SK promotes smart battery production equipment

SK Innovation's battery subsidiary, is working with domestic and foreign companies with global-level technologies to advance the intelligence of battery production facilities.

On the afternoon of December 26, SK announced the signing of a six-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) technology at Green Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with Peflex Automation, Cisco, Efgate Electronics, Yaskawa Electric Korea and Woowon. The MOU aims to enhance control and communication systems for battery production facilities.

SK plans to validate the performance, quality and reliability of the technologies and services provided by these companies and discuss strategic cooperation for smart production equipment. The initiative is expected to enhance manufacturing competitiveness by reducing costs and increasing yields without the need for major equipment overhauls.

The collaboration includes exploring advances in controllers that oversee equipment control, smart sensors for monitoring, communication networks and power equipment - all key components and systems associated with battery production equipment.

Upgrading controllers is closely linked to increasing the speed of equipment, which can help improve production. Smart sensors can improve operational efficiency by detecting equipment conditions and errors more accurately and quickly, reducing recovery time in the event of a failure.

Advances in network systems are expected to reduce downtime, enhance data redundancy and security, and lay the foundation for remote equipment control. This is in line with SK on's strategy to strengthen its smart factory program.

Previously, SK on had announced plans to adopt equipment and technology to create a smart factory at its Seosan 3rd factory, which is under construction, and to improve productivity with solutions applied at existing factories.