Briggs & Stratton, one of many world’s largest producers of engines for out of doors energy tools, is making a further funding of $6 million in its Superior Battery Manufacturing facility in Tucker, Georgia, to enhance the protection, effectivity and manufacturing capability of its Vanguard Lithium-Ion Battery Packs by means of the addition of automated tools inside its manufacturing course of.
The 78,000-square-foot facility opened in 2020 to assist a strategic provide settlement with Ingersoll Rand to energy Membership Automotive automobiles with Vanguard Lithium-Ion Battery Packs.
The Tucker location contains 4 manufacturing traces with the capability to accommodate future development because the demand for battery energy continues to develop throughout the off-highway trade.
Chris Davison, advertising and marketing director — electrification at Briggs & Stratton, says: “This vital funding additional cements our dedication to bringing probably the most sturdy, dependable battery packs to market.
“The addition of automation to our manufacturing processes will assist to streamline and strengthen our manufacturing capability but additionally additional guarantee the protection of these engaged on the meeting line.
“With the addition of strategic automation enhancements, the state-of-the-art Tucker facility will elevate the extent of service, assist and experience we’re capable of present to our OEM stakeholders as they search to combine battery energy into their tools.”
In response to the rising Vanguard battery portfolio, the Tucker facility is increasing its manufacturing processes to accommodate the manufacturing of various packs and configurations.
The automated tools will allow all the facility’s meeting traces to construct the completely different battery pack fashions and configurations.
Security is a high precedence for Vanguard, and the addition of automation builds on the corporate’s dedication to security — from the beginning of the event and testing course of all through to the manufacturing and software of its battery and industrial engine merchandise.
Automation will add a further layer of security to the manufacturing course of because it helps to deal with ergonomic pressure on operators as a consequence of repetitive movement, restrict the publicity of operators to delicate supplies, and be sure that materials dealing with necessities are met.
Christopher Bonham, plant supervisor at Briggs & Stratton, says: “We’ll be utilizing superior security units, controls and tools to make sure that we’re not solely making a high quality product, but additionally conserving our operators and technicians secure within the course of.”
With the addition of automated tools, Bonham additionally anticipates improved high quality ranges and manufacturing efficiency because of the elimination of variation all through the manufacturing course of.
Bonham says: “Automation permits us to attenuate the incidence of inevitable human error in meeting.
“One of the best ways for us to deal with potential high quality and questions of safety that might come up from working with delicate battery cells is to get rid of threat. That is one methodology of reaching that.
“It additionally helps us streamline and simplify our processes, enhance scheduling, and pivot extra rapidly to satisfy buyer demand. We’ll see effectivity enhancements between three and ten instances.”
Vanguard gives a aggressive vary of battery energy options in each fastened (Fi Collection) and swappable (Si Collection) configurations, together with a 1.5kWh energy choice within the Si Collection and three.5kWh, 3.8kWh, 5kWh, 7kWh and 10kWh energy choices within the Fi Collection.
Vanguard Lithium-Ion Battery Packs are designed to be modular and can be found in several configurations to satisfy particular software necessities throughout markets.
As Briggs & Stratton continues to spend money on the expansion of its electrification choices, the addition of automated tools to its manufacturing processes creates alternatives for workers to realize data and coaching on in-demand technical jobs because the Tucker facility grows different areas of its operations.
The brand new automated tools will start operation in early spring 2023. Bonham and his group are excited for the brand new alternatives the addition of automation on the Tucker location will convey.
Bonham says: “This funding reveals Briggs & Stratton’s dedication to electrification in addition to to the Tucker facility and our workforce right here.
“It’s a major funding and vote of confidence for the merchandise we’re constructing. Now we have an ideal future forward as each our group and product lineup proceed to develop.”
