Assembly line system for stacked battery modules

Abstract

According to the present invention, an assembly line system for stacked battery modules includes: a first equipment line for assembling cell casings and accommodating battery cells in the cell casings; a second equipment line for assembling electrical connection components and voltage sensing components; and a third equipment line for connecting battery cells in series and in parallel with each other and detecting whether functional abnormalities occur, wherein the first equipment line, the second equipment line and the third equipment line are arranged in sequence based on a predetermined starting point, so that when a first layer of cell module assemblies assembled in one cycle are inverted to undergo a second cycle, the second layer of cell module assemblies are assembled on top of the first layer of cell module assemblies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assembly line system for a battery module, and more particularly to an assembly line system for a stacked battery module having a plurality of battery cell module assemblies stacked therein.

[0002] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0007561 filed in Korea on January 19, 2021, and the disclosure of the above Korean Patent Application is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Unlike primary batteries that cannot be recharged, secondary batteries refer to batteries that can be charged and discharged, and are being used as power sources for energy storage systems (ESS), electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and small high-tech electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop computers.

[0004] Currently, one secondary battery (cell) cannot give an output sufficient to drive an electric vehicle. In order to use a secondary battery as an energy source for an electric vehicle (for example, a battery module having a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells connected in series and / or in parallel should be configured), and generally, a battery pack is configured to include a battery management system (BMS) for connecting the battery modules in series and functionally maintaining the battery modules, a cooling system, a battery disconnection unit (BDU), electrical wiring cables, etc.

[0005] Meanwhile, in the conventional layout of an apparatus for mass production of a battery module, the conventional layout is designed as a logistics structure in which logistics flows in a direction from input of basic components to discharge of a final battery module.

[0006] Recently, the applicant has developed a stacked battery module as a new type of battery module, in which a first battery cell module assembly is manufactured and inverted to change the top and bottom of the first battery cell module assembly and a second battery cell module assembly having the same structure is stacked on the first battery cell module assembly. However, since the conventional assembly line equipment of the battery module has a structure in which the logistics flows in one direction, in order to apply the conventional assembly line equipment to manufacture the new type of stacked battery module (such as Figure 1As shown in FIG, two devices with the same concept are required compared to the existing assembly line equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new battery module assembly line system that is more suitable for manufacturing new stacked battery modules. Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure aims to provide an assembly line system for stacked battery modules, which can efficiently utilize space by reducing redundant equipment investment and reducing the length and area of ​​equipment layout when building an assembly line for stacked battery modules.

[0009] The technical objectives to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above objectives, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other objectives not mentioned herein based on the following disclosure.

[0010] Technical Solution

[0011] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an assembly line system for stacked battery modules is provided, the assembly line system comprising: a first equipment line configured to assemble cell casings and accommodate battery cells in the cell casings; a second equipment line configured to assemble electrical connection components and voltage sensing components; and a third equipment line configured to connect the battery cells in series and in parallel with each other and detect functional abnormalities of the battery cells, wherein the first equipment line, the second equipment line, and the third equipment line are arranged to cycle in sequence based on a predetermined starting point, and a first layer of cell module assemblies assembled in the first cycle are inverted to change the top and bottom of the first layer of cell module assemblies, so that the second layer of cell module assemblies are assembled on the first layer of cell module assemblies in the second cycle.

[0012] The first equipment line, the second equipment line, and the third equipment line may be arranged in a “□”-shaped loop structure.

[0013] The first equipment line may be arranged along a first direction, and the first equipment line may include: a heat sink pretreatment unit, which is located at the predetermined starting point and is configured to accommodate a heat sink to perform plasma processing on a surface of the heat sink; a bottom frame assembly unit, which is configured to attach the bottom frame to a surface of the heat sink; a battery cell insertion unit, which is configured to insert a battery cell into a battery cell insertion hole provided in the bottom frame; and a top frame assembly unit, which is configured to cover the battery cell and assemble the top frame to be connected to the bottom frame.

[0014] The bottom frame assembly unit may include a barcode laser marking machine for marking a barcode on the bottom frame.

[0015] The first equipment line may include a plasma surface processing machine for pre-processing a surface of the heat sink, a surface of the bottom frame, a surface of the battery cell, and a surface of the top frame using plasma.

[0016] The second equipment line can be connected to the first equipment line, and the second equipment line may include: a component assembly unit, which is arranged along the first direction and configured to attach a plurality of bus bars and sensing cables to the top frame; a clamp fastening unit, which is arranged continuously with the component assembly unit along the first direction and configured to install a pressing clamp to the temporarily assembled battery module assembly immediately after the temporarily assembled battery module assembly passes through the component assembly unit; a carrying unit, which is configured to carry the temporarily assembled battery module assembly to which the pressing clamp is installed in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a curing chamber unit, which is arranged along a third direction opposite to the first direction at a position spaced apart from the clamp fastening unit by a predetermined interval in the second direction, and configured to cure the adhesive applied to the temporarily assembled battery module assembly; a clamp removal unit, which is configured to remove the pressing clamp from the temporarily assembled battery module assembly that has passed through the curing chamber unit; and a visual inspection unit, which is configured to inspect the appearance of the temporarily assembled battery module assembly with the pressing clamp removed.

[0017] A plurality of the curing chamber units may be provided, and the plurality of curing chamber units may be arranged side by side along the third direction.

[0018] Infrared rays may be radiated into the curing chamber unit such that the curing chamber unit maintains an internal temperature of 45°C to 65°C.

[0019] The second equipment line may further include a jig recovery line that is arranged in a direction different from that of the visual inspection unit with respect to the jig removal unit and is configured to carry away the pressing jig separated from the jig removal unit.

[0020] The third equipment line can be connected to the second equipment line, and the third equipment line may include: a wire bonding unit arranged along the third direction and configured to use wires to bond the battery cells and the plurality of bus bars to the top frame in a predetermined pattern; an open circuit voltage (OCV) testing unit configured to detect abnormalities by detecting the appearance of the wire bonding and measuring the OCV; a top cover assembly unit configured to attach a top cover to the top frame of the wire bonding; and an interchange unit configured to selectively carry the cell module assembly to which the top cover is attached from the top cover assembly unit to the radiator pretreatment unit of the first equipment line.

[0021] The wire bonding unit may be provided in plurality, and the plurality of wire bonding units may be arranged side by side along the third direction.

[0022] The interchange unit may include: a flipping machine for inverting the first layer of battery cell module assemblies to change the top and the bottom of the first layer of battery cell module assemblies; and a transfer machine for transferring the first layer of battery cell module assemblies to the heat sink pretreatment unit.

[0023] The interchange unit may include a barcode reader for reading a barcode marked in advance on the bottom frame.

[0024] The battery module assembly line system may further include: a fourth equipment line that is connected to the third equipment line and not connected to the first equipment line and is configured to detect performance of the stacked battery modules and package the stacked battery modules.

[0025] In the first equipment line, a unique barcode storing layer number information may be marked on the battery cell shell in advance, and the first equipment line, the second equipment line and the third equipment line may be configured to identify the first layer battery cell module assembly and the second layer battery cell module assembly by reading the barcode.

[0026] Beneficial Effects

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an assembly line system for stacked battery modules can be provided, which can efficiently utilize space by reducing redundant equipment investment and reducing the length and area of ​​equipment layout when building an assembly line for stacked battery modules.

[0028] Specifically, since the assembly line system according to the present disclosure includes equipment lines arranged in a loop structure in a “□” shape, the efficiency of the assembly process is excellent when the battery cell module assemblies having the same structure are implemented in multiple layers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional assembly line system of stacked battery modules.

[0030] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating stacked battery modules that may be manufactured using an assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 is a diagram schematically showing an assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 3 A zoomed-in view of the first equipment line.

[0033] Figure 5 is Figure 4 Process diagram of battery cell module assembly performed in the first equipment line.

[0034] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 3 A zoomed-in view of the second equipment line.

[0035] Figure 7 is Figure 6 Process diagram of battery cell module assembly performed in the second equipment line.

[0036] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 3 A zoomed-in view of the third equipment line.

[0037] Fig. 9 is Figure 8 Process diagram of battery cell module assembly performed in the third equipment line.

[0038] Fig.10 It is shown Figure 3 A zoomed-in view of the fourth equipment line.

[0039] Fig.11 is Fig.10 Process diagram of battery cell module assembly performed in the fourth equipment line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In the following, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description is given, it should be understood that the terms used in this specification and the appended claims should not be considered to be limited to the general meaning and dictionary meaning, but should be interpreted based on the principle of allowing the inventor to appropriately define the terms to achieve the best explanation, based on the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure.

[0041] Therefore, the descriptions provided herein are only preferred examples for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that other equivalent substitutions and modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, since the embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to more fully illustrate the present disclosure to those skilled in the art, the shapes and sizes of the components in the drawings may be exaggerated, omitted or schematically illustrated to more clearly illustrate. Therefore, the size or proportion of each component does not fully reflect the actual size or proportion.

[0042] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing stacked battery modules that can be manufactured using an assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3is a diagram schematically showing an assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The assembly line system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used to manufacture a stacked battery module, that is, a stacked battery module including two battery cell module assemblies, the two battery cell module assemblies being symmetrical with respect to the heat sink 20 in the vertical direction, such as Figure 2 as shown in .

[0044] Before describing the assembly line system according to the present disclosure, the configuration of the stacked battery modules will be briefly described. Each cell module assembly 10A, 10B of the stacked battery modules includes: a plate-shaped heat sink 20 in which a flow path is formed so that the coolant flows through the plate-shaped heat sink 20; a bottom frame 40, which is joined to one surface of the heat sink 20; a battery cell 30, which is inserted into the cell insertion hole 41 of the bottom frame 40; a top frame 50, which is used to cover the battery cell 30 and is connected to the bottom frame 40; bus bars 61, 62, which are used to electrically connect the battery cell 30; a sensing cable 70, which is used to perform voltage or temperature sensing; and a top cover 80, which is used to cover the top frame 50.

[0045] In the stacked battery module, the first layer battery module assembly 10A and the second layer battery module assembly 10B share a heat sink 20 and each includes other components. In addition, the bracket 90 is a component attached to both side surfaces of the stacked battery module and can be used to fix the stacked battery module to the structure inside the battery pack.

[0046] An assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first equipment line 100 , a second equipment line 200 , and a third equipment line 300 .

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first equipment line 100 , the second equipment line 200 , and the third equipment line 300 are arranged to circulate in sequence based on a predetermined starting point.

[0048] The first equipment line 100, the second equipment line 200 and the third equipment line 300 are preferably arranged in a loop structure that is approximately "□" shaped when viewed from above. The "□" shaped loop structure minimizes the space waste of the equipment structure and makes it easy to ensure the movement of the staff. However, depending on the situation of the environment in which the assembly line system is to be built, the "□" shaped loop structure can be changed to, for example, a "△", "○" or "◇" shaped loop structure.

[0049] It will be explained in detail later that if the first equipment line 100, the second equipment line 200, and the third equipment line 300 are operated once in sequence, the first layer of the cell module assembly 10A can be completed, and if the first equipment line 100, the second equipment line 200, and the third equipment line 300 are operated twice, the second layer of the cell module assembly 10B can be completed on the first layer of the cell module assembly 10A. In other words, the first layer of the cell module assembly 10A is assembled through one cycle along the first equipment line 100, the second equipment line 200, and the third equipment line 300, and then, if a second cycle is performed in a state where the first layer of the cell module assembly 10A is inverted so that the heat sink 20 is located at the top, the second layer of the cell module assembly 10B having the same structure can be assembled and the second layer of the cell module assembly 10B is stacked on the first layer of the cell module assembly 10A.

[0050] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 4 to 9 as well as Figure 3 The first to third equipment lines 100 to 300 are explained in detail.

[0051] First, the first equipment line 100 is configured to perform a process of assembling a cell housing and accommodating a battery cell 30 in the cell housing. Herein, the battery cell 30 refers to a cylindrical battery cell 30. The cylindrical battery cell 30 refers to a secondary battery in which an electrolyte and an electrode assembly are placed in a cylindrical battery can and the open top end of the battery can is sealed by a top cover. The cylindrical battery cell 30 may be replaced by a rectangular battery cell 30 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown in , the first equipment line 100 may be arranged along a first direction (−X axis direction) and include a heat sink pre-processing unit 110 , a bottom frame assembly unit 120 , a battery cell insertion unit 130 , and a top frame assembly unit 140 .

[0053] The logistics of the first equipment line 100 may be moved by a conveyor. Each process may be performed while each cell module assembly mounted on the pallet P moves along the conveyor.

[0054] The heat sink pre-processing unit 110 corresponds to a starting point of product assembly and includes a plasma surface processing machine.

[0055] The radiator 20 may be loaded on the flatbed truck C1 and fed to the radiator pre-processing unit 110. The staff removes the radiators 20 from the flatbed truck C1 one by one, performs a leak test using an air gun, and places the radiators 20 without abnormalities on the pallet P.

[0056] Then, the heat sink 20 is moved in the first direction so that the surface of the heat sink 20 can be pre-processed with plasma where the plasma surface processing machine is located. If the surface of the heat sink 20 is modified with plasma, the bonding force can be improved.

[0057] Since the heat sink 20 is made of metal with high thermal conductivity and the bottom frame 40 is made of plastic resin, long-term bonding stability may be deteriorated when an adhesive is used to bond the heat sink 20 to the bottom frame 40. In order to compensate for this, the heat sink 20 is bonded to the bottom frame 40 after a surface pretreatment process using plasma to strengthen the bonding force. For example, without plasma surface processing, various materials such as polypropylene (PP), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyoxymethylene (POM) cannot be bonded or are poorly bonded. Therefore, when bonding the heat sink 20, the bottom frame 40, the top frame 50, etc. to each other, it is recommended to pretreat the bonding surface using plasma.

[0058] The bottom frame assembly unit 120 may include a plasma surface processing machine, a barcode laser marking machine, a glue coater, and a workbench.

[0059] If the heat sink 20 is moved to the bottom frame assembly unit 120, the adhesive is applied to the surface of the heat sink 20, and the bottom frame 40 is placed on the heat sink 20, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The adhesive may be automatically applied to the heat sink 20 using a glue applicator (not shown).

[0060] The bottom frame 40 may be loaded on the flatbed car C2 in a prefabricated state and placed in the bottom frame assembly unit 120 like the above-mentioned heat sink 20. Each bottom frame 40 may be surface processed using plasma, and a barcode may be marked on the side surface of the bottom frame 40. In the barcode, information on the production history may be stored, the information including the number of layers of the cell module assembly including the corresponding bottom frame 40. Thereafter, in each process, the first layer cell module assembly 10A and the second layer cell module assembly 10B may be identified by reading the barcode so that the height of the processing equipment may be adjusted and the operation may be automatically performed.

[0061] The worker places the bottom frame 40, which has been surface processed by plasma and has a marked barcode, on the heat sink 20 prepared on the workbench and joins the bottom frame 40 to the heat sink 20. By joining the heat sink 20 and the bottom frame 40 in this way, a part of the cell case is completed. The completed part of the cell case is moved to the cell insertion unit 130. In this embodiment, the worker assembles the heat sink 20 and the bottom frame 40, but an automatic robot may replace the worker.

[0062] The cell insertion unit 130 may be configured to include a cell supply / discharge machine 131 , a cell picking-up device 132 , and a plasma surface processing machine 133 .

[0063] The bottom frame 40 has a cell insertion hole 41 into which the battery cell 30 can be inserted. Figure 5 In the cell insertion unit 130 shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , a process of inserting the battery cell 30 into the cell insertion hole 41 of the bottom frame 40 is performed.

[0064] The battery cells 30 are supplied to and discharged from the cell insertion unit 130 via the cell supply / discharge machine 131. Before the battery cells 30 are assembled to the bottom frame 40, a grading work of measuring the open circuit voltage of each battery cell 30 and classifying each battery cell 30 according to grade may be performed. After the grading work, defective battery cells 30 may be individually discharged, and good battery cells 30 may be inserted into the bottom frame 40 by the cell picking equipment 132.

[0065] The bottom surface of the battery cell 30 is bonded to the bonding surface of the heat sink 20 through the cell insertion hole 41 of the bottom frame 40. At this time, in order to strengthen the bonding force between the bottom surface of the battery cell 30 and the heat sink 20, the bottom surface of the battery cell 30 may be processed using plasma before the battery cell 30 is inserted into the cell insertion hole 41. In addition, a process of applying an adhesive to the upper periphery of the side surface of the battery cell 30 to bond the battery cells 30 to each other may also be added.

[0066] In this embodiment, in order to shorten the tact time, the cell supply / discharge machine 131, the cell pick-up equipment 132, and the plasma surface processing machine 133 are arranged in two groups. For example, among 100 battery cells 30, the cell insertion operation is performed on 50 battery cells by using the first group of equipment, and the cell insertion operation is performed on the remaining 50 battery cells by using the second group of equipment. If the cell insertion operation is completed, the process proceeds to the next step for attaching the top frame 50.

[0067] The top frame assembly unit 140 may be configured to include a frame input machine 141, a plasma surface processing machine 142, and a transfer machine 143. In the top frame assembly unit 140, a process of separating and discharging defective assembly products through assembling and visually inspecting the top frame 50 may be performed.

[0068] Like the bottom frame 40, the top frame 50 may be prefabricated and loaded on a flatbed car (not shown) and supplied to the frame input machine 141. The top frame 50 moves in the second direction (+Y axis direction) in the frame input machine 141, and after the upper and lower surfaces of the top frame 50 are processed using plasma, an adhesive may be applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the top frame 50, and the top frame 50 may be attached to the upper portion of the bottom frame 40.

[0069] In the current assembly state, the appearance of the product is inspected, and defective products are discharged from the assembly line by using the transfer machine 143, and only good products are moved to the second equipment line 200.

[0070] refer to Figure 6 The second equipment line 200 is connected to the first equipment line 100 and includes a component assembly unit 210, a fixture fastening unit 220, a carrier unit 230, a curing chamber unit 240, a fixture removal unit 250, a visual inspection unit 270, and a fixture recovery line 260. In the second equipment line 200, logistics are moved by conveyors and transfer machines.

[0071] The component assembly unit 210 is connected to the top frame assembly unit 140 of the first equipment line 100 and is arranged in the first direction (-X axis direction). Figure 7 In the component assembly unit 210 shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 1 , the sub bus bar 61 , the main bus bar 62 , and the sensing cable 70 may be attached to the upper surface of the top frame 50 .

[0072] In this embodiment, a worker attaches the sub-busbars 61 loaded on a flatbed truck (not shown) to the top frame 50 , but the component assembly work may also be replaced by an automatic robot.

[0073] For reference, when a battery module is configured using cylindrical battery cells 30, a row (bundled in parallel) of cylindrical battery cells 30 is arranged side by side in a straight line, and a straight sub-bus bar 61 is provided between one row and another adjacent row. In addition, the top cover (corresponding to the positive electrode) of each cylindrical battery cell 30 belonging to one row is wired to the sub-bus bar 61, and the top end (corresponding to the negative electrode) of the battery can of each cylindrical battery belonging to another row is wired to the sub-bus bar 61 to connect the two rows in series. There are two main bus bars 62, and the two main bus bars 62 are arranged one by one at the two outermost sides according to the arrangement direction of the sub-bus bar 61, and serve as the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery cell module assembly. The sensing cable 70 is a component for sensing the voltage of each row and transmitting the voltage to the BMS, and the sensing cable 70 may be implemented as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a harness cable.

[0074] Hereinafter, for convenience, the product assembled by components such as the sub-bus bar 61 will be referred to as a temporarily assembled cell module assembly. The temporarily assembled cell module assembly can be regarded as a product after being assembled by the component assembly unit 210 .

[0075] The jig fastening unit 220 is arranged continuously with the component assembling unit 210 in the first direction (-X axis direction). In the jig fastening unit 220, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in (c), a pressing jig J1 may be mounted to the temporarily assembled cell module assembly. The pressing jig J1 presses the temporarily assembled cell module assembly mounted on the pallet P to prevent the joint area from lifting and enable the components to be tightly joined and fixed to each other.

[0076] The pressing jig J1 is supplied to the jig fastening unit 220 by a flatbed vehicle (not shown), and the worker installs the pressing jig J1 to the temporarily assembled cell module assembly. Of course, the corresponding work can also be replaced by an automatic robot.

[0077] The carrier unit 230 is arranged in the second direction (+Y axis direction) and includes at least one transfer machine 231. In the carrier unit 230, the temporarily assembled cell module assembly to which the pressing jig J1 is mounted may be transferred to the curing chamber unit 240.

[0078] Although not shown in detail in the figure for convenience, the curing chamber unit 240 may include a chamber mounted on a conveyor and a curing machine (not shown) disposed inside the chamber. The curing chamber unit 240 may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the fixture fastening unit 220 by a predetermined distance in the second direction (+Y-axis direction), and may be arranged along a third direction (+X-axis direction) opposite to the first direction.

[0079] The temporarily assembled cell module assembly may be inserted into the chamber of the curing chamber unit 240 and moved along the third direction. The curing machine disposed inside the chamber may be configured to maintain the temperature inside the chamber at 45° C. to 65° C. and radiate infrared rays. When the temporarily assembled cell module assembly passes through the curing chamber unit 240, the adhesive component of the adhesive interface may be quickly cured with high quality.

[0080] In this embodiment, there are two curing chamber units 240, and the two curing chamber units 240 are arranged side by side along the third direction. However, three or more curing chamber units 240 may be provided in consideration of working speed, product yield, equipment investment cost, etc.

[0081] The jig removal unit 250 may be configured to include a transfer machine 251 and a jig removal machine 252. The temporarily assembled cell module assembly that has passed through the curing chamber unit 240 may be loaded onto the jig removal workbench by the transfer machine 251 and separated from the pressing jig J1 by the jig removal machine 252.

[0082] The separated pressing jig J1 can be moved to the jig recovery line 260 and discharged to the outside of the assembly line. The jig recovery line 260 is arranged in a different direction from the visual inspection unit 270 relative to the jig removal unit 250. For example, Figure 6 As shown in , the clamp recovery line 260 can be implemented as a conveyor extending in a first direction (-X axis direction) and then extending in a fourth direction (-Y axis direction). Herein, the clamp recovery line 260 can be set at a lower level than the conveyor of the first equipment line 100 to pass under the first equipment line 100 without interfering with the first equipment line 100.

[0083] The vision inspection unit 270 may be continuously arranged with the jig removal unit 250 in the third direction (+X axis direction) and may be configured to include a vision inspection machine 271 , a transfer machine 272 , and laser cleaning equipment 273 .

[0084] The visual inspection unit 270 may inspect the appearance of the temporarily assembled cell module assembly to discharge defective products using a transfer machine 272 , and remove adhesives and other impurities from the surface of normal products using a laser cleaning equipment 273 .

[0085] The temporarily assembled cell module assembly cleaned in the visual inspection unit 270 may be moved to the third equipment line 300 .

[0086] like Figure 8As shown in FIG. 3 , the third equipment line 300 may include a wire bonding unit 310, an OCV testing unit 320, a cap assembly unit 330, and an interchange unit 340. The primary logistics of the third equipment line 300 is moved by a conveyor, and the secondary logistics is moved by a transfer machine.

[0087] The wire bonding unit 310 is connected to the visual inspection unit 270 of the second equipment line 200 and is arranged along the third direction (+X axis direction). The wire bonding unit 310 of this embodiment is configured in two lines, and the wire bonding unit 310 is side by side along the third direction and has two wire bonding machines 311a to 311d respectively.

[0088] That is, Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the wire bonding unit 310 includes a first wire bonding unit 310a and a second wire bonding unit 310b, wherein the second wire bonding unit 310b is located at a position separated from the first wire bonding unit 310a by a predetermined distance in the second direction, and transfer machines 312 and 313 transfer logistics between the first wire bonding unit 310 and the second wire bonding unit 310.

[0089] As described above, in the battery module assemblies 10A, 10B according to this embodiment, for example, the top cover (corresponding to the positive electrode) of each cylindrical battery cell 30 belonging to one row is connected to a predetermined single sub-bus 61 by wiring, and the top end of the battery can (corresponding to the negative electrode) of each cylindrical battery belonging to another row is connected to the same sub-bus 61 by wiring, so that the two rows are connected in series.

[0090] In the wire bonding unit 310 , one end of a wire (not shown) is welded to the top end of the battery cell 30 to form the above-mentioned electrical connection structure, and the other end of the wire is welded to the sub bus bar 61 or the main bus bar 62 .

[0091] like Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first wire bonding unit 310 and the second wire bonding unit 310 include two wire bonding machines 311a to 311d, respectively. For example, the first wire bonding machine 311a of the first wire bonding unit 310 performs half of the wire bonding work on the temporarily assembled cell module assembly, and the second wire bonding machine 311b performs the remaining wire bonding work.

[0092] The open circuit voltage (OCV) test unit 320 may include a thermal imaging camera (not shown), a test device capable of measuring an open circuit voltage or insulation resistance of a cell module assembly (not shown), and a transfer machine 321 .

[0093] First, the abnormality of the wiring bonding area is checked using a thermal imaging camera, and the defective products are immediately discharged from the assembly line to the outside using a transfer machine. After the inspection by the thermal imaging camera, the insulation resistance and open circuit voltage are measured, and the products outside the normal range are discharged from the assembly line. The products that have passed the OCV test unit 320 are moved in the third direction and positioned at the top cover assembly unit 330.

[0094] like Fig. 9 As shown in (b) of FIG. 5 , the top cover assembly unit 330 can assemble the top cover 80 on the top of the top frame 50 to prevent the wiring connection area from being exposed. The top cover 80 can be supplied to the top cover assembly unit 330 by a flatbed truck (not shown). In this embodiment, a worker installs the top cover 80 to the top frame 50, but the corresponding work can also be replaced by an automatic robot.

[0095] If the top cover 80 is fully assembled as described above, one cell module assembly 10A is completed. The cell module assembly 10A completed as described above is moved along the third direction (+X axis direction) to the interchange unit 340, and the interchange unit 340 can be selectively transferred to one of the first equipment line 100 and the fourth equipment line 400, which will be described later.

[0096] The interchange unit 340 may be configured to include a barcode reader (not shown), a flip machine 341 , and a transfer machine 342 .

[0097] The barcode reader reads the barcode pre-marked on the bottom frame 40 to identify whether the cell module assembly is the first layer cell module assembly 10A or the second layer cell module assembly 10B. If only the first layer cell module assembly 10A is identified, the flipping machine 341 turns the cell module assembly 10A upside down (such as Fig. 9 (c) and use the transfer machine 342 to transfer the cell module assembly 10A to the heat sink pre-processing unit 110 of the first equipment line 100. Thereafter, the operations of the first equipment line 100 to the third equipment line 300 are repeated, and when the second layer cell module assembly 10B also reaches the exchange unit 340 (as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown in (d) of FIG. 1 ), the second layer cell module assembly 10B is stacked on the first layer cell module assembly 10A to form a stacked battery module having a multi-layer structure.

[0098] When the interchanging unit 340 reads the barcode, if a stacked battery module having a multi-layer structure is identified, the flipping machine 341 and the transfer machine 342 do not operate, and the stacked battery module is moved along the third direction to the fourth equipment line 400, which will be described later.

[0099] Meanwhile, the stacked battery module assembly line system according to this embodiment further includes a fourth equipment line 400 configured to mount the side brackets 90 to the cell module assemblies 10A, 10B assembled into a multi-layer structure and perform a final inspection before shipping.

[0100] refer to Fig.10 as well as Figure 3 The fourth equipment line 400 may include a side bracket assembly unit 410 , a curing unit 420 , a final inspection unit 430 and a packaging unit 440 .

[0101] The side bracket assembly unit 410 is connected to the interchange unit 340 of the third equipment line 300 and is arranged in the third direction (+X axis direction). Fig.11 In the side bracket assembly unit 410 shown in FIG. 4 , a plate-shaped side bracket 90 is attached to both side surfaces of two stacked cell module assemblies. (Hereinafter, the two stacked cell module assemblies will be referred to as stacked battery modules.)

[0102] The side bracket assembly unit 410 may include a plasma surface processing machine 411 and an adhesive coater 412. After performing surface processing on both side surfaces of the side bracket 90 and the stacked battery modules using plasma, they are joined. Fig.11 As shown in (a), in order to strengthen the bonding force, the bracket fixing jig J2 is installed to the side surface of the stacked battery module, and the stacked battery module is moved to the curing unit 420. For reference, a flatbed truck (not shown) is used to supply the side bracket 90 and the bracket fixing jig J2, and the staff performs the corresponding work.

[0103] The curing unit 420 is a device for curing the adhesive so that the side bracket 90 can be well bonded. Although not shown in detail for the convenience of drawing, the curing unit 420 can be implemented in the form of a chamber having a tunnel structure. In addition, inside the chamber, a curing machine that can manage temperature and radiate infrared rays can be set.

[0104] The final inspection unit 430 is connected to the curing unit 420. The bracket fixing jig J2 may be separated from the final inspection unit 430 and discharged to the outside. After removing the bracket fixing jig J2, the staff performs a leakage check test by injecting air into the inlet or outlet of the radiator 20 and checking for leakage, and further, the staff performs a performance test by applying power and load to the stacked battery modules to check whether the input / output of each battery cell 30 and the operation of the entire system meet the requirements.

[0105] For example, leakage check test and module performance test can be performed using module end of life (EOL) performance tester and leakage tester. During final inspection, defective products are ejected from the assembly line and only good products are moved to packaging unit 440 for packaging and shipping.

[0106] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, an assembly line system for stacked battery modules can be provided, which can efficiently use space by reducing redundant equipment investment and reducing the length and area of ​​equipment layout when building an assembly line for stacked battery modules. Specifically, since the assembly line system according to the present disclosure includes the first equipment line to the third equipment line 300 arranged in a loop structure in the shape of "□", it is easy to implement a battery cell module assembly having the same structure into multiple layers.

[0107] The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on this detailed description.

[0108] Meanwhile, when terms indicating up, down, left, right, front and rear directions are used in the specification, those skilled in the art should understand that these merely indicate relative positions for ease of description and may vary based on the position of the observer or the observed object.

Claims

1. An assembly line system for a battery module, the assembly line system being used to manufacture a stacked battery module having two or more battery cell module assemblies stacked thereon, the assembly line system comprising: a first equipment line configured to assemble cell casings and house battery cells in the cell casings; a second equipment line configured to assemble an electrical connection component and a voltage sensing component; as well as a third equipment line configured to connect the battery cells in series and in parallel with each other and detect functional abnormalities of the battery cells, wherein the first equipment line, the second equipment line and the third equipment line are arranged to circulate in sequence based on a predetermined starting point, and The first layer of cell module assemblies assembled in the first cycle is inverted to change the top and bottom of the first layer of cell module assemblies, so that the second layer of cell module assemblies are assembled on the first layer of cell module assemblies in the second cycle.

2. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 1, in, The first equipment line, the second equipment line, and the third equipment line are arranged in a cyclic structure in any one of a rectangular, a triangular, a circular, and a diamond shape.

3. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 1, in, The first equipment lines are arranged along a first direction, and Wherein, the first equipment line includes: a heat sink pretreatment unit located at a predetermined starting point and configured to receive a heat sink to perform plasma processing on a surface of the heat sink; a bottom frame assembly unit configured to attach a bottom frame to one surface of the heat sink; a cell insertion unit configured to insert a battery cell into a cell insertion hole provided in the bottom frame; and A top frame assembly unit is configured to cover the battery cells and assemble a top frame to be coupled with the bottom frame.

4. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 3, in, The bottom frame assembly unit includes a bar code laser marking machine for marking a bar code on the bottom frame.

5. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 3, in, The first equipment line includes a plasma surface processing machine for pre-processing a surface of the heat sink, a surface of the bottom frame, a surface of the battery cell, and a surface of the top frame using plasma.

6. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 3, in, The second equipment line is connected to the first equipment line, and Wherein, the second equipment line includes: a component assembly unit arranged along a first direction and configured to attach a plurality of bus bars and sensing cables to the top frame; a jig fastening unit, the jig fastening unit being arranged continuously with the component assembling unit along the first direction and the jig fastening unit being configured to mount a pressing jig to the temporarily assembled cell module assembly immediately after passing through the component assembling unit; a carrying unit configured to carry the temporarily assembled battery cell module assembly on which the pressing jig is mounted in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a curing chamber unit arranged along a third direction opposite to the first direction at a position spaced apart from the jig fastening unit by a predetermined interval along the second direction, and configured to cure an adhesive applied to the temporarily assembled battery cell module assembly; a jig removal unit configured to remove the pressing jig from the temporarily assembled cell module assembly that has passed through the curing chamber unit; and A visual inspection unit is configured to inspect the appearance of the temporarily assembled cell module assembly from which the pressing jig is removed.

7. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 6, in, The curing chamber unit is provided in plurality, and the plurality of curing chamber units are arranged side by side along the third direction.

8. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 6, in, Infrared rays were radiated into the curing chamber unit so that the curing chamber unit maintained an internal temperature of 45°C to 65°C.

9. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 6, in, The second equipment line further includes a jig recovery line that is arranged in a direction different from that of the visual inspection unit relative to the jig removal unit and is configured to carry away the pressing jig separated from the jig removal unit.

10. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 1, in, The third device line is connected to the second device line, and Wherein, the third equipment line includes: a wire bonding unit arranged along a third direction and configured to bond the battery cells and the plurality of bus bars to the top frame in a predetermined pattern using wires; an open circuit voltage (OCV) testing unit configured to detect abnormality by detecting an appearance of wire bonding and measuring an open circuit voltage; a top cover assembly unit configured to attach a top cover to the wire-joined top frame; and An interchange unit is configured to selectively carry the cell module assembly with the top cover attached thereto from the top cover assembly unit to the first equipment line.

11. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 10, in, The wire bonding unit is provided in plurality, and the plurality of wire bonding units are arranged side by side along the third direction.

12. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 10, in, The interchange unit includes: a flipping machine for inverting the first layer of battery cell module assemblies to change the top and bottom of the first layer of battery cell module assemblies; and a transfer machine for transferring the first layer of battery cell module assemblies to the first equipment line.

13. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 10, in, The interchange unit includes a barcode reader for reading a barcode marked in advance on the bottom frame.

14. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 1, further comprising: A fourth equipment line is provided to be connected to the third equipment line and not connected to the first equipment line, and the fourth equipment line is configured to detect performance of the stacked battery modules and package the stacked battery modules.

15. The battery module assembly line system according to claim 1, in, In the first equipment line, a unique barcode storing layer number information is marked on the battery cell housing in advance, and The first equipment line, the second equipment line and the third equipment line are configured to identify the first layer battery cell module assembly and the second layer battery cell module assembly by reading the barcode.

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