14:00-14:30 – Reuse of bicycle batteries into rechargeable block batteries
Presented by Karel Kellens (FlandersMake@KULeuven), Tom Machiels (FlandersMake@UHasselt) & Jos Symons (REACCT)
Reacct, a startup, repurposes e-mobility batteries for second-life applications, initially focusing on sustainable block batteries for road signalization. We utilize residual power in end-of-life bicycle batteries, with production in a sheltered workshop ensuring clarity, safety, and precision. The complex process is subdivided into subassemblies, supported by custom molds, tools, and automated spot-welding in a collaborative production line. Process flow is simulated and analyzed using FlexSim for optimization. Among others, ongoing research includes the automated disassembly of battery cells from end-of-life e-bikes and e-steps.
14:30-15:00 – Efficient creation of digital work instructions
Presented by: Steven Hoedt (FlandersMake@UGent) & Ben Mahy (SupportSquare)
We streamline digital work instruction (DWI) creation for diverse product variants, integrating PLM and DWI authoring tools through a Knowledge Graph. It automates DWI template generation for new variants, ensuring consistency and reducing creation time. Changes in design or instructions are propagated across all variants. Tested with CAD2DWI, Supportsquare integrated the API, advancing to product family-level instructions. In an industrial case with 54 variants, it saved up to 96% of DWI authoring time, significantly reducing effort in maintaining up-to-date, consistent instruction sets.
