How Data Scientists Are Shaping
the Future of Electromobility.

The BMW Group’s Gen6 high-voltage batteries are a technological leap, offering major improvements in energy density, charging speed and range. Preparations for their series production are currently underway, with the BMW Group building five new assembly sites – at Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA).

Before series production can begin, all the new processes have to be developed and tested at the pilot plants in Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos and the Research and Innovation Centre, FIZ, in Munich. The linchpin in the operation is the data scientist and IT project manager Patrick Zimmermann. He is responsible for implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and data analytics in high-voltage battery production.

“I coordinate an interdisciplinary team that oversees the entire data processing chain, from data provision at the manufacturing facilities to edge applications,” Zimmermann explains. His job is to create the foundation for linking and analysing the global network of production lines.

Zimmermann’s role is at the intersection between IT and production, so he needs a detailed understanding not only of production technologies but of complex software architectures too. “Not every analysis or AI solution that performs well in one industry or use case will work equally well in battery production,” he explains.

Because Gen6 high-voltage battery production involves a number of completely new production processes, data scientists have to explore new horizons. By linking sensor data, process information and machine interfaces, they are developing systems that can autonomously assess quality and efficiency. Close coordination with the specialist departments responsible is essential in development and production.

A key element in high-voltage battery production is the zero-defects approach. This uses numerical as well as visual representations from the systems along with integrated in-line AI-supported quality checks.

Plant connectivity is based on OPC UA, a standardised interface technology for plant connectivity. This allows equipment to communicate directly with the data platform without complicated interim steps. Digital twins of the production equipment offer a virtual representation, allowing the root causes of errors to be detected early and adjustments to be simulated.

All the data is transferred to the BMW Group’s cloud, where it is uniformly organised and made available for analysis. This way, teams around the world can access standardised dashboards in real-time and implement process optimisations immediately.

High-voltage battery production consists of numerous precisely coordinated steps. First of all, individual cells are joined to form cell clusters. These are then welded to the cell contact system as a seamless in-line monitoring system checks every welding seam in real-time. Next, an innovative foaming processes combines the different elements into a single mechanical unit to protect them. In the final step the central control unit, or Energy Master, is fitted to the high-voltage battery. To finish, every unit undergoes a 100-percent end-of-line check to ensure quality, safety and function. At every stage of the process, important data is gathered to form a valuable basis for the analysis systems maintained by Zimmermann and his team.

As greenfield construction projects, the new plants offer what Zimmermann describes as “totally new scope” for designing IT systems. Unlike in existing (brownfield) plants, the systems in these new facilities incorporate digital structures that have been optimally coordinated from the outset. So, the architecture established at the pilot plants in Bavaria can easily be transferred to series plants around the world.

“It’s been really exciting to be a part of the force that has been shaping the Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics from day one,” Zimmermann enthuses. And so BMW is creating a scalable, data-based foundation for tomorrow’s battery production – with highly stable processes and scope for continuous improvement.