At the VDMA networking meeting on November 25 in Rheinböllen, one message was clear: automation is the key to a truly circular economy. This is exactly where HAHN Automation Group comes in—with strong R&D expertise in recycling.
VDMA Networking Meeting in Rheinböllen: Advancing the Circular Economy
On Tuesday, November 25, HAHN Automation Group hosted a VDMA networking meeting at its headquarters in Rheinböllen under the theme “From End-of-Life Product to Resource – Automation as the Key” (“Vom Altgerät zur Ressource – Automatisierung als Schlüssel”). Representatives from industry and research came together to highlight current developments in sustainable recycling and to discuss concrete pathways toward an industrial circular economy.
The day began with expert presentations on industry trends and recycling technologies. Afterwards, guests toured our facility and gained insights into our technologies, processes, and working environments. In the afternoon, automated dismantling took center stage, supported by hands-on workshops and in-depth discussions. The open dialogue and constructive atmosphere underscored how essential networking and joint solutions are for the next steps in recycling automation. We sincerely thank all participants and look forward to continued collaboration within the VDMA network.
Recycling as a Key Future Field for Our R&D
The meeting also reflects a topic that has been strategically anchored at HAHN for years: recycling as a future-focused automation challenge. Our R&D develops technologies and concepts that enable efficient dismantling of systems from energy- and resource-critical future technologies, with targeted recovery of valuable materials. This creates processes that make circularity not only environmentally meaningful, but also scalable for industry and economically viable.
We conduct research across a wide range of product areas and material streams. Whether battery systems, solar panels, or other resource-intensive technologies of the future, our aim is to advance automated dismantling and material separation so that loops can be closed and raw materials secured for the long term.
DemoRec: Automation Solutions for Battery Recycling
One current example of this expertise is our research project within the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) battery research framework, which has been running since fall 2023. Together with partners such as VW, BASF, and RWTH Aachen University, we are working to significantly refine the automated dismantling of lithium-ion batteries. At its core, the project focuses on safely and reproducibly breaking batteries down into their individual components, enabling more precise recovery of valuable raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
At the same time, dismantling provides important insights for the future: once it becomes clear which designs can be especially well dismantled through automation, it is possible to derive approaches for making batteries more sustainable and recycling-friendly from the outset. Concepts such as more modular designs are conceivable, where individual components can be removed more easily and then recycled more efficiently. In this way, the project combines industrial recycling practice with a strong “design for dismantling” approach.
Further background and project details are summarized in our DemoRec case study: Case Study Battery Recycling – DemoRec Project.
“We are sustainable.” – Sustainability as a Guiding Principle
Our consistent commitment to recycling automation reflects our company value: “We are sustainable.” For us, sustainability means combining economic, social, and environmental responsibility and embedding it at the core of our innovation work. You can find more about our company values here: Quality & ESG – Our Values.
