What training is needed to use a vacuum lifter or TAWI solution?

Solutions have handles and easy-to-use controls. After a short training session, workers feel comfortable using the equipment.

What types of items can lifting solutions handle?

Lifting solutions can handle many different items, such as bags, boxes, drums, trays, containers, batteries, and more. Look at common applications people need to lift.

Can TAWI lifting solutions handle unique applications?

Yes. TAWI can create custom solutions to handle specific lifting requirements.

How do lifting solutions improve staffing flexibility?

A worker doesn’t have to be physically strong to handle items anymore because the machine does the heavy lifting. This means more workers are able to complete a material handling task, and there is more flexibility when assigning tasks.

Can lifting solutions work in hazardous environments?

TAWI offers solutions that can work in environments with extra requirements. Also, TAWI works with partner brand Alum-a-Lift, who offer customised mobile lifts that can work in areas of strict compliance, such as ATEX environments (EE or EX rating).

5 Lifting Concerns with EV Battery Production

Published 01/10/2026

A person charges their electric vehicle (EV).

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are heavy and can be damaged if not properly handled. Protect workers and product with solutions that improve safety and efficiency during the production process.

Batteries are dense and heavy, making them a difficult item to lift. Compared to traditional batteries, EV batteries can be heavier and bulkier. That makes it even more challenging to handle them.

Also, workers handle other items in the production process like raw materials, trays that the cells are in, and more. Those items might weigh less than an EV battery, but there are still safety risks. Also, improper handling can lead to bottlenecks and liability.

Explore the 5 lifting concerns with EV batteries production:

Injury & Safety Risks
Mechanical Damage to EV Batteries
Hazards & Incidents
Bottlenecks in Workflow
Compliance and Liability Concerns

Then, learn how your operations can have safer lifting and better efficiency.

1) Injury & Safety Risks

Manually lifting items during EV batteries production puts employees at risk. Lifting and positioning them can lead to physical strain in the back, shoulders, and wrists. There is also a chance of musculoskeletal disorders that can hurt a worker’s long-term well-being.

The amount of time spent lifting also matters. If material handling is a common task during the day, it can lead to overexertion. That can cause people to make more mistakes and increases the chance of accidents.

If an EV battery gets dropped, a worker could get their hands or feet crushed. It can also damage the battery, so it can't be used.

Operations should explore solutions that improve worker safety. Consider tools that can firmly grip items and support consistent, efficient lifting.

2) Mechanical Damage to EV Batteries

If EV battery is placed incorrectly when it’s installed, there can be misalignment. That can slow down operations and increase installation time.

Also, any mistakes can increase the risk of workers dropping the battery. This impact can damage the high-value battery. Damage can hurt the EV battery in areas like:

Cells
Modules
Enclosure
Cooling system
And other components

Damage can make the battery unsafe to use, need repair, or end up being completely replaced. Avoiding misalignment, drops, or damage is critical to protect the battery and maintaining efficient operations.

3) Hazards & Incidents

EV batteries need to be handled carefully to avoid serious safety hazards. A challenge of EV batteries is that they may look alright from the outside but have internal damage from a drop, puncture, or other handling incident.

Thermal runaway

Unsafe handling can damage a battery. Mechanical damage can lead to internal cell damage or short circuits, which can increase the risk of thermal runaway.

Battery cells can overheat and cause a chain reaction where other cells hear up. Hazards from this are possible fire, explosion, smoke, heat, and cells reigniting after the first fire ends.

Operations need to take seemingly small incidents seriously. Minor damage can cause problems later.

Punctures

If a battery strikes something sharp or equipment presses into the pack housing, then the battery may be punctured or breached. This can lead to problems like cell damage, electrolyte leakage, and short circuits.

The safety concerns for workers are flammable gases, hazardous gases, electrical shock, or arc-flash hazards.

Short circuits

It’s important for the electrical current to flow through its controlled, intended path. Improper handling can hurt components that help control or isolate that current.

For example, if a worker drops an EV battery, then that impact can damage components. This can create short-circuit risks and put workers at risk from hazards like rapid heat buildup, sparks, arcing, fire, or electric shock.

4) Bottlenecks in Workflow

Efficient material handling helps prevent bottlenecks in workflow. But many operations have areas they could improve.

When a battery falls or hits something, it should be pulled out of the production process. That slows down the workflow because a qualified person has to inspect if before it can be used, charged, stored, or transported.

Also, the more manual handling that workers need to do to lift or manoeuvre items, the more fatigue they’ll experience. This often causes inconsistent lifting, which makes it harder to meet production deadlines and goals.

Another problem is an item might need multiple people to lift it. The team lift requires each person to work together to firmly lift and lower the item. But this is an inefficient use of resources. Staff can be better utilised if operations have one person handle items with a machine.

5) Compliance and Liability Concerns

Each country has safety standards that a company must follow. If a worker gets injured on the job, a business can face compliance and liability concerns.

Manual lifting or unsafe lifting practices are very expensive in the long term. Businesses pay compensation claims and rising insurance costs that hurt profit margins.

Also, training workers is critical, so workers can understand how to do their job safely. Some equipment is very complicated, and that makes training take a significant amount of time.

Addressing the Challenges for Safer Lifting

How can businesses address these concerns and have safer lifting that protects people and products?

TAWI provides a wide range of semi-automated lifting solutions like vacuum lifters, lifting trolleys, mobile lifters, and hoists to improve material handling tasks.

One person operates the machine with an easy-to-use handle, and the machine handles the weight of the load. This respects human expertise and reduces physical strain and injuries.

Benefits of semi-automated solutions

Increased safety: Workers don’t have to strain from the weight of items anymore, so employees stay safer. Also, ergonomics are improved because people don’t have to bend over and awkwardly lift items.
Secure grip: Lifting solutions have tooling that securely handle specific items. There is a wide variety of tooling, so these solutions can lift many different types of items, such as bags, drums, batteries, etc.
Consistent lifting: Manual lifting leads to a variety of lifting speeds because each person is different and can slow down by the end of a long shift. But lifting solutions standardise the process and offer consistent lifting throughout an entire shift.
One person lifts: One lifting solution and one person can efficiently lift an item. This reduces the manpower needed for heavier items and frees up staff to work on other tasks.
Quick training: TAWI’s lifting solutions are easy-to-use, so training is fast and efficient. The handle controls lifting and lowering the item, and the worker can guide the item where it needs to go.

When it comes to material handling tasks, lifting solutions can help at many different parts of the production process. TAWI’s solutions are versatile and can be customised for unique applications.

Adding a lifting solution into the workflow can help in areas, such as:

Handling raw ingredients in containers, such as bags or drums
Helping with cathode and anode lines
Lifting a “Slot Die” on the production line
Carrying trays that the cells are housed in
Moving EV batteries

Conclusion

It helps to partner with a material handling expert to improve your operations. TAWI works with companies around the world to create safer, more efficient processes.

Explore how to enhance operations in the automotive industry.