Hexagon, a global leader in metrology and manufacturing intelligence, is at the forefront of a technological revolution in electric vehicle (EV) battery production. The company is leveraging industrial computed tomography (CT), software automation, and advanced analytics to enable automotive manufacturers to perform non-destructive testing (NDT) and validate critical internal battery components with unprecedented speed and precision.
Industrial CT scanning allows engineers to perform comprehensive internal inspections of batteries layer by layer without any disassembly, a significant leap from traditional NDT methods. This capability is essential for quality assurance, as it can detect internal defects such as voids, cracks, and misalignments in the anode and cathode sheets that are invisible to external inspection.
According to Roger Wende, senior business development manager at Hexagon, the key to scaling this process is automation. “We’ve seen engineers spending up to an hour manually inspecting a single battery using basic tools. It’s just not sustainable when you’re trying to ramp up to production volumes.” Hexagon's VGStudio Max software is central to this transformation, automating the analysis of massive CT datasets to identify and measure critical features like electrode overhang or curvature. This automated analysis not only drives throughput but also ensures consistency and repeatability, categorizing parts as good or bad based on predefined tolerances.
Beyond defect detection, the CT inspection data is being used to optimize manufacturing processes. By tracking key performance indicators over time, manufacturers can detect early signs of equipment wear or material inconsistency, enabling proactive process improvement. This data-driven approach, coupled with cloud-enabled software, allows for enterprise-level analytics and traceability across global manufacturing networks.
As the EV industry continues its rapid transition to high-volume production, the need for scalable and intelligent quality control systems is paramount. By integrating industrial CT with powerful analytics and automation, Hexagon is helping manufacturers to enhance quality, improve yields, and ultimately deliver safer and more reliable vehicles.
