Battery pole piece laser separation device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of waste lithium battery recycling, in particular to a battery pole piece laser separation device and method. The laser processing device is provided with a tensioning and unfolding mechanism and a multi-axis laser control mechanism, the tensioning and unfolding mechanism forms a compression roller clamping cavity through compression roller feeding assemblies at the two ends of a rack, and the double clamping cavities synchronously clamp the unwound battery pole piece, so that the battery pole piece is kept tensioned in a laser processing area; and the latter drives the laser to move in a three-dimensional space according to a predetermined route by a mobile end with the laser, and the electrode material and the current collector are separated in a non-contact laser lift-off mode. Dust pollution caused by physical grinding is avoided from the source, mechanical contact is avoided, a current collector cannot be damaged, machining precision is guaranteed through pole piece tensioning, efficient stripping of an electrode material is achieved through laser precise energy control, precise recycling of the material can be achieved in cooperation with sorting, the recycling purity and value are improved, the green and clean production requirement is met, and the device is suitable for large-scale recycling operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of waste lithium battery recycling technology, specifically a battery electrode laser separation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] The efficient separation of electrode materials from metal current collectors in battery plates is a core process in the resource recycling of waste lithium batteries. Physical grinding is currently the most widely used physical treatment method in the industry to achieve this separation process. However, existing physical grinding methods have many significant shortcomings in practical applications, making it difficult to meet the requirements of green, clean, efficient, and high-quality recycling production: First, physical grinding relies on the impact and grinding action of mechanical force to separate materials. During this process, the metal current collector is easily deformed, bent, or even broken by mechanical force, seriously damaging the structural integrity of the current collector and causing it to lose its reuse value, thus significantly reducing recycling revenue. Second, during the grinding process, the electrode material and the current collector are easily ground into mixed debris, making it difficult to achieve accurate sorting later. This not only reduces the recycling purity of the electrode material but also increases the operational difficulty and cost of the sorting process, resulting in low separation efficiency. Third, physical grinding generates a large amount of dust containing heavy metals and electrolyte residues. This dust is easily diffused into the production environment, causing secondary environmental pollution and directly threatening the health of operators, which does not meet the industry requirements of green and clean production. Fourth, the physical grinding method has poor adaptability to battery electrode sheets of different specifications and thicknesses, making it difficult to achieve continuous and automated batch processing. Furthermore, the grinding parameters are difficult to control, further limiting its application in the large-scale recycling of waste lithium batteries.

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned technical defects of existing physical grinding methods in the battery electrode separation process, there is an urgent need to develop a brand-new battery electrode processing device to avoid the various problems caused by mechanical grinding, achieve efficient, accurate and green separation of electrode materials and current collectors, and promote the high-quality development of the waste lithium battery recycling industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problem of environmental pollution caused by dust generation during the physical grinding process of waste lithium battery electrodes, this invention provides a laser separation device for battery electrodes. Based on this laser processing device, this invention also provides a laser separation method for battery electrodes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A battery electrode laser separation device, comprising: The tensioning and unfolding mechanism includes two sets of pressure roller feeding assemblies arranged at the feed end and the discharge end of the frame. Each set of pressure roller feeding assemblies includes two parallel and synchronously counter-rotating pressure rollers. A pressure roller clamping cavity is formed between the two pressure rollers to clamp and transport the battery electrode sheet. The unwound battery electrode sheet is simultaneously clamped in the two pressure roller clamping cavities and kept in a tensioned state within the laser processing area. A multi-axis laser control mechanism is provided, with a laser mounted on its moving end. The laser emitted by the laser acts on the bonding interface between the electrode material and the current collector in the battery electrode sheet, so as to drive the laser to peel off the electrode material from the battery electrode sheet in three-dimensional space along a predetermined route.

[0006] As a further improvement to the above scheme: two pressure rollers in the same group are respectively provided with two matching annular bosses and two annular grooves, the annular bosses are embedded in the annular grooves, and together they enclose the pressure roller clamping cavity.

[0007] As a further improvement to the above scheme: two annular bosses are coaxially arranged on the corresponding pressure roller, and the distance between the two annular bosses matches the width of the battery electrode sheet; two annular grooves are coaxially opened on another pressure roller, with the width of the annular bosses and the annular grooves being the same, and the radial thickness of the annular bosses being greater than the radial depth of the annular grooves, so that the pressure roller clamping cavity has a U-shaped structure.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above solution, the tensioning and unfolding mechanism also includes an unwinding and feeding assembly located at the feed end of the frame. The unwinding and feeding assembly includes a cell loading platform that is vertically and rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the unwinding platform. Cell inserts for concentrically inserting the cell roll are vertically mounted on the cell loading platform. A mechanical gripper that can clamp the top of the cell insert is suspended above the cell insert, and an unwinding motor that drives the mechanical gripper to rotate, thereby realizing the unwinding and feeding of the cell roll.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above solution, the tensioning and unfolding mechanism also includes two sets of clamping plate feeding assemblies symmetrically arranged on the front and rear crossbeams of the frame and moving synchronously. Both sets of clamping plate feeding assemblies include a bearing slide that can reciprocate linearly along the battery electrode conveying direction on the frame. A telescopic rod that can extend vertically toward the conveyed battery electrode is installed on the bearing slide. The telescopic ends of the two telescopic rods are respectively equipped with a U-shaped clamping plate and a pressure plate. The pressure plate can be moved into the U-shaped groove of the U-shaped clamping plate to form a clamping cavity or a guide cavity. The battery electrode is clamped in the clamping cavity or slides through the guide cavity to achieve secondary positioning and traction guidance of the battery electrode.

[0010] As a further improvement to the above solution, the rotational unwinding linear speed of the cell roll and the rotational linear speed of the pressure roller are matched with the linear movement speed of the supporting slide to keep the battery electrode sheet in a taut state during conveying and laser processing.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above solution: the multi-axis laser control mechanism has three linear displacement degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom, which can drive the laser to be adjusted to any position in three-dimensional space, and the laser can rotate 360° around an axis parallel to the length direction of the battery electrode to realize the adjustment of the laser emission angle.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above scheme: the laser is a 532nm wavelength nanosecond pulse laser with a pulse width of 10~100ns and a pulse frequency of 60~120kHz; when processing the positive electrode of the battery, the laser output power is 15~22W and the spot diameter is 8~12μm; when processing the negative electrode of the battery, the laser output power is 25~35W and the spot diameter is 10~15μm.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above solution, a sorting and recycling mechanism is also included. The sorting and recycling mechanism includes a conveyor belt laid directly below the laser processing area, a guide trough located at the discharge end of the frame, an electrode material recycling box, and a current collector recycling box. The discharge end of the conveyor belt corresponds to the electrode material recycling box and is used to collect the electrode material stripped by the laser. The inlet end of the guide trough corresponds to the pressure roller feeding assembly at the discharge end of the frame, and the discharge end corresponds to the current collector recycling box and is used to collect the current collector after it has been separated from the electrode material.

[0014] A method for laser separation of battery electrodes, applied in a battery electrode laser separation device, includes the following processing steps: The cell roll is concentrically placed on the cell insert. The unwinding motor drives the mechanical gripper to rotate, which in turn drives the cell insert and the cell roll to rotate synchronously, thus unwinding the cell roll. The free end of the unwound battery electrode is then sequentially inserted into the pressure roller clamping cavity at the feed end of the frame, the guide cavity / clamping cavity of the clamping plate feeding assembly, and the pressure roller clamping cavity at the discharge end of the frame. This allows the battery electrode to be clamped in two sets of pressure roller clamping cavities simultaneously. By matching the unwinding linear speed of the cell roll, the linear speed of the pressure roller rotation, and the linear movement speed of the carrying slide, the battery electrode is kept taut in the laser processing area. The multi-axis laser control mechanism drives the laser to be adjusted to a predetermined position in three-dimensional space, and adjusts the laser to rotate around an axis parallel to the length direction of the battery electrode to a preset emission angle. The output power and spot diameter of the laser are matched according to whether the battery electrode is a positive or negative electrode. The laser is controlled to move on the battery electrode along a predetermined route with a nanosecond pulse laser with a wavelength of 532nm, so as to precisely peel the electrode material from the current collector. The electrode material stripped by laser falls onto the conveyor belt directly below the laser processing area under the influence of gravity and laser impact, and is then transported by the conveyor belt to the electrode material recycling box for collection. The current collector, separated from the electrode material, is discharged from the machine frame outlet by the pressure roller feeding assembly, and is guided by the guide chute to slide down to the current collector recycling box for collection, thus completing the laser processing of the battery electrode sheet.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This device abandons contact-based mechanical processing methods. Through the coordinated operation of the tensioning and unfolding mechanism and the multi-axis laser control mechanism, the separation of electrode materials and current collectors is completed using laser as the separation medium. Throughout the process, no mechanical parts come into contact with the battery electrode for grinding or impact, fundamentally avoiding dust generation due to material mechanical breakage. At the same time, the multi-axis laser control mechanism can drive the laser to move along a predetermined path in three-dimensional space, achieving precise control of laser energy. This ensures that the laser energy acts only on the interface between the electrode material and the current collector of the battery electrode. Through continuous local high heat input, this interface is separated quickly, efficiently, and precisely, without causing indiscriminate breakage of the electrode material and the current collector. It can also effectively suppress the diffusion of volatile organic compounds and metal particles during processing, preventing them from forming dust and spreading into the production environment. This completely solves the technical problem of dust generation and environmental pollution during the physical grinding of waste lithium battery electrodes, significantly reducing the risk of secondary environmental pollution.

[0016] 2. The structural design of the pressure roller clamping cavity in this invention has multiple technical advantages. First, by setting two annular bosses and two annular grooves on the two pressure rollers, and precisely matching the distance between the two annular bosses with the width of the battery electrode, the width direction of the battery electrode can be precisely limited, effectively preventing the electrode from shifting left or right during transportation and achieving precise positioning of the electrode. Second, the U-shaped clamping cavity formed by the interlocking of the bosses and grooves can form a wrapping clamping of the electrode from multiple directions, greatly improving the stability of the electrode clamping and avoiding up-and-down warping or shaking during electrode transportation, ensuring that the electrode always remains flat and taut in the laser processing area. Thirdly, the design of the annular boss having a radial thickness greater than the radial depth of the annular groove prevents hard contact when the boss is embedded in the groove. This ensures effective clamping force for the electrode sheet to achieve stable transport while avoiding excessive squeezing of the electrode sheet by the pressure roller, preventing mechanical damage such as indentations and deformation of the current collector, and protecting the structural integrity of the current collector. Fourthly, the structure is simple and highly adaptable, and can be matched with battery electrode sheets of different widths without frequent structural adjustments, which can improve the efficiency of continuous processing. At the same time, the matching structure of the boss and the groove is easy to process and assemble, and has good long-term stability, laying a reliable transport foundation for precise laser stripping of electrode materials. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the laser processing device.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the unwinding and feeding assembly.

[0019] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the pressure roller feeding assembly.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamp feeding assembly.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-axis laser control mechanism.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the rotating shaft and the laser.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting and recycling mechanism.

[0024] In the diagram: 10. Tensioning and unfolding mechanism; 11. Unwinding and feeding assembly; 111. Unwinding platform; 112. Cell loading table; 1121. Cell insert; 113. Mechanical gripper; 114. Unwinding motor; 12. Pressure roller feeding assembly; 121. Pressure roller; 121a. Annular boss; 121b. Annular groove; 122. Transmission gear; 123. Driven bevel gear; 124. Driving bevel gear; 125. Pressure roller motor; 13. Clamping plate feeding assembly; 131. Bearing slide rail; 132. Bearing screw; 133. Bearing motor; 134. Bearing slide table; 135. Telescopic rod; 136a. U-shaped clamping plate; 136b, Pressure plate; 20, Multi-axis laser control mechanism; 21, X-axis displacement mechanism; 211, X-axis displacement screw; 212, X-axis displacement guide rod; 213, X-axis displacement base; 22, Y-axis displacement mechanism; 221, Y-axis displacement screw; 222, Y-axis displacement base; 23, Z-axis displacement mechanism; 231, Z-axis displacement screw; 232, Z-axis displacement guide rod; 233, Support; 24, Rotating shaft; 241, Laser; 30, Sorting and recycling mechanism; 31, Conveyor belt; 32, Guide chute; 33, Current collector recycling box; 34, Electrode material recycling box; 40, Battery electrode sheet; 50, Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Please see Figures 1-7The battery electrode laser separation device of the present invention mainly includes a tensioning and unfolding mechanism 10, a multi-axis laser control mechanism 20, and a sorting and recycling mechanism 30. The mechanisms work together to achieve unwinding and tensioning of waste lithium-ion battery electrodes 40, precise laser separation, and sorting and recycling of electrode materials and current collectors. The structure, working principle and laser processing method of each mechanism are described in detail below.

[0027] I. Tensioning and Deployment Mechanism

[0028] The tensioning and unfolding mechanism 10 is the core of the continuous and stable feeding of battery electrode sheets. It is located on the frame 50 of the device and consists of the unwinding feeding component 11 at the feed end (left end) of the frame 50, the pressure roller feeding components 12 symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the frame 50, and the clamping plate feeding components 13 arranged on the front and rear sides of the frame 50. The movement speed of each component is precisely matched, so that the battery electrode sheets 40 are always in a tensile state during the traction and unfolding process, without slack or shaking, providing a stable posture guarantee for precise laser processing.

[0029] (a) Unwinding and feeding assembly

[0030] The unwinding and feeding assembly 11 includes an unwinding platform 111, a cell loading platform 112, a mechanical gripper 113, and an unwinding motor 114. The cell loading platform 112 is located on the upper surface of the unwinding platform 111, and the mechanical gripper 113 is suspended above the cell loading platform 112. The mechanical gripper 113 is a commonly used two-finger gripper, which is mounted on the output shaft of the unwinding motor 114 and is driven to rotate by the unwinding motor 114 through a coupling, rotating synchronously with the output shaft of the unwinding motor 114.

[0031] The cell loading platform 112 is equipped with vertically arranged cell inserts 1121. In use, the cell inserts 1121 are inserted into the center of the waste lithium-ion battery cell roll, and the clamping end of the mechanical gripper 113 clamps the upper part of the cell insert 1121. After the unwinding motor 114 is started, it drives the mechanical gripper 113 to rotate and drives the cell insert 1121 to rotate smoothly. The shaft inside the cell loading platform 112 and the unwinding platform 111 rotates synchronously, thereby driving the cell roll to achieve stable unwinding and completing the initial feeding of the battery electrode 40.

[0032] (ii) Pressure roller feeding assembly

[0033] Two sets of identical pressure roller feeding assemblies 12 are symmetrically arranged at the feed end (left) and discharge end (right) of the frame 50. Each set of pressure roller feeding assemblies 12 includes a pressure roller 121, a transmission gear 122, a driven bevel gear 123, a driving bevel gear 124, and a pressure roller motor 125, which realizes the primary traction and positioning of the battery electrode 40.

[0034] 1. Structural Layout

[0035] Two pressure rollers 121 are vertically and rotatably arranged on the crossbeam of the frame 50. The top of the roller shafts passes through the crossbeam, and each roller is coaxially fixed with a meshing transmission gear 122. The top of one roller shaft is coaxially fixed with a driven bevel gear 123. The transmission shaft of the pressure roller motor 125 on the crossbeam of the frame 50 is equipped with a driving bevel gear 124, which meshes with the driven bevel gear 123 for transmission.

[0036] 2. Transmission Principle

[0037] After the pressure roller motor 125 starts, it drives a single pressure roller 121 to rotate through the meshing of bevel gears, and then drives two pressure rollers 121 to rotate synchronously in opposite directions through the meshing transmission gear 122, thereby achieving horizontal forward traction of the battery electrode 40 held between the two rollers.

[0038] 3. Positioning structure optimization

[0039] To improve the stability of the battery electrode clamping, the two pressure rollers 121 are respectively provided with annular bosses 121a and annular grooves 121b; one pressure roller 121 has two annular bosses 121a coaxially arranged vertically, and the distance between the two annular bosses 121a matches the width of the battery electrode 40; the other pressure roller 121 has two annular grooves 121b coaxially arranged vertically; the width of the annular bosses 121a and the annular grooves 121b is the same, and the radial thickness of the annular bosses 121a is greater than the radial depth of the annular grooves 121b. After the two annular bosses 121a are embedded in the corresponding annular grooves 121b, they form a U-shaped pressure roller clamping cavity, realizing the one-time positioning of the battery electrode 40 and ensuring that the electrode does not shift during the traction process.

[0040] Furthermore, the size of the pressure roller clamping cavity on the left side of the feed end of the frame 50 is larger than the size of the pressure roller clamping cavity on the right side of the discharge end. This is because the left pressure roller clamping cavity is used to clamp the battery electrode sheet 40 with the electrode material not peeled off, while the right pressure roller clamping cavity is used to clamp the current collector after the electrode material has been peeled off. The thickness of the two is significantly different. This structural design can accurately adapt to the thickness requirements of different clamping objects and ensure clamping stability.

[0041] The staff manually inserts the free end of the unwound battery electrode 40 into the pressure roller clamping cavity of the left pressure roller feeding assembly 12. The battery electrode 40 enters the laser processing area in a horizontal direction, completing the initial feeding and positioning.

[0042] (III) Clamping plate feeding assembly

[0043] On the front and rear crossbeams of the frame 50, there are two basically identical clamping plate feeding assemblies 13. Each assembly includes a bearing slide rail 131, a bearing screw 132, a bearing motor 133, a bearing slide table 134, a telescopic rod 135, and a U-shaped clamping plate 136a and a pressure plate 136b (one assembly of U-shaped clamping plates and the other assembly of pressure plates). The core function is to achieve secondary positioning, precise traction, and guidance to prevent deformation of the battery electrode sheet 40. Taking the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 on the front crossbeam as an example, it includes two bearing slide rails 131 arranged vertically and extending horizontally, forming a horizontal sliding space between the two bearing slide rails 131. A bearing slide table 134 is slidably installed between the two bearing slide rails 131, and the upper and lower end faces of the bearing slide table 134 respectively reciprocate horizontally with the corresponding bearing slide rails 131. A bearing screw 132, which penetrates the bearing platform 134 and is threadedly engaged with it, is also installed within the horizontal sliding space. The bearing motor 133 drives the bearing screw 132 to rotate forward and backward, thereby causing the bearing platform 134 to reciprocate on the bearing track 131. A horizontally extendable telescopic rod 135 (electric push rod, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder) is also installed on the bearing platform 134. A U-shaped clamping plate 136a or a pressure plate 136b is installed at the front end of the telescopic rod 135 (the U-shaped clamping plate 136a is installed in one set of clamping plate feeding assemblies 13, and the pressure plate 136b is installed in another set of clamping plate feeding assemblies 13). The interior of the U-shaped clamping plate 136a is a right-angled U-shaped groove. The pressure plate 136b, which is vertically arranged on the plate surface, moves horizontally into the U-shaped groove 136a, which precisely seals the U-shaped groove 136a and forms a clamping cavity with a cross-section that matches the cross-section of the battery electrode 40, thus achieving secondary positioning. The telescopic rods 135 on the front and rear sides of the frame 50 extend synchronously, causing the pressure plate 136b to continuously penetrate into the U-shaped groove 136a, thereby clamping the battery electrode 40, which is vertical on the surface and moves horizontally. Then, under the action of the bearing screw 132, the battery electrode 40 is moved from the left side of the frame 50 to the right side of the frame 50. Finally, the free end of the motor electrode 40 is inserted into the pressure roller clamping cavity of the pressure roller feeding assembly 12 on the right side of the frame 50, and enters the next processing stage under the action of the pressure roller clamping cavity.

[0044] The working process of the clamp feeding assembly 13 is divided into two stages, and it works in coordination with the pressure roller feeding assembly 12: 1. First stage: Secondary positioning and traction feeding After the left pressure roller feeding assembly 12 feeds out the battery electrode 40, the telescopic rods 135 of the clamping plate feeding assemblies 13 on the front and rear sides of the frame 50 extend synchronously, so that the pressure plate 136b moves horizontally into the right-angled U-shaped groove of the U-shaped clamping plate 136a, forming a clamping cavity with a cross-section that matches the battery electrode 40, clamping the free end of the battery electrode 40 (the free end of the electrode is exposed for a certain length); the bearing motor 133 drives the bearing screw 132 to rotate, driving the bearing slide 134 to move horizontally to the right side of the frame 50 along the bearing slide rail 131, pulling the battery electrode 40 to move synchronously, and inserting the free end of the electrode into the pressure roller clamping cavity of the right pressure roller feeding assembly 12; after the insertion is completed, the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 releases the clamp, and the battery electrode 40 continues to move under the coordinated traction of the left and right pressure roller clamping cavities, entering the laser processing area.

[0045] 2. Second stage: Guiding deformation prevention and final traction

[0046] After the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 is released from clamping, it returns to a position close to the left pressure roller feeding assembly 12. The telescopic rod 135 extends again, and the pressure plate 136b extends into the U-shaped clamping plate 136a but does not clamp the battery electrode 40, forming a guide cavity to limit the swing and downward deformation of the battery electrode 40, ensuring the stability of the electrode posture during laser processing. When the left battery electrode 40 is about to completely pass through the left pressure roller clamping cavity, the telescopic rod 135 increases its extension, re-forms the clamping plate clamping cavity and clamps the electrode, and moves synchronously with the battery electrode 40. After completing the laser processing, the electrode is pulled to the right pressure roller clamping cavity and released from clamping. Finally, the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 is reset as a whole, and the unwinding and feeding processing of a single battery cell is completed.

[0047] (iv) Speed ​​matching requirements

[0048] The rotational unwinding linear speed of the mechanical gripper 113, the rotational linear speed of the pressure roller 121 in the two sets of pressure roller feeding assemblies 12, and the linear movement speed of the bearing slide 134 in the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 need to be precisely matched to ensure that the battery electrode 40 is tensioned throughout the process.

[0049] (v) Requirements for the position of the clamping cavity

[0050] The pressure roller clamping cavities on both sides of the frame 50 and the pressure plate clamping cavity of the clamping plate feeding assembly 13 are always on the same horizontal line, ensuring that the battery electrode 40 is stably conveyed and processed in the horizontal direction throughout the entire process.

[0051] II. Multi-axis laser control mechanism

[0052] The multi-axis laser control mechanism 20 is the core execution component of this device. It is installed in the laser processing area of ​​the frame 50. Through multi-axis displacement adjustment and laser rotation, the laser has three linear displacement degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom. It can be adjusted to any position and any emission angle within the limited space of the frame 50 to achieve precise laser processing of the battery electrode 40 and complete the separation of electrode material and current collector.

[0053] (I) Establishment of spatial coordinate system

[0054] To clarify the displacement direction of each axis, a three-dimensional coordinate system of O-XYZ space is established on the frame 50: X-axis: The direction from left to right of the frame 50, which is consistent with the direction of movement / length of the battery electrode 40, and is positive from left to right.

[0055] Y-axis: The front-to-back direction of the frame, with the front being positive.

[0056] Z-axis: The vertical direction of the frame 50, with the top direction being positive.

[0057] (II) Mechanism Composition and Transmission Principle

[0058] The multi-axis laser control mechanism 20 includes an X-axis displacement mechanism 21, a Y-axis displacement mechanism 22, a Z-axis displacement mechanism 23, a rotating shaft 24, and a laser 241. The mechanisms are nested together, i.e., the Y-axis displacement mechanism 22 is mounted on the frame 50, the X-axis displacement mechanism 21 is mounted on the moving end of the Y-axis displacement mechanism, the Z-axis displacement mechanism 23 is mounted on the moving end of the X-axis displacement mechanism, the rotating shaft 24 is mounted on the moving end of the Z-axis displacement mechanism, and the laser 241 is mounted on the rotating shaft 24. Each axis lead screw is driven by a dedicated lead screw motor, and the rotating shaft 24 is driven by a rotary motor with its axis parallel to the X-axis.

[0059] 1. Y-axis displacement mechanism

[0060] The Y-axis displacement mechanism 22 includes two Y-axis displacement screws 221 that are symmetrically and rotatably mounted on the frame 50, with the axis being the front-to-back direction of the frame 50. The two Y-axis displacement screws 221 are mounted together on the Y-axis displacement base 222, which is threadedly connected to the Y-axis displacement screws 221 to realize reciprocating linear movement along the Y-axis.

[0061] 2. X-axis displacement mechanism

[0062] The X-axis displacement mechanism 21 includes an X-axis displacement screw 211 fixed to the Y-axis displacement base 222, and two X-axis displacement guide rods 212 symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the screw; the X-axis displacement base 213 is threadedly connected to the X-axis displacement screw 211 and slides with the guide rods to realize reciprocating linear movement along the X-axis.

[0063] 3. Z-axis displacement mechanism

[0064] The Z-axis displacement mechanism 23 includes a Z-axis displacement screw 231 fixed to the X-axis displacement base 213, and two Z-axis displacement guide rods 232 symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the screw; the bracket 233 is threadedly connected to the Z-axis displacement screw 231 and slides with the two Z-axis displacement guide rods 232 to realize reciprocating linear movement along the Z-axis.

[0065] 4. Laser rotation adjustment

[0066] The rotating shaft 24 is installed at the lower end of the bracket 233 and can drive the laser 241 to rotate 360°. The emission direction of the laser 241 is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 24. The laser emission angle can be arbitrarily adjusted by rotating the rotating shaft 24.

[0067] Through the coordinated motion of the Y, X, and Z axis displacement mechanisms, combined with the rotation of the rotating shaft 24, the position and emission angle of the laser 241 in three-dimensional space can be precisely adjusted.

[0068] (III) Laser processing parameter setting

[0069] In this embodiment, laser 241 employs a 532nm wavelength nanosecond pulsed laser. Utilizing its short pulse and high energy characteristics, the laser energy is preferentially absorbed by the electrode material and PVDF binder (melting point 160°C~175°C), causing rapid vaporization and failure, and disrupting the bond between the electrode material and the current collector. Simultaneously, excessive laser energy is prevented from being conducted to the current collector, ensuring that the metal current collector does not melt or deform. Different processing parameters are set for the positive and negative electrode sheets of the battery; specific parameters are shown in the table below. Table 1 Processing Parameters

[0070] III. Sorting and Recycling Mechanism

[0071] The sorting and recycling mechanism 30 is located inside the lower and rear sides of the frame 50. It includes a conveyor belt 31, a guide chute 32, a current collector recycling box 33, and an electrode material recycling box 34. The core function is to achieve non-contact and precise sorting and separate recycling of the electrode material and current collector after laser separation, avoiding mixing of the two products and improving the purity and subsequent reuse value of the recycled products.

[0072] Its working principle is as follows: 1. Electrode material recycling The conveyor belt 31 is laid directly below the laser processing area. Electrode materials that fall off the current collector after laser processing fall onto the conveyor belt 31 under their own gravity and the micro-impact of the laser. As the conveyor belt continues to run, it is transported to the discharge port below the rear end of the frame 50 and collected in the electrode material recycling box 34 through the discharge port.

[0073] 2. Current collector recycling

[0074] After being separated from the electrode material, the current collector is discharged from the rear end of the frame 50 under the traction of the pressure roller feeding assembly 12 on the right side of the frame 50. Guided by the guide trough 32, it slides precisely into the current collector recovery box 33 for collection.

[0075] IV. Laser Separation Method for Battery Electrodes

[0076] This invention employs a segmented synchronous laser processing method, dividing the continuously conveyed battery electrode sheet 40 into several processing segments according to a preset length. Each processing segment is then sequentially laser-cut to achieve separation of the electrode material and the current collector. The following detailed explanation of the processing steps uses the cutting of the electrode material on one side of the battery electrode sheet as an example. The electrode material on the other side is cut using the same method. After completion, the next processing segment is processed, achieving continuous and efficient separation.

[0077] Step 1: Initial cut along the length to form a longitudinal cut surface.

[0078] The multi-axis laser control mechanism 20 adjusts the positions of the X, Y, and Z axis displacement mechanisms so that the laser 241 is at the starting position of the section to be processed and directly above the battery electrode 40. The rotating shaft 24 rotates so that the laser emission direction is vertically downward, directly facing the contact surface between the current collector and the electrode material; the laser 241 emits a laser beam and cuts to a preset depth, while the X-axis displacement screw 211 rotates, driving the laser 241 to move at a constant speed along the length direction (X-axis) of the battery electrode 40 to the end of the processing section, forming a longitudinal cutting surface along the length direction of the electrode.

[0079] Step 2: Cut along the width direction to form a transverse cut surface.

[0080] The Y-axis displacement screw 221 and Z-axis displacement screw 231 rotate synchronously, driving the X-axis displacement mechanism 21 and the bracket 233 to move, so that the laser 241 is located above the side of the electrode sheet on the current processing side; the rotating shaft 24 rotates so that the laser emission direction is perpendicular to the surface of the battery electrode sheet 40; the laser 241 is adjusted to the preset power and emits a laser beam, and the cutting depth is controlled to the thickness of a single layer of electrode material to ensure that the laser only acts on the electrode material layer; when the laser cuts to the current collector layer, the Z-axis displacement screw 231 continues to rotate, driving the laser 241 to move downward along the Z-axis, and the moving distance matches the width of the battery electrode sheet 40, forming a transverse cutting surface along the width direction of the electrode sheet.

[0081] Step 3: Cut in reverse length to form the third segment of the closed cutting trajectory.

[0082] The Z-axis displacement screw 231 continues to rotate, and the rotating shaft 24 rotates synchronously, causing the laser 241 to move downward along the Z-axis while the laser emission direction is adjusted to vertically upward. The laser 241 adapts and adjusts the laser intensity to ensure that the laser accurately acts on the interface between the current collector and the electrode material. The laser 241 emits a laser beam and cuts into the preset depth. The sum of the preset depth and the preset depth in the first step is the width of the battery electrode 40. At the same time, the Y-axis displacement screw 221 rotates in the opposite direction, driving the laser 241 to move at a constant speed from the end of the processing section along the opposite direction of the length of the battery electrode 40 (negative X-axis direction) to the beginning position of the processing section, forming the third segment trajectory of the closed cutting surface.

[0083] Step 4: Reverse width cutting to complete the cutting of the single-sided electrode material.

[0084] The Z-axis displacement screw 231 rotates in the opposite direction, and the rotating shaft 24 rotates synchronously in the opposite direction, so that the laser 241 is displaced upward along the Z-axis while the laser emission direction returns to a state perpendicular to the surface of the battery electrode 40. The laser 241 cuts from bottom to top along the width direction of the battery electrode 40, and the laser intensity is adjusted to ensure that it only acts on the electrode material layer. When the laser cuts to the current collector layer, the Z-axis displacement screw 231 continues to rotate in the opposite direction, driving the laser 241 to move upward along the Z-axis. The moving distance matches the width of the battery electrode 40, forming a tailing transverse cutting surface along the width direction of the electrode, thus completing the cutting of the electrode material on one side of this processing section.

[0085] After completing the above four steps, the electrode material on one side of the target processing section is completely separated from the current collector and the surrounding electrode material to be processed. The electrode material falls onto the conveyor belt 31 below under its own gravity and the action of laser micro-impact, and enters the sorting and recycling process.

[0086] Due to the limited space inside the frame 50 and the structural space occupied by the pressure roller feeding assembly 12, it is difficult to laser cut the front and rear sections of the battery electrode sheet 40. This part of the area can be processed by subsequent auxiliary processes, and this embodiment does not make further limitations.

[0087] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A battery electrode laser separation device, characterized in that, include: The tensioning and unfolding mechanism (10) includes two sets of pressure roller feeding assemblies (12) arranged at the feed end and discharge end of the frame (50). Each set of pressure roller feeding assemblies (12) includes two parallel and synchronously rotating pressure rollers (121). A pressure roller clamping cavity is formed between the two pressure rollers (121) to clamp and transport the battery electrode sheet (40). The unwound battery electrode sheet (40) is simultaneously clamped in the two pressure roller clamping cavities and kept in a tensioned state in the laser processing area. The multi-axis laser control mechanism (20) has a laser (241) mounted on its moving end. The laser emitted by the laser (241) acts on the bonding interface between the electrode material and the current collector in the battery electrode (40) to drive the laser (241) to peel the electrode material off the battery electrode (40) in three-dimensional space along a predetermined route.

2. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two pressure rollers (121) in the same group are respectively provided with two matching annular bosses (121a) and two annular grooves (121b). The annular bosses (121a) are embedded in the annular grooves (121b) and together they enclose the pressure roller clamping cavity.

3. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two annular bosses (121a) are coaxially arranged on the corresponding pressure roller (121), and the distance between the two annular bosses (121a) matches the width of the battery electrode (40). Two annular grooves (121b) are coaxially opened on another pressure roller (121), and the width of the annular bosses (121a) and the annular grooves (121b) are the same. The radial thickness of the annular bosses (121a) is greater than the radial depth of the annular grooves (121b), so that the pressure roller clamping cavity has a square structure.

4. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tensioning and unfolding mechanism (10) also includes an unwinding and feeding assembly (11) located at the feed end of the frame (50). The unwinding and feeding assembly (11) includes a cell loading platform (112) vertically rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the unwinding platform (111). A cell insert (1121) for concentrically inserting the cell roll is vertically mounted on the cell loading platform (112). A mechanical gripper (113) that can clamp the top of the cell insert (1121) is suspended above the cell insert (1121), and an unwinding motor (114) that drives the mechanical gripper (113) to rotate, thereby realizing the unwinding and feeding of the cell roll.

5. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tensioning and unfolding mechanism (10) also includes two sets of clamping plate feeding assemblies (13) symmetrically arranged on the front and rear crossbeams of the frame (50) and moving synchronously. Both sets of clamping plate feeding assemblies (13) include a bearing slide (134) that can reciprocate linearly on the frame (50) along the conveying direction of the battery electrode (40). The bearing slide (134) is equipped with a telescopic rod (135) that can extend vertically toward the conveyed battery electrode (40). The telescopic ends of the two telescopic rods (135) are respectively equipped with a U-shaped clamping plate (136a) and a pressure plate (136b). The pressure plate (136b) can be moved into the U-shaped groove of the U-shaped clamping plate (136a) to form a clamping cavity or a guide cavity. The battery electrode (40) is clamped in the clamping cavity or slides through the guide cavity to achieve secondary positioning and traction guidance of the battery electrode (40).

6. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rotational unwinding linear speed of the cell coil, the rotational linear speed of the pressure roller (121), and the linear movement speed of the support slide (134) are matched to keep the battery electrode (40) taut during conveying and laser processing.

7. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-axis laser control mechanism (20) has three linear displacement degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom, which can drive the laser (241) to be adjusted to any position in three-dimensional space. The laser (241) can rotate 360° around an axis parallel to the length direction of the battery electrode (40) to realize the adjustment of the laser emission angle.

8. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser (241) is a 532nm wavelength nanosecond pulse laser (241), with a laser pulse width of 10~100ns and a pulse frequency of 60~120kHz; when processing the positive electrode of the battery, the output power of the laser (241) is 15~22W and the spot diameter is 8~12μm; when processing the negative electrode of the battery, the output power of the laser (241) is 25~35W and the spot diameter is 10~15μm.

9. The battery electrode laser separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sorting and recycling mechanism (30), which includes a conveyor belt (31) laid directly below the laser processing area, a guide trough (32) located at the discharge end of the frame (50), an electrode material recycling box (34), and a current collector recycling box (33). The discharge end of the conveyor belt (31) corresponds to the electrode material recycling box (34) and is used to collect the electrode material stripped by the laser. The inlet end of the guide trough (32) corresponds to the pressure roller feeding assembly (12) at the discharge end of the frame (50), and the discharge end corresponds to the current collector recycling box (33) and is used to collect the current collector after it is separated from the electrode material.

10. A method for laser separation of battery electrodes, characterized in that, The battery electrode laser separation device according to any one of claims 1-9 includes the following processing steps: The cell roll is concentrically mounted on the cell insert (1121). The mechanical gripper (113) is driven to rotate by the unwinding motor (114), which in turn drives the cell insert (1121) and the cell roll to rotate synchronously, thereby unwinding the cell roll. The free end of the unwound battery electrode (40) is sequentially inserted into the feed end pressure roller clamping cavity of the frame (50), the guide cavity / clamping cavity of the clamping plate feeding assembly (13), and the discharge end pressure roller clamping cavity of the frame (50), so that the battery electrode (40) is clamped in the two sets of pressure roller clamping cavities at the same time. By matching the unwinding linear speed of the cell roll, the rotational linear speed of the pressure roller (121), and the linear movement speed of the bearing slide (134), the battery electrode (40) is kept in a taut state in the laser processing area. The multi-axis laser control mechanism (20) drives the laser (241) to be adjusted to a predetermined position in three-dimensional space, and adjusts the laser (241) to rotate around an axis parallel to the length direction of the battery electrode (40) to a preset emission angle. The output power and spot diameter of the laser (241) are adapted to whether the battery electrode (40) is a positive or negative electrode. The laser (241) is controlled to move on the battery electrode (40) with a nanosecond pulse laser with a wavelength of 532nm along a predetermined route to precisely peel the electrode material from the current collector. The electrode material stripped by laser falls onto the conveyor belt (31) directly below the laser processing area under the action of gravity and laser impact. It is then transported by the conveyor belt (31) to the electrode material recycling box (34) for collection. The current collector separated from the electrode material is discharged from the discharge end of the frame (50) by the conveyor of the pressure roller feeding assembly (12), and is guided by the guide chute (32) to slide down to the current collector recycling box (33) for collection. Thus, the laser processing of the battery electrode (40) is completed.

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