LISI GROUP - Integrated report 2023

35 2 0 2 3 I N T E G R A T E D R E P O R T STRATEGY How did this innovation come about and what is its significance? Research into vehicle weight reduction led us in particular to focus on multi-material assemblies as early as 2019. The principle of a connection between steel and a lighter element such as aluminum opens up particularly interesting avenues to lighten the structure of vehicles, a challenge for lowering their consumption and related CO 2  emissions, or compensating for the significant weight of batteries in electric vehicles. From this point of view, LISI-µ MACH ASSEMBLY PROCESS ® constitutes a major breakthrough. This mechanical assembly process through the laser micro-machining of surfaces and in situ additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce numerous mechanical and electrical assembly configurations, without any limits as to geometry. The aluminum alloy-based assembly points are light and guarantee good mechanical resistance. The process is cold, and doesn’t involve any oxidation or mixing of materials. It also offers extremely low contact resistance and thus optimizes the lifespan of batteries in electric vehicles. Finally, it allows for the production of electrical connections of higher quality and efficiency than what is available in the market today. What milestones did you reach in 2023? In 2022, we developed a demonstrator in order to test and comment with our customers on this full- scale assembly system on relatively simple geometries. The reception was very positive and revealed many fields of application. “Amajor breakthrough for multi-material assemblies.” DavidMercs Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Director of Expertise Manager of Experts’ Network LISI AUTOMOTIVE LISI- µ MACHASSEMBLYPROCESS ® Innovation In 2023 we focused on more complex parts, with assemblies at different points of the same assembly – a car door for example –, which complicates the robots’ trajectory. For this project, supported as part of the France 2030 Recovery Plan, an engineer from LISI AUTOMOTIVE was seconded for 23 months to the Technological University of Belfort-Montbéliard (in eastern France) to work on the optimization of trajectories. Now, the robot is capable of recognizing the part presented to it, checking its compliance, comparing it to the theoretical model, and then automatically adapting its trajectory to operate the steel-aluminum assembly points. What are the upcoming development phases? We have launched the test phases on the assembly of the side plates of the battery packs and the quality of their electrical connections which are the main applications of the system to date. Regarding the actual process, artificial intelligence should ultimately allow us to go further, to identify and process configurations that are beyond the model, such as a misaligned or defective part. #AUTOMOTIVE #PROCESS