Single battery production method

Abstract

The invention relates to a single battery production method. The method comprises the following steps: forming a to-be-pressed single battery material; the tool is carried to a hot-pressing position from the feeding position, and the hot-pressing procedure is executed; performing a cold pressing process on the battery material by adopting a loading and unloading mechanism; the tool is carried to a discharging position from a cold pressing position to execute a discharging procedure, and a single battery finished product is transferred and transferred out of equipment; the feeding and discharging mechanism moves to the waiting position for waiting after carrying the tool from the feeding position to the hot pressing position, and after the cold pressing process of the cold pressing position is completed, the feeding and discharging mechanism moves to the cold pressing position, and then the discharging process is executed. Before the next cycle begins, a tool is placed at the feeding position, and feeding of the next group of single battery materials is completed; and when it is detected that feeding of the feeding position is not completed, the feeding and discharging mechanism moves to the temporary waiting position to wait until feeding is completed, and then the next cycle is started. The production efficiency of the single battery is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a method for producing a single cell. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell is a device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. Since its energy conversion process does not involve combustion, it is not limited by the Carnot cycle efficiency. These devices offer significant advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency, fast load response, strong overload capacity, and good environmental compatibility, and are receiving increasing attention in the current context of advocating for carbon emission reduction and promoting energy structure transformation. Meanwhile, individual fuel cells possess advantages such as relatively simple structure, clear assembly process, convenient maintenance and repair, and long service life, making their role in the fuel cell manufacturing process increasingly prominent.

[0003] However, current methods for producing individual cells still primarily rely on manual assembly or stacking equipment to complete each process step-by-step according to a predetermined workflow. These production methods suffer from low automation, long production cycles, and limited efficiency, making it difficult to achieve large-scale, continuous production and unable to meet the rapidly growing market demand. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for producing single-cell batteries, which improves the production efficiency of single-cell batteries.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a method for producing a single-cell battery. The single-cell battery material includes two separator plates, two adhesive-coated frames, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The MEA includes two gas diffusion layers (GDL) and a membrane electrode component (CCM). The CCM includes a proton exchange membrane, and the two GDL layers are respectively disposed on both sides of the CCM. The method is based on the following workstation layout: along the material flow direction in the equipment, from left to right, a loading position, a temporary waiting position, a hot pressing position, a waiting position, a cold pressing position, and a unloading position are sequentially arranged. The method includes: The loading and unloading mechanism places two separator plates, an adhesive frame, and a membrane electrode into the tooling at the loading position to form a single cell material to be press-fitted. The tooling is transported from the loading position to the hot pressing position using a loading and unloading mechanism, and the hot pressing process is performed on the single battery material at the hot pressing position. After hot pressing is completed, the tooling is moved from the hot pressing position to the cold pressing position by the loading and unloading mechanism, and the single cell material is subjected to cold pressing at the cold pressing position. After cold pressing, the loading and unloading mechanism is used to move the tooling from the cold pressing position to the unloading position to perform the unloading process, and transfer the finished single battery cells out of the equipment; The loading and unloading mechanism moves to a waiting position after transporting the tooling from the loading position to the hot pressing position. After the cold pressing process at the cold pressing position is completed, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to the cold pressing position and then performs the unloading process. Before the next cycle begins, place the tooling at the loading position and complete the loading of the next set of individual battery materials; When it is detected that the feeding at the loading position is not completed, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to a temporary waiting position to wait until the feeding is completed and then enters the next cycle.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the loading position is a material picking area and the unloading position is a material dispensing area. Both the loading position and the unloading position are provided with a base plate to support the tooling. The tooling includes a tooling plate and positioning pins for fixing the single battery material to be pressed.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a discharge area is provided downstream of the feeding position, the discharge area including a conveyor belt for transferring the finished product out of the equipment.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first servo press of 1T to 15T is configured on the hot pressing position B.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a second servo press of 0.5T to 5T is configured on the cold pressing position C.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the loading and unloading mechanism includes a module structure and grippers for clamping the tooling. The module structure can drive the grippers to move along the loading position, temporary waiting position, hot pressing position, waiting position, cold pressing position, and unloading position, as well as to move up and down.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hot pressing temperature of the hot pressing process is 80°C to 200°C, and the hot pressing time is 1 min to 10 min.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cold pressing temperature of the cold pressing process is 0℃~40℃, and the cold pressing time is 0.5min~5min.

[0013] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: The present invention discloses a method for producing single-cell batteries. By setting up a feeding structure, the hot pressing station and the cold pressing station can be operated in parallel during the production process. The two stations can work at the same time, thereby effectively shortening the production cycle and significantly improving the overall production efficiency of single-cell batteries.

[0014] After the hot pressing process is completed, the feeding mechanism of this invention can automatically transfer the individual cells to the cold pressing process, realizing the automatic connection between the hot pressing and cold pressing processes. This avoids the need for manual handling of tooling or individual cells that are still in a high-temperature state after hot pressing, thereby reducing operational safety risks and improving the safety and reliability of the production process.

[0015] This invention employs a series of workstations: loading station A, hot pressing station B, cold pressing station C, and unloading station D. Tooling is circulated between these stations via loading and unloading mechanisms, allowing the hot pressing and cold pressing processes to be performed simultaneously at different stations. Thus, while one product is being hot-pressed at station B, another product can be cold-pressed at station C, achieving parallel processing at two stations. This effectively shortens the waiting time for a single product and the idle time of the equipment, reduces cycle time coupling between processes, increases output per unit time, and meets the needs of continuous and large-scale manufacturing.

[0016] This invention employs a hot-press followed by a cold-press press-fit strategy in its process path: hot pressing pre-bonds one side of the separator plate with the adhesive-coated frame in a certain area, and together with the membrane electrode, it forms a stable bonding force; then, it enters the cold-press process, which makes the temperature drop more uniform in each area of ​​the hot-pressed assembly during the cooling process, reducing the risk of interfacial stress, uneven adhesive shrinkage, or local debonding caused by local temperature differences, thereby improving the density and consistency of the press-fit interface, and ultimately improving the airtightness and yield of the single-cell product.

[0017] This invention enables automatic handling and process connection of tooling between loading position A, hot pressing position B, cold pressing position C, and unloading position D through a loading and unloading mechanism. After hot pressing is completed, it is automatically transferred to cold pressing position C, reducing cycle fluctuations caused by human operation and improving the safety, stability and controllability of the production process.

[0018] This invention incorporates a waiting position E and a temporary waiting position F in the workstation layout: after completing the material handling from A to B, the loading / unloading mechanism moves to the waiting position E, reducing interference with the press's working area, and then proceeds to unload material after the cold pressing process at position C is completed; when loading at position A is not yet complete, the loading / unloading mechanism can wait at the temporary waiting position F, avoiding empty handling, misplacement, or tooling interference caused by forced rushing. This results in a smoother production cycle and improves the overall equipment utilization rate of the entire production line.

[0019] This invention clearly defines a method for hot and cold pressing by placing the separator plate, the adhesive-coated frame, and the membrane electrode within the same fixture. Base plates are installed at the loading and unloading points A and D, respectively, along with the fixture plate and locating pins to constrain the position of the material to be pressed. This design can suppress off-center loading, warping, and relative misalignment during the pressing process, ensuring uniform pressure, improving dimensional consistency and repeatability, further reducing rework and defect rates, and enhancing product quality stability.

[0020] The present invention configures a 1T to 15T servo press at the hot pressing position B and a 0.5T to 5T servo press at the cold pressing position C, and provides process windows for hot pressing temperature of 80℃ to 200℃, hot pressing time of 1min to 10min, and cold pressing temperature of 0℃ to 40℃, and cold pressing time of 0.5min to 5min.

[0021] The present invention sets up a discharge area downstream of the material feeding position D and uses a conveyor belt to transfer the finished product out of the equipment, realizing continuous conveying after feeding and reducing manual collection and stacking. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the single-cell battery production method of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the workstation layout of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the loading and unloading mechanism of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling fixture of the loading and unloading mechanism of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals on the accompanying drawings: 1. Material handling area; 2. First servo press; 3. Second servo press; 4. Material feeding area; 5. Discharge area; A. Loading position; F. Enter the temporary waiting position; B. Hot pressing position; E. Waiting position; C. Cold pressing position; D. Material unloading position. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0031] In this invention, when directions (up, down, left, right, front, and back) are described, it is only for the convenience of describing the technical solution of this invention, and does not indicate or imply that the technical features referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0032] In this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc., are understood to exclude the stated number; "above," "below," "within," etc., are understood to include the stated number. In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms "setting," "installing," and "connecting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrally formed connection; a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection capable of mutual communication; or the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0034] Reference Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the present invention discloses a method for producing a single-cell battery. The single-cell battery material includes two separator plates, two adhesive-coated frames, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The MEA includes two gas diffusion layers (GDL) and a membrane electrode component (CCM). The CCM contains a proton exchange membrane, and the two GDL layers are respectively disposed on both sides of the CCM. The method is based on the following workstation layout: from left to right along the material flow direction in the equipment, a loading position A, a temporary waiting position F, a hot pressing position B, a waiting position E, a cold pressing position C, and a unloading position D are sequentially arranged. The method includes: The loading and unloading mechanism is used to place two separator plates, a frame with adhesive, and a membrane electrode into the tooling at the loading position A to form a single cell material to be press-fitted. The tooling is transported from loading position A to hot pressing position B using a loading and unloading mechanism, and the hot pressing process is performed on the single battery material at hot pressing position B. After hot pressing is completed, the tooling is transported from hot pressing position B to cold pressing position C by the loading and unloading mechanism, and the single cell material is subjected to cold pressing process at cold pressing position C. After cold pressing, the loading and unloading mechanism is used to move the tooling from the cold pressing position C to the unloading position D to perform the unloading process, and transfer the finished single battery cells out of the equipment. Wherein, after the loading and unloading mechanism moves the tooling from the loading position A to the hot pressing position B, it moves to the waiting position E to wait. After the cold pressing process of the cold pressing position C is completed, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to the cold pressing position C and then performs the unloading process. Before the next cycle begins, place the tooling at loading station A and complete the loading of the next set of individual battery materials; When it is detected that the feeding at the feeding position A is not completed, the feeding mechanism moves to the temporary waiting position F to wait until the feeding is completed and then enters the next cycle.

[0035] The system employs a series-connected workstation layout with loading station A, hot pressing station B, cold pressing station C, and unloading station D. Tooling is circulated between these stations via loading and unloading mechanisms, allowing the hot pressing and cold pressing processes to be performed simultaneously at different stations. Thus, while one product is being hot-pressed at station B, another product can be cold-pressed at station C, achieving parallel processing at two stations. This effectively reduces waiting time per product and equipment idle time, lowers cycle time coupling between processes, increases output per unit time, and meets the demands of continuous and large-scale manufacturing.

[0036] In one embodiment, the loading position A is a material picking area 1, the unloading position D is a material discharging area 4, and both the loading position A and the unloading position D are provided with a base plate to support the tooling. The tooling includes a tooling plate and positioning pins for fixing the single battery material to be pressed.

[0037] In one embodiment, a discharge area 5 is provided downstream of the feeding position D, and the discharge area 5 includes a conveyor belt for transferring the finished product out of the equipment.

[0038] In one embodiment, a first servo press 2 with a capacity of 1T to 15T is configured on the hot pressing position B.

[0039] In one embodiment, a second servo press 3 with a capacity of 0.5T to 5T is configured on the cold pressing position C.

[0040] In one embodiment, the loading and unloading mechanism includes a module structure and grippers for clamping the tooling. The module structure may be a three-axis servo linear module, which can drive the grippers to move along the loading position A, temporary waiting position F, hot pressing position B, waiting position E, cold pressing position C, and unloading position D, as well as to move up and down.

[0041] In one embodiment, the hot pressing temperature of the hot pressing process is 80℃~200℃, and the hot pressing time is 1min~10min; the cold pressing temperature of the cold pressing process is 0℃~40℃, and the cold pressing time is 0.5min~5min.

[0042] In one embodiment, the following calculations begin from the second cycle, assuming that both hot-pressing position B and cold-pressing position C are in the case of material. The following steps are performed: ①The loading and unloading mechanism moves to the cold pressing position C, and the single battery material after being cold-pressed at the cold pressing position C is picked up and moved to the unloading position D for unloading. At this time, the cold pressing time of the single battery material at the cold pressing position C is 0.5~5min, and the cold pressing temperature is 0~40℃. ②The loading and unloading mechanism then moves to the hot pressing position B and moves the single battery material that has completed the hot pressing process at the hot pressing position B to position C to start the cold pressing process. At this time, the single battery material at the hot pressing position B begins to be hot pressed. The hot pressing time is 1~10 minutes and the hot pressing temperature is 80~200℃. ③The loading and unloading mechanism then moves to loading position A to pick up the individual battery material placed in the tooling; ④ Move the single-cell battery material placed in the tooling at the loading position A to the hot pressing position B. At this time, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to the waiting position at E, waiting for the cold pressing position C to complete the cold pressing and repeat the steps in ①. ⑤ Then place the tooling at loading position A and place the individual battery material into the tooling at loading position A; ⑥ Wait for the next cycle to begin; ⑦ If the feeding of the single battery material placed in the tooling at the feeding position A is not completed, the feeding mechanism will move to the temporary waiting position F to wait for the feeding to be completed.

[0043] During production, one side of the separator plate is pre-bonded to the adhesive-coated frame in a certain area, and then hot-pressed together with the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to form a stable bond between the separator plate, the adhesive-coated frame, and the MEA. Subsequently, the hot-pressed assembly is cold-pressed to ensure a more uniform temperature drop across all areas during the cooling process, thereby guaranteeing the airtightness of the finished cell. Simultaneously, this process allows two products to be processed in parallel at different workstations; while one product is undergoing hot pressing, another is simultaneously undergoing cold pressing, thus improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the hot-pressed product can be automatically transferred to the cold pressing area by the loading and unloading device, avoiding the inefficiency and safety hazards associated with manual handling after hot pressing.

[0044] The separator plates, adhesive-coated frame, and membrane electrode are placed in the same fixture to complete the hot and cold pressing processes, ensuring uniform stress during pressing and improving pressing consistency and finished product quality stability. Through parallel workstation layout, coordinated hot and cold pressing, automated handling and fault-tolerant control at waiting positions, high efficiency, high consistency, and high safety in single-cell production are achieved. This effectively solves the problems of low automation, long cycle times, high risks associated with manual handling, and large fluctuations in pressing quality in existing processes.

[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for producing a single-cell battery, wherein the single-cell battery material includes two separator plates, two adhesive-coated frames, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), wherein the MEA includes two gas diffusion layers (GDL) and a membrane electrode component (CCM), the CCM comprising a proton exchange membrane, and the two GDL layers are respectively disposed on both sides of the CCM; characterized in that, The method is based on the following workstation layout: From left to right along the material flow direction in the equipment, the following positions are sequentially set: loading position (A), temporary waiting position, hot pressing position (B), waiting position (E), cold pressing position (C), and unloading position (D); the method includes: The loading and unloading mechanism is used to place two separator plates, a frame with adhesive and a membrane electrode into the tooling at the loading position (A) to form a single cell material to be press-fitted. The tooling is transported from the loading position (A) to the hot pressing position (B) using a loading and unloading mechanism, and the hot pressing process is performed on the single cell material at the hot pressing position (B); After hot pressing is completed, the tooling is transported from the hot pressing position (B) to the cold pressing position (C) using the loading and unloading mechanism, and the single cell material is subjected to a cold pressing process at the cold pressing position (C). After cold pressing, the loading and unloading mechanism is used to move the tooling from the cold pressing position (C) to the unloading position (D) to perform the unloading process, transferring the finished single battery cells out of the equipment; The loading and unloading mechanism moves to the waiting position (E) after transporting the tooling from the loading position (A) to the hot pressing position (B). After the cold pressing process at the cold pressing position (C) is completed, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to the cold pressing position (C) and then performs the unloading process. Before the start of the next cycle, place the tooling at the loading station (A) and complete the loading of the next set of individual battery materials; When it is detected that the loading at the loading position (A) is not completed, the loading and unloading mechanism moves to a temporary waiting position to wait until the loading is completed and enters the next cycle.

2. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading position (A) is the material picking area (1), and the unloading position (D) is the material discharging area (4). Both the loading position (A) and the unloading position (D) are provided with a base plate to support the tooling. The tooling includes a tooling plate and positioning pins for fixing the single battery material to be pressed.

3. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, Downstream of the feeding position (D) is a discharge area (5), which includes a conveyor belt for transferring finished products out of the equipment.

4. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot pressing position (B) is equipped with a first servo press (2) with a capacity of 1T to 15T.

5. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold pressing station (C) is equipped with a second servo press (3) with a capacity of 0.5T to 5T.

6. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading and unloading mechanism includes a module structure and grippers for clamping the tooling. The module structure can drive the grippers to move along the loading position (A), temporary waiting position, hot pressing position (B), waiting position (E), cold pressing position (C), and unloading position (D) as well as to move up and down.

7. The method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot pressing temperature of the hot pressing process is 80℃~200℃, and the hot pressing time is 1min~10min.

8. A method for producing a single-cell battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold pressing process has a cold pressing temperature of 0℃ to 40℃ and a cold pressing time of 0.5min to 5min.

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