Master Thesis - Virtual Disassembly Modelling of Battery Packs

Thesis worker - Virtual Disassembly Modelling of Battery Packs

Introduction

Thesis work is an excellent way to get closer to Scania and Traton and build relationships for the future. Many of today's employees began their Traton career with their degree project.

Background



Battery pack design decisions made during the concept and development stages strongly influence the circularity potential of the product throughout its lifecycle. Existing battery packs increasingly rely on structural adhesives, welded joints, and highly integrated architectures that improve performance but often create significant barriers to disassembly and material recovery. Disassembly studies can act as a key enabler for higher-value circular strategies, including repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and selective recycling.

While disassembly considerations are typically evaluated later in the product lifecycle, virtual disassembly methods offer the possibility to assess circularity implications much earlier. This could provide actionable feedback to design teams allowing circularity requirements to be considered alongside cost, performance, safety, and manufacturability.

Objective

The objective of this study is to design to evaluate methods for disassembly study through a virtual or automated calculation approach which be used as an early-stage decision-support tool for battery pack development. The study will develop and test a methodology that uses digital product information (e.g., CAD models, assembly structures, and joining methods) to evaluate disassembly feasibility and generate circularity-related design feedback. The method will also consider (and possibly develop) AI tools that could automate this.

Specifically, the study aims to:

• Identify the inputs required to perform a circularity-oriented virtual disassembly assessment.
• Evaluate how different battery pack design concepts perform from a disassembly perspective.
• Identify how these inputs can be executed in an AI or CAD tool.
• Assess the potential of virtual disassembly as a practical tool for integrating circularity considerations into earlier stages of battery pack product development.

Qualifications

• Master's Program in Industrial Engineering and Management, Mechanical Engineering, Vehicle Engineering, Engineering Design, Sustainable Production Development, or related field
• Experience with CAD tools (e.g., CATIA, or similar) and simulations
• Interest in or experience with AI/ML tools, such as rule-based systems, graph-based assembly representations, or LLM-assisted extraction of product information

Education/program/focus

Studies: Master's Program in Industrial Engineering and Management, Mechanical Engineering, Vehicle Engineering, Engineering Design, Sustainable Production Development, or related field
Number of students: 1
Start date: Jan 18th
Estimated time required: Until 20 June

Supervisors:

Niharika Dayaneni, Battery & Charging, niharika.dayaneni@scania.com
Michael Lieder, Sustainability Analysis

Application:

Your application must include a CV, a personal letter, and a transcript of grades.

A background check might be conducted for this position. We are conducting interviews continuously and may close the recruitment earlier than the date specified.

Requisition ID: 34932

Number of Openings: 1.0

Part-time / Full-time: Full-time

Permanent / Temporary: Temporary

Country / Region: SE

Location(s):
Södertälje, SE, 151 38

Required Travel: 0%

Workplace: Hybrid