A steam cleaning process for battery cells with robot loading

Abstract

The present invention discloses a steam cleaning process for battery cells with robot loading, which belongs to the field of battery cell cleaning process and includes the following sub-steps: pre-preparation: confirm that the roller conveyor is operating normally; the temperature setting of the hot air blower / hot air box meets the standard, and the water level of the water pump and the stock liquid tank is sufficient; the stainless steel bag filter element is not blocked; after the battery cells are discharged after scanning NG, qualified products are fed into the cleaning line by the roller conveyor; the pure water system is pre-started; the loading and conveying steps: the battery cells loaded by the robot in the starting section are conveyed at a uniform speed by the roller conveyor, and sequentially undergo the subsequent cleaning process. The clamping and feeding steps: the robot unfolds and adjusts the robot according to the specifications of the battery cells, and sequentially undergoes the subsequent cleaning process. This process achieves the multiple goals of cost reduction and environmental protection while improving the cleaning effect through multi-stage cleaning cycle resource utilization and automated collaborative fine protection design. It is particularly suitable for battery cell production scenarios with high requirements for cleanliness and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of battery cell cleaning technology, and in particular relates to a battery cell steam cleaning technology for robot loading. Background Art

[0002] During the production and transportation of battery cells, the surface is easily adhered to impurities such as grease from mold lubrication, metal debris processing residues, dust and environmental pollutants. If these pollutants are not thoroughly removed, they may lead to: increased pressure in subsequent pure water cleaning, residual water stains after drying, short circuit risks during battery cell assembly, and coating / seal failure.

[0003] 1. During the battery cell production process, the battery cells need to be cleaned. The cooling area only uses natural air cooling or forced air cooling to reduce the battery cell temperature. It is not clear whether the actual battery cell temperature is monitored (if it is judged only by experience), which may lead to insufficient cooling.

[0004] 2. The battery cell clamping arm often needs to be compatible with specifications of different diameters (such as φ18-φ30mm) and thicknesses (such as 50-150mm). Traditional fixed-stroke clamps require frequent mold replacement, which is inefficient and costly.

[0005] 3. Although circulating air cutting drying uses high-temperature circulating air, the air knife is generally fixed inside the device, resulting in a single exhaust angle of the air knife and insufficient drying time setting. For example, when the thickness of the battery cell is large, it takes a longer drying time to evaporate the internal moisture, resulting in slow evaporation of moisture after unloading and forming water stains. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a steam cleaning process for battery cells with robot loading, which includes the following steps: confirming that the roller conveyor is operating normally; the temperature of the hot air blower / hot air box is set to meet the standard, and the water level of the water pump and the stock liquid tank is sufficient; the stainless steel bag filter element is not blocked; after the battery cells are scanned and discharged as NG, qualified products are sent to the cleaning line by the roller conveyor; and the pure water system is pre-started;

[0007] Loading and conveying steps: The battery cells loaded by the robot in the initial stage are transported at a constant speed by a roller conveyor and sequentially undergo subsequent cleaning processes. Clamping and feeding steps: The robot unfolds and adjusts the robot according to the specifications of the battery cells and sequentially undergoes subsequent cleaning processes;

[0008] Cleaning steps: The battery cells are conveyed into the steam cleaning tank by a roller conveyor. The steam generator heats pure water in the raw liquid water tank to generate high-temperature steam, which is evenly sprayed on the surface of the battery cells through the steam nozzle. The steam dissolves oil and dust pollutants on the surface of the battery cells, and some condensed water flows along the surface of the battery cells to the bottom of the cleaning tank.

[0009] Residue removal step: After steam cleaning, the battery cell enters the pure water cleaning tank. The water pump pressurizes the pure water in the stock liquid tank and transports it to the pure water tank. The steam nozzle in the tank sprays it on the surface of the battery cell. The stainless steel bag filter works synchronously: the pure water is filtered through the filter during the circulation process.

[0010] The wastewater generated by cleaning contains residual cleaning agents and is separated by a water mist separator to avoid gas-liquid separation and water mist diffusion. The wastewater is discharged into the wastewater treatment system, and the clean air is discharged. The battery cells enter the second pure water cleaning tank, where the water pump pressurizes pure water to spray, focusing on flushing out tiny particles that were not completely removed in the first cleaning.

[0011] The water mist separator further optimizes the separation efficiency. The fine water mist produced by high-pressure injection is used to return the sewage to the raw liquid tank through the pipeline.

[0012] The product runs at a constant speed and passes through the high-pressure spray cleaning area, high-pressure steam cleaning area, high-pressure water cutting area, hot air drying area and then enters the air cooling area;

[0013] Air cooling steps: An air conditioner is installed in the air cooling area, and the cold air generated by the air conditioner is used to cool the product through an air knife to achieve the purpose of rapid cooling of the product; the product then moves to the unloading area. After the unloading area detects that the product is in place, the unloading truss robot clamps the product and places it on the product tray to complete the cleaning process;

[0014] Preferably, the clamping and feeding step mainly involves the straight tooth gear driving the gear, and then the gear drives the clamping arms on both sides for flexible clamping and transportation of the battery cells.

[0015] Preferably, the clamping and feeding step includes a clamping and fixing step. The electric cylinder outputs linear power, thereby causing the spur gear to move laterally, causing the spur gear to rotate on the outside of the gear, and then the chain transmission of the clamping arm is driven by the gear. Only linear guide rails and gear basic components are required to realize the opening and closing action of the clamping arm, and the opening and closing span range of the clamping arm is 50mm-200mm.

[0016] Preferably, the hot air temperature of the hot air drying is 80-120°C, the circulating air volume is ≥10000m³ / h, and the drying time ranges from 120 to 240 seconds.

[0017] Preferably, the maximum dew point temperature of the battery cell surface during hot air drying is ≤-40°C.

[0018] Preferably, the aperture range of the steam nozzle is 0.5-2 mm, the spray angle range of the steam nozzle is 30°-60°, and the pressure range of the steam nozzle is 0.3-0.5 MPa.

[0019] Preferably, the air knives are arranged at equal intervals on the upper and lower sides of the roller conveyor.

[0020] Preferably, the air knife is adjusted by a gear disk and gear 2 arranged on one side, and the air knife is connected to one side of the positioning shaft through bearings arranged on both sides, and the positioning shaft is respectively arranged in the high-pressure water cutting area, the hot air drying area and the cold air cooling area.

[0021] Preferably, in the cleaning step, the cell cleaning rhythm is about 3 cells / 15s, i.e., 12 cells / min, 720 cells / hour.

[0022] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0023] 1. This process achieves multiple goals of cost reduction, environmental protection, and high stability while improving cleaning effects through a design that combines multi-stage cleaning, circular resource utilization, automated collaboration, and meticulous protection. It also reduces energy consumption and costs through designs such as water circulation and waste heat recovery, meeting the high-quality demands of large-scale battery cell production lines. It is particularly suitable for battery cell production scenarios with high requirements for cleanliness and safety. The time gaps between products when the robot takes materials are used to create a certain gap between them, thereby increasing the cleaning effect. The cold air generated by the air conditioner is used to cool the products through an air knife, achieving the purpose of rapid cooling of the products.

[0024] 2. This equipment uses the rotation of the drum to drive the product to run at a constant speed through each cleaning area in turn. The gap between the drums is used to install a bottom water (air) knife to clean the bottom of the product and two adjustable angle water (air) knives on the top to clean the top and sides of the product to achieve the cleaning purpose. The drum surface is sprayed with Teflon. The surface energy of Teflon is extremely low and it does not stick to dust or water. The product will not be contaminated again after cleaning. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the second gear drives the toothed disc and the symmetrically arranged air knives to rotate, which improves the efficiency of drying the battery cells and reduces the dead angles of drying the battery cells.

[0025] 3. The spur gear is pushed by the electric cylinder, and then the spur gear is used to drive the gear. The gear is connected by the outer shaft to drive the clamping arms on both sides. The mechanism is designed, which is mainly used for flexible clamping and transportation of battery cells. The position of the battery cell (such as offset and angle) is identified by the industrial camera, and the coordinate information is fed back to the PLC. The electric cylinder stroke and the gear rotation angle are dynamically adjusted to ensure that the clamping arm is accurately aligned with the center of the battery cell. Through the closed-loop control of the servo motor + encoder, the drive device drives the rotation. The rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft through the engagement of gear 2 and the gear disc, driving the wind knife to swing around the center of the rotating shaft. The swing angle of the wind knife can be precisely adjusted to ensure that the airflow direction is perpendicular to the surface of the battery cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 It is a front view structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the top view structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the truss manipulator in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a top view of the truss manipulator in the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a side view schematic diagram of the truss manipulator in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 It is a front cross-sectional view of the wind knife in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the wind knife distribution structure in the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell cleaning process in the present invention.

[0034] 1. Roller conveyor;

[0035] 2. Clamping mechanism; 21. Clamp seat; 22. Gear 1; 23. Electric cylinder; 24. Straight toothed bar; 25. Clamping arm; 26. Positioning shaft;

[0036] 3. Air cooling area; 4. Electric control box; 5. Hot air blower; 6. Hot air box; 7. Water pressure cutting area; 8. Hot air drying area; 9. Steam engine; 10. High-pressure steam cleaning area; 11. Raw liquid water tank; 12. Water pump; 13. Stainless steel bag filter; 14. Truss manipulator; 15. High-pressure spray cleaning area; 16. Water mist separator 1; 17. Steam collector; 18. Water mist separator 2;

[0037] 19. Shifting mechanism; 1901. Air knife; 1902. Toothed disc; 1903. Gear 2; 1904. Servo motor; 1905. Shifting shaft.

[0038] 20. Roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects achieved by the present invention easier to understand, the present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 8As shown, a steam cleaning process for battery cells with robot loading includes a truss robot 14, a roller conveyor 1, a hot air blower 5, a hot air box 6, a water mist separator 16, a steam collector 17, a water pump 12, a raw liquid water tank 11, a stainless steel bag filter 13, a steam engine 9 and an electric control box 4. The process flow includes a cold air cooling area 3, a high-pressure spray cleaning area 15, a high-pressure steam cleaning area 10, a hot air drying area 8 and a pressure-cutting water area 7. A fixture seat 21 and symmetrically arranged straight tooth bars 24 are provided on the outside of the clamping mechanism 2.

[0041] 1. Preliminary preparation - equipment initialization and parameter setting;

[0042] Equipment inspection: Power on roller conveyor 1 and allow it to idle to confirm that there is no obstruction and the speed is adjustable. Start the steam engine 9 and preheat it to the set temperature (80-100°C). Set the drying temperature (50-120°C) and wind speed of the hot air blower 5 / hot air box 6. Perform a linkage test on the water pump 12, raw liquid water tank 11, and stainless steel bag filter 13 to confirm the water pressure and filtration accuracy. Multiple rollers 20 are set on the outside of roller conveyor 1.

[0043] The truss manipulator 14 calibrates the gripping position, such as the center coordinates of the battery cell, and sets the gripping force;

[0044] The electric control box 4 is started and the process recipe (steaming time, pure water pressure, and drying temperature parameters corresponding to battery cells of different specifications) is loaded.

[0045] 2. Loading: Grasping and initial positioning of the truss manipulator 14

[0046] Step 1: Incoming material reception: The battery cells from the upstream process (e.g., after scanning NG) are transported to the entrance of the cleaning line at a constant speed via roller conveyor 1. The conveying speed matches the cleaning cycle (e.g., if the total cleaning time is 180 seconds, the speed of roller 20 = cleaning line length / 180 seconds);

[0047] Step 2: The truss manipulator 14 grasps: The truss manipulator 14 calibrates the grasping position. By controlling the extension length of the electric cylinder 23 and setting the stroke through the PLC, the rotation angle of the gear 22 can be adjusted, thereby changing the opening and closing span of the clamping arms 25 on both sides, so that the clamping arms 25 can rotate through the connected positioning shaft 26. The output thrust of the electric cylinder 23 can be controlled by air pressure or servo, and can be flexibly adjusted for thin-shell battery cells or thick-shell battery cells to avoid pinching or slipping; the clamping arm 25 is lifted and translated to the top of the roller conveyor 1, and the battery cell is gently placed on the conveyor.

[0048] 3. Steam cleaning: high temperature dissolves oil stains

[0049] 4. Equipment linkage steps: steam engine 9 → steam nozzle → steam collector 17 → raw liquid water tank 11 (circulation treatment);

[0050] Step 3: Steam jet cleaning: The battery cells enter the steam cleaning tank (the tank body is closed and the top is open) along the roller conveyor 1. The high-temperature steam generated by the steam engine 9 is evenly sprayed on the surface of the battery cells through the annular nozzle array in the tank.

[0051] Step 4: Condensate recovery: The steam contacts the surface of the battery cell and condenses into liquid water (containing dissolved oil and dust), which flows into the steam collector 17 along the slope of the bottom of the tank. The steam collector 17 has a built-in stainless steel filter to filter out impurities, and the clean condensate flows back to the raw liquid water tank 11 through the pipeline.

[0052] 4. Pure water cleaning: Rough cleaning to remove loose pollutants

[0053] 5. Equipment linkage steps: water pump 12 → raw liquid water tank 11 → stainless steel bag filter 13 (first level) → pure water nozzle → water mist separator 16 → wastewater tank;

[0054] Step 5: High-pressure rough cleaning: The battery cells after steam cleaning enter the pure water cleaning tank. The water pump 12 draws water from the raw liquid tank 11 (the water level is monitored by the liquid level sensor), pressurizes it to 0.5-1MPa, and then filters it through the first-level stainless steel bag filter 13 (intercepts particles > 50μm). The water is then sprayed onto the surface of the battery cells through the high-pressure nozzle (pore size 0.5-1mm) in the tank.

[0055] Step 6: Preliminary treatment of wastewater: The wastewater (including oil and dust) generated by cleaning is intercepted by the water mist separator 16 (separation efficiency ≥ 95%), and the wastewater flows into the wastewater pool for temporary storage (it can be discharged after adding chemicals for treatment).

[0056] 5. Secondary cleaning with pure water: fine cleaning to remove tiny particles

[0057] Equipment linkage steps: water pump 12 → raw liquid water tank 11 → stainless steel bag filter 13 (secondary + tertiary) → pure water nozzle → water mist separator 2 18 → wastewater tank;

[0058] Step 7: High-pressure fine cleaning: The battery cell enters the second pure water cleaning tank, and the water pump 12 pressurizes it to 0.8-1.2 MPa. The water is double-filtered by the secondary and tertiary stainless steel bag filters 13, and is precisely sprayed through the high-pressure nozzle to the battery cell gaps and the base of the tab where residue is likely to remain;

[0059] Step 8: Advanced sewage treatment: After the wastewater passes through the water mist separator 18 (separation efficiency ≥ 98%), part of the clean water flows back to the raw liquid water tank (to make up for the loss), and the remaining sewage is discharged into the wastewater treatment system (to ensure that the discharge meets the standards).

[0060] 6. Transition zone: gravity sedimentation and initial dewatering: Equipment linkage steps: roller conveyor 1, with an inclination angle range of 5°-10°;

[0061] Step 9: Natural drainage: After the second pure water washing, the battery cells are transported to the transition area by roller conveyor 1. Roller conveyor 1 is adjusted to an inclined angle, and gravity is used to allow most of the surface water to flow naturally to the drain at the bottom of the trough (and then returned to the wastewater pool after collection).

[0062] 7. Drying process: hot air circulation deep water removal: equipment linkage steps: hot air blower 5 → hot air box 6 → circulating air duct → water mist separator 2 → steam engine 9 (waste heat recovery).

[0063] Step 10: Air drying (preliminary dehydration)

[0064] A transposition mechanism 19 is provided on the outside of the wind knife 1901. The battery cells enter the wind-cut drying area, and the hot air blower 5 outputs medium-temperature hot air with a hot air temperature range of 50-70°C. The hot air passes through the wind knife 1901 array and is driven by the servo motor 1904 to rotate the gear 2 1903. The gear 2 1903 is used to drive the gear disk 1902 and the symmetrically arranged wind knife 1901 array to rotate. The wind knife 1901 array sprays high-speed air on the surface of the battery cells to remove residual moisture. The hot and humid air after wind cutting is discharged to the outside after passing through the water mist separator 2 18, or partially reused to the hot air blower 5, and the wind knife 1901 is positioned by the transposition shaft 1905.

[0065] Step 11: Circulating hot air drying: The battery cells enter the hot air box 6, and a multi-layer roller conveyor 1 is set inside to ensure that all surfaces of the battery cells are heated evenly; the heating device on the top of the hot air box 6 heats the air to a temperature range of 80-120°C. After purification by the three-stage stainless steel bag filter 13, it is sprayed at high speed on the surface of the battery cells through the bottom air duct to take away deep moisture; the humid hot air is discharged from the top of the hot air box 6, separated by the water mist separator 18, and part of it is reused in the hot air box 6.

[0066]

[0067] 8. Unloading process: truss manipulator 14 takes materials and transfers

[0068] Step 12: Visual Re-inspection and Positioning: The dried battery cells are transported to the unloading area along roller conveyor 1. An optional industrial camera scans the cell surface (detecting water stains and stains) and the results are fed back to the electrical control box 4. If an abnormality is detected (such as residual water stains), an alarm is triggered and an NG mark is displayed. By sending a pulse signal or communication command to the driver of the electric cylinder 23, the PLC can precisely control the extension or retraction position of the piston rod of the electric cylinder 23. For example, during the parts assembly process on an automated production line, the PLC can control the electric cylinder 23 to accurately move the parts to the specified assembly position.

[0069] Step 13: The truss robot 14 picks up the material: After the battery cell is positioned correctly, the truss robot 14 moves to the top of the battery cell, and the vision system recalibrates the position; the gripper opens and uses a low clamping force to avoid damaging the fragile coating after drying, grabs the battery cell, lifts it, and moves it horizontally to the roller conveyor 1 of the next process (such as the assembly line or packaging area) to complete the unloading.

[0070] IX. Abnormal handling and closed-loop control: Real-time monitoring: The electric control box 4 integrates PLC to collect data such as steam temperature, pure water pressure, drying temperature, filter pressure difference, battery cell position, etc. in real time (through sensor feedback);

[0071] Linked alarm: If the steam temperature is <80℃ or >100℃, the steam engine power adjustment or shutdown is triggered; if the pressure difference of the stainless steel bag filter 13 is >0.2MPa (blockage), the backup filter is automatically switched and an alarm is issued (prompting filter replacement); if the battery cell temperature after drying is >50℃ (affecting subsequent processes), unloading is delayed and an additional cooling air duct is activated; process traceability: The cleaning parameters of each batch of battery cells (such as steam time, pure water pressure, and drying temperature) are recorded and stored in the database of the electrical control box 4 to support quality traceability and process optimization.

[0072] It is understood from common technical knowledge that the present invention may be implemented by other embodiments that do not depart from its spirit or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed above are, in all respects, merely illustrative and not exclusive. All modifications within the scope of the present invention or equivalent to the scope of the present invention are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A steam cleaning process for battery cells with robot loading, characterized in that: The following steps are included: Preliminary preparation: Confirm that the roller conveyor is operating normally; the temperature of the hot air blower / hot air box is set to the standard, and the water level of the water pump and the raw liquid tank is sufficient; the stainless steel bag filter element is not blocked; after the battery cells are scanned and discharged as NG, qualified products are sent to the washing line via the roller conveyor; pre-start the pure water system; Loading and conveying steps: The battery cells loaded by the robot in the initial stage are transported at a constant speed by a roller conveyor and sequentially undergo subsequent cleaning processes. Clamping and feeding steps: The robot unfolds and adjusts the robot according to the specifications of the battery cells and sequentially undergoes subsequent cleaning processes; Cleaning steps: The battery cells are conveyed into the steam cleaning tank by a roller conveyor. The steam generator heats pure water in the raw liquid water tank to generate high-temperature steam, which is evenly sprayed on the surface of the battery cells through the steam nozzle. The steam dissolves oil and dust pollutants on the surface of the battery cells, and some condensed water flows along the surface of the battery cells to the bottom of the cleaning tank. Residue removal step: After steam cleaning, the battery cell enters the pure water cleaning tank. The water pump pressurizes the pure water in the stock liquid tank and transports it to the pure water tank. The steam nozzle in the tank sprays it on the surface of the battery cell. The stainless steel bag filter works synchronously: the pure water is filtered through the filter during the circulation process. The wastewater generated by cleaning contains residual cleaning agents and is separated by a water mist separator to avoid gas-liquid separation and water mist diffusion. The wastewater is discharged into the wastewater treatment system, and the clean air is discharged. The battery cells enter the second pure water cleaning tank, where the water pump pressurizes pure water to spray, focusing on flushing out tiny particles that were not completely removed in the first cleaning. The water mist separator further optimizes the separation efficiency. The fine water mist produced by high-pressure injection is used to return the sewage to the raw liquid tank through the pipeline. The product runs at a constant speed and passes through the high-pressure spray cleaning area, high-pressure steam cleaning area, high-pressure water cutting area, hot air drying area and then enters the air cooling area; Air cooling steps: An air conditioner is installed in the air cooling area, and the cold air generated by the air conditioner is used to cool the product through an air knife to achieve the purpose of rapid cooling of the product; the product then moves to the unloading area. After the unloading area detects that the product is in place, the unloading truss robot clamps the product and places it on the product tray to complete the cleaning process; The clamping and feeding step mainly involves the spur gear driving the gear, which then drives the clamping arms on both sides for flexible clamping and transportation of the battery cells. The clamping and feeding step includes a clamping and fixing step. The electric cylinder outputs linear power, thereby causing the spur gear to move laterally, causing the spur gear to rotate on the outside of the gear, and then the chain transmission of the clamping arm is driven by the gear. Only linear guide rails and gear basic components are required to realize the opening and closing action of the clamping arm. The opening and closing span range of the clamping arm is 50mm-200mm.

2. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The hot air temperature of the hot air drying is 80-120°C, the circulating air volume is ≥10000m³ / h, and the drying time ranges from 120 to 240 seconds.

3. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dew point temperature of the surface of the battery cell during hot air drying is ≤-40°C.

4. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aperture range of the steam nozzle is 0.5-2 mm, the spray angle range of the steam nozzle is 30°-60°, and the pressure range of the steam nozzle is 0.3-0.5 MPa.

5. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air knives are arranged at equal intervals on the upper and lower sides of the roller conveyor.

6. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air knife is adjusted by a gear disc and gear 2 arranged on one side. The air knife is connected to one side of the positioning shaft through bearings arranged on both sides. The positioning shaft is respectively arranged in the high-pressure water cutting area, the hot air drying area and the cold air cooling area.

7. The steam cleaning process for battery cells loaded by a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cell cleaning rate in the cleaning step is 3 cells / 15s, i.e. 12 cells / min, 720 cells / hour.

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