EV Battery Tray Machining Case Study

The EV battery tray is one of the most important structural components in modern electric vehicles. It serves as the foundation of the battery pack, supporting battery modules, cooling systems, high-voltage electrical components, and structural reinforcements.

As electric vehicles become lighter and more energy efficient, battery trays are increasingly manufactured from aluminum alloys such as 6061, 6082, and 6005A. However, extrusion tolerances, welding distortion, and casting variations make it impossible to achieve final dimensional requirements through forming processes alone.

Critical features including sealing surfaces, module mounting faces, cooling plate interfaces, and locating holes require high-precision CNC machining to guarantee assembly accuracy and waterproof performance.

Our customer is a manufacturer of battery pack systems for electric passenger vehicles.

Their battery tray design consisted of:

The customer faced several manufacturing issues:

The goal was to improve machining consistency while maintaining lightweight design and IP67 waterproof performance.

Battery trays have evolved rapidly over the past decade.

Traditional steel trays are gradually being replaced by aluminum solutions because aluminum offers:

Modern EV battery trays are no longer simple structural parts.

They integrate:

As a result, CNC machining plays a critical role in ensuring assembly precision and long-term reliability.

6061 is one of the most widely used materials in battery tray manufacturing.

Advantages:

Applications:

6082 provides higher strength than 6061.

Advantages:

Applications:

6005A is commonly used for extruded battery tray profiles.

Advantages:

Applications:

The manufacturing process of an EV battery tray generally includes:

Among these steps, CNC machining is the most critical stage because it determines the final dimensional accuracy and sealing performance.

Extrusion and welding processes cannot satisfy the strict tolerances required by EV battery packs.

For example:

Large aluminum structures often deform during welding.

Without CNC machining:

Extruded aluminum profiles usually have profile deviations.

The following surfaces require precision machining:

Modern battery trays usually require:

The flatness of sealing surfaces directly affects waterproof performance.

CNC machining is the only economical and reliable method to achieve these requirements.

Battery trays are typically:

During machining:

Controlling deformation is one of the biggest challenges.

Battery trays require:

Typical requirement:

If flatness is out of tolerance:

may occur.

Battery trays contain hundreds of holes.

Including:

Typical requirement:

Position accuracy:

Poor hole accuracy can cause:

To solve these challenges, HYR recommended the VMC1165 Vertical Machining Center.

VMC1165 provides:

Large enough for:

The machine adopts:

Benefits:

Spindle speed:

Advantages:

Especially suitable for:

24-tool ATC system.

Supports:

Reducing setup time and improving productivity.

The battery tray machining process includes:

Remove excess material while maintaining structural stability.

Release internal stress generated by welding.

Reduce deformation in finishing operations.

Machine:

Leave finishing allowance.

Machine:

Achieve final dimensions.

Operations include:

Ensure precise hole position.

Remove burrs and sharp edges.

Improve assembly safety.

Perform:

Guarantee product quality.

Typical cutting parameters:

These parameters provide a balance between productivity and machining quality.

Every battery tray undergoes strict quality inspection.

Inspection includes:

Critical sealing surfaces:

Requirement:

Check:

Tolerance:

Surface finish:

Ensures:

Three-dimensional coordinate measurement verifies:

Guaranteeing complete dimensional accuracy.

After implementing HYR CNC solutions:

The customer achieved:

For EV battery tray manufacturing, HYR recommends:

Suitable for:

Suitable for:

Ideal for:

As EV battery packs become larger, lighter, and more integrated, CNC machining plays an increasingly important role in battery tray manufacturing.

From sealing surfaces and cooling interfaces to module mounting holes and structural features, machining precision directly affects battery safety, waterproof performance, and assembly quality.

With high rigidity, excellent aluminum machining capability, and stable accuracy, HYR CNC machining centers provide an efficient and reliable solution for modern EV battery tray manufacturing.

HYR CNC continues to support manufacturers worldwide with advanced machining technology and customized solutions for the electric vehicle industry.