Substrate coating apparatus and process

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of substrate coating equipment and process, it is related to coating technical field;Including oven, coating mechanism, transmission mechanism and coating mechanism;The transmission mechanism is located between coating mechanism and oven, and transmission mechanism transports substrate from coating mechanism to oven, installation component is equipped on the transmission mechanism, and coating mechanism is installed on installation component and located above substrate on transmission mechanism, and the coating mechanism includes drop liquid part, and drop liquid part is used to drop coating slurry on substrate.The application is coated by wetting in the figure of substrate coating slurry after being transported to oven, to reduce the risk that substrate is baked in oven and is dry and cracked, warped and cracked.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coating technology, and more specifically, to a substrate coating equipment and process. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of coating technology, a coating unit typically applies a slurry to the substrate, which is then transported to an oven for drying. However, during the drying process, cracks may occur in the substrate. Taking electrode drying as an example, electrode cracks mainly occur in the later stages of the drying process. Excessive drying speed can cause cracks, primarily due to residual stress causing the film to fracture and form defects. During the deceleration drying process, as the liquid surface advances into the pores, capillary pressure causes the active particles to shrink, potentially forming initial cracks on the particle surface. As drying continues, these cracks propagate inwards. The slurry is volatile, and excessively fast drying leads to high internal stress in the coating, causing the electrode to curl, deform, and discolor on both sides. The electrode is brittle, and curled electrodes are prone to cracking under external force. High oven temperatures can cause severe breakage after the mixed material curls in the tab area. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a substrate coating equipment and process for preventing substrate cracking.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: a substrate coating equipment, the improvement of which is: including an oven, a coating mechanism, a conveying mechanism and a slurry coating mechanism;

[0005] The transfer mechanism is located between the coating mechanism and the oven. The transfer mechanism transports the substrate from the coating mechanism to the oven. The transfer mechanism is equipped with an installation component. The slurry coating mechanism is installed on the installation component and located above the substrate on the transfer mechanism. The slurry coating mechanism includes a dripping part for dripping slurry onto the substrate.

[0006] In the above technical solution, the dripping part is movably and rotatably mounted on the mounting component.

[0007] The transmission mechanism described in the above technical solution further includes a moving module, and the mounting component is mounted on the moving module, and the mounting component can move horizontally on the moving module.

[0008] The coating mechanism described in the above technical solution further includes a drive module, which includes an X-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism, a Z-axis drive mechanism, and a mounting block. The Z-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting component, the X-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the Z-axis drive mechanism, the Y-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the X-axis drive mechanism, the mounting block is mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism, and the dripping part is rotatably mounted on the mounting block.

[0009] The coating mechanism described in the above technical solution also includes a roller and two mounting plates. The two mounting plates are installed parallel to each other on both sides of the dripping part and can rotate relative to the dripping part. The roller is rotatably installed between the two mounting plates. The dripping part has a dripping nozzle, and the roller is located below the dripping nozzle. The coating mechanism also includes a sponge, which is cylindrical. The sponge is sleeved on the roller and is located below the dripping nozzle.

[0010] The present invention also provides an electrode coating process, which is improved by including the following steps:

[0011] S1. Place the electrode sheet on the transfer mechanism, which then transports the electrode sheet from the coating mechanism to the drying oven;

[0012] S2. As the electrode moves on the transmission mechanism, slurry is continuously dripped onto the tab area of ​​the electrode.

[0013] The slurry described in the above technical solution is water or is made by adding NMP to water, with NMP accounting for 0.1%-1% of the total mass of the slurry.

[0014] The method of applying the slurry in step S2 of the above technical solution is as follows: the slurry is applied to the coating material, the coating material is placed on the roller, and the coating material rolls on the electrode tab of the electrode as the electrode moves. The coating material is a flexible material with good oil and ink absorption properties.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: by applying a slurry to the substrate through a coating mechanism before it enters the drying oven after coating, the substrate becomes more moist. This significantly reduces the occurrence of dry cracking and fissures in the substrate after it enters the drying oven, thereby improving the product yield, reducing maintenance and rework, and increasing production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate coating device according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the coating mechanism in a substrate coating device according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a process flow diagram of an electrode coating process according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] The following will clearly and completely describe the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, all connections / linkages involved in the patent do not simply refer to direct contact between components, but rather to the ability to form a better connection structure by adding or reducing connecting accessories according to specific implementation conditions. The various technical features in this invention can be combined interactively without contradicting each other.

[0022] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the present invention provides a substrate coating device, including an oven 1, a coating mechanism 2, a conveying mechanism 3, and four coating mechanisms 4.

[0023] The transfer mechanism 3 is located between the coating mechanism 2 and the oven 1. The transfer mechanism 3 transports the substrate from the coating mechanism 2 to the oven 1. The transfer mechanism 3 is provided with four mounting parts 7. The slurry coating mechanism 4 is mounted on the mounting parts 7 and located above the substrate on the transfer mechanism 3. The slurry coating mechanism 4 includes a dripping part, which is used to drip slurry onto the substrate.

[0024] The device provided by the present invention sets up a slurry coating mechanism 4 on the transfer mechanism 3 between the coating mechanism 2 and the oven 1. Taking the coating and drying of the electrode sheet as an example, during the transportation of the electrode sheet, the slurry coating mechanism 4 drips slurry onto the tab area of ​​the electrode sheet, making the surface of the tab area of ​​the electrode sheet more moist. This makes the tab area less likely to be baked dry and cracked when dried in the oven 1, and also makes it less likely to curl.

[0025] To make the device more flexible, the dripping part described in this embodiment is movably and rotatably mounted on the mounting component 7. The movement is not limited to linear movement in the horizontal and vertical directions. The dripping part is moved by connecting a drive device to adapt to production needs. Mobile devices or external robotic arms can be added to move the dripping part. The rotation of the dripping part is adapted to electrodes with different tilt angles. The heights of the coating mechanism 2 and the oven 1 may not be the same, and their heights vary in various production scenarios, so that the transmission mechanism 3 is arranged at an angle. The angle of the dripping part is adjusted by rotating the electrode at different transmission angles to adapt to the angle of the electrode.

[0026] For electrodes of different sizes and specifications, the coating area and the required number of coating mechanisms 4 will differ. To accommodate this difference, the transmission mechanism 3 also includes a moving module. The mounting component 7 is mounted on the moving module and can move horizontally on the moving module, as shown in the figure. The moving module can be configured with two mounting plates 6 and two guide rods 5 on both sides of the transmission mechanism 3, and through holes on the four mounting components 7. The mounting components 7 are then fitted onto the guide rods 5. The mounting components 7 can be block-shaped, and their position can be adjusted by moving them. When additional mounting components 7 are needed, they are fitted onto the guide rods 5. Alternatively, the mounting components 7 can be driven by a combination of a motor and a lead screw. The mounting components 7 are mounted on the lead screw, and their position is adjusted by rotating the lead screw. There are many other ways to configure the moving module for the movement of the mounting components 7, the ultimate goal of which is to drive the mounting components 7 to move.

[0027] Reference Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the coating mechanism 4 also includes a drive module 9. The drive module 9 is connected to the mounting component 7 via a connecting plate 8. The drive module 9 includes an X-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism, a Z-axis drive mechanism, and a mounting block 11. The Z-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting component 7 via the connecting plate 8, the X-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the Z-axis drive mechanism, the Y-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the X-axis drive mechanism, and the mounting block 11 is mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism. The dripping part is a dispensing valve 10, which is rotatably mounted on the mounting block 11. In the above structure, the moving module moves the entire coating mechanism 4. When the coating mechanism 4 is coating, the distance between it and the electrode needs to be controlled very small. The electrode is also a fragile item, and the positional relationship between the coating mechanism 4 and the electrode needs to be strictly controlled and adjusted. The drive module 9 further adjusts the dispensing valve 10 on the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis to adjust its position relative to the electrode, so that the coating effect is optimal.

[0028] In operation, the dispensing valve 10 drips the slurry onto the electrode sheet. The electrode sheet moves due to the transmission mechanism 3, and the electrode sheet itself has a moving speed. When the slurry is dripped onto the electrode sheet, there is a relative speed between the electrode sheet and the slurry. This relative speed allows the slurry to be applied more evenly to the electrode sheet. To further improve the coating effect of the coating mechanism 4 on the electrode sheet and ensure stable drying of the electrode sheet in the oven 1, the coating mechanism 4 in this embodiment also includes a roller 15 and two mounting plates 14. The two mounting plates 14 are installed parallel to each other on both sides of the dispensing valve 10 and... The roller 15 is rotatably mounted between two mounting plates 14 and can rotate relative to the dispensing valve 10. The dispensing valve 10 has a drip nozzle, and the roller 15 is located below the drip nozzle. The coating mechanism 4 also includes a sponge 16, which is cylindrical. The sponge 16 is sleeved on the roller 15 and is located below the drip nozzle. The dispensing valve 10 can be a micrometer dispensing valve. A pipe 17 is connected to the micrometer dispensing valve, and one end of the pipe 17 is aligned with the sponge 16. The dispensing valve 10 is connected to the liquid tank through a pipeline and a liquid supply pump. After the coating mechanism 4 is positioned correctly using the drive module 9, the mounting plate 14 is rotated to adjust the distance between the sponge 16 and the electrode. The final adjustment is such that the sponge 16 slightly touches the electrode. As the electrode moves, the sponge 16 rotates with the roller 15, moving along with the electrode. The sponge 16 drips the coating material from the dispensing valve 10, and then, as the sponge 16 rolls, the material is evenly applied to the electrode. This improves the coating effect and better prevents cracking, drying, and curling of the electrode. In this embodiment, sponge 16 is used, but other flexible materials with good oil and ink absorption properties can also be used; these are simple replacements.

[0029] Example 1: Refer to Figure 4 This embodiment provides a substrate coating process, including the following steps:

[0030] S1. The substrate is placed on the transfer mechanism 3, and the transfer mechanism 3 transports the substrate from the coating mechanism 2 to the oven 1;

[0031] S2. As the substrate moves on the transmission mechanism 3, slurry is continuously dripped onto the substrate.

[0032] The slurry described in the above technical solution is water.

[0033] The method of applying the slurry in step S2 of the above technical solution is as follows: the slurry is applied to the coating material, the coating material is placed on the roller, and the coating material rolls on the substrate as the substrate moves. The coating material is a flexible material with good oil and ink absorption properties, such as a sponge.

[0034] By applying another layer of water during the transportation of the substrate, the surface of the substrate becomes more lubricated, and it can maintain good flexibility when dried in the oven, making it less prone to cracking and warping, which facilitates subsequent processing.

[0035] Example 2: This example provides a substrate coating process, wherein the slurry is made by adding NMP to water, and NMP accounts for 0.5% of the total mass of the slurry. The other parts are the same as in Example 1, and will not be described in detail here.

[0036] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A substrate coating apparatus characterized by: Includes an oven, a coating mechanism, a conveying mechanism, and a slurry coating mechanism; The transfer mechanism is located between the coating mechanism and the oven. The transfer mechanism transports the substrate from the coating mechanism to the oven. The transfer mechanism is equipped with an installation component. The slurry coating mechanism is installed on the installation component and is located above the substrate on the transfer mechanism. The slurry coating mechanism includes a dripping part, which is used to drip slurry onto the substrate. The coating mechanism also includes a drive module, which includes an X-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism, a Z-axis drive mechanism, and a mounting block. The Z-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting component, the X-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the Z-axis drive mechanism, the Y-axis drive mechanism is mounted on the X-axis drive mechanism, the mounting block is mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism, and the dripping part is rotatably mounted on the mounting block. The coating mechanism also includes a roller and two mounting plates. The two mounting plates are installed parallel to each other on both sides of the dripping part and can rotate relative to the dripping part. The roller is rotatably installed between the two mounting plates. The dripping part has a dripping nozzle, and the roller is located below the dripping nozzle. The coating mechanism also includes a sponge, which is cylindrical and is fitted onto the roller with the sponge positioned below the drip nozzle.

2. The substrate coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The dripping part is movably and rotatably mounted on the mounting component.

3. The substrate coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The transmission mechanism further includes a moving module, and the mounting component is mounted on the moving module, which can move horizontally on the moving module.

4. The substrate coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The dripping section is a dispensing valve.

5. A pole piece coating process characterized by, This process, applied to the substrate coating equipment as described in any one of claims 1-4, includes the following steps: S1. Place the electrode sheet on the transfer mechanism, which transports the substrate from the coating mechanism to the oven; S2. As the electrode moves on the transmission mechanism, slurry is continuously dripped onto the tab area of ​​the electrode.

6. The pole piece coating process of claim 5, wherein: The slurry is water or is made by adding NMP to water, with NMP accounting for 0.1%-1% of the total mass of the slurry.

7. The pole piece coating process of claim 5, wherein: The method of applying the slurry in step S2 is as follows: the slurry is applied to the coating material, the coating material is placed on the roller, and the coating material rolls on the electrode tabs of the electrode as the electrode moves. The coating material is a flexible material with good oil and ink absorption properties.

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