and welding in Li-ion batteries, as well as the production of the battery packs using the combination of these processes.
The electric vehicle industry is now looking into robust solutions exploiting the digital tool combined with monitoring solutions and artificial intelligence. The electric mobility in the meanwhile also calls for new solutions for problems that still require attention that ranges from increased range of vehicles, use of environmentally sustainable solutions as well as a view towards the end-of-life of these products. Photonic solutions based on lasers, optical measurement, and monitoring devices from this perspective can play a key role in product and process innovation.
Read the interactive issue in the Adobe Cloud, or download the single-article PDF – Ali Gökhan Demir (Politecnico di Milano): Process and product innovation in electric mobility enabled by photonics, PhotonicsViews 22 (D1), April 2025, pp. 12–16
Company
Politecnico di MilanoPiazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32
20133 Milano
Italy
most read
A New Approach to Fan Inspection
Reliable Quality Control during the Production of Fans for Diesel Engines
Productivity Boost for the Frontline
Machine Vision and AMRs as Part of AI-Driven Strategies in Manufacturing and Warehouse Operations
Precise Component Measurements
3D Sensors for Inline Inspection