Sustainable Value Retention of Electric Motors

The REASSERT project, initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) in cooperation with industrial partners, is focusing on the development of innovative approaches to value retention of electric motors. by Ruben Vorwald

As electric vehicles become more popular and e-motor production increases, the challenge arises to develop sustainable strategies for the re-use and repair of these motors. At the moment, electric motors are recycled after their service life, but valuable resources such as copper and rare-earth metals are destroyed in the process.
 
The main idea behind the REASSERT project is to recycle e-motors by applying different value-retention strategies like re-use, repair, re-manufacturing, and material recycling in a modern circular economy. The objective of this approach is to reduce consumption of natural resources, minimize waste and decrease environmental impact.

Conventional recycling methods based on raw-material recycling are inefficient as they render the motors unsuitable for re-use after shredding, and they destroy valuable components. REASSERT, therefore, strives to replace these methods with the value-retention strategies mentioned. The goal is to create a closed system in which valuable resources are used again in order to minimize dependence on imported raw materials.

One outstanding aspect of the project is the development of an AI decision-making tool which determines the optimum value-retention strategy for each electric motor based on product and process data. This tool will help minimize the use of resources like rare earths and copper, and simultaneously maximize the re-use of motors.

In addition, REASSERT aims to use all the knowledge acquired for the design of future e-motors. An important step in this direction is the development of a prototype for a motor which is easily disassembled and to which the various value-retention strategies can be seamlessly applied.

The project process chain comprises different stations from inbound inspection to end-of-line testing which enable comprehensive refurbishment of the e-motors. The challenges lie in the disassembly and re-use of components like the magnetic materials used in the motors.

The ultimate objective of the REASSERT project is to establish a groundbreaking strategy for the value retention of e-motors. The targeted results could make a significant contribution to the conservation of resources, reduction of waste and less environmental impact of electromobility.

HANNING & KAHL’s commitment

Comparable measures towards value retention and re-use of products have long been anchored at HANNING & KAHL. Preventive servicing of the products which we manufacture maximizes availability and guarantees safety. Like the REASSERT project report, we at HANNING & KAHL refurbish and re-use parts when overhauling our products. Our long-standing policy of prolonging the operational life of products by servicing and reconditioning parts is a standard part of our work, and it stresses the importance of sustainable practices in industry.