Birmingham-based Sertec Group Ltd, a global automotive components manufacturer, has invested £1.7 million into its R&D programmes, to develop the UK’s first mass-production assembly line for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

It is scheduled to be fully operational in September 2021 and when in place will have the capability to produce in excess of 40 million EV battery busbar assemblies each year, marking a vital step forward in EV technology for both the Midlands region and the UK.

Alongside the Busbar assembly line is a fully equipped pre-production facility and testing laboratory. The laboratory, built at a cost of £500,000, is considered invaluable in developing the Group’s abilities to design and test Busbars in modular battery production.

Meanwhile, the £1 million pre-production facility has enabled Sertec to build protoypes and complete low-volume orders for its customers. The production cell is currently being used to prove design concepts for assemblies requiring welding of dissimilar Busbar materials.

As well as developing new technologies essential for EV production, Sertec has also invested in similar technological innovation to support its customers in the consumer goods (FMCG) and distribution sectors. The company’s investment extends to the recruitment of various highly skilled, specialist roles to support these efforts.

Grant Adams, Sertec Group CEO, said: “The investment we have made in new technology facilities are vital to the automotive industry’s ever evolving requirements for lightweight material production, which is set to become critical in future vehicle structures. As a UK first, the busbar assembly line is integral to taking electric vehicle production forward both in the region and across the UK.

“It will also help establish Sertec as one of the sector leading companies for this type of battery technology and put us at the heart of a regional manufacturing hub renowned for meeting the new technologic challenges of the future.”

With expansion into the EV sector key to Sertec’s future business vision, the Group is also preparing to build a larger footprint in mainland Europe, including bringing new leadership into the organisation. As a result, various senior staff have been recruited including a new European sales director, chief finance officer, vice president of quality and environmental affairs, vice president of human resource and a new managing director to run Sertec’s Hungarian facility.

Sertec is also looking to set up a technical centre in Germany, similar to the one they have in China. The plan going forward is to repurpose the German plant as an electric vehicle component site using the know-how that has been developed in the UK.