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Munich. The high-voltage battery is a vital component of every electric vehicle. With the high-voltage batteries for the sixth generation (Gen6) of BMW eDrive, the BMW Group has made a big step in technology, delivering major improvements in energy density, charging speed and range. In readiness for series production, the BMW Group is currently building five assembly sites across three continents: in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA). Before the series launch, production processes will be developed and tested at the BMW Group’s pilot plants for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf and Hallbergmoos, and at the Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich. As a data scientist and IT project manager, Patrick Zimmermann is responsible for implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and data analytics in the high-voltage battery production of the BMW Group. His role is to weave all relevant software strands together.

Patrick, what do you do as a data scientist and IT project manager in high-voltage battery production?

Patrick Zimmermann (PZ): I coordinate an interdisciplinary team that oversees the entire data processing chain: from data provision at the manufacturing facilities to edge applications that transfer our production data to the cloud and to analytics platforms.

What kind of expertise do you need for that?

PZ: First and foremost, the job requires a solid understanding of the technologies used to manufacture our high-voltage batteries. For this latest generation, which uses the new cylindrical round cells, we’ve developed a completely new production process. Of course, strong IT knowledge is also essential – with a clear focus on the software architectures behind the data analytics and artificial intelligence. Understanding the individual software modules and interfaces is crucial for choosing the right solutions for our production from the wide range of technologies and applications available.

This means you always have your finger on the pulse and can anticipate IT trends?

PZ: Data analytics and AI for production are evolving at a tremendous pace right now. That's why it’s important to keep an eye on new approaches and evaluate whether they’re suitable for BMW. Or whether they could even replace existing solutions – perhaps by offering lower costs or enhanced features. Not every analysis or AI solution that performs well in a particular industry or use case can be directly applied to battery production.

Production of Gen6 high-voltage batteries is groundbreaking for the BMW Group. What, in your opinion, makes this project unique?

PZ: One unique aspect is the end-to-end responsibility – from data provision and data transfer to the cloud, all the way through to selective and even continuous analyses. We process both numerical data and visual representations from the equipment. Throughout the process, we maintain a consistent zero-defect approach to producing our high-voltage batteries. Highly intelligent, AI-supported quality checks are integrated into the production process to help us achieve this. We rely on OPC UA interface technology for plant connectivity. This enables us to model standardised digital twins directly at our plants, eliminating the need for additional data processing. Data is transferred to the BMW Group's clouds, using the same data structure across all production sites. This allows us to roll out standardised analysis dashboards worldwide and, for example, implement process optimisations more rapidly. We’ve already established this IT architecture at our high-voltage battery pilot plants. We have now been able to transfer our analysis dashboards to the first series production plants with minimal effort.

Entire new plants and assembly halls are being built for production of the new Gen6 high-voltage batteries. Is this beneficial for the IT structure?

PZ: Absolutely! Building several plants for Gen6 high-voltage batteries on greenfield sites gives us a whole new level of design freedom. This allows for much bigger leaps in IT, compared to integrating new solutions into existing plants – a so-called brownfield. I, for one, find it really exciting to help shape the Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics on such a large scale right from the start.