Lithium-ion batteries have become an integral part of our daily lives: they power electric cars, mobile devices, and energy storage systems. Inside, they hold valuable elements — lithium, nickel, manganese, copper, aluminum — essential for the energy transition. These materials help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, supporting the spread of electric mobility and the large-scale integration of renewable sources such as wind and solar power. However, their extraction often comes with a high environmental cost and occurs in geopolitically sensitive regions, highlighting the urgent need for circular and sustainable solutions.

So what happens when batteries reach the end of their life? Recovering valuable materials is essential, but far from simple. Battery packs are complex structures, with designs that differ by manufacturer and components that demand strict handling procedures. Developing innovative recycling methods is therefore no longer just a technological challenge, but also an environmental and economic necessity.

Within the AutoMat project, the ARM research group, part of the Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production (ISTePS), has developed new robotic and digital solutions to make the dismantling process safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

The team has developed two automatic machines able to process both cylindrical and prismatic cells. These machines can identify the type and condition of each cell, position it correctly, and open it in a controlled manner. The process ensures safety and precision while producing separate streams of recyclable materials — metallic casings, plastics, and electrode windings — ready for the next recycling stages.

Alongside these fully automated solutions, a semi-automatic workstation has also been developed for the battery packs of electric vehicles. Here, the flexibility and dexterity of human work are combined with the strength, safety, and operational resilience of collaborative robotic systems. The team has also explored laser-based processes, testing new techniques for cutting and opening cells, and assessing their benefits and limitations.


 

Traceability and Industrial Collaboration

A key element of the project has been the integration of the Digital Battery Passport, a digital tool that collects and preserves information related to the lifecycle of batteries. This enables component traceability, links data to dismantling and recycling phases, and supports a smarter, more circular reuse of materials.

The project also relies on collaboration with Société Nouvelle d'Affinage des Métaux (SNAM), a French company and leading player in the recycling of lithium and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Their industrial expertise allows the Laboratory to validate the developed solutions in real-world settings, ensuring that prototypes meet concrete market needs.

Through these activities, SUPSI is helping to rethink the future of batteries: no longer as difficult waste to dispose of, but as true urban mines from which to extract new materials and opportunities. This is a further step toward strengthening the sustainability of the entire energy value chain and enabling Europe to consolidate its strategic autonomy, reducing dependence on foreign supplies of critical raw materials.