Schuler to supply turnkey battery housing line to LT Precision

Schuler has sold a production line to South Korea-based LT Precision that will produce 2,000 battery housings per minute—about half the number of battery cells in an average electric vehicle. The line includes a cupping system and seven postprocessing presses, including the corresponding dies, which are built by the company's subsidiary Aweba.

The cylindrical battery cell housings are 21 mm dia. and 70 mm long. The first press cuts round blanks from nickel-plated sheet steel and forms them into cups during the same process step, achieving a material utilization rate of 90% or more. The cups then are deep drawn, ironed, and trimmed in the automatic stamping presses. Six parts per machine fall onto the outfeed conveyor at any one time. The last operation is washing of the cell casings.

The line is scheduled to begin operation in 2024. The battery cell housings will be used in EVs from various manufacturers.