Rockwell Automation, primarily known for their industrial automation and plant connectivity solutions, recently opened a new 8,000 square-foot Electric Vehicle Innovation Center in San Jose, California. The facility will provide live manufacturing demonstrations, hands-on training with new technology, and collaborative events where industry experts and Rockwell partners can demonstrate the latest advances.
Utilizing virtual and augmented reality modeling, the facility hopes to provide automotive start-ups and established suppliers alike with an environment for establishing new standards and processes. The end goal is a focus on getting electric vehicles to market faster, with less risk and at a lower cost. Some of the resources being made available at the site include:
- Rockwell’s FactoryTalk InnovationSuite software for bringing these different sources together on one working platform
- Eagle Technologies battery pack assembly machines
- Robot production technologies supplied by FANUC. Batteries currently represent as much as one-third of the cost of an EV.
- Hirata, a turnkey assembly line builder, will provide an assembly cell that demonstrates electric drive unit assembly and testing.
- Emulate 3D, Rockwell Automation’s simulation software, will prototype and test machines before they’re built.
- teamtechnik will perform functional testing to confirm performance before building the drive into the electric vehicle.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, by 2040 it’s expected that 54% of new vehicle sales will be electric.
