Control system and control method for welding of battery cell adapter plate

Abstract

The invention provides a control system and a control method for welding of a battery cell adapter piece, and belongs to the technical field of batteries, the control system comprises a first feeding device, a second feeding device, a third feeding device, a fourth feeding device and a fourth feeding device, the second feeding device is used for conveying a second top cover to the first material taking position in the process that the first feeding device returns to the feeding position; the third feeding device is used for conveying the first battery cell and the second battery cell to a second material taking position; the conveying device is used for conveying the first top cover, the second top cover, the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the welding device; and the welding device is used for welding the first top cover with the first battery cell and welding the second top cover with the second battery cell. According to the control system, continuous feeding is achieved through the two feeding devices, the waiting time of top cover feeding is shortened, and the production line efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of batteries, and particularly relates to a control system and a control method for welding cell connecting pieces. Background Art

[0002] With the economic development, battery technology has become the main research direction in the field of new energy vehicles. Among them, the top cover and the cell are important components of the battery. Welding the cell and the top cover together through a connecting piece is an extremely important process in the battery cell production process. The existing welding equipment has a simple structure and low production efficiency. How to efficiently complete the welding of the cell and the top cover is a problem that needs to be solved currently. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above technical problems, the embodiments of this application provide a control system and a control method for welding cell connecting pieces, which can maximize the production beat and production capacity of the entire equipment and improve production efficiency.

[0004] In a first aspect, the embodiments of this application provide a control system for welding cell connecting pieces, and the control system includes:

[0005] A first feeding device for conveying a first top cover to a first picking position;

[0006] A second feeding device for conveying a second top cover to the first picking position during the process of the first feeding device retracting to the feeding position;

[0007] A third feeding device for conveying a first cell and a second cell to a second picking position;

[0008] A conveying device for transporting the first top cover, the second top cover, the first cell and the second cell to a welding device;

[0009] A welding device for welding the first top cover and the first cell, and welding the second top cover and the second cell.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, after the top cover and the cell are loaded, the top cover and the cell are transported to the welding device through the conveying device, and the top cover and the cell are welded through the welding device. Among them, both the first feeding device and the second feeding device can feed the top cover. During the process of the first feeding device completing the feeding of the first top cover, unloading the empty tray and loading the next top cover, the second feeding device can convey the second top cover to the first picking position, realizing uninterrupted continuous feeding through the two feeding devices, reducing the waiting time for top cover feeding and improving the production line efficiency.

[0011] In some embodiments, the conveying device is annular, and the first feeding device, the second feeding device, the third feeding device, and the welding device are sequentially arranged on different sides of the conveying device along the running direction of the conveying device. In this way, through the reasonable layout of different workstations, the battery cells and the top covers can be smoothly and automatically welded, and the space occupied by the entire production line is reduced.

[0012] The conveying device can be a magnetic drive guide rail. The magnetic drive guide rail can also be called a magnetic levitation guide rail. Through the magnetic drive guide rail, the incoming top covers and battery cells can be quickly transferred to the welding station for tab welding, reducing the time waste generated during the logistics process. In addition, compared with ordinary belt conveyor lines, the magnetic drive guide rail has a higher speed and less wear caused by long-term operation.

[0013] In some embodiments, a first tray and a second tray are placed on the conveying device. The first tray is used to fix the first top cover and the first battery cell, and the second tray is used to fix the second top cover and the second battery cell. The first tray and the second tray flow through the first picking position in sequence, and after the first tray receives the first top cover and the second tray receives the second top cover, the first tray and the second tray flow through the second picking position in sequence, and the first tray receives the first battery cell and the second tray receives the second battery cell. The trays are made into fixed structures in the shapes of the top covers and the battery cells, thereby realizing the accurate and stable fixation of the top covers and the battery cells on the trays of the conveying device, enabling the precise pairing of the battery cell tabs and the top covers, avoiding the appearance of welding NG products caused by insufficient pairing accuracy, reducing the output of NG battery cells, thereby improving production efficiency and saving labor and material costs.

[0014] In some embodiments, the control system further includes a coding device and a coding pulling belt. The coding pulling belt is arranged between the first picking position and the conveying device, and the coding device is arranged in the running direction of the coding pulling belt. The coding device is used to code the information of the first top cover and the information of the second top cover. Coding can facilitate subsequent welding, traceability, and production management.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: a first detection device, which is used to detect whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products. The coding pulling belt sequentially passes through the coding device and the first detection device along the running direction.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: a first discharging device, which is used to place the unqualified coded top covers detected by the first detection device. The first discharging device is arranged at the tail of the coding pulling belt and is adjacent to the coding pulling belt. After the top covers are coded, the first detection device is used to detect the top covers, and the NG top covers generated by coding are timely taken out and placed on the first discharging device, avoiding stacking OK battery cells on the NG top covers to become NG products during subsequent stacking of battery cells, being able to avoid wasting OK battery cells, and facilitating the detection of NG products.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: a first grasping device for placing a first top cover and a second top cover located at a first material taking position onto a coding pulling belt; a second grasping device for transferring the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to a conveying device. Both the first grasping device and the second grasping device are grasping robots. By using robots to transfer the top covers to different positions, it is more flexible and can adapt to workpieces with different heights and frequencies.

[0018] In some embodiments, both the first top cover and the second top cover include a first surface and a second surface. When coding, the first surface faces upward in the vertical direction, and when welding, the second surface faces upward in the vertical direction. The control system further includes: a flipping mechanism for simultaneously flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover by 180°. After flipping, the second surface faces upward in the vertical direction; the second grasping device is specifically configured to transfer the flipped coded first top cover and the flipped coded second top cover to a conveying device; the flipping mechanism is located below the second grasping device. Using the flipping mechanism to flip the top covers after coding can meet the process requirements of both top cover welding and top cover coding simultaneously.

[0019] In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism is specifically configured to simultaneously flip the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover. This can improve the production line efficiency.

[0020] In some embodiments, the flipping angle of the flipping mechanism is 180°.

[0021] In some embodiments, the control system further includes a first dust removal device and a second blanking device; the second blanking device is used to transport a first battery cell welded to the first top cover; the first dust removal device is disposed on the transportation path of the second blanking device; the first dust removal device is used to clean the first battery cell welded to the first top cover. Cleaning the post-welding slag and floating dust generated during the logistics operation through the dust removal device can ensure the cleanliness of the battery cell and avoid affecting the quality of the battery cell due to the slag and floating dust.

[0022] In some embodiments, the control system further includes a second dust removal device and a third blanking device; the third blanking device is used to transport a second battery cell welded to the second top cover; the second dust removal device is disposed on the transportation path of the third blanking device; the second dust removal device is used to clean the second battery cell welded to the second top cover. By setting two groups of dust removal devices and two groups of battery cell blanking devices, the cleaning and blanking of the battery cells can be completed more efficiently, improving the production line efficiency.

[0023] In some embodiments, the control system further includes: a third grasping device, configured to place the unqualified battery cells after being welded to the top covers from the second blanking device into the first non-conforming product area, and place the unqualified battery cells after being welded to the top covers from the third blanking device into the second non-conforming product area; the first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area are arranged in an up-and-down overlapping manner, and the first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area are located at the tail of the transportation paths of the second blanking device and the third blanking device, and are arranged at a right angle to the second blanking device and the third blanking device. Distinguishing the first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area can accurately distinguish the NG situations of the battery cells on the two production lines of the second blanking device and the third blanking device, which is convenient for traceability and equipment detection. The up-and-down overlapping arrangement of the first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area can save the space required for the NG conveyor belt, leaving more space for subsequent cutting, pulling, and die change in the factory building.

[0024] In some embodiments, the third grasping device is further configured to place the qualified battery cells after being welded to the top covers from the second blanking device and the third blanking device into the qualified product area. The qualified product area is a movable buffer position driven by a servo.

[0025] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for welding a battery cell transfer tab, and the method includes:

[0026] Convey the first top cover to the first picking position through the first loading device;

[0027] During the process of the first loading device retracting to the loading position, convey the second top cover to the first picking position through the second loading device;

[0028] Receive the first top cover and the second top cover through the conveying device, and transport the first top cover and the second top cover to the second picking position;

[0029] Convey the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the second picking position through the third loading device;

[0030] Receive the first battery cell and the second battery cell at the second picking position through the conveying device, and sequentially transport the first top cover and the first battery cell, and the second top cover and the second battery cell to the welding device;

[0031] Weld the first top cover to the first battery cell and weld the second top cover to the second battery cell through the welding device.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, after the top cover and the battery cell are loaded, the top cover and the battery cell are transported to the welding device by the conveying device, and the top cover and the battery cell are welded by the welding device. Among them, both the first loading device and the second loading device can load the top cover. During the process that the first loading device completes the loading of the first top cover, unloads the empty tray, and loads the next top cover, the second loading device can transport the second top cover to the first picking position. Through the two sets of loading devices, continuous uninterrupted loading is achieved, the waiting time for top cover loading is reduced, and the production line efficiency is improved.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method further includes: before the first top cover and the second top cover are transferred to the conveying device, controlling the coding device to code on the first top cover and on the second top cover. Coding can facilitate subsequent welding, traceability, and production management.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method further includes: detecting, by the first detection device, whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in the case where the coded top cover is a qualified product, transporting the coded top cover to the welding device through the conveying device; in the case where the coded top cover is a non - qualified product, moving the non - qualified coded top cover to the first unloading device. After the top cover coding is completed, the first detection device is used to detect the top cover, and the NG top cover generated by coding is taken out and placed on the first unloading device in time, so as to avoid stacking OK battery cells on the NG top cover and becoming NG products during subsequent stacking of battery cells, which can avoid wasting OK battery cells and facilitate the detection of NG products.

[0036] In some embodiments, the coding device is arranged in the running direction of the coding tape. The method further includes: placing the first top cover and the second top cover located at the first picking position on the coding tape through the first grasping device; transferring the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to the conveying device through the second grasping device.

[0037] In some embodiments, both the first top cover and the second top cover include a first surface and a second surface. When coding, the first surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction, and when welding, the second surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction. The method further includes: after coding the first top cover and the second top cover, flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover simultaneously through the flipping mechanism, and after flipping, the second surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction. Using the flipping mechanism to perform flipping operations on the coded top covers can meet the process requirements of both top cover welding and top cover coding at the same time.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first top cover and the second top cover after coding are flipped by a flipping mechanism, including: flipping the first top cover and the second top cover after coding simultaneously by the flipping mechanism.

[0039] In some embodiments, the flipping angle of the flipping mechanism is 180°.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method further includes: transporting the first battery cell welded to the first top cover to a first dust removal device by a second blanking device; cleaning the first battery cell welded to the first top cover by the first dust removal device. Cleaning the welding slag after welding and the floating dust generated during the logistics operation by the dust removal device can ensure the cleanliness of the battery cell and avoid affecting the quality of the battery cell due to welding slag and floating dust.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method further includes: transporting the second battery cell welded to the second top cover to a second dust removal device by a third blanking device; cleaning the second battery cell welded to the second top cover by the second dust removal device. By setting two groups of dust removal devices and two groups of battery cell blanking devices, the cleaning and blanking of the battery cells can be completed more efficiently, improving the production line efficiency.

[0042] In some embodiments, the method further includes: detecting whether the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a qualified product; in the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover is a non-qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover in a first non-qualified product area by a third grasping device; in the case where the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a non-qualified product, placing the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in a second non-qualified product area by a third grasping device; in the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in a qualified product area by a third grasping device. Distinguishing the first non-qualified product area and the second non-qualified product area can accurately distinguish the NG situations of the battery cells on the two lines of the second blanking device and the third blanking device, facilitating traceability and equipment detection.

[0043] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a device for welding a battery cell connection piece, including a memory and a processor, where the memory stores a computer program, and when the processor executes the computer program, the method described in the second aspect is implemented.

[0044] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, where the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method described in the second aspect.

[0045] Fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the method described in the second aspect is implemented. Description of the Drawings

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the following-described drawings are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a product to be welded provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a control system for welding a battery cell connection tab provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a top cover feeding device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flipping mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a conveying device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a blanking buffer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 7 It is a schematic flowchart of a control method for welding a battery cell connection tab provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0054] The following will describe in detail the embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, so they are only examples and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity, specific order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0057] Referring to "embodiments" herein means that specific features, structures or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase appearing in various positions in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0058] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is merely an associative relationship describing associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0059] With the development of the economy, battery technology has become the main research direction in the field of new energy vehicles. Among them, the top cover and the battery cell are important components of the battery. During the production process of lithium batteries, it is necessary to record the information of the top cover by coding, stack the coded top cover and the battery cell with the A and B sides opened together, align the connecting tabs of the battery cell with the top cover and then stack them and weld the connecting tabs of the battery cell to the top cover. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the product to be welded is shown. As Figure 1 shown in 1-1 in [reference], it is the schematic diagram of the battery cell and the connecting tab before welding. Two battery cells a are symmetrically arranged, and a connecting tab b is pre-welded between the tabs f of the battery cell a. As Figure 1 shown in 1-2 in [reference], it is the schematic diagram of the top cover before welding. The top cover c will be arranged between the two battery cells a and welded and fixed to the connecting tab.

[0060] The structure of the existing welding equipment is simple, the transmission rate is slow, and the production efficiency is low. It is difficult to meet the increasing production speed of the connecting tabs. Coupled with the increasingly fierce competition in the lithium battery industry, the requirements for the output and quality of lithium battery products from all parties are becoming more and more stringent. How to efficiently complete the welding of the battery cell and the top cover is a problem that needs to be solved at present.

[0061] To this end, the present application provides a control system, a control method, and a device for welding a cell transfer tab. By combining various loading gantry grippers, jaws, flipping mechanisms, grasping robots, conveyors, and magnetic drive rails, it can undertake more complex transfer tab cell and top cover transmission work, realizing the rapid transfer of cell and top cover incoming materials between different workstations, and maximizing the production rhythm and production capacity of the entire equipment.

[0062] Figure 2 FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a control system for welding a cell transfer tab provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the control system includes a top cover loading device 1, a cell loading device 2, a conveying device 3, a welding device 4, and a blanking device 5. The top cover loading device 1 is used for loading the top cover, the cell loading device 2 is used for loading the cell, the conveying device 3 is used for receiving the loaded top cover and cell, and conveying the top cover and cell to the welding device 4. The welding device 4 welds the top cover and the cell, and the blanking device 5 unloads the welded cell.

[0063] Among them, the conveying device 3 is annular, and the top cover loading device 1, the cell loading device 2, the welding device 4, and the cell blanking device 5 are sequentially arranged on four sides of the conveying device 3. Through the reasonable layout of different workstations, the cell and the top cover can be smoothly and automatically welded, and the space occupied by the entire production line is reduced.

[0064] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 3 FIG. 16 shows a schematic structural diagram of a top cover loading device 1 provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the top cover loading device 1 includes a loading frame 10, a first loading device 11, a second loading device 12, a first grasping robot 13, a transverse servo 14, and a loading trolley 15. The top covers are carried on trays and stacked on the loading trolley 15 to continuously supply the top covers to the first loading device 11 and the second loading device 12. The loading trolley can adopt a well-known structure and can be detached from the main structure of the top cover loading device. There is a notch at the top of the loading frame 10, and the tray can pass through the notch. The transverse servo 14 can move back and forth at the notch of the loading frame 10. The loading trolley 15 is placed at the bottom of the loading frame 10. The position where the loading trolley 15 cooperates with the first loading device 11 is the loading position corresponding to the first loading device 11, and the position where the loading trolley 15 cooperates with the second loading device 12 is the loading position corresponding to the second loading device 12.

[0065] Preferably, the first feeding device 11 includes a feeding area 111 and a discharging area 112. The feeding area 111 uses a roller conveyor line to move the tray containing the first top cover sent by the feeding trolley 15 to the A-group tray picking position, and the A-group lifting servo lifts the tray containing the first top cover to the height of the A-group transverse servo 14. Then, the fixed cylinder of the A-group transverse servo 14 extends, the fixed suction cup evacuates, and the tray containing the first top cover is fixed. The transverse servo 14 transversely moves the tray containing the first top cover to the corresponding first picking position below the first picking robot 13. The first picking robot 13 picks the first top cover on the tray and places the first top cover at the next position, such as on the conveying device 3 or the coding and taping mentioned later. After the first top cover on this tray is picked, the empty tray is sent to the A-group discharging position by the A-group transverse servo 14, and the empty tray is sent to the roller conveyor line by the lifting servo, and the roller conveyor line moves downward to complete the discharging of the empty tray.

[0066] The second feeding device 12 includes a feeding area 121 and a discharging area 122. During the process that the first feeding device 11 completes the feeding of the first top cover and unloads the empty tray and prepares to transport the tray containing the next top cover, the feeding area 121 uses a roller conveyor line to move the tray containing the second top cover sent by the feeding trolley 15 to the B-group tray picking position, and the B-group lifting servo lifts the tray containing the second top cover to the height of the B-group transverse servo 14. Then, the fixed cylinder of the B-group transverse servo 14 extends, the fixed suction cup evacuates, and the tray containing the second top cover is fixed. The transverse servo 14 transversely moves the tray containing the second top cover to the corresponding first picking position below the first picking robot 13. Furthermore, the first picking robot 13 picks the second top cover on the tray and places the second top cover at the next position.

[0067] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, only Figure 3 the left side is taken as the first feeding device and the right side is taken as the second feeding device for illustration, but it is not limited thereto.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present application, a combination of a servo shaft and a roller conveyor line is used to transport the tray carrying the top cover to the first picking position, and two feeding devices (the first feeding device 11 and the second feeding device 12) are used to achieve uninterrupted continuous feeding. During the process that the first feeding device 11 completes the feeding of the first top cover and unloads the empty tray and loads the next top cover, the first picking robot 13 does not need to wait, but picks the second top cover brought by the second feeding device 12 and places it at the next position. During the process of picking and placing the second top cover, the first feeding device 11 completes the operations of releasing the empty tray and picking materials, reducing the waiting time for the first picking robot 13 to pick the top cover and improving the production line efficiency.

[0069] Continue to refer to Figure 2, preferably, the top cover feeding device 1 may further include a coding pulling belt 16, a coding device 17, and a second gripping robot 18. The running direction of the coding pulling belt 16 is arranged parallel to the moving direction of the cross - translation servo 14. The head end of the running direction of the coding pulling belt 16 corresponds to the first gripping robot 13, and the tail end of the running direction of the coding pulling belt 16 corresponds to the second gripping robot 18. The coding device 17 is arranged on the coding pulling belt 16. The first gripping robot 13 grabs the first top cover from the first material - taking position, transfers the first top cover to the coding pulling belt 16, the coding pulling belt 16 transports the first top cover to the coding device 17, and the coding device 17 codes the information of the first top cover for subsequent welding, traceability, and production management. The second gripping robot 18 transfers the coded first top cover to the conveying device 3. Similarly, the coding device 17 also codes the information of the second top cover, and the second gripping robot 18 transfers the coded second top cover to the conveying device 3, which will not be elaborated here. The first gripping robot corresponds to the first gripping device, and the second gripping robot corresponds to the second gripping device.

[0070] In some embodiments, two coding devices 17 may be provided to code the first top cover and the second top cover simultaneously.

[0071] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , preferably, the top cover feeding device 1 may further include a first detection device and a top cover discharging pulling belt 19 (which may also be called the top cover NG pulling belt, corresponding to the first discharging device). The top cover discharging pulling belt 19 is arranged at a right angle to the coding pulling belt 16. The first detection device is arranged on the coding pulling belt 16 and between the coding device 17 and the second gripping robot 18. The first detection device is used to detect whether the coded top cover is a qualified product. After the coding device 17 codes the first top cover, the first detection device is used to detect the first top cover. When the first top cover is a qualified product (OK), the second gripping robot 18 grabs the first top cover and places it on the conveying device 3, and then the first top cover flows to the battery cell feeding station; when the first top cover is a defective product (NG), the second gripping robot 18 grabs the first top cover and places it on the top cover discharging pulling belt 19, and then removes the first top cover from the production line. The second top cover is similar to the first top cover, which will not be elaborated here. In the embodiment of the present application, after the top cover coding is completed, the robot can timely take out the NG top cover generated by coding and place it on the top cover NG pulling belt, avoiding stacking OK battery cells on the NG top cover to become NG products during subsequent battery cell stacking, which can avoid wasting OK battery cells and facilitate the detection of NG products.

[0072] It should be noted that the first detection device may be a charge - coupled device (CCD) camera.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first detection device may also be disposed on the second grasping robot 18, and the second grasping robot 18 grasps the top cover and then performs detection.

[0074] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , preferably, the top cover feeding device 1 may further include a flipping mechanism 110, which is disposed at the end of the code marking belt 16 and is located below the second grasping robot 18. The code marking belt 16 sequentially passes through the first grasping robot 13, the code marking device 17, the first detection device, and the flipping mechanism 110 along the transportation direction. The flipping mechanism 110 is used to flip the first top cover and the second top cover after code marking. When the top cover after code marking reaches the flipping mechanism 110, the flipping mechanism 110 grasps the top cover after code marking and flips the top cover after code marking. After the flipping is completed, the second grasping robot 18 grasps the top cover after code marking that has been flipped, and places the top cover after code marking on the NG belt or the conveying device 3 according to the detection result of the first detection device.

[0075] Due to the requirements of the production process, the direction of top cover code marking and the direction of TAB welding are different. For example, the top cover can be divided into surface A and surface B. Code marking is performed on surface A, and welding is performed on surface B. When code marking, the direction of surface A is upward along the vertical direction, and when welding, the direction of surface B is upward along the vertical direction. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a flipping operation on the top cover to be welded after code marking. In the embodiment of the present application, the flipping mechanism 110 is used to perform a flipping operation on the top cover after code marking, which can simultaneously meet the process requirements of top cover welding and top cover code marking. The angle between surface A and surface B can be 180°, or can be 90°. The present application does not make a limitation in this regard. Correspondingly, the flipping angle of the flipping mechanism 110 can be 180°, or can be 90°.

[0076] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a flipping mechanism 110 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The flipping mechanism 110 includes two groups, namely a first flipping component 1101 and a second flipping component 1102. The first flipping component 1101 and the second flipping component 1102 are flipped through a rotating shaft. The first flipping component 1101 includes a first clamping part, and the second flipping component 1102 includes a second clamping part. They are divided into the upper and lower sides of the rotating shaft in the direction perpendicular to the code marking belt 16. The first clamping part and the second clamping part are located on the same side, for example, the lower side. When the first top cover and the second top cover reach below the flipping mechanism 110, the first clamping part clamps the first top cover, and the second clamping part clamps the second top cover, so as to realize the simultaneous flipping of the first top cover and the second top cover. The second grasping robot 18 may include two jaws arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, which can simultaneously grasp the first top cover and the second top cover, and place the first top cover and the second top cover on the conveying device 3, thereby realizing the rapid transfer of the top cover.

[0077] Further, the first flipping assembly 1101 may further include a third clamping portion, and the second flipping assembly 1102 may further include a fourth clamping portion. The third clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion are located on the same side. The first clamping portion and the third clamping portion are arranged back to back, and the second clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion are arranged back to back. After the first clamping portion clamps the first top cover and the second clamping portion clamps the second top cover, the flipping mechanism 110 flips up and down, so that the second gripper robot 18 grabs the first top cover and the second top cover from the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion. At this time, the third clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion are flipped from the upper side to the lower side and can continue to clamp the subsequent top covers. Thus, when the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are flipped to the lower side to clamp the new top covers, the second gripper robot 18 can grab the subsequent top covers from the third clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion, which can improve the top cover conveying efficiency and reduce the waiting time of the second gripper robot 18.

[0078] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the coding position 17 may be set on the side surface of the top cover, and the welding surface always faces upward, so that the flipping mechanism 110 may not be provided. In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism 110 includes the first flipping assembly 1101 or the second flipping assembly 1102 to sequentially flip the first top cover and the second top cover, and the second gripper robot 18 sequentially transfers the first top cover and the second top cover.

[0079] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , the battery cell feeding device 2 includes a conveyor belt (not shown in the figure) and a first gantry gripper 21. The conveyor belt may be arranged parallel and adjacent to the top cover feeding belt 19. The battery cell feeding device 2 uses the conveyor belt to convey the first battery cell and the second battery cell completed in the previous process to the battery cell feeding gantry station (the second picking position), and uses the first gantry gripper 21 to grab the battery cells and sequentially place the first battery cell and the second battery cell on the conveying device 3.

[0080] Continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , Figure 5It is a schematic diagram of a conveying device provided by an embodiment of the present application. On the conveying device 3, there are a first tray 31 and a second tray 32. The trays are made with fixing structures in the shapes of the top cover and the battery cell. The top cover can be placed in the groove in the tray for accommodating the top cover, and the battery cell can be placed in the groove in the tray for accommodating the battery cell, which is used to fix the top cover and the battery cell to achieve precise pairing. When the conveying device 3 brings the first tray 31 and the second tray 32 to the top cover picking position 33 corresponding to the top cover loading device 1, the second grasping robot 18 places the first top cover and the second top cover that have been coded respectively into the fixing structures of the first tray 31 and the second tray 32. Or when the conveying device 3 brings the first tray 31 and the second tray 32 to the first picking position, the first grasping robot 13 places the first top cover and the second top cover respectively into the fixing structures of the first tray 31 and the second tray 32. After receiving the top covers, the conveying device 3 continues to move, and the trays are transferred to the battery cell loading position 34 corresponding to the battery cell loading device 2. The first gantry gripper 21 moves the first battery cell into the first tray 31 with the first top cover placed, and moves the second battery cell into the second tray 32 with the second top cover placed. The conveying device 3 continues to convey the top covers and the battery cells along the conveying path to the welding device 4. In the embodiment of the present application, by making fixing structures in the shapes of the top cover and the battery cell in the trays, and using the combination of the second grasping robot, the flipping mechanism, the conveying device, the conveyor belt in the battery cell loading device, and the first gantry gripper, the coded top covers are accurately and stably fixed on the trays of the conveying device, and the battery cells are accurately and stably fixed on the trays that have been equipped with the top covers, enabling the connecting tabs and the top covers to be precisely paired, avoiding the appearance of welded NG products caused by insufficient pairing accuracy, reducing the output of NG battery cells, thereby improving production efficiency and saving labor and material costs.

[0081] Further, the conveying device 3 is a magnetic drive guide rail, which can also be called a magnetic levitation guide rail. Through the magnetic drive guide rail, the incoming materials of the top covers and the battery cells can be quickly transferred to the welding station for connecting tab welding. In the embodiment of the present application, the magnetic drive guide rail can transfer the trays between different stations at the fastest possible speed, reducing the time waste generated during the logistics process. In addition, compared with ordinary belt conveyor lines, the magnetic drive guide rail has a higher speed and less wear caused by long-term operation.

[0082] In some embodiments, the above control system further includes a calibration mechanism. The calibration mechanism is arranged in the running direction of the magnetic drive guide rail. After receiving the incoming materials of the top covers and the battery cells, the magnetic drive guide rail sends the trays fixed with the top covers and the battery cells to the calibration mechanism, and the calibration mechanism calibrates the positions of the top covers and the battery cells, thereby further improving the pairing accuracy.

[0083] After position correction, the magnetic drive guide rail runs the tray fixed with the top cover and the battery cell to the welding device 4 for welding. The welding process is laser welding. Specifically, the welding process is galvanometer welding. The welding device 4 can be provided with two welding positions, and can weld the top cover battery cells in the first tray and the top cover battery cells in the second tray simultaneously. After completing the welding of the connecting piece and the top cover, the magnetic drive guide rail transfers the tray to the post-welding battery cell picking position 35 corresponding to the blanking device 5. The second gantry gripper of the blanking device 5 grabs the welded battery cell from the tray on the magnetic drive guide rail and transfers the welded battery cell to the tray of the blanking device 5 for subsequent processing. After the battery cell is taken away, the tray on the magnetic drive guide rail will run to the buffer position and wait for the next round of top cover loading. The magnetic drive guide rail provides two buffer positions and circulates in groups of two trays on the magnetic drive guide rail. If the second gantry gripper does not pick up the battery cell in time, the battery cell can be taken away manually at the buffer position.

[0084] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , the blanking device 5 includes a second gantry gripper 50, a second blanking device 51, a third blanking device 52, and a blanking buffer area 53. The second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 both transport the battery cells through a belt. The second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 are arranged adjacent and parallel to each other, and the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 are arranged parallel to the coding belt 16. The second gantry gripper 50 is located between the magnetic drive guide rail and the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52. After completing the welding of the connecting piece and the top cover, the magnetic drive guide rail transfers the tray to the post-welding battery cell picking position 35. The second gantry gripper 50 grabs the welded first battery cell from the first tray on the magnetic drive guide rail and places the welded first battery cell in the tray on the belt of the second blanking device 51. At the same time, the second gantry gripper 50 grabs the welded second battery cell from the second tray on the magnetic drive guide rail and places the welded second battery cell in the tray on the belt of the third blanking device 52. Sensors are provided at the head ends of the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 to judge whether there is a welded battery cell placed on the belt. If so, the belt moves forward one unit, and the next group of empty trays is moved to the post-welding battery cell picking position. The belt continues to move forward along the running direction and finally sends the welded first battery cell and the second battery cell to the blanking buffer area 53.

[0085] Continue to refer to Figure 2, preferably, in the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned blanking device 5 further includes a first dust removal device 54 and a second dust removal device 55. The first dust removal device 54 is arranged on the transportation path of the second blanking device 51 and is used to clean the battery cells (such as the first battery cell after welding) on the second blanking device 51. The second dust removal device 55 is arranged on the transportation path of the third blanking device 52 and is used to clean the battery cells (such as the second battery cell after welding) on the third blanking device 52. By using the dust removal device to clean the welding slag after welding and the floating dust generated during the logistics operation, the cleanliness of the battery cells can be guaranteed, and the quality of the battery cells can be prevented from being affected by the welding slag and the floating dust.

[0086] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , preferably, in the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned control system further includes a dispensing device 56 and a dispensing device 57. The dispensing device 56 is arranged on the transportation path of the second blanking device 51, and the dispensing device 57 is arranged on the transportation path of the third blanking device 52. Both the dispensing device 56 and the dispensing device 57 include a CCD station before dispensing, a dispensing station, and a CCD station after dispensing. After the dust removal after welding is completed, the battery cells on the second blanking device 51 are sent to the dispensing device 56 by a pulling belt to sequentially perform CCD before dispensing, dispensing, and CCD after dispensing, and the battery cells on the third blanking device 52 are sent to the dispensing device 57 by a pulling belt to sequentially perform CCD before dispensing, dispensing, and CCD after dispensing. Among them, the CCD before dispensing is used to detect whether the welding is qualified. If the welding is unqualified, no dispensing is directly performed at the dispensing station. Dispensing is used to strengthen the welding strength. The CCD after dispensing is used to detect whether the dispensing is qualified. By setting multiple CCD positions, NG products generated in different processes can be accurately distinguished.

[0087] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 , Figure 6The figure shows a schematic structural diagram of a blanking buffer area provided by an embodiment of the present application. The blanking buffer area 53 includes a third gantry gripper 530, a first buffer area 531, a second buffer area 532, a third buffer area (not shown in the figure), and a fourth gantry gripper 533. Among them, the first buffer area 531 is used to place the unqualified battery cells after being welded to the top cover from the second blanking device 51; the second buffer area 532 is used to place the unqualified battery cells after being welded to the top cover from the third blanking device 52; the third buffer area is used to place the qualified welded battery cells. The first buffer area 531 and the second buffer area 532 are set as draw belts (battery cell NG draw belts), and the third buffer area is a movable buffer position driven by a servo. By distinguishing the first buffer position and the second buffer position, the situation of NG battery cells on the two lines of the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 can be accurately distinguished, which is convenient for traceability and equipment detection. Moreover, the first buffer area 531 and the second buffer area 532 are arranged in an overlapping manner up and down, which can save the space required for the NG draw belt and leave more space for subsequent cutting, pulling, and type-changing in the factory building.

[0088] After dust removal, pre-dispensing CCD, dispensing, and post-dispensing CCD are sequentially completed, the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52 continue to send the battery cells to the blanking buffer area 53. The third gantry gripper 530 grabs the welded battery cells in the trays of the second blanking device 51 and the third blanking device 52. When the welded battery cell is an OK battery cell, the third gantry gripper 530 places the OK battery cell in the third buffer area, and the fourth gantry gripper 533 places the OK battery cell in the third buffer area in the blanking area and transfers it to the next process. When the welded battery cell is an NG battery cell, the third buffer area moves to expose the discharge port of the battery cell NG draw belt. The third gantry gripper 530 places the NG battery cell on the second blanking device 51 in the first buffer area 531 and places the NG battery cell on the third blanking device 52 in the second buffer area 532. The length of the first buffer area 531 is less than that of the second buffer area 532, and the head of the second buffer area 532 is not blocked, so that the NG battery cell can be placed on the second buffer area 532.

[0089] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a control system for welding the cell adapter plate, which can undertake more complex transmission work of the adapter plate, cell and top cover, and realizes accurately placing the top cover with completed coding on the tray of the magnetic levitation guide return line, and accurately placing the cells on the cell feeding conveyor belt on the tray with the top cover already installed, so that the adapter plate and the top cover are accurately paired, avoiding the appearance of welding NG products caused by insufficient matching progress accuracy, and meeting the process requirements of aligning the cell and the cover plate for welding required for adapter plate welding. It can timely exclude the NG products generated in each part, avoid the subsequent process product quality being affected by the NG of the previous process and causing unnecessary material waste, and improve the overall product quality. In addition, through the grasping robot and the gantry gripper, the flexibility of the top cover and the cell to flow between workstations with different heights and different incoming material frequency requirements can be realized.

[0090] Based on the above control system for welding the cell adapter plate, the embodiment of the present application provides a control method for welding the cell adapter plate. This control method is completed under the control of a controller, and the controller can be a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), such as Figure 7 shown, this control method includes S701 - S706.

[0091] S701, convey the first top cover to the first picking position through the first feeding device.

[0092] S702, during the process of the first feeding device retracting to the feeding position, convey the second top cover to the first picking position through the second feeding device.

[0093] S703, receive the first top cover and the second top cover through the conveying device, and transport the first top cover and the second top cover to the second picking position.

[0094] S704, convey the first cell and the second cell to the second picking position through the third feeding device.

[0095] S705, receive the first cell and the second cell at the second picking position through the conveying device, and sequentially transport the first top cover and the first cell, the second top cover and the second cell to the welding device.

[0096] S706, weld the first top cover and the first cell through the welding device, and weld the second top cover and the second cell.

[0097] The first feeding device and the second feeding device are as described above. In some embodiments, after the first top cover and the second top cover are transported to the first material taking position, the first top cover and the second top cover can be transferred to the conveying device by the first gripping robot. The conveying device receives the first top cover and the second top cover at the first material taking position, and transports the first top cover and the second top cover to the second material taking position. After the third feeding device transports the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the second material taking position, the conveying device receives the first battery cell and the second battery cell at the second material taking position, and sequentially transports the first top cover and the first battery cell, and the second top cover and the second battery cell to the welding device. Then, the welding device welds the first top cover to the first battery cell and welds the second top cover to the second battery cell. At this time, the coding device can be arranged at other positions on the annular conveying device, or the top cover is coded before the top cover is fed.

[0098] In some embodiments, after the first top cover and the second top cover are transported to the first material taking position, the first top cover and the second top cover can be transferred to the coding tape by the first gripping robot. The second gripping device at the tail end of the coding tape transfers the first top cover and the second top cover to the conveying device. The conveying device receives the first top cover and the second top cover at the top cover material taking position, and transports the first top cover and the second top cover to the second material taking position. After the third feeding device transports the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the second material taking position, the conveying device receives the first battery cell and the second battery cell at the second material taking position, and sequentially transports the first top cover and the first battery cell, and the second top cover and the second battery cell to the welding device. Then, the welding device welds the first top cover to the first battery cell and welds the second top cover to the second battery cell. At this time, the coding device is arranged on the coding tape.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present application, after the top cover and the battery cell are fed, the top cover and the battery cell are transported to the welding device by the conveying device, and the top cover and the battery cell are welded by the welding device. Among them, both the first feeding device and the second feeding device can feed the top cover. During the process of the first feeding device completing the feeding of the first top cover, unloading the empty tray, and loading the next top cover, the second feeding device can transport the second top cover to the first material taking position. Through the two groups of feeding devices (the first feeding device and the second feeding device), continuous feeding without interruption is realized, the waiting time for feeding the top cover is reduced, and the production line efficiency is improved.

[0100] In some embodiments, the above method further includes: before the first top cover and the second top cover are transferred to the conveying device, controlling the coding device to code the first top cover and code the second top cover.

[0101] Specifically, after the first top cover and the second top cover are conveyed to the first picking position, the first picking robot transfers the first top cover and the second top cover at the first picking position to the coding conveyor belt. The coding device is arranged in the running direction of the coding conveyor belt. After the first top cover and the second top cover are transferred to the coding conveyor belt, the coding device codes the first top cover and codes the second top cover. After the coding is completed, the second picking robot can transfer the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to the conveying device. Before sending the top cover to the conveying device, the coding device codes the information on the top cover, which is convenient for the production management of the top cover battery cells.

[0102] In some embodiments, after coding the top cover, the above method further includes: using the first detection device to detect whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products.

[0103] Specifically, after the first top cover and the second top cover are conveyed to the first picking position, the first picking robot transfers the first top cover and the second top cover at the first picking position to the coding conveyor belt. The coding device codes the first top cover and codes the second top cover. After the coding is completed, the first detection device is used to detect whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products. If the coded top cover is an OK product, the second picking robot places the OK top cover on the conveying device and transports it to the welding device through the conveying device; if the coded top cover is an NG product, the second picking robot places the NG top cover on the top cover NG conveyor belt, and the NG top cover is removed from the production line through the top cover NG conveyor belt. By timely taking out the NG top cover generated by coding and placing it on the top cover NG conveyor belt, it is possible to avoid stacking OK battery cells on the NG top cover and turning them into NG products during subsequent stacking of battery cells, which can avoid wasting OK battery cells and facilitate the detection of NG products.

[0104] In some embodiments, both the first top cover and the second top cover include a first surface and a second surface. When coding, the first surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction, and when welding, the second surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction. The above method further includes: after coding the first top cover and the second top cover, controlling the flipping mechanism to flip the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover, and after flipping, the second surface is the surface facing upward in the vertical direction.

[0105] Specifically, after the first top cover and the second top cover are conveyed to the first picking position, the first picking robot transfers the first top cover and the second top cover at the first picking position to the coding and pulling belt. The coding and pulling belt sequentially passes through the coding device, the first detection device, and the flipping mechanism. The coding device codes the first top cover and codes the second top cover. After the coding is completed, the first detection device detects whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products. Then the coding and pulling belt transports the first top cover and the second top cover to the flipping mechanism, and the flipping mechanism sequentially flips the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover. The second picking robot sequentially transfers the flipped first top cover and the second top cover to the conveying device. In the embodiment of the present application, the top cover is coded first, and then the flipping mechanism is used to flip the coded top cover, which can simultaneously meet the process requirements of top cover welding and top cover coding.

[0106] In some embodiments, the flipped first top cover and the flipped second top cover are flipped by the flipping mechanism, including: the flipped first top cover and the flipped second top cover are simultaneously flipped by the flipping mechanism.

[0107] The flipping mechanism may include a first flipping component and a second flipping component. The coding and pulling belt transports the first top cover and the second top cover to the flipping mechanism. The first flipping component in the flipping mechanism grabs the first top cover, and the second flipping component grabs the second top cover. The coded first top cover and the coded second top cover can be simultaneously flipped. The second picking robot can simultaneously grab the flipped first top cover and the second top cover from the flipping mechanism and place the first top cover and the second top cover on the conveying device, thereby realizing the rapid transfer of the top cover.

[0108] The flipping angle of the flipping mechanism can be 180° or 90°. The present application does not limit this.

[0109] In some embodiments, the conveying device is an annular magnetic drive guide rail. The magnetic drive guide rail can transfer the incoming materials between different workstations as fast as possible. At the same time, compared with the ordinary belt conveyor line, the speed of the magnetic drive guide rail is higher, and the wear caused by long-term operation is smaller.

[0110] In some embodiments, there is a tray placed on the conveying device. The tray is made with fixing structures in the shapes of the top cover and the battery cell. The top cover can be placed into the groove in the tray for accommodating the top cover, and the battery cell can be placed into the groove in the tray for accommodating the battery cell, so as to fix the top cover and the battery cell and achieve precise pairing. Before the conveying device transports the first top cover, the second top cover, the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the welding device, the above method further includes: after the second gripper robot grabs the top cover, determining whether the tray on the conveying device reaches the top cover picking position; in the case where the tray on the conveying device reaches the top cover picking position, placing the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover onto the tray of the conveying device through the second gripper robot; in the case where the tray on the conveying device does not reach the top cover picking position, repeatedly determining whether the tray on the conveying device reaches the top cover picking position; after the battery cell reaches the battery cell picking position, determining whether the tray on the conveying device reaches the battery cell picking position and the top cover has been placed well; in the case where the tray on the conveying device reaches the battery cell picking position and the top cover has been placed well in the tray, transporting the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the tray of the conveying device through the first gantry gripper, otherwise repeatedly determining whether the tray reaches the battery cell picking position and the top cover has been placed well; then the conveying device transports the received first top cover, second top cover, first battery cell and second battery cell to the welding device. Thereby, it can be ensured that the top cover is accurately placed in the tray on the conveying device, and it can be ensured that the battery cell is accurately placed in the tray with the top cover already installed.

[0111] In some embodiments, after welding the top cover and the battery cell, the above method further includes: transporting the first battery cell welded with the first top cover to the first dust removal device through the second blanking device; cleaning the first battery cell welded with the first top cover through the first dust removal device. Specifically, the transporting device transports the battery cell welded with the top cover to the post-welding blanking area, and the second gantry gripper places the first battery cell welded with the first top cover onto the second blanking device. The second blanking device is a belt, and a first dust removal device is arranged on the belt. The belt moves to transport the first battery cell welded with the first top cover to the first dust removal device, and the first dust removal device cleans the first battery cell welded with the first top cover. By cleaning the post-welding welding slag and the floating dust generated during the logistics operation process, the cleanliness of the battery cell can be guaranteed, and the quality of the battery cell can be prevented from being affected by the welding slag and the floating dust.

[0112] In some embodiments, after welding the top cover and the battery cell, the above method further includes: transporting the second battery cell welded to the second top cover to the second dust removal device through the third blanking device; cleaning the second battery cell welded to the second top cover through the second dust removal device. Specifically, the transport device transports the battery cell welded to the top cover to the post-welding blanking area, the second gantry gripper places the second battery cell welded to the second top cover on the third blanking device. The third blanking device is a pulling belt, and the second dust removal device is arranged on the pulling belt. The pulling belt moves to transport the second battery cell welded to the second top cover to the second dust removal device, and the second dust removal device cleans the second battery cell welded to the second top cover. By setting two groups of battery cell blanking pulling belts and dust removal devices, when cleaning the first battery cell, the second battery cell can also be cleaned, which can accelerate the production beat of the equipment and improve production efficiency.

[0113] In some embodiments, the above method further includes: detecting whether the battery cell welded to the top cover is a qualified product; in the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover is a non-qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover in the first non-conforming product area through the third gripping device; in the case where the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a non-qualified product, placing the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in the second non-conforming product area through the third gripping device; in the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in the qualified product area through the third gripping device.

[0114] Second detection devices (such as CCD cameras) can be respectively arranged on the second blanking device and the third blanking device. The second detection device is used to detect whether the post-welding battery cell transported by the second blanking device is a qualified product. In the case where the post-welding battery cell transported by the second blanking device is a non-qualified product, the non-conforming product on the second blanking device is placed in the first non-conforming product area (the first buffer area) through the third gantry gripper (the third gripping device). In addition, the second detection device is used to detect whether the post-welding battery cell transported by the third blanking device is a qualified product. In the case where the post-welding battery cell transported by the third blanking device is a non-qualified product, the non-conforming product on the third blanking device is placed in the second non-conforming product area (the second buffer area) through the third gantry gripper. In the case where the post-welding battery cell on the second blanking device or the third blanking device is a qualified product, the qualified product is placed in the qualified product area (the third buffer area) through the third gantry gripper.

[0115] In some embodiments, the second detection device includes a CCD before dispensing and a CCD after dispensing. The dispensing station is located between the CCD before dispensing and the CCD after dispensing. The CCD before dispensing is used to detect whether the battery cell after being welded to the top cover is a qualified product. If the CCD before dispensing detects that it is qualified, dispensing is performed, and then the CCD after dispensing is used. If the CCD after dispensing detects that it is qualified, the qualified product is placed in the third buffer area by the third gantry gripper. If the CCD before dispensing detects that it is unqualified, dispensing is not performed, and the unqualified product is placed in the first buffer area or the second buffer area by the third gantry gripper. If the CCD after dispensing detects that it is unqualified, the unqualified product is placed in the first buffer area or the second buffer area by the third gantry gripper. By setting multiple CCD positions, NG products generated in different processes can be accurately distinguished.

[0116] In summary, the control method for battery cell tab welding provided by the embodiments of the present application can undertake more complex transmission work of tabbed battery cells and top covers, and realizes accurately placing the top cover with coding completed on the tray of the magnetic levitation guide return line, and accurately placing the battery cells on the battery cell incoming conveyor belt on the tray with the top cover already installed, so that the tabs and the top cover are accurately paired, avoiding the occurrence of welding NG products caused by insufficient matching progress accuracy, and meeting the process requirements of aligning the battery cell and the cover plate for welding required by tab welding. It can timely exclude NG products generated in each part, prevent the NG of the previous process from affecting the product quality of the subsequent process and causing unnecessary material waste, and improve the overall product quality. In addition, through the grasping robot and the gantry gripper, the flexibility of the top cover and the battery cell to flow between workstations with different heights and different incoming material frequency requirements can be realized.

[0117] To achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present application further provide a device for battery cell tab welding, including: a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and when the processor executes the computer program, the above method is implemented.

[0118] To achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions run on a computer, the computer is made to execute the above method.

[0119] The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wirelessly (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that the computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more collections of available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium may be a solid state drive (SSD).

[0120] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A control system for welding the cell connection tab, characterized in that, The control system includes: A first feeding device for conveying a first top cover to a first picking position; A second feeding device for conveying a second top cover to the first picking position during the process of the first feeding device retracting to the feeding position; A third feeding device for conveying a first battery cell and a second battery cell to a second picking position; A conveying device for transporting the first top cover, the second top cover, the first battery cell and the second battery cell to a welding device; The welding device for welding the first top cover to the first battery cell and welding the second top cover to the second battery cell.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein The conveying device is annular, and the first feeding device, the second feeding device, the third feeding device and the welding device are sequentially arranged on different sides of the conveying device along the running direction of the conveying device.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein A first tray and a second tray are placed on the conveying device. The first tray is used for fixing the first top cover and the first battery cell, and the second tray is used for fixing the second top cover and the second battery cell. The first tray and the second tray flow through the first picking position successively. After the first tray receives the first top cover and the second tray receives the second top cover, the first tray and the second tray flow through the second picking position successively. The first tray receives the first battery cell and the second tray receives the second battery cell.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein The control system further includes a coding device and a coding tape; The coding tape is arranged between the first picking position and the conveying device; The coding device is arranged in the running direction of the coding tape; The coding device is used for coding the information of the first top cover and coding the information of the second top cover.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein The control system further includes: A first detection device for detecting whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products; The coding tape passes through the coding device and the first detection device successively along the running direction.

6. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that The control system further includes: A first discharging device for placing the unqualified coded top cover detected by the first detection device; The first discharging device is arranged at the tail of the coding tape and is adjacent to the coding tape.

7. The control system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The control system further includes: A first grasping device for placing the first top cover and the second top cover located at the first picking position onto the coding tape; A second grasping device for transferring the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to the conveying device.

8. The control system according to claim 7, characterized in that, Both the first top cover and the second top cover include a first surface and a second surface. When coding, the first surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction, and when welding, the second surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction. The control system further includes: A flipping mechanism for flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover. After flipping, the second surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction; The second grasping device is specifically used for transferring the flipped coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to the conveying device; The flipping mechanism is located below the second grasping device.

9. The control system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism is specifically used to flip the first top cover after coding and the second top cover after coding simultaneously.

10. The control system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The flipping angle of the flipping mechanism is 180°.

11. The control system according to claim 1, wherein The control system further includes a first dust removal device and a second blanking device; The second blanking device is used to transport the first battery cell welded to the first top cover; The first dust removal device is arranged on the transportation path of the second blanking device; The first dust removal device is used to clean the first battery cell welded to the first top cover.

12. The control system according to claim 11, characterized in that, The control system further includes a second dust removal device and a third blanking device; The third blanking device is used to transport the second battery cell welded to the second top cover; The second dust removal device is arranged on the transportation path of the third blanking device; The second dust removal device is used to clean the second battery cell welded to the second top cover.

13. The control system according to claim 12, wherein The control system further includes: A third gripping device, which is used to place the unqualified battery cells welded to the top cover from the second blanking device into the first non-conforming product area, and place the unqualified battery cells welded to the top cover from the third blanking device into the second non-conforming product area; The first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area are arranged overlapping up and down. The first non-conforming product area and the second non-conforming product area are located at the tail of the transportation paths of the second blanking device and the third blanking device, and are arranged at a right angle to the second blanking device and the third blanking device.

14. The control system according to claim 13, wherein The control system further includes: The third gripping device is also used to place the qualified battery cells welded to the top cover from the second blanking device and the third blanking device into the qualified product area.

15. A control method for welding a cell tab, characterized in that, The method includes: Transport the first top cover to the first picking position through the first feeding device; During the process of the first feeding device retracting to the feeding position, transport the second top cover to the first picking position through the second feeding device; Receive the first top cover and the second top cover through the conveying device, and transport the first top cover and the second top cover to the second picking position; Transport the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the second picking position through the third feeding device; Receive the first battery cell and the second battery cell at the second picking position through the conveying device, and transport the first top cover and the first battery cell, the second top cover and the second battery cell to the welding device in sequence; Weld the first top cover and the first battery cell through the welding device, and weld the second top cover and the second battery cell.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Before the first top cover and the second top cover are transferred to the conveying device, control the coding device to perform coding on the first top cover and perform coding on the second top cover.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Detect whether the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover are qualified products through the first detection device.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein The method further includes: In the case where the coded top cover is a qualified product, transport the coded top cover to the welding device through the conveying device; In the case where the coded top cover is a non-conforming product, move the non-conforming coded top cover to the first blanking device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The coding device is arranged in the running direction of the coding tape. The method further includes: Placing the first top cover and the second top cover located at the first material taking position onto the coding tape through the first gripping device; Transferring the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover to the conveying device through the second gripping device.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein Both the first top cover and the second top cover include a first surface and a second surface. When coding, the first surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction, and when welding, the second surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction. The method further includes: After coding the first top cover and the second top cover, flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover through a flipping mechanism. After flipping, the second surface is the surface facing upwards in the vertical direction.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein Flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover through a flipping mechanism includes: Simultaneously flipping the coded first top cover and the coded second top cover through the flipping mechanism.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, The flipping angle of the flipping mechanism is 180°.

23. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Transporting the first battery cell welded to the first top cover to the first dust removal device through the second blanking device; Cleaning the first battery cell welded to the first top cover through the first dust removal device.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Transporting the second battery cell welded to the second top cover to the second dust removal device through the third blanking device; Cleaning the second battery cell welded to the second top cover through the second dust removal device.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The method further includes: Detecting whether the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a qualified product; In the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover is a non - qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover in the first non - qualified product area through the third gripping device; In the case where the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a non - qualified product, placing the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in the second non - qualified product area through the third gripping device; In the case where the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover is a qualified product, placing the first battery cell welded to the first top cover or the second battery cell welded to the second top cover in the qualified product area through the third gripping device.

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