LIVE

Advanced Processes for high-performance and Lightweight battery case for Electric Vehicles Manufacturing

The LIVE project evaluated the effect of laser welding (LW) and superplastic forming (SF) for aluminum components intended for the battery sector. The goal was to optimize welding parameters and verify the feasibility of replacing die-cast components with formed components while maintaining mechanical and geometric requirements.

Various laser sources and beam configurations were analyzed on die-cast components to identify optimal process conditions, reducing porosity and improving interface quality without compromising mechanical integrity. The results showed good reproducibility, but defects in 10–15% of the samples due to localized porosity, for which a mitigation strategy was proposed.

Superplastic forming was studied through bulging tests and closed molds, combined with high-temperature material characterizations. Constitutive models and numerical simulations allowed for the optimization of forming strategies, achieving uniform thicknesses, reduced wrinkling, and high surface quality.

Replacing die-cast components with superplastically formed parts allowed for laser welding speeds that were 250% higher, with potential benefits in terms of production efficiency and reduced energy consumption. A monitoring system provided real-time non-destructive feedback for process control. Virtual and physical demonstrators confirmed the feasibility and reliability of the approach.