Apparatus and method for the energy cell production industry

Abstract

The invention relates to a plant (1) for the energy cell production industry, comprising:-a feed device (2) which is provided for conveying segment bodies (16), said plant (1) further comprising at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) which are arranged parallel to one another in a production stream, the invention relates to a device (1) for conveying segments (16), comprising at least one feed device (2) for conveying segments (16), at least one production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), each provided for carrying out a production step on or by means of the conveyed segments (16), and at least one discharge device (3), which is provided for discharging segments (16) from the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), the segments (16) being transferred from the feed device (2) to the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) by means of a transfer device (4), the transfer device (4) being provided for transferring the segments (16) from the feed device (2) to the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d). And wherein the plant (1) can be controlled and / or regulated by a control signal of a control device (20) in such a way that the segment bodies (16) received by the feed device (2) are transferred to a specific production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) of the at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) in a targeted manner by means of the transfer device (4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for the energy single cell production industry having the features of the preamble of claim 1, and a method for performing production steps at or using a segment body for the energy single cell production industry. Background Art

[0002] Energy single cells or also accumulators in the sense of the present invention are used, for example, in motor vehicles, other land vehicles, ships, aircraft, or also in stationary installations, such as, for example, a photovoltaic power generation facility (Photovoltaikanlagen) in the form of a battery single cell or a fuel single cell, where an extremely large amount of energy must be stored over a relatively long period of time. For this purpose, such energy single cells have a structure consisting of a large number of segments stacked in a stack. These segments are respectively alternating anode plates and cathode plates, and the anode plates and cathode plates are separated from each other by separator plates which are also manufactured as segments. The segments are pre-cut during the manufacturing process and then stacked on top of each other in a predetermined order and connected to each other by lamination. Here, the anode plates and cathode plates are first cut out from a continuous web, and then placed separately and spaced apart on a continuous web of separator material. Then, in a second step, a cutting device is again used to cut the subsequently formed "double-layer" continuous web (the "double-layer" continuous web consisting of separator material with the placed anode or cathode plates) into segments, where in this case, these segments are formed in a double layer by a separator plate together with the anode plate or cathode plate arranged thereon. If this is technically feasible or necessary in the manufacturing process, then before cutting, the continuous webs of separator material with the placed anode and cathode plates can also be stacked on top of each other to form a continuous web having a first continuous layer of separator material (the separator material having the placed anode or cathode plates thereon) and a second continuous layer of separator material (the separator material also having the placed anode or cathode plates thereon). Then the "four-layer" continuous web is cut into segments by means of a cutting device, where in this case, these segments are formed in a four-layer manner by a first separator plate, an anode plate, a second separator plate, and a cathode plate abutting thereon. The advantage of this solution is that one cutting can be saved. Thus, a segment in the sense of the present invention is, for example, a single-layer segment of separator material, anode material, or cathode material, a double-layer segment of the above structure, or also a four-layer segment of the above structure.

[0003] Apparatuses for producing battery single cells are known, for example, from WO 2016 / 041713A1 and DE 102017216213A1.

[0004] Furthermore, a device for manufacturing an electrode stack is also known from WO 2019 / 048589A1. For this purpose, a transport system with a carriage is provided, on which electrode layers and separator layers can be stacked. There are: a stacking station where only separator layers are placed, a stacking station where only cathode layers are placed, and a stacking station where only anode layers are placed. Thus, by the corresponding movement of the carriage to the stacking stations, a single-cell stack can be stacked in the desired order on the storage surface of the carriage.

[0005] A device for manufacturing a battery single cell is also known from US2002 / 0007552A1. After manufacturing the battery single cell, it is transferred to a conveyor belt by the so-called "Pick and Place" principle.

[0006] Currently, for example, the manufacturing of battery single cells for electric vehicles is carried out on production facilities that have a production capacity of 100 to 240 single-chamber electrolytic single cells per minute. These production facilities work in a discontinuous rhythmic motion (such as a reciprocating motion) in some areas or all the time, and are thus limited in terms of production capacity. Most known machines work with a single-piece stacking method (such as "Pick and Place"), which has the disadvantage of a slow processing speed. Laminating of cell formations cannot be carried out here.

[0007] Another known solution is a machine with a continuously running material web and rhythmic tools, such as cutting tools and tools for changing distances of tools.

[0008] In principle, machines with a rhythmic motion are limited in terms of production capacity. Components carrying mass (such as receptacles and tools) must be continuously accelerated and braked. These processes determine the time flow here and consume a large amount of energy. The mass of the moving components cannot be arbitrarily reduced. Usually, faster-moving components must withstand higher loads and thus even become more costly and heavier.

[0009] In order to reduce the production costs of battery production, it is particularly necessary to increase the production capacity of the machines. A prerequisite for high production capacity here is a high production rate of the stacking of energy single cells, which is composed of a plurality of stacked segments of the type described at the beginning.

[0010] In a preceding production step, the cell bodies are here stacked on top of one another in a first step to form so-called single-chamber electrolyzer single cells, which are composed of a first separator, an anode sheet arranged on the first separator, a second separator arranged on the anode sheet, and a cathode sheet arranged on the second separator. In principle, however, the single-chamber electrolyzer single cell can also have the following layer sequence: separator - cathode sheet - separator - anode sheet. Alternatively, the separator can first be guided as two continuous webs, whereupon cut-to-size cell bodies in the form of anode sheets are placed on one of the continuous webs and cut-to-size cell bodies in the form of cathode sheets are placed on the other continuous web and they are joined to one another by a lamination process. Subsequently, the composite webs prefabricated in this way are joined to one another in a further lamination process to form a composite web that is then four layers thick.

[0011] In principle, a first cutting electrode in the form of a cathode or anode can also be placed between the separators in the form of a continuous web and a second cutting electrode in the form of an anode or cathode can be placed above or below one of the separators. Subsequently, the four-layer web is laminated in a common lamination process so that the single-chamber electrolyzer single cell is manufactured in a fixed configuration while the continuous web is still present (i.e., before cutting).

[0012] Regardless of whether the single-chamber electrolyzer single cell is manufactured by a single-stage or a two-stage lamination process, the single-chamber electrolyzer single cell is then cut off from the composite web by cutting through the gaps between adjacent anode or cathode sheets.

[0013] Alternatively, a continuous web made of a separator material (on which anode and cathode sheets are arranged) can also first be cut, whereupon single-chamber electrolyzer single cells are manufactured from a first cut separator with an anode and a second cut separator with a cathode by a subsequent composite process (Verbundprozess).

[0014] Then, the cell bodies are stacked on top of one another to form a stack composed of a plurality of cell bodies. If the cell bodies are single-chamber electrolyzer single cells or separators with anode or cathode sheets arranged thereon, for example, the cathode or anode is located at the free side of the stack and is subsequently covered by arranging a so-called closure cell (Abschlusszelle). In this case, the closure cell includes a first separator, an anode or cathode sheet arranged on the first separator, and a second separator arranged on the anode or cathode sheet, but no cathode or anode sheet is arranged on the second separator. Thus, the closure cell can also be regarded as a single-chamber electrolyzer single cell without a cathode or anode sheet. However, other embodiments of the closure cell are also possible.

[0015] However, when processing or machining the section body, for example, when forming a single-pool reactor from the section body, due to various reasons, there may be a delay in providing the section body. Summary of the Invention

[0016] The task of the present application is to provide an improved device and corresponding method for performing production steps at or using the conveyed section body, and with the improved device and corresponding method, the delay in providing the section body can be compensated.

[0017] First, some terms used within the framework of the present application are explained.

[0018] In the sense of the present application, "production devices arranged parallel to each other in the production flow" should be understood such that the production devices are arranged in such a way that each of the production devices can be supplied with the section body without the intervention of another production device. Thus, the production devices are supplied with the section body through different conveying paths. If, for example, four production devices are provided, the first production device is supplied with the section body through the first conveying path, the second production device is supplied with the section body through the second conveying path, the third production device is supplied with the section body through the third conveying path, and the fourth production device is supplied with the section body through the fourth conveying path. In contrast, when the production devices are arranged in series in the production flow, the section body will pass through these production devices in sequence.

[0019] In the sense of the present application, "production flow" is understood as the movement of the section body, but for example, also as the movement of the original product, raw material of the section body, and intermediate products and / or final products formed from the section body within the device. The production flow is determined by the conveying path.

[0020] In the sense of the present application, "production device" should be understood as a device by which the section body can be processed or machined. Thus, value addition is achieved through the production device. Therefore, for example, a rejection station (by which individual section bodies can be removed from the production flow) is not a production device in the sense of the present application.

[0021] According to a first aspect of the present application, to solve this task, a device for the energy single-pool production industry is proposed, which device includes a feeding device configured to convey the section body, wherein the device further includes at least two production devices arranged parallel to each other in the production flow, these production devices being respectively configured to perform production steps at or using the conveyed section body, and at least one discharging device configured to discharge the section body from the production devices, wherein the section body is transferred from the feeding device to the production devices through a transfer device, and wherein the device can be controlled and / or adjusted by a control signal of a control device in such a way that the section body received by the feeding device is transferred through the transfer device to a specific production device among at least two production devices in a targeted manner.

[0022] The precondition for the targeted conveyance of the segment body to one of the production devices is that the transfer device has corresponding switchability. Only in this way can the segment body received by the feed device be conveyed to the production device determined by the control device. This can prevent the purely random allocation of the received segment body to the production device.

[0023] The production station to which the segment body is targeted for conveyance can vary according to different conditions, for example, due to the occurrence of a specific event or according to time. Hereinafter, the production device determined by the control device to which the segment body is conveyed through the transfer device is referred to as the target production device.

[0024] The transfer device determines the conveyance path of the segment body, which is destined for it, from the feed device up to the target production device. Thus, even if irregularities occur, for example, during the provision of the segment body, the supply of the production device can be fully controlled in a targeted manner.

[0025] Preferably, a unique identifier is assigned to each of the production devices, for example, in the form of a numerical code and / or an alphabetical code. By using this identifier, the target production device can be clearly determined and identified by the control device. This identifier can be stored, for example, on the storage medium of the control device.

[0026] The processor of the control device preferably calculates the corresponding control signals in order to control and / or adjust the transfer device in such a way that the segment body received by the feed device is transferred to the target production device. In this way, it can be ensured that the desired production device is supplied with the corresponding segment body.

[0027] Preferably, the segment body is the single-chamber electrolytic cell single cell mentioned at the beginning, so that production steps for producing energy storage devices can be carried out, for example, by the production device. In principle, the device can be set to carry out production steps at or with other types of segment bodies. In particular, multi-layer segment bodies for energy single cells can be considered, which can be used, for example, for manufacturing fuel single cells or solid-state accumulators, so-called solid-state batteries.

[0028] Preferably, the device can be controlled and / or adjusted by a control signal of a control device in such a way that the segment bodies received by the feed device can be handed over to any arbitrary production device in an existing production plant. In other words: the control device can define any one of the existing production devices as the target production device for each individual segment body received by the feed device. In addition, the device is then also physically set up to execute the corresponding control signal of the control device. Thus, the segment bodies can also be handed over to the just selected target production device completely independently of the time point at which the segment bodies are provided by the feed device. In addition, all existing production devices can thereby also be used to parallelize the production process. By parallelization, the time span available for performing production steps at the production stations can be increased. Thus, for example, production steps that were previously not possible due to the production speed become possible, or production steps of higher quality can be executed.

[0029] Preferably, the feed device comprises a single conveying path for the segment bodies, on which the segment bodies are conveyed to the handover device. Thus, the handover device not only assumes the distribution function, such that the segment bodies are specifically handed over to the selected target production device. Additionally, the handover device is thus able to separate the single conveying path for the purpose of parallelization. The conveying paths defined by the handover device leading to at least two production devices can also cross each other in sections.

[0030] Further preferably, a single discharge device is provided for receiving the segment bodies from the production devices. The discharge device is, for example, set up to again bring together the products or intermediate products (such as stacks composed of segment bodies) manufactured by the production devices onto a single conveying path. By means of the discharge device, the products or intermediate products can subsequently be conveyed to a device for performing subsequent production steps.

[0031] Furthermore, it is proposed that the production devices each consist of a stacking station, where the stacking stations are each set up to receive segment bodies and stack the segment bodies on top of each other to form a stack. Thus, a stack is formed at each production device. If, for example, segment bodies in the form of the single-chamber electrolytic cells described at the beginning are used, single-cell stacks can be formed at the production devices respectively, and these single-cell stacks can be used as energy storage devices.

[0032] Preferably, the control device can control and / or adjust the device such that exactly one of at least two production devices is alternately the target for the segment body. In this way, for example, the segment bodies can be supplied to the production devices in a predefined order. Thus, the production devices can be supplied with segment bodies in sequence, respectively; in addition, for example, this process can be repeated any number of times. Therefore, the proposed device can advantageously compensate for possible missing segment bodies during the provision by the feeding device in such a way that the supply order of the stacking station is not affected. The segment bodies may be missing during transportation for different reasons, for example, because they are taken out for quality inspection. In addition, by alternately determining the target production device in a predetermined order, it can be ensured that products or intermediate products (such as single-cell stacks) formed in parallel by multiple production devices can be handed over to at least one subsequent discharging device at a desired rhythm.

[0033] In addition, it is proposed that the control device control and / or adjust the device in such a way that the existing production devices are alternately supplied with a predefined number of segment bodies, preferably exactly one segment body. In this way, a uniform distribution of the segment bodies onto the production devices can be achieved.

[0034] In addition, it is proposed that the device be controlled and / or adjusted by the control device such that the production devices are supplied with segment bodies in multiple rounds, where in one round, each existing production device is supplied with exactly one segment body.

[0035] If, for example, exactly four production devices are provided, then, for example, one segment body is supplied to each in sequence within one round in the following order: the first production device, the second production device, the third production device, the fourth production device. The control device can be set to arrange any number of rounds directly continuously in time.

[0036] If the production device is a stacking station, then the stack formed by the segment bodies can be formed, for example, such that in each production station, the last segment body of the corresponding stack is placed within one stacking round. Thus, the rough simultaneous completion of the stack is achieved. Through the last segment body of the stack, the stack reaches a predefined stack height that can be set by the control device. This predefined stack height thus indicates the number of segment bodies required to form a complete stack, preferably more than two segment bodies. If a single-cell stack is formed by the stacking station, then after reaching the predefined stack height, the stack can also be supplemented with the closed single cell or the anode sheet with or without a separator mentioned at the beginning to form a complete single-cell stack.

[0037] However, alternatively, the stacks can also initially have different heights, so that through a number of runs, the completion of the stacks (i.e., reaching the predefined stack height) in the respective production devices is staggered in time. In this variant, for example, in the case of four production devices, the first production device can have a completed stack, the second production device can have a stack that is 3 / 4 completed, the third production device can have a stack that is 1 / 2 completed, and the fourth production device can have a stack that is 1 / 4 completed.

[0038] Preferably, when the respective production device has been supplied with the segments by a predefined number of runs, the stack is then transferred from the production device to at least one discharging device. In the subsequent runs, a new stack then starts at the respective production device.

[0039] Furthermore, it is proposed that the transfer device includes at least one output transport unit having at least one holding device for exerting a holding force on the segments in the production stream, wherein each production device respectively includes a receiving transport unit having at least one holding device for exerting a holding force on the segments in the production stream, and wherein the targeted transfer of the segments to one of the production devices is achieved by adjusting the holding force at the output and / or receiving transport unit by means of a control signal generated by the control device. Preferably, a switchable switching device is provided for reducing or eliminating the holding force in accordance with a signal from the control device. By the switchability of the holding devices of the output and / or receiving transport unit, the segments can be targeted to be transferred to one of the production devices.

[0040] Furthermore, it has also proven to be advantageous that the output transport unit and the receiving transport unit each include at least one rotatably driven rotating body, preferably in the form of an output roller, wherein the output transport unit and the receiving transport unit each include at least one negative pressure sector to which negative pressure can be applied to hold and transport the segments on the transport surface of the respective transport unit, and wherein the device can be controlled and / or adjusted such that, based on a control signal from the control device, a greater holding force is generated at the receiving transport unit than at the output transport unit for the purpose of transferring the segments at least within the transfer area between the output transport unit and the receiving transport unit. Thus, the negative pressure sector can be regarded as a holding device for the segments. The force caused by the negative pressure and acting on the transport surface or a partial area of the transport surface thus changes temporarily. In this way, it can be ensured that the segments are reliably transferred to the production device without damaging the product.

[0041] Preferably, the transfer device includes two output transport units, each of which is constituted by a transfer drum and has a corresponding holding device, so that the segment body can be transported, for example, along a section of a circular track on its outer shell surface that constitutes the transport surface. Here, it is preferred to supply the segment body from the feeding device to the first output transport unit. If the corresponding segment bodies from the first output transport unit are not transferred to one or more associated production devices, these segment bodies are preferably transferred to the second output transport unit in the form of a transfer drum through a deflecting drum that also includes a holding device, and the remaining segment bodies are transferred from this second output transport unit to one or more production devices associated with the second output transport unit. Thus, for example, the first output transport unit can supply segment bodies to the first and second production devices, for example, constituted by stacking stations, while the second output transport unit can supply segment bodies to the third and fourth production devices, for example, also constituted by stacking stations. In this way, the production flow can include four conveying paths, each of which leads to one of the production devices.

[0042] Furthermore, it is also shown that the segment body can be held at the transport surface of the rotating body, for example, at its outer shell surface, in a manner that does not damage the product by negative pressure.

[0043] If the production device is constituted by a stacking station, it is proposed that each stacking station includes a receiving transport unit that receives the segment body from one of the output transport units at a conveying speed in the transfer area and then places it to form a stack. If the transfer device includes the above-mentioned rotating body and the segment body is held on its outer shell surface, then the conveying speed corresponds to the circumferential speed of these rotating bodies. Preferably, the segment body is placed to form a single-pool stack at a speed lower than the conveying speed, and more preferably at zero speed, at the transfer location. Therefore, the receiving transport unit is preferably arranged such that its speed starts to decrease from the transfer area (where the segment body is received by the transfer device) until the receiving location (where the segment body is stacked). In principle, it is also conceivable that the speed of the segment body increases during the period between the receiving location of the segment body and the storage location for forming the stack.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that each stacking station includes at least one storage bin, and the receiving transport unit stacks the segment bodies into this storage bin to form a stack. Correspondingly, the storage bin is arranged at the receiving location where the segment bodies are stacked to form a single-pool stack. The storage bin can be, for example, a component of a storage drum, so that the corresponding storage bin can rotate after the stack is formed and can be provided in the picking area of the discharging device through the rotational movement of the storage drum.

[0045] Furthermore, it is proposed that at least one valve switchable in a negative pressure device be arranged in order to reduce the holding force in a section of the transport surface of the output transport unit, wherein the at least one switchable valve can be switched by a control signal of a control device such that the holding force acting on the section body at the transport surface of the output transport unit is reduced. Thus, a negative pressure can be applied in a simple manner to an area on the corresponding transport surface at which the section body should be held by the holding force. If the output transport unit comprises a plurality of negative pressure sectors, the holding force can be reduced, for example, specifically for the negative pressure sectors.

[0046] Furthermore, it is proposed that a compressed air device switchable, for example, by a valve be provided for guiding compressed air to the output location of the output transport unit and / or to the receiving location of the receiving transport unit, wherein the compressed air device can be switched by a control signal of the control device. By using compressed air at the output location, an output force can be applied to the section body, thereby improving the handover of the section body from the handover device to the corresponding target stacking station. What is decisive here is that, in this case, the pressure acts in the direction of the receiving transport unit.

[0047] There are different possibilities for the holding force of the output transport unit in the handover area to be less than the holding force of the receiving transport unit of the corresponding production device:

[0048] First, in the handover area, compared with the receiving transport unit of the production device, the holding force acting on the section body by negative pressure at the output transport unit of the handover device can be temporarily reduced or eliminated. The negative pressure level for generating the holding force of the receiving transport unit can then be kept constant.

[0049] Second, in the handover area, compared with the output transport unit of the handover device, the holding force acting on the section body by negative pressure at the receiving transport unit of the corresponding production device can be higher or temporarily increased. The negative pressure level for generating the holding force of the output transport unit can then be kept constant.

[0050] Third, the section body to be output (which is held at the transport surface of the output transport unit by negative pressure) can be temporarily applied with a force acting in the direction of the stacking station by compressed air. If the holding device of the output transport unit is still activated in this case, the holding force applied by the output transport unit to the section body in the handover area is less than the pressure applied by the compressed air in the direction of the output transport unit.

[0051] Preferably, the existing production devices have the same structure and / or are set up to perform the same production steps at or with the section body. Thereby, redundancy can be established, thus improving the system reliability of the equipment.

[0052] Preferably, a rejection station is provided, which is configured to reject the segment bodies from the production flow. Such a rejection station may include, for example, a discharge roller, by means of which the segment bodies can be rejected into a waste storage. Preferably, the rejection station is configured to remove the segment bodies from the production flow based on a switching signal.

[0053] The rejection station can be arranged upstream of the transfer device in the production flow. Preferably, the data generated by the rejection station are provided to the control device. The control device can use these data to control and / or adjust the transfer device. In addition, the transfer device can also be controlled and / or adjusted based on these data.

[0054] Alternatively or additionally, the rejection station can also be arranged downstream of the transfer device in the production flow, such that the rejection station is supplied with segment bodies by corresponding control and / or adjustment of the transfer device. These segment bodies are then not conveyed to the production device. The rejection station can, for example, also be arranged parallel to the existing production devices in the production flow like the production device. The transfer device is then configured to transfer the segment bodies either to one of the production devices or to the rejection station according to a control signal of the control device.

[0055] For example, segment bodies can be rejected from the production flow for which the inspection has shown that they do not meet the quality requirements. In addition, there is also the possibility of rejecting segment bodies from the production flow in order to use these segment bodies as samples for quality control.

[0056] Preferably, the feeding device has a plurality of segment body receptacles, which are configured to transport one segment body each, wherein a detection device is provided, which is configured to detect the unoccupied segment body receptacles of the feeding device, and wherein the data obtained by the detection device are provided to the control device for controlling and / or adjusting the transfer device. The detection device can include, for example, an optical measuring instrument in the form of a camera. In principle, however, other embodiments of the detection device are also conceivable. By means of the data thus transmitted to the control device, the transfer station can always receive the next arriving segment body from the feeding device in a targeted manner and transfer it to the corresponding target conveying device.

[0057] According to a second aspect of the present application, a method for performing production steps at or with segment bodies for the energy single-cell production industry is proposed, wherein the method is implemented in the case of using the device according to any one of the preceding claims. Regarding the technical effects and advantages associated with the proposed method, reference is made to the above description related to the device.

[0058] In the case where the production device consists of a stacking station respectively, it is proposed to stack segment bodies in the form of single-chamber electrolytic cell single cells with each other in the production device, wherein each single-chamber electrolytic cell single cell includes two separator plates, an anode plate and a cathode plate.

[0059] It is further proposed that a first type of section in the form of a single cell of a single-chamber electrolytic cell be conveyed by a feed device, and that a second type of section different from the first type of section be additionally conveyed by the feed device, wherein the second type of section received by the feed device is specifically transferred by a transfer device to a specific production device among at least two production devices such that the second type of section forms the first layer or the last layer of the section stack formed by the corresponding production device. Thus, a preset function and / or an addition function for a closed single cell can be achieved by the production device. Thus, the closure of the energy single cell can be achieved by the production device by means of the second type of section, which is, for example, in the form of a single anode plate with or without a separator, in the form of the closed single cell mentioned at the beginning, or in the form of a spacer and / or a protective sheet, which protects the stack from external mechanical influences at the end faces. Alternatively or additionally, the second type of section may also include a wrapping material. The size of this wrapping material is preferably designed such that it can thus partially or completely surround (especially wrap) the rest of the stack, thereby fixing the sections of the corresponding stack. An additional device for presetting or adding the corresponding closure of the stack can then be dispensed with. The second type of section can then be conveyed to the transfer device by the feed device or by a separate feed device. Description of the Drawings

[0060] The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings by means of preferred embodiments. Herein:

[0061] Figure 1 An apparatus having four production devices is shown;

[0062] Figure 2 A production device in the form of a stacking station is shown; and

[0063] Figure 3 A schematic view of the output transport unit of the transfer device and the receiving transport unit of the production device is shown. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0064] In Figure 1Shown is a device 1 for forming a stack 15 from segments 16 for the energy single-cell production industry. The device 1 includes a feed device 2, a discharge device 3, an upstream cutting device 9, and four production devices 8a - 8d arranged in the production flow between the feed device 2 and the discharge device 3. The production devices 8a - 8d are arranged parallel to each other in the production flow such that they can be supplied with segments 16 directly by the transfer device 4, that is, without the intervention of another production device 8a - 8d. However, in principle, more or fewer than four production devices 8a - 8d can also be envisaged. In this embodiment, the four production devices 8a - 8d consist of stacking stations, each of which is set up to receive segments 16 and stack them on top of each other to form a stack 15. In this embodiment, the segments 16 consist of the single-chamber electrolytic single cells described at the beginning, so that a stack 15 in the form of a single-cell stack is formed by means of the production devices 8a - 8d.

[0065] The feed device 2 conveys the segments 16 for forming the stack 15 to the transfer device 4, which receives these segments and transfers them to the production devices 8a - 8d.

[0066] A continuous web 30 consisting of two consecutive webs of separating material is conveyed to the device 1. The separating material has anode plates arranged between the two consecutive webs and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the continuous web 30, and cathode plates placed on one side of one of the consecutive webs of the separating material and also spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the continuous web 30. However, the continuous web 30 can also consist of only one continuous web of separating material, which may or may not have attached electrode plates. If the continuous web 30 has spaced-apart electrode plates, the cutting in the cutting device 9 is carried out respectively through the separation sites between the electrode plates.

[0067] The cutting device 9 consists here of a pair of rollers - the pair of rollers consists of a cutting roller with cutting tools and a counter-roller with counter-tools - and the continuous web 30 guided onto the cutting roller or the counter-roller is cut into segments 16 of a predetermined length by the shearing of the cutting tools at the counter-tools. The predetermined length is defined by the spacing of the cutting tools or the counter-tools, depending on whether the continuous web 30 is guided on the cutting roller or the counter-roller. Alternatively, the cutting device 9 can be set up to cut the continuous web 30 into segments 16 of a predetermined length by thermal cutting. Starting from the cutting device 9, the cut segments 16 are conveyed to the feed device 2. The feed device 2 includes a plurality of transport rollers, and the segments 16 are held, for example, by negative pressure at the transport rollers until they are finally transferred to the first output transport unit 21 in the form of a transfer roller of the transfer device 4.

[0068] The continuous web 30 to be conveyed is a four-layer web, so that the segments 16 cut therefrom correspond to the single-chamber electrolytic cell single cell of the accumulator that can be used as described at the beginning.

[0069] In addition, the feeding device 2 includes a rejection station 6 which is only schematically shown. Defective segments 16 can be identified by means of this rejection station and removed from the production process.

[0070] The four production devices 8a - 8d each include a receiving and transporting unit 11 in the form of a pick-up post (Entnahmestempel) that is driven to perform a rotational movement. The transfer device 4 includes the aforementioned first output transporting unit 21 in the form of a transfer roller and a second output transporting unit 23 also in the form of a transfer roller. Two of the receiving and transporting units 11 are assigned to the first output transporting unit 21; during their cyclic movement, they pick up the segments 16 from the output transporting unit 21 and then transfer these segments respectively to the storage roller 10 which will be further described below. Figure 2 The storage roller 10 will be further described below.

[0071] The transfer device 4 is controlled and / or adjusted by the control device 20 in such a way that each segment 16 received by the feeding device 2 can be selectively conveyed to one of the four production devices 8a, 8b, 8c or 8d. For this purpose, one of the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c or 8d is set as the target production device by the control device 20. In this embodiment, a one-to-one corresponding station ID is assigned to each of the production devices 8a - 8d. The production device 8a is identified by the station ID S1; the production device 8b is identified by S2; the production device 8c is identified by S3; and the production device 8d is identified by S4.

[0072] In this embodiment, the segments 16 should be sequentially assigned to the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d, so that each stack 15 is always completed in the same order.

[0073] The control device 20 therefore first sets the production device 8a as the target production device by means of the station ID S1. The segment 16 transferred from the feeding device 2 to the transfer device 4 is transferred from the first output transporting unit 21 to the stacking station 8a.

[0074] After the production device 8a, the target production device is the production device 8b identified by the station ID S2. The segment 16 transferred from the feeding device 2 to the transfer device 4 is transferred from the first output transporting unit 21 to the production device 8b.

[0075] After the production device 8b, the target production device is the production device 8c identified by the station ID S3. The segment 16 transferred by the feed device 2 to the transfer device 4 is transferred from the first output transport unit 21 to the rotating body 5 in the form of a turning roller and from there to the second output transport unit 23; the rotating body 5 and the second output transport unit 23 are components of the transfer device 4. Here, when received by the first output transport unit 21 and transferred by the rotating body 5 onto the second output transport unit 23, the segment 16 is flipped twice in its orientation relative to its surface, so that the segment 16 is subsequently arranged on the second output transport unit 23 in the same orientation as on the first output transport unit 21. Two receiving transport units 11 in the form of circulating pick-up posts are assigned to the second output transport unit 23, which receive the segment 16 from the second output transport unit 23 and convey it to the storage drum 10 respectively according to the same principle. The segment 16 can then be further transferred from the second output transport unit 23 to the production device 8c.

[0076] After the production device 8c, the target production device is the production device 8d identified by the station ID S4. In this case, the segment 16 starts from the feed device 2 and is transferred to the production device 8d via the first output transport unit 21, the rotating body 5 and the second output transport unit 23.

[0077] Successively supplying one segment 16 to each of the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d is called a round, and this round can be repeated any number of times until a predetermined stacking height is reached.

[0078] Once the stacking 15 is completed at one of the production devices 8a - 8d (i.e., a predetermined number of segments 16 are stacked on top of each other), the corresponding storage drum 10 can be rotated so that the stacking 15 can be transferred to the discharging device 3.

[0079] The control device 20 is set up to control the transfer device 4 and the receiving transport units 11 in such a way that the above-mentioned sequence of the target production devices is maintained even if the feed device 2 does not continuously convey the segments 16 (i.e., the segment receiving part of the feed device 2 remains empty). To detect the empty state of the segment receiving part of the feed device 2, a detection device 22 is provided, which is connected to the control device 20 in a signal-technical manner. In the case of a non-switchable transfer device 4, the absence of the segment 16 would cause one or more of the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c or 8d to be skipped when supplying the segment 16. With the proposed device 1, this can be avoided by appropriate control or regulation.

[0080] In addition, the device 1 further includes an inspection device (not shown), which is configured to identify defective segment bodies 16. The defective segment bodies 16 are not subsequently picked up by the receiving transport unit 11 from the two output transport units 21 and 23, but instead are discharged into the waste storage 26 by the discharge roller 25. The conveyance of the defective segment bodies 16 to the discharge roller 25 is also achieved by corresponding control signals of the control device 20. In this case, the waste storage 26 is located downstream of the handover device 4 in the production flow.

[0081] The segment bodies 16 are conveyed in a flowing manner from the feed device 2 and are handed over to four production devices 8a - 8d for parallel stacking. For this purpose, the segment bodies 16 are output from the four receiving transport units 11 into four parallel arranged storage rollers 10 of the production devices 8a - 8d, in which the segment bodies 16 are stacked on top of each other to form stacks 15 and are further output to the discharge device 3.

[0082] Each of the four production devices 8a - 8d has a receiving transport unit 11, a storage roller 10, and an output device 12 as core components, where one of the production devices 8a - 8d is Figure 2 shown in an enlarged manner.

[0083] Figure 2 shown, the receiving transport unit 11 of the production device 8 consists of a pick-up strut that is driven to perform a rotational movement, which picks up a segment body 16 from one of the two output transport units 21 or 23 (see Figure 1 ) during each cyclic movement and moves to the receiving location I of the storage roller 10. The storage roller 10 has four storage bins 13 arranged on its outer periphery, and the storage bins are open towards the outside. In addition, a stripping device that is movable relative to the storage roller 10 and relative to the receiving location I is provided, which is in the form of a comb-shaped stripping member 27 having a plurality of stripping tabs arranged parallel to each other, and the stripping device engages through corresponding gaps of a similarly fixed stripping wall 28 with the stripping tabs. Thus, the stripping member 27 can be understood as an active discharger that removes the segment body 16 from the transport unit 11 and places it on the top side of the stack 15 to be formed in the storage bin 13.

[0084] In addition, a parallel guiding mechanism 50 is provided, which does not rotate together with the storage drum 10 and forms an adjustable-height bottom for the stack 15 to be formed at the receiving position I. The parallel guiding mechanism 50 moves the stack bottom of the incomplete stack 15 downward during stacking so as to keep the top edge of the stack in the storage bin at a constant height for adding other segments 16. For this purpose, the parallel guiding mechanism 50 has struts arranged parallel to each other, which can be inserted into corresponding recesses of the storage bin 13 when the storage bin is at the receiving position I.

[0085] In addition, the picking strut has slots 29 that are parallel to each other and oriented in the circumferential direction of the cyclic movement of the picking strut. The stripping member 27 engages its stripping tabs into these slots during the cyclic movement of the picking strut, whereby the segment 16 held outside the picking strut is stripped into the storage bin 13 arranged at the receiving position I during the cyclic movement of the picking strut. Since the receiving position I is arranged at the top side of the storage drum 10 in this embodiment and the segment 16 is introduced into the storage bin 13 from above, in this case, the introduction movement of the segment 16 into the storage bin 13 is additionally assisted by the acting gravity; however, the placement of the segment 16 into the corresponding storage bin 13 is mainly achieved by the active stripping member 27.

[0086] In addition, the storage bin 13 has: a comb-shaped side wall with engaging openings 17 aligned in the circumferential direction; and a holding device 14 in the form of a plurality of engaging fingers that can be swung by a swinging mechanism. The movement of the holding device 14 (i.e., the swingable engaging fingers) of the storage bin 13 is controlled by the control device 20 such that the engaging fingers of the holding device 14 do not engage through the engaging openings 17 at the receiving position I and thus open the opening of the storage bin 13 towards the outside. Therefore, the opening of the storage bin 13 can be freely accessed at the receiving position I, and the segments 16 can be stacked into a stack 15 of a predetermined height therein by the repeated cyclic movement of the output transport unit 21.

[0087] When the predetermined height of the stack 15 is reached in the storage bin 13, the storage drum 10 rotates 90 degrees, and the next storage bin 13 is moved to the receiving position I to repeat the stacking process. At the same time, as the storage drum 10 starts to rotate, the holding device 14 is moved by the control device 20 (see Figure 1 ) such that it engages through the engaging openings 17 of the side wall of the storage bin 13 with its engaging fingers and contacts the top side of the stack 15. Therefore, the holding device 14 subsequently protects the stack 15 from accidentally coming out of the storage bin 13.

[0088] In a subsequent cycle of the rotational movement of the storage drum 10, the storage bin 13 filled with the stack 15 reaches the handover section II located at the bottom in the figure. An output device 12 with a fixed position arrangement is provided at the second handover section II. The output device is in the form of a plurality of tabs arranged parallel to each other and aligned with the engagement opening 17. During the rotational movement of the storage drum 10, these tabs are engaged into the engagement opening 17 at the bottom height of the storage bin 13, and thereby the stack 15 is combed out of the storage bin 13. Since the stack 15 is discharged downward from the storage bin 13, the discharging movement is assisted by gravity again. In order to discharge the stack 15, the holding device 14 is released in a previous step. This can be achieved, for example, by the output device 12 controlling the holding device 14 before or simultaneously with the movement of its tabs into the engagement opening 17 and moving it to the release position, in which the holding device 14 opens the opening of the storage bin 13 and the stack 15 can be discharged from the storage bin 13. The output device 12 is formed by a structure composed of fixed tabs, which combs the stack 15 out of the storage bin 13. If such an active combing out is not required, it is sufficient when the output device 12 only controls the holding device 14 and the stack 15 only drops from the storage bin 13 by gravity. In this case, the output device 12 will be a passive output device 12, which although triggers the discharge of the stack 15, does not actively assist it itself.

[0089] As an alternative to the passive output device 12, a pusher can also be provided in the storage drum 10 and a receiver (Abholer) can be provided below the handover section II. In this case, depending on the structure, the handover of the stack 15 from the storage bin 13 can also be completed with the assistance of gravity.

[0090] In Figure 1 the discharging device 3 visible includes a continuous conveying device 33, such as a continuous belt, a continuous chain, a continuous conveyor belt or the like. The continuous conveying device 33 is equipped with a plurality of workpiece carriers 34, which have receiving portions 35 formed corresponding to the shape of the stack 15. The workpiece carriers 34 are oriented and held at the continuous conveying device 33 such that they are arranged below the storage bin 13 in the handover section II (see Figure 2 ) in such a way that the stack 15 is discharged from the storage bin 13 into the receiving portions 35 of the workpiece carriers 34. The discharging device 3 performs a rhythmic feeding movement, during which the workpiece carriers 34 are either transported from one of the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d to the next or are transported in a jumping manner over a plurality of stacking stations 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d.

[0091] In addition, a second feed device 37 with a second cutting device 38 and a pick-up device 36 is provided. A continuous web 31 is likewise fed to the second feed device 37, which continuous web consists either of a single layer of separating material or, in multiple layers (such as three layers, for example), has multiple webs of separating material and electrode sheets arranged therebetween, with no electrode sheets being provided on the outer side of the continuous web. The continuous web is cut in the second cutting device 38 into segments 16 of a predetermined length according to the same principle as the first cutting device 9 (in this case, these segments are the closed single cells described at the beginning). The segments are then transferred to a rotating body 39 in the form of a transfer drum, and the segments 16 are picked up from this transfer drum by the second pick-up device 36 and placed in the receiving part 35 of the workpiece carrier 34 before the stack 15 is introduced from the storage drum 10 into the receiving part 35.

[0092] The stack 15 placed by the storage drum 10 has exposed electrode sheets on one of its surfaces. These exposed electrode sheets are now covered by the segments 16 (closed single cells) placed by the second pick-up device 36. Since the segments 16 placed by the second pick-up device 36 deliberately do not have exposed electrode sheets, but instead have separating material on both surfaces, the stack 15 of segments 16 finally discharged by the discharge device 3 likewise has separating material on both sides.

[0093] In the said embodiment, the second pick-up device 36 places the segments 16 in the receiving part 35 of the workpiece carrier 34 before the stack is introduced. However, it is also conceivable that the second pick-up device 36 places the segments 16 on the single-cell stack 15 from above after the single-cell stack 15 has been placed in the receiving part 35.

[0094] Alternatively, by utilizing the switchability of the transfer device 4, the stack 15 can also be closed with segments 16 different from the single cells of the single-chamber electrolytic cell. In this case, segments 16 different from the single cells of the single-chamber electrolytic cell (i.e., the closed single cells mentioned at the beginning, for example) or single anode sheets with or without electrode sheets can be fed by the second feed device 37 to the transfer device 4 and then, for example, be fed as the first segment 16 of the stack 15 to be formed to one of the production devices 8a, 8b, 8c or 8d. The transfer device 4 can then supply the segments 16 to the corresponding production device 8a, 8b, 8c or 8d until the single-cell stack 15 has reached a predetermined height, i.e., is completed.

[0095] In addition, corresponding inspection devices (not shown) are also provided in the second feed device 37, by means of which defective segments 16 are identified and discharged into the second waste storage 19.

[0096] Below, with the aid of Figure 3 it is explained how the transfer device 4 and the receiving and transporting unit 11 of the stacking station 8a are controlled by the control device 20 (see Figure 1)is controlled.

[0097] It can be seen that the output transport unit 21 includes a plurality of negative pressure sectors 7, and the negative pressure sectors can apply negative pressure through the negative pressure reservoir 47 according to the position of the valve 42. Therefore, at the transport surface 48 (which is constituted by the outer shell surface of the rotating body here), the segment body 16 can be applied with a holding force by the action of negative pressure, and thus can be held and transported. Therefore, the negative pressure sectors 7 constitute a holding device for applying a holding force to the segment body 16.

[0098] Figure 3 The output transport unit 21 in the form of a transfer drum, which is a component of the transfer device 4, is shown. The receiving transport unit 11 is arranged tangentially to the output transport unit 21 in the transfer area 40. The receiving transport unit 11 is designed as a segment drum and has, for example, negative pressure sectors 18 in the form of cams (the negative pressure sectors extend, for example, about 50°) in the circumferential section and a non-negative pressure sector 24 in the second circumferential section, and the non-negative pressure sector extends, for example, the remaining 310°. The negative pressure sectors 18 are supplied with negative pressure through a central negative pressure reservoir 32.

[0099] In principle, the drum is only applied with vacuum in a partial area of its circumference.

[0100] At Figure 3 In a first position (not shown), the rotational position of the receiving transport unit 11 is set such that the negative pressure sectors 18 face away from the output transport unit 21 and thus are not in an operative relationship with the rotating body 21. Therefore, in this position, the non-negative pressure sector 24 is located in the transfer area 40 between the output transport unit 21 and the receiving transport unit 11. The receiving transport unit 11 is thus switched to an inoperative state, and the segment body 16 held on the output transport unit 21 and passing through the transfer area 40 is continuously conveyed along the rotational direction R on the rotating body 21, for example, until the 3 o'clock position.

[0101] To divert the segment body 16 to the receiving transport unit 11 of the stacking station 8a, the negative pressure sectors 18 of the receiving transport unit 11 swing into the transfer area 40 along the rotational direction R'; this position is shown in Figure 3 Once the negative pressure sectors 18 are tangentially in contact with the output transport unit 21, the control device 20 (see Figure 1)Open valve 43, and compressed air is applied to the handover area 40 through the compressed air pipeline 46 (which is supplied with compressed air by the compressed air device 45) to interrupt the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure device 41 there. Since the output transport unit 21 no longer exerts a holding force on the segment 16 located in the handover area 40, the segment is sucked and received by the negative pressure sector 18 of the receiving transport unit 11, so that the segment 16 can be continuously transported on the transport surface 49 of the receiving transport unit 11. By further swinging the receiving transport unit 11 and thus also further swinging the negative pressure sector 18, the segment 16 is continuously conveyed and can be, for example, handed over to the rotating body 5 arranged downstream of the receiving transport unit 11 or handed over to the production device 8b (see Figure 1 ), and for the sake of clarity, this production device is not shown in Figure 3 .

[0102] In Figure 3 , the negative pressure of the output transport unit 21 is interrupted or neutralized by compressed air to output the segment 16 to the picking device 11. Generally, in order to output the segment 16, it is not necessary to reduce the negative pressure of the output transport unit 21 to zero. Generally speaking, when the holding force exerted on the segment 16 by the negative pressure of the receiving transport unit 11 is greater than that of the output transport unit 21, it is sufficient to complete the handover.

[0103] As an alternative or supplement to applying compressed air to the transport surface 48 of the output transport unit 21 in the handover area 40, the negative pressure pipeline 44 connecting the negative pressure reservoir 47 to the negative pressure sector 7 of the output transport unit 21 can also be deactivated by the valve 42, so that the segment 16 is no longer held at the outer shell surface of the output transport unit 21 by negative pressure. The valve 42 is then also controlled by the control device 20.

[0104] Alternatively or supplementally, negative pressure can also be applied to the negative pressure sector 18 of the receiving transport unit 11 in the handover area 40, and the holding force it exerts on the segment 16 is greater than that of the negative pressure sector 7 of the output transport unit 21.

[0105] It goes without saying that the principle of this handover can also be used for other handovers of the segment 16; especially for the handover of the segment 16 from the output transport unit 21 to the second production device 8b; for the handover from the first output transport unit 21 to the rotating body 5; for the handover from the rotating body 5 to the second output transport unit 23; and for the handover from the second output transport unit 23 to the production devices 8c and 8d. By means of the control device 20 (see Figure 1)The corresponding control of valves 42 and / or 43 enables the section 16 conveyed by the feeding device 2 to be selectively conveyed to one of the production devices 8a to 8d in a simple manner. Here, the rotational speeds of the first output transport unit 21 and the second output transport unit 23 of the transfer device 4 and the rotating body 5 can be kept constant. The rotational movement of the receiving transport unit 11 does not have to be compulsorily changed for control or regulation purposes.

[0106] List of reference numerals:

[0107] 1 Equipment

[0108] 2 Feeding device

[0109] 3 Discharging device

[0110] 4 Transfer device

[0111] 5 Rotating body

[0112] 6 Rejection station

[0113] 7 Negative pressure sector

[0114] 8 Production device

[0115] 9 Cutting device

[0116] 10 Storage drum

[0117] 11 Receiving transport unit

[0118] 12 Output device

[0119] 13 Storage bin

[0120] 14 Holding device

[0121] 15 Stack

[0122] 16 Section

[0123] 17 Fitting opening

[0124] 18 Negative pressure sector

[0125] 19 Scrap storage

[0126] 20 Control device

[0127] 21 Output transport unit (first)

[0128] 22 Detection device

[0129] 23 Output transport unit (second)

[0130] 24 Sector without negative pressure

[0131] 25 Discharge drum

[0132] 26 Scrap storage

[0133] 27 Stripping piece

[0134] 28 Stripping wall

[0135] 29 Gap

[0136] 30 Continuous web

[0137] 31 Continuous web

[0138] 32 Negative pressure reservoir

[0139] 33 Continuous conveying device

[0140] 34 Workpiece carrier

[0141] 35 Receiving part

[0142] 36 Pick-up device

[0143] 37 Feeding device

[0144] 38 Second cutting device

[0145] 39 Rotating body

[0146] 40 Handover area

[0147] 41 Negative pressure device

[0148] 42 Valve

[0149] 43 Valve

[0150] 44 Negative pressure pipeline

[0151] 45 Compressed air device

[0152] 46 Compressed air pipeline

[0153] 47 Negative pressure reservoir

[0154] 48 Transport surface

[0155] 49 Transport surface

[0156] 50 Parallel guiding mechanism

[0157] I Receiving part

[0158] II Handover part

[0159] R Rotation direction

[0160] R‘ Rotation direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for the energy single-pool production industry, comprising: - A feeding device (2) which is arranged to convey a section body (16), characterized in that - The apparatus (1) further comprises at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) arranged in parallel with each other in the production flow, and the production devices are respectively arranged to perform production steps at or using the conveyed section body (16), and - At least one discharging device (3) which is arranged to discharge the section body (16) from the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), wherein - The section body (16) is transferred from the feeding device (2) to the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) by a transfer device (4), and wherein - By a control signal of a control device (20), the apparatus (1) can be controlled and / or adjusted in such a way that the section body (16) received by the feeding device (2) is targeted to be transferred to a specific production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) among the at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d).

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that - By a control signal of the control device (20), the apparatus (1) can be controlled and / or adjusted in such a way that the section body (16) received by the feeding device (2) can be transferred to any arbitrary production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) among the existing production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d).

3. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - The feeding device (2) comprises a single conveying path for the section body (16), and the section body (16) is conveyed on this conveying path to the transfer device (4).

4. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - The production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are respectively constituted by a stacking station, wherein - The stacking stations are respectively arranged to receive the section body (16) and stack them on top of each other into a stack (15).

5. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - The control device (20) controls and / or adjusts the apparatus (1) in such a way that exactly one of the at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is alternately the target for the section body (16).

6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that - The control device (20) controls and / or adjusts the apparatus (1) in such a way that the existing production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are alternately supplied with a predetermined number of section bodies (16), preferably exactly one section body (16).

7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that - The device (1) is controlled and / or adjusted by means of the control device (20) in such a way that the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are supplied with section bodies (16) in a plurality of rounds, where - In one round, each of the existing production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is supplied with exactly one section body (16).

8. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - The transfer device (5) comprises at least one output transport unit (21, 23), which output transport unit has at least one holding device for exerting a holding force on the section body (16) in the production flow, where - The production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) each comprise a receiving transport unit (11), which receiving transport unit has at least one holding device for exerting a holding force on the section body (16) in the production flow, where - By adjusting the holding force at the output and / or receiving transport units (11, 21, 23) by means of a control signal generated by the control device (20), the section body (16) is specifically transferred to one of the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d).

9. The device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that - The output and receiving transport units (21, 23, 11) each comprise at least one rotatably driven rotating body, preferably in the form of an output roller, where - The output and receiving transport units (21, 11, 23) each comprise at least one negative pressure sector (7, 18) to which negative pressure can be applied to hold the section body on the transport surface (48, 49) of the respective transport unit (21, 11, 23) by means of negative pressure and transport it, where - The device (1) can be controlled and / or adjusted in such a way that, based on a control signal from the control device (20), in order to transfer the section body (16) at least in the transfer area (40) between the output and receiving transport units (21, 23, 11), a greater holding force is generated at the receiving transport unit (11) relative to the output transport unit (11).

10. The device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that - To reduce the holding force in a section of the transport surface (48) of the output transport unit (21, 23), at least one valve (42) which can be switched in the negative pressure device (41) is arranged, where - The at least one switchable valve (42) can be switched by means of a control signal from the control device (20) in such a way that the holding force acting on the section body (16) at the transport surface (48) of the output transport unit is reduced.

11. The device (1) according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that - There is provided a compressed air device (45) which can be switched, for example by means of a valve (43), for guiding compressed air to the output site (40) of the output transport unit (21, 23) and / or to the receiving site of the receiving transport unit (11), where - The compressed air device (45) can be switched by the control signal of the control device (10).

12. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - The existing production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) have the same structure and / or are arranged to perform the same production steps at or using the section body (16).

13. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - A rejection station (6) is provided, which is arranged to reject the section body (16) from the production flow.

14. A method for performing production steps at or using a section body (16) for the energy single cell production industry, characterized in that - The method is implemented using the device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

15. The method according to claim 14, depending back on claim 4, characterized in that - Section bodies (16) in the form of single-chamber electrolytic cell single cells are stacked on one another in the production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), where - Each of the single-chamber electrolytic cell single cells includes two separator plates, an anode plate, and a cathode plate.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that - A first type of section body (16) in the form of a single-chamber electrolytic cell single cell is conveyed by the feeding device (2), and - A second type of section body (16) is additionally conveyed by the feeding device (2), which is different from the first type of section body (16), where - The second type of section body (16) received by the feeding device (2) is specifically transferred by the transfer device (4) to a specific production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) among the at least two production devices (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) such that the second type of section body (16) forms the first layer or the last layer of the stack (15) of section bodies (16) formed by the corresponding production device (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d).

Images