Reconfigurable island type production line system and process of side liquid-cooled battery module

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of power battery manufacturing, in particular to a reconfigurable island type production line system and process of a side face liquid cooling battery module. The system comprises a battery cell grouping module, a module splicing module, a liquid cooling plate processing module and a Block stacking module which operate independently, and a guide carrying system flexibly connected with the modules, and the number and position layout of the modules can be reconstructed according to production requirements. The corresponding production process comprises the following steps: in a reconfigurable island type production line system, flexibly transferring materials through a guide carrying system, and sequentially executing battery cell grouping, module splicing, side surface liquid cooling plate processing and Block stacking. The technical problems that a traditional linear production line is large in occupied area and poor in flexibility, the overall situation is affected by local faults, and the reconstruction cost is high are solved, space is saved, and cooperative improvement of production flexibility and system reliability is achieved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of power battery manufacturing, in particular to a reconfigurable island type production line system and process for side liquid-cooled battery modules. BACKGROUND

[0002] The thermal management performance of power batteries directly affects their charging speed, cycle life and safety. The side water cooling technology, which places a liquid cooling plate on the side of a battery cell or module for heat exchange, has become an important development direction for improving the performance of battery packs in the industry due to its high heat dissipation efficiency and good thermal management uniformity.

[0003] Currently, the battery pack assembly production lines in the industry mostly adopt traditional linear layout forms. For example, the water-cooled battery module splicing production line disclosed in the Chinese patent with the authorization announcement number CN114335665B arranges the liquid cooling plate conveying line and the module conveying line side by side. The conveying lines convey the liquid cooling plate and the battery module to a fixed position, and a handling device grabs and places them on a splicing device. The liquid cooling plate is clamped between the large faces of two modules to complete the splicing of the large face water-cooled double battery module, and then another handling device takes it out. Although this linear layout can achieve automation, it still has the following inherent defects: (1) the production line is mostly elongated, occupying a large area and having low space utilization; (2) the workstations are rigidly connected through conveying lines, the production rhythm is fixed, the flexibility is poor, the reconfiguration cost is high, and the production efficiency is low; (3) once a workstation fails, it directly affects the normal operation of the entire production line, and the production reliability is low; (4) it is difficult to flexibly adapt to the assembly process of side liquid-cooled battery modules.

[0004] Therefore, for the production of side liquid-cooled battery modules, there is an urgent need for a production line system and process that has high space utilization, good production flexibility and operation reliability, and low reconfiguration cost. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a reconfigurable island type production line system and process for side liquid-cooled battery modules, which can effectively solve the technical problems of large occupied area, poor flexibility, low reliability and high reconfiguration cost of existing battery pack production lines.

[0006] To achieve the above technical purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] In one technical solution of the present application, a reconfigurable island type production line system for side liquid-cooled battery modules is provided, which includes battery cell grouping modules, module splicing modules, liquid cooling plate processing modules and Block stacking modules that operate independently of each other, and a guide handling system that flexibly connects each module. The number and layout of each module can be reconfigured according to production requirements. The battery cell grouping module is used for feeding, cleaning, detecting, large-area rubberizing, and stacking the battery cells into a single-row short module; The module splicing module is used for splicing the single-row short module into a single-row long module, and cleaning the side surface of the long module; The liquid cooling plate processing module is used for cleaning, rubberizing, and feeding the liquid cooling plate; The Block stacking module is used for assembling the single-row long module and the processed liquid cooling plate into a battery module; The guide conveying system includes a guide system and a plurality of automatic conveying devices, and the flexible connection and material flow between each automatic conveying device and each module are realized through the guide system.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, the battery cell grouping module includes a battery cell feeding unit, a battery cell cleaning unit, a blue film detecting unit, a battery cell testing unit, a large-area rubberizing unit, and a battery cell stacking unit arranged in sequence along the material flow direction, and the battery cell flow is transferred between each unit in the battery cell grouping module through a ring-shaped magnetic driving line and a magnetic driving sub-tray arranged on the ring-shaped magnetic driving line.

[0009] The automatic conveying device delivers the battery cell to the battery cell feeding unit to sequentially clean and visually detect the bottom of the battery cell, and then feeds the battery cell to the ring-shaped magnetic driving line. The battery cell flows along the magnetic driving line to the battery cell cleaning unit to be cleaned by ion air blowing, and cooperates with a dust removal machine to remove dust. Then, the battery cell flows into the blue film detecting unit to visually photograph the blue film on the surface of the battery cell to detect the integrity of the blue film, and simultaneously complete the battery cell thickness measurement. Then, the battery cell flows into the battery cell testing unit to perform insulation voltage resistance test and open circuit voltage (OCV) test, scans the code of the battery cell to bind the detection result and the identity information, and then the battery cell flows into the large-area rubberizing unit to rubberize the large area of the battery cell. After the rubberizing detection is qualified, the battery cell flows into the battery cell stacking unit to be stacked into a single-row short module, and is transferred to the module splicing module by the automatic conveying device after being cleaned by plasma.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, the battery cell feeding unit includes a battery cell feeding area, a bottom cleaning station, a bottom visual detection station, a six-axis robot A, a battery cell pushing table, and a spider robot. The automatic conveying device delivers the battery cell to the battery cell feeding area for temporary storage. The six-axis robot A grabs the battery cell from the battery cell feeding area to sequentially clean and detect the battery cell through the bottom cleaning station and the bottom visual detection station. Then, the battery cell is conveyed to the battery cell pushing table and transferred to the ring-shaped magnetic driving line by the spider robot to flow to the battery cell cleaning unit.

[0011] In the above scheme, the automatic handling device carries the battery cell to the battery cell loading area, the six-axis robot A picks up the battery cell from the battery cell loading area and transfers it above the bottom cleaning station and the bottom visual detection station, respectively, to clean and detect the bottom of the battery cell, and after cleaning and detection, the six-axis robot A places the battery cell on the battery cell push table, and the spider robot picks up the battery cell from the battery cell push table and places it on the battery cell cleaning unit.

[0012] Further, the blue film detection unit includes a first blue film detection station, a cell overturning mechanism, and a second blue film detection station; the first blue film detection station detects the blue film on one side and the large face of the battery cell through a visual camera, and then the cell overturning mechanism adjusts the posture of the battery cell on the annular magnetic drive line, and completes the thickness measurement, and then the second blue film detection station takes a visual photo of the blue film on the other side and the large face, detects whether the blue insulating film is damaged, dirty, or unevenly pasted, and ensures that the battery cell insulation and appearance are normal.

[0013] Further, the battery cell testing unit includes a first testing station and a second testing station, the first testing station performs insulation voltage resistance testing on the battery cell to check whether the external insulation performance of the battery cell is good and whether a serious hidden danger such as internal micro-short circuit occurs; the second testing station performs code scanning OCV testing on the battery cell, acquires and binds the battery cell ID by scanning the two-dimensional code or barcode on the battery cell, and measures the open circuit voltage of the battery cell to screen out battery cells with abnormal voltage. The battery cell testing unit uploads the detection result to the background system and associates it with the battery cell ID and the battery module ID to ensure data traceability.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, an NG reflux unit is further arranged between the battery cell testing unit and the large face adhesive pasting unit, the NG reflux unit includes an NG battery cell classification station, an empty tray transfer mechanism, and a reflux magnetic drive line, the reflux magnetic drive line independently operates with the annular magnetic drive line, the NG battery cell after detection by the battery cell testing unit enters the NG battery cell classification station, the empty tray transfer mechanism transfers the empty magnetic drive sub-tray to the reflux magnetic drive line and then automatically refluxes to the loading end of the annular magnetic drive line, thereby forming a closed-loop logistics to reduce manual intervention and balance the production rhythm.

[0015] In some possible embodiments, the large face adhesive pasting unit includes an adhesive pasting machine and an adhesive pasting detection station, the adhesive pasting machine is used for pasting adhesive on the large face of the battery cell, and the adhesive pasting detection station is used for detecting the adhesive pasting condition of the battery cell, and after detection, the battery cell is transferred to the battery cell stacking unit; The battery cell stacking unit includes a stacking mechanism, a six-axis robot B, a plasma cleaning station, and a module transfer station, the stacking mechanism is used for stacking the adhesive-pasted battery cells into a single-row short module, the six-axis robot B picks up the single-row short module to the plasma cleaning station for cleaning, and then transfers the single-row short module to the module transfer station, and the automatic handling device transfers the single-row short module out of the station.

[0016] The electric core polarity adjusting mechanism is arranged before the large-area rubberizing unit, and the electric core testing unit is used for transferring the qualified electric core to the large-area rubberizing unit through the annular magnetic driving line, and the electric core polarity adjusting mechanism is used for detecting and adjusting the polarity of the electric core, so that the positive and negative poles of the electric core meet the assembly requirements of the battery module.

[0017] The manual rubberizing station is arranged between the rubberizing detection station and the electric core stacking unit, the products with rubberizing detection NG are repaired, cleaned or re-rubberized on site, the materials that are misjudged or can be repaired are salvaged, and the overall good product rate is improved.

[0018] In some possible embodiments, the liquid cooling plate processing module comprises a liquid cooling plate feeding unit, a liquid cooling plate rubberizing unit and a liquid cooling plate transfer unit, the liquid cooling plate feeding unit is used for cleaning and feeding the liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate rubberizing unit is used for rubberizing the liquid cooling plate and visually detecting the rubberizing surface, and the liquid cooling plate transfer unit is used for transferring the rubberizing-detection-qualified liquid cooling plate to the automatic conveying device outlet.

[0019] In some possible embodiments, the liquid cooling plate feeding unit comprises a liquid cooling plate warehouse, a six-axis robot C, a liquid cooling plate cleaning device, a cap pulling mechanism and a transfer line body, the six-axis robot C is used for conveying the liquid cooling plate between the liquid cooling plate warehouse, the liquid cooling plate cleaning device, the cap pulling mechanism and the transfer line body, and the cap pulling mechanism is used for pulling the cap of the plug-in interface of the liquid cooling tube on the liquid cooling plate; The liquid cooling plate rubberizing unit comprises a six-axis robot D, a rubberizing and detecting mechanism and a liquid cooling plate buffer table, the six-axis robot D is used for conveying the liquid cooling plate between the transfer line body, the rubberizing and detecting mechanism and the liquid cooling plate buffer table, and the rubberizing and detecting mechanism is used for rubberizing and visually detecting the liquid cooling plate; The liquid cooling plate transfer unit comprises a six-axis robot E and a liquid cooling plate transfer station, and the six-axis robot E is used for conveying the rubberized liquid cooling plate between the liquid cooling plate buffer table and the liquid cooling plate transfer station.

[0020] The six-axis robot C grabs the liquid cooling plate from the liquid cooling plate warehouse, places the liquid cooling plate in the liquid cooling plate cleaning device to perform plasma cleaning on the rubberizing surface, then transfers the cleaned liquid cooling plate to the cap pulling mechanism to pull the cap of the plug-in interface of the liquid cooling tube on the liquid cooling plate, then the six-axis robot C transfers the liquid cooling plate to the transfer line body, the six-axis robot D grabs the liquid cooling plate from the transfer line body, places the liquid cooling plate in the rubberizing and detecting mechanism to perform rubberizing and visual detection, then the six-axis robot D transfers the detection-qualified liquid cooling plate to the liquid cooling plate buffer table, then the six-axis robot E transfers the liquid cooling plate in the liquid cooling plate buffer table to the liquid cooling plate transfer station, and the rubberized liquid cooling plate is conveyed out of the station by the automatic conveying device and enters the Block stacking module.

[0021] Further, the liquid cooling plate gluing unit is also provided with a gluing NG table for buffering the liquid cooling plates with gluing failure, so that manual operation can be reserved on the gluing NG table to adjust the liquid cooling plates with gluing failure on site, or the liquid cooling plates with gluing failure can be sent out through the automatic transfer device. The liquid cooling plates with gluing failure and detection failure are transferred to the gluing NG table by the six-axis robot D.

[0022] In some possible embodiments, the Block stacking module comprises a gluing product feeding unit, a liquid cooling pipe feeding unit and a Block stacking device, the gluing product feeding unit is used to feed single-row long modules and liquid cooling plates with gluing to the stacking work station, the liquid cooling pipe feeding unit is used to adjust the posture of the liquid cooling pipe and feed the liquid cooling pipe to the Block stacking device, and the Block stacking device is used to assemble the single-row long modules, the liquid cooling plates with gluing and the liquid cooling pipe to form a battery module with lateral liquid cooling.

[0023] Further, the gluing product feeding unit comprises a feeding station and a six-axis robot F for grabbing single-row long modules and liquid cooling plates with gluing, different automatic transfer devices are used to transfer the single-row long modules and the liquid cooling plates with gluing to corresponding storage positions in the feeding station for temporary storage, and the six-axis robot F grabs the single-row long modules and the liquid cooling plates with gluing in the feeding station and places them in the Block stacking device. The liquid cooling pipe feeding unit comprises a liquid cooling pipe feeding station, a six-axis robot G for grabbing liquid cooling pipes, a four-axis robot and a liquid cooling pipe posture adjusting mechanism, the four-axis robot grabs the liquid cooling pipes from the liquid cooling pipe feeding station and places them in the liquid cooling pipe posture adjusting mechanism to adjust the posture of the liquid cooling pipes, and the adjusted liquid cooling pipes are transferred to the Block stacking device by the six-axis robot G. After the single-row long modules, the liquid cooling plates with gluing and the liquid cooling pipes are stacked in the Block stacking device, the automatic transfer device carries the battery module to the manual inspection station for inspection, and the battery module is sent out after passing the inspection.

[0024] The application also provides a production process of a battery module with lateral liquid cooling by using the reconfigurable island production line system in any of the above technical solutions. The following procedures are performed in the reconfigurable island production line system: S1, cell grouping procedure: in the cell grouping module, the cells are sequentially fed, cleaned, detected, and large-area glued, and the qualified cells are stacked to form single-row short modules; S2, module splicing procedure: in the module splicing module, at least two single-row short modules are spliced into a single-row long module, and the spliced long module is scanned and cleaned on the side; S3, liquid cooling plate processing procedure: in the liquid cooling plate processing module, the liquid cooling plate is cleaned, glued and detected; S4, Block stacking procedure: in the Block stacking module, the single-row long module and the liquid cooling plate with gluing are combined with the liquid cooling pipe to form a battery module with lateral liquid cooling; The guiding system controls the automatic handling device to transfer the battery cell, single-row short module, single-row long module, liquid cooling plate and battery module between the modules according to the real-time state and production instruction of the reconfigurable island production line system.

[0025] In some possible embodiments, the detection of the battery cell in step S1 specifically includes the following steps: S11, bottom cleaning and visual preliminary inspection of the battery cell: the bottom of the battery cell is cleaned, and the cleaned bottom of the battery cell is visually photographed to detect the appearance defects of the bottom; S12, multi-surface blue film detection of the battery cell: the multiple sides and large faces of the battery cell are visually scanned to detect the integrity of the surface blue film; S13, performance test of the battery cell: the insulation withstand voltage test and open circuit voltage test are performed on the battery cell to judge the electrical safety and performance state of the battery cell; S14, information binding and NG sorting: the detection results are bound with the identity information of the battery cell, and the NG battery cell that fails to pass the detection is sorted and removed, and the empty battery cell tray is automatically returned to the feeding end through the return magnetic drive line.

[0026] The reconfigurable island production line system and process of the side liquid-cooled battery module provided by the application have the following advantages compared with the prior art: (1) high space utilization and strong layout flexibility: the modular island design is adopted, the traditional linear layout is abandoned, the core function modules can be independently operated and flexibly arranged, the equipment area is significantly saved, the number and position layout of the function modules can be quickly increased, reduced or reorganized according to the production capacity demand, and high space utilization and layout flexibility are realized.

[0027] (2) strong system operation reliability, fault isolation is realized: the modules in the reconfigurable island production line system of the application are connected through a flexible logistics system, when a single module fails, the guiding system can command the automatic handling device to bypass and reassign tasks, the remaining modules can still operate in degraded mode, fault isolation is realized, the risk of traditional production line shutdown is avoided, and the stability and availability of the production system are significantly improved.

[0028] (3) production efficiency and quality guarantee are synergistically improved: in the battery cell grouping module, bottom cleaning, blue film detection, insulation withstand voltage and OCV test are performed, and data binding is combined to realize whole-process tracing, so that the quality of the incoming battery cell is ensured, and the closed-loop logistics is realized in the module through the ring magnetic drive line, so that the production rhythm and overall efficiency are effectively improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and are meant to explain the present application but are not intended to limit the application.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the planar layout of the reconfigurable island production line system in the application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the planar layout of the cell grouping module in the reconfigurable island production line system in the application; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the planar layout of the module splicing module in the reconfigurable island production line system in the application; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the planar layout of the liquid cooling plate processing module in the reconfigurable island production line system in the application; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the planar layout of the Block stacking module in the reconfigurable island production line system in the application; Figure 6 is a process flow chart of the production of a side liquid cooling battery module by the reconfigurable island production line system in the application.

[0031] Explanation of the reference numerals in the drawings: 100, cell grouping module; 110, cell feeding unit; 111, cell feeding area; 112, bottom cleaning station; 113, bottom visual inspection station; 114, six-axis robot A; 115, cell pushing table; 116, spider hand robot; 120, cell cleaning unit; 130, blue film detection unit; 131, first blue film detection station; 132, cell overturning mechanism; 133, second blue film detection station; 140, cell testing unit; 141, first testing station; 142, second testing station; 150, large-area adhesive application unit; 151, adhesive application machine; 152, adhesive application detection station; 160, cell stacking unit; 161, stacking mechanism; 162, six-axis robot B; 163, plasma cleaning station; 164, module transfer station; 170, annular magnetic drive line; 171, magnetic drive sub-tray; 180, NG reflow unit; 181, NG cell classification station; 182, empty tray transfer mechanism; 183, reflow magnetic drive line; 190, cell polarity adjustment mechanism; 200, module splicing module; 210, module splicing mechanism; 220, module cleaning mechanism; 300, liquid cooling plate processing module; 310, liquid cooling plate feeding unit; 311, liquid cooling plate warehouse; 312, six-axis robot C; 313, liquid cooling plate cleaning device; 314, cap pulling mechanism; 315, transfer line body; 320, liquid cooling plate gluing unit; 321, six-axis robot D; 322, gluing and detection mechanism; 323, liquid cooling plate buffer table; 324, gluing NG table; 330, liquid cooling plate transfer unit; 331, six-axis robot E; 332, liquid cooling plate transfer station; 400, Block stacking module; 410, gluing product feeding unit; 411, feeding station; 412, six-axis robot F; 420, liquid cooling pipe feeding unit; 421, liquid cooling pipe feeding station; 422, six-axis robot G; 423, four-axis robot; 424, liquid cooling pipe posture adjusting mechanism; 430, Block stacking device; 500, automatic handling device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present application will be described in detail by specific embodiments, and other advantages and effects of the present application can be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure. Although the description of the present application will be introduced in combination with the preferred embodiments, it does not mean that the features of the present application are limited to the embodiments. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings.

[0033] The present application designs a reconfigurable island type production line system for a side liquid cooling battery module, and a production process of the side liquid cooling battery module based on the production line system.

[0034] The side liquid cooling battery module is a single-row long module stacked after gluing on the large face of the battery cell based on the traditional battery module, and the glued liquid cooling plate (mostly water cooling plate) is clamped between the two long modules, the liquid cooling plate is changed from the traditional bottom position to be installed on one or more sides of the battery module, and the main cooling surface is switched from the bottom of the battery cell to the side of the battery cell, which can directly cool the battery cell, significantly reduce the temperature of the battery cell, and also improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery pack.

[0035] REFERENCE Figure 1In one embodiment of the present application, a reconfigurable island production line system suitable for assembling a side liquid-cooled battery module is provided, which includes a battery cell grouping module 100, a module splicing module 200, a liquid-cooled plate processing module 300, and a Block stacking module 400, which operate independently of each other, and a plurality of flexible connection guide handling systems for connecting the modules. The battery cell grouping module 100 is used to load, clean, detect, and glue the battery cells, and stack them into a single-row short module. The module splicing module 200 is used to splice the single-row short module into a single-row long module, scan the code of the spliced long module to confirm the polarity of the module, and clean the side of the long module. The liquid-cooled plate processing module 300 is used to clean, glue, and load the liquid-cooled plate. The Block stacking module 400 is used to assemble the single-row long module and the processed liquid-cooled plate into a battery module. The guide handling system includes a guide system and a plurality of automatic handling devices 500. The automatic handling devices 500 are preferably AGV or AMR intelligent handling robots. The automatic handling devices 500 are connected and controlled by the guide system to realize flexible connection and material flow between the modules. In the reconfigurable island production line system of the present embodiment, the number of battery cell grouping modules 100, module splicing modules 200, liquid-cooled plate processing modules 300, and Block stacking modules 400 can be one or more. The number and layout of the modules can be quickly reconfigured according to production requirements. Through the deep integration of the reconfigurable island layout and the flexible logistics system, the system achieves collaborative optimization in terms of space, efficiency, reliability, flexibility, and cost.

[0036] In particular, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the battery cell grouping module 100 includes, in sequence along the material flow direction, a battery cell feeding unit 110, a battery cell cleaning unit 120, a blue film detection unit 130, a battery cell testing unit 140, a large-area adhesive taping unit 150, and a battery cell stacking unit 160. The battery cells are transferred between the units in the battery cell grouping module 100 through a ring-shaped magnetic drive line 170 and magnetic drive sub-trays 171 provided on the ring-shaped magnetic drive line 170. In operation, the battery cells are transported to the battery cell feeding unit 110 by an automatic handling device 500, and the bottom of each battery cell is sequentially cleaned and visually inspected. Then, the battery cells are fed to the ring-shaped magnetic drive line 170, and the battery cells are transferred along the magnetic drive line to the battery cell cleaning unit 120 for ion air blowing and dust removal with the aid of a dust removal machine. Then, the battery cells are transferred to the blue film detection unit 130 for visual photographing of the surface of the battery cell to detect the integrity of the blue film and simultaneously complete the battery cell thickness measurement. Then, the battery cells are transferred to the battery cell testing unit 140 for insulation voltage resistance testing and open circuit voltage (OCV) testing, and the battery cells are scanned for binding of the test results and identity information. Then, the battery cells are transferred to the large-area adhesive taping unit 150 for adhesive taping on the large face of the battery cell. After the adhesive taping detection is passed, the battery cells are transferred to the battery cell stacking unit 160 to be stacked into a single-row short module, and then transferred to the module splicing module 200 by the automatic handling device 500 after plasma cleaning.

[0037] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 2 The battery cell feeding unit 110 includes a battery cell feeding area 111, a bottom cleaning station 112, a bottom visual inspection station 113, a six-axis robot A 114, a battery cell pushing table 115, and a spider-shaped robot 116. The battery cells are transported to the battery cell feeding area 111 by the automatic handling device 500 for temporary storage. The six-axis robot A 114 picks up the battery cells from the battery cell feeding area 111, sequentially blows ion air to clean the battery cells at the bottom cleaning station 112, and removes surface impurities. Then, the battery cells are subjected to high-resolution industrial camera inspection at the bottom visual inspection station 113 to quickly take pictures of the cleaned battery cell bottom and identify whether there are scratches, contamination, electrolyte leakage traces, or appearance defects such as pole damage on the bottom of the battery cell. Then, the battery cells are transferred to the battery cell pushing table 115 by the spider-shaped robot 116, and then transferred to the ring-shaped magnetic drive line 170. Then, the battery cells are transferred to the battery cell cleaning unit 120 for re-cleaning by blowing ion air and simultaneously removing dust by a dust removal machine to remove particles and dust adsorbed on the battery cell and the battery cell tray, and prevent contaminants from being brought into the module.

[0038] In some embodiments, the battery cell pushing table 115 can adopt a "one standby and one use" or alternating work design of double battery cell feeding pushing tables. When the battery cells on one battery cell pushing table are fed, the other battery cell pushing table can simultaneously perform pre-positioning or buffering of the battery cells, which can eliminate the waiting time for feeding, ensure the continuity and stability of the production rhythm, improve the production efficiency, and avoid the situation that the failure of one battery cell pushing table affects the normal operation of the entire production line.

[0039] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 The blue film detection unit 130 includes a first blue film detection station 131, a cell overturning mechanism 132, and a second blue film detection station 133. The first blue film detection station 131 detects the blue film on one side and the large face of the cell through a visual camera, and then the cell overturning mechanism 132 adjusts the posture of the cell on the annular magnetic drive line 170, completes the cell thickness measurement, and then the second blue film detection station 133 takes a visual photo of the blue film on the other side and the large face to detect whether the blue insulation film is damaged, dirty, or unevenly pasted, to ensure that the cell insulation and appearance are normal.

[0040] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 The cell testing unit 140 includes a first testing station 141 and a second testing station 142. The first testing station 141 performs an insulation voltage test on the cell to check whether the external insulation performance of the cell is good and whether a serious hidden danger such as internal micro-short circuit occurs. The second testing station 142 performs a code scanning OCV test on the cell, acquires and binds the cell ID by scanning the two-dimensional code or barcode on the cell, and measures the open circuit voltage of the cell to screen out cells with abnormal voltage. The cell testing unit 140 uploads the detection results to the background system, associates them with the cell ID and the battery module ID, and ensures that the data is traceable.

[0041] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 The NG return unit 180 is further arranged between the cell testing unit 140 and the large face adhesive unit 150. The NG return unit 180 includes an NG cell classification station 181, an empty tray transfer mechanism 182, and a return magnetic drive line 183. The return magnetic drive line 183 is independently arranged and operated from the annular magnetic drive line 170. The return magnetic drive line 183 is connected to the empty tray transfer mechanism 182 and the cell feeding unit 110 at the feeding end of the annular magnetic drive line 170. The NG cells after being detected by the cell testing unit 140 are removed from the main line by the robot or sorting mechanism under the instruction of the background system, enter the NG cell classification station 181, and the empty magnetic drive sub-tray 171 is transferred to the return magnetic drive line 183 by the empty tray transfer mechanism 182 and then automatically returns to the cell feeding unit 110, thereby forming a closed-loop logistics and reducing manual intervention. The production rhythm can also be balanced.

[0042] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2The large-face adhesive application unit 150 includes an adhesive applicator 151 for applying adhesive to the large face of the battery cell and an adhesive detection station 152 for detecting the adhesive application condition of the battery cell. After detection, the battery cell is transferred to the battery cell stacking unit 160. The battery cell stacking unit 160 includes a stacking mechanism 161, a six-axis robot B 162, a plasma cleaning station 163, and a module transfer station 164. The stacking mechanism 161 is used to stack the adhesive-applied battery cells into a single-row short module. The six-axis robot B 162 is used to pick up the single-row short module and transfer it to the plasma cleaning station 163 for cleaning. Then, the single-row short module is transferred to the module transfer station 164 by the automatic handling device 500.

[0043] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 The adhesive applicator 151 has two workstations, one standby and one in use or alternating work. When one workstation is applying structural adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape to the large face of the battery cell, the other workstation can simultaneously complete the tearing of the release film, greatly improving the adhesive application cycle. When one side workstation fails, the other workstation can work normally, without affecting the normal operation of the production line. The stacking mechanism 161 has two module stacking workstations, one standby and one in use or alternating work, thereby improving the efficiency of stacking battery cells into a single-row short module and avoiding downtime due to failure.

[0044] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 Before the large-face adhesive application unit 150, there is also a battery cell polarity adjustment mechanism 190. The battery cell testing unit 140 detects the qualified battery cell and transfers it to the large-face adhesive application unit 150 through the annular magnetic drive line 170. The battery cell polarity adjustment mechanism 190 detects and adjusts the polarity of the battery cell to ensure that the positive and negative electrodes meet the requirements of battery module assembly.

[0045] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 Between the adhesive detection station 152 and the battery cell stacking unit 160, there is also a manual adhesive application work station for on-site repair, cleaning, or reapplication of products that fail the adhesive detection, salvaging misjudged or repairable materials, and improving overall yield.

[0046] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 The module splicing module 200 includes a module splicing mechanism 210 and a module cleaning mechanism 220. The automatic handling device 500 transports the single-row short module to the module splicing mechanism 210. The module splicing mechanism 210 splices the front and rear single-row short modules into a single-row long module. The polarity of the spliced long module is confirmed by scanning the code. The side of the spliced long module is cleaned by the module cleaning mechanism 220. Finally, the long module is transported to the liquid cooling plate processing module 300 by the automatic handling device 500.

[0047] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4, the liquid cooling plate processing module 300 includes a liquid cooling plate feeding unit 310, a liquid cooling plate gluing unit 320, and a liquid cooling plate transfer unit 330. The liquid cooling plate feeding unit 310 cleans and feeds the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate gluing unit 320 glues the liquid cooling plate and visually inspects the glued surface. The liquid cooling plate transfer unit 330 transfers the liquid cooling plate that passes the gluing detection to the automatic conveying device 500.

[0048] wherein the reference Figure 4 , the liquid cooling plate feeding unit 310 includes a plurality of liquid cooling plate storages 311, a six-axis robot C 312, a liquid cooling plate cleaning device 313, a cap pulling mechanism 314, and a transfer line body 315. The six-axis robot C 312 is used to convey the liquid cooling plate between the liquid cooling plate storages 311, the liquid cooling plate cleaning device 313, the cap pulling mechanism 314, and the transfer line body 315. The cap pulling mechanism 314 is used to pull the cap of the plug-in interface of the liquid cooling tube on the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate gluing unit 320 includes a six-axis robot D 321, a gluing and detection mechanism 322, and a liquid cooling plate buffer table 323. The six-axis robot D 321 is used to convey the liquid cooling plate between the transfer line body 315, the gluing and detection mechanism 322, and the liquid cooling plate buffer table 323. The gluing and detection mechanism 322 is used to glue and visually inspect the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate transfer unit 330 includes a six-axis robot E 331 and a liquid cooling plate transfer station 332. The six-axis robot E 331 is used to convey the glued liquid cooling plate between the liquid cooling plate buffer table 323 and the liquid cooling plate transfer station 332.

[0049] In operation, the six-axis robot C 312 picks up the liquid cooling plate from the liquid cooling plate storage 311 and places it in the liquid cooling plate cleaning device 313 to perform plasma cleaning on the glued surface. Then, the six-axis robot C 312 transfers the cleaned liquid cooling plate to the cap pulling mechanism 314 to perform the cap pulling operation on the plug-in interface of the liquid cooling tube on the liquid cooling plate. Then, the six-axis robot C 312 transfers the liquid cooling plate to the transfer line body 315. The six-axis robot D 321 picks up the liquid cooling plate from the transfer line body 315 and places it in the gluing and detection mechanism 322 to perform gluing and visual inspection. Then, the six-axis robot D 321 transfers the liquid cooling plate that passes the detection to the liquid cooling plate buffer table 323. Then, the six-axis robot E 331 transfers the liquid cooling plate in the liquid cooling plate buffer table 323 to the liquid cooling plate transfer station 332. The automatic conveying device 500 conveys the glued liquid cooling plate out of the station to the Block stacking module 400.

[0050] In some embodiments, the reference Figure 5 In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate gluing unit 320 can further include a gluing NG table 324 for buffering the liquid cooling plate that fails the gluing. An artificial operation station is reserved for on-site adjustment of the liquid cooling plate that fails the gluing. The liquid cooling plate that fails the gluing can also be conveyed out of the station by the automatic conveying device 500. The six-axis robot D 321 transfers the liquid cooling plate that fails the gluing and detection of the gluing and detection mechanism 322 to the gluing NG table 324.

[0051] The liquid cooling plate in the present application is preferably a water cooling plate, and the cooling liquid is preferably a glycol / propylene glycol aqueous solution. The liquid cooling plate warehouse 311 is used to store various water cooling plates such as front water cooling plates, rear water cooling plates and intermediate water cooling plates used in the battery module. According to the actual production line needs, multiple feeding positions are set.

[0052] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 5 The Block stacking module 400 includes a product gluing feeding unit 410, a liquid cooling pipe feeding unit 420 and a Block stacking device 430. The product gluing feeding unit 410 is used to feed the single-row long module and the glued liquid cooling plate to the Block stacking device 430. The liquid cooling pipe feeding unit 420 is used to adjust the posture of the liquid cooling pipe and feed it to the Block stacking device 430. The Block stacking device 430 is used to assemble the single-row long module, the glued liquid cooling plate and the liquid cooling pipe to form a battery module with side liquid cooling.

[0053] Further, referring to Figure 6 The product gluing feeding unit 410 includes a feeding station 411 and a six-axis robot F412 for grabbing the single-row long module and the glued liquid cooling plate. Different automatic handling devices 500 are used to carry the single-row long module and the glued liquid cooling plate to the corresponding feeding positions in the feeding station 411 for temporary storage. The six-axis robot F412 grabs the single-row long module and the glued liquid cooling plate in the feeding station 411 and places them in the Block stacking device 430. The liquid cooling pipe feeding unit 420 includes a liquid cooling pipe feeding station 421, a six-axis robot G422 for grabbing the liquid cooling pipe, a four-axis robot 423 and a liquid cooling pipe posture adjustment mechanism 424. The four-axis robot 423 grabs the liquid cooling pipe from the liquid cooling pipe feeding station 421 and places it in the liquid cooling pipe posture adjustment mechanism 424 to adjust the posture of the liquid cooling pipe. The adjusted liquid cooling pipe is transferred to the Block stacking device 430 by the six-axis robot G422. After the single-row long module, the glued liquid cooling plate and the liquid cooling pipe are stacked in the Block stacking device 430, the automatic handling device 500 carries the battery module to the manual inspection station 440 for inspection. If the inspection is qualified, the battery module is sent out.

[0054] Referring to ​ In one embodiment of the present application, a side liquid cooling battery module production process using the reconfigurable island production line system of any of the above embodiments is also provided. The reconfigurable island production line system performs the following procedures: S1, cell grouping procedure: in the cell grouping module 100, the cells are sequentially fed, cleaned, detected, and large-area glued, and the qualified cells are stacked to form a single-row short module; S2, module splicing procedure: in the module splicing module 200, at least two single-row short modules are spliced into a single-row long module, and the spliced long module is scanned and cleaned on the side; S3, liquid cooling plate processing procedure: cleaning, gluing and detection processing are performed on the liquid cooling plate in the liquid cooling plate processing module 300; S4, Block stacking procedure: in the Block stacking module 400, the single-row long module and the glued liquid cooling plate are combined with the liquid cooling pipe to assemble a side liquid cooling battery module. The guide system controls the automatic handling device 500 to transfer the battery cell, the single-row short module, the single-row long module, the liquid cooling plate and the battery module between the modules according to the real-time state and the production instruction of each module in the reconfigurable island production line system.

[0055] Further, in the above step S1, the detection of the battery cell specifically includes the following steps: S11, bottom cleaning and visual preliminary inspection: the bottom of the battery cell is cleaned, and the cleaned bottom of the battery cell is visually photographed to detect the appearance defects of the bottom; S12, multi-surface blue film detection of battery cell: the multiple sides and large surfaces of the battery cell are visually scanned to detect the integrity of the surface blue film; S13, battery cell performance test: insulation withstand voltage test and open circuit voltage test are performed on the battery cell to determine its electrical safety and performance state; S14, information binding and NG sorting: the detection results and the battery cell identity information are bound, and the NG battery cells that fail to pass the detection are sorted and removed, and the empty battery cell tray is automatically returned to the feeding end through the backflow magnetic drive line.

[0056] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been disclosed as above, the present application is not intended to be limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present application by using the disclosed methods and technical contents without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present application, which does not deviate from the technical solutions of the present application, belongs to the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules, characterized in that, It includes independently operating cell assembly modules (100), module assembly modules (200), liquid cooling plate processing modules (300) and block stacking modules (400), as well as a flexible guiding and handling system that connects the modules. The number and position layout of each module can be reconfigured according to production needs. The battery cell assembly module (100) is used to load, clean, test, apply adhesive to large areas of the battery cells, and stack them into a single row of short modules. The module assembly module (200) is used to assemble a single row of short modules into a single row of long modules, and at the same time clean the sides of the long modules. The liquid cooling plate processing module (300) is used for cleaning, applying adhesive, and loading the liquid cooling plate; The Block stacking module (400) is used to assemble a single row of long modules and the processed liquid cooling plate into a battery module. The guided transport system includes a guide system and multiple automatic transport devices (500). The guide system controls the flexible connection and material flow between each automatic transport device (500) and each module.

2. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell assembly module (100) includes a battery cell feeding unit (110), a battery cell cleaning unit (120), a blue film detection unit (130), a battery cell testing unit (140), a large-area adhesive application unit (150), and a battery cell stacking unit (160) arranged sequentially along the material flow direction. The battery cells in the battery cell assembly module (100) are connected by a ring magnetic drive line (170) and a magnetic drive sub-tray (171) on the ring magnetic drive line (170).

3. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery cell loading unit (110) includes a battery cell loading area (111), a bottom cleaning station (112), a bottom vision inspection station (113), a six-axis robot A (114), a battery cell pusher (115), and a spider robot (116). The automatic handling device (500) transports the battery cells to the battery cell loading area (111) for temporary storage. The six-axis robot A (114) picks up the battery cells from the battery cell loading area (111) and cleans and inspects them sequentially through the bottom cleaning station (112) and the bottom vision inspection station (113). Then, the battery cells are transported to the battery cell pusher (115) and transferred by the spider robot (116) to the annular magnetic drive line (170) and then transferred to the battery cell cleaning unit (120).

4. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 2, characterized in that, An NG return unit (180) is also provided between the cell testing unit (140) and the large-area adhesive application unit (150). The NG return unit (180) includes an NG cell sorting station (181), an empty pallet transfer mechanism (182), and a return magnetic drive line (183). The return magnetic drive line (183) operates independently from the annular magnetic drive line (170). NG cells that have been tested by the cell testing unit (140) enter the NG cell sorting station (181). The empty pallet transfer mechanism (182) transfers the empty magnetic drive sub-pallet (171) to the return magnetic drive line (183) and then automatically returns it to the loading end of the annular magnetic drive line (170).

5. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 2, characterized in that, The large-area adhesive application unit (150) includes an adhesive application machine (151) and an adhesive application detection station (152). The adhesive application machine (151) is used to apply adhesive to the large surface of the battery cell, and the adhesive application detection station (152) is used to detect the adhesive application status of the battery cell. The cell stacking unit (160) includes a stacking mechanism (161), a six-axis robot B (162), a plasma cleaning station (163), and a module transfer station (164). The stacking mechanism (161) is used to stack the coated cells into a single row of short modules. The six-axis robot B (162) picks up the single row of short modules and places them in the plasma cleaning station (163) for cleaning. Then, the single row of short modules is transferred to the module transfer station (164).

6. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate processing module (300) includes a liquid cooling plate loading unit (310), a liquid cooling plate gluing unit (320), and a liquid cooling plate transfer unit (330). The liquid cooling plate loading unit (310) cleans and loads the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate gluing unit (320) applies glue to the liquid cooling plate and performs visual inspection on the glued surface. The liquid cooling plate transfer unit (330) transfers the qualified liquid cooling plate to the automatic handling device (500) for delivery.

7. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid-cooled plate loading unit (310) includes a liquid-cooled plate storage (311), a six-axis robot C (312), a liquid-cooled plate cleaning device (313), a cap-removing mechanism (314), and a transfer line (315). The six-axis robot C (312) is used to transport liquid-cooled plates between the liquid-cooled plate storage (311), the liquid-cooled plate cleaning device (313), the cap-removing mechanism (314), and the transfer line (315). The cap-removing mechanism (314) is used to remove the caps from the connectors of the liquid-cooled pipes on the liquid-cooled plate. The liquid-cooled plate coating unit (320) includes a six-axis robot D (321), a coating and inspection mechanism (322), and a liquid-cooled plate buffer platform (323). The six-axis robot D (321) is used to transport liquid-cooled plates between the transfer line (315), the coating and inspection mechanism (322), and the liquid-cooled plate buffer platform (323). The coating and inspection mechanism (322) is used to apply adhesive and perform visual inspection on the liquid-cooled plates. The liquid-cooled plate transfer unit (330) includes a six-axis robot E (331) and a liquid-cooled plate transfer station (332). The six-axis robot E (331) is used to transport the glued liquid-cooled plate between the liquid-cooled plate buffer platform (323) and the liquid-cooled plate transfer station (332).

8. The reconfigurable island production line system for side-cooled battery modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Block stacking module (400) includes a coating product loading unit (410), a liquid cooling pipe loading unit (420), and a Block stacking device (430). The coating product loading unit (410) is used to load a single-row long module and a coated liquid cooling plate to the Block stacking device (430). The liquid cooling pipe loading unit (420) is used to adjust the posture of the liquid cooling pipe and load it to the Block stacking device (430). The Block stacking device (430) is used to assemble the single-row long module, the coated liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling pipe to form a side-liquid-cooled battery module.

9. A side-cooled battery module manufacturing process using a reconfigurable island production line system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The following processes are performed on a reconfigurable island production line system: S1. Cell assembly process: In the cell assembly module (100), the cells are sequentially fed, cleaned, inspected, and glued on the large surface, and the qualified cells are stacked to form a single row of short modules; S2, Module assembly process: In the module assembly module (200), at least two single-row short modules are assembled into a single-row long module, and the assembled long module is scanned and its sides are cleaned. S3, Liquid Cooling Plate Processing: Cleaning, gluing, and inspection are performed on the liquid cooling plate in the liquid cooling plate processing module (300); S4, Block stacking process: In the Block stacking module (400), a single row of long modules and a coated liquid cooling plate are assembled into a side-cooled battery module. The guidance system controls the automatic transport device (500) to transfer cells, single-row short modules, single-row long modules, liquid cooling plates and battery modules between modules based on the real-time status and production instructions of each module in the reconfigurable island production line system.

10. The manufacturing process for a side-cooled liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step S1, which involves testing the battery cell, specifically includes the following sub-steps: S11. Cleaning and initial visual inspection of the bottom of the battery cell: Clean the bottom of the battery cell and take visual photos of the cleaned bottom of the battery cell to detect defects in the bottom appearance. S12. Multi-sided blue film inspection of battery cell: Visually scan multiple sides and large surfaces of the battery cell to detect the integrity of its surface blue film. S13. Cell performance testing: Insulation withstand voltage test and open circuit voltage test are performed on the cell to determine its electrical safety and performance status; S14. Information binding and NG sorting: The cell scanning binds the above test results with the cell identity information, sorts and removes the NG cells that fail the test, and automatically returns the empty cell tray to the loading end through the return magnetic drive line.

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