A welding apparatus and system thereof

Abstract

This application relates to the field of battery pack manufacturing technology and discloses a welding device and system thereof, including a welding mechanism. The welding mechanism includes a welding component and a lifting component. The welding component includes a welding part and a pressure sensing part, which are connected to the pressure sensing part. The welding part includes a dust extraction section for adsorbing welding slag between the welding part and the busbar. The lifting component is driven by the pressure sensing part to drive the lifting movement of the welding component. This application, through the combined design of the dust extraction section and the pressure sensing part, achieves the removal of welding slag and the pressing of the busbar during welding, effectively reducing the occurrence of fires caused by short circuits or overheating due to incomplete welding or welding slag. This effectively improves welding quality, ensures the long-term safe operation of the battery pack, and maintains a reasonable cost for the entire system. This problem can be solved during the battery pack production process, eliminating the need for cumbersome post-production testing and effectively improving battery pack production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of battery pack manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a welding device and system. Background Technology

[0002] In battery pack production, 1060AL aluminum alloy laser welding is the core process for connecting the busbar to the battery terminals and tabs, which directly determines the conductivity and safety reliability of the PACK.

[0003] However, this process has two major drawbacks: First, 1060AL has a low melting point and high thermal conductivity, which can easily cause vaporization and oxidation of the molten pool during high-energy laser welding, producing tiny weld slags. These slags are easily left in the gaps between components or on the surface of the insulation layer, and are difficult to effectively identify with conventional AOI inspection. Such residual weld slags have caused a certain percentage of battery pack fires, the root cause of which is the hidden short circuits they caused. Second, the busbar clamping relies on pneumatic pressure heads or manual operation. Affected by fluctuations in air source pressure and differences in operator experience, the clamping force accuracy is difficult to guarantee. Excessive gaps between components can easily lead to incomplete welds. The contact resistance of incomplete welds is much higher than that of normal joints, which can create a vicious cycle of heat generation and oxidation, ultimately leading to joint ablation and short circuit risks. Current methods for handling welding slag mostly involve post-treatment cleaning or side-suction dust extraction. However, post-treatment cleaning is cumbersome and time-consuming, and side-suction dust extraction has limited effectiveness in capturing welding slag near the molten pool. Tightening control can only be adjusted through offline calibration, which cannot address abnormal tightening force caused by pressure head wear and air source fluctuations during production, making it difficult to ensure welding quality and long-term safe operation of the battery pack. While X-ray inspection can identify hidden defects, this equipment is expensive and slow, making it difficult to adapt to the production pace of battery pack mass production lines. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this application provides a welding apparatus and system. Through the combined design of a dust extraction unit and a pressure sensing component, it can remove welding slag and press the manifold during welding, effectively reducing the occurrence of fires caused by short circuits and overheating due to incomplete welding or welding slag. This effectively improves welding quality, ensures the long-term safe operation of the battery pack, and ensures that the cost of the entire set of equipment is relatively reasonable. This problem can be solved in the battery pack production process, eliminating the need for cumbersome testing processes in the later stages, and effectively improving the production efficiency of the battery pack.

[0005] The technical effects to be achieved in this application are realized through the following aspects: In a first aspect, this application provides a welding apparatus, including a welding mechanism, the welding mechanism comprising: A welding assembly includes a welding component and a pressure sensing component, the welding component being connected to the pressure sensing component, the pressure sensing component being used to sense the clamping force between the welding component and the manifold; the welding component includes a dust extraction section for adsorbing welding slag between the welding component and the manifold; and The lifting assembly is driven and connected to the pressure sensing component to drive the lifting movement of the welding assembly.

[0006] In some implementations, the welding component further includes a copper nozzle and a nitrogen inlet, with the dust extraction unit connected to one side of the copper nozzle and communicating with it; the nitrogen inlet is connected to the other side of the copper nozzle and communicating with it. The height of the point where the nitrogen inlet connects with the copper nozzle is lower than the height of the point where the dust suction part connects with the copper nozzle.

[0007] In some implementations, the pressure sensing component includes a force-receiving part, a force-receiving spring, and a pressure sensor. The force-receiving part is connected to the welded component, and the force-receiving spring is connected between the force-receiving part and the pressure sensor.

[0008] In some implementations, the pressure sensing component further includes a guide rail and a guide slider, the guide slider being slidably connected to the guide rail, the guide slider being fixedly connected to the force-receiving part, and the guide rail being fixedly connected to the pressure sensing part.

[0009] In some implementations, the welding component further includes a protective cap attached to the top of the copper nozzle.

[0010] In some implementations, the welding component further includes an insulating connector connected between the copper nozzle and the pressure sensing component.

[0011] In some implementations, the lifting assembly includes a lifting cylinder, which is drivenly connected to the pressure sensing component.

[0012] In some implementations, the lifting assembly further includes a guide component, which includes a guide rail and a guide block, the guide rail and the guide block being movably connected, and the guide block being connected to the pressure sensing component.

[0013] In some implementations, the welding device further includes a mounting plate, and two welding mechanisms are arranged side by side, both of which are connected to the mounting plate.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a welding system, including the welding apparatus as described above, wherein two sets of the welding apparatus are provided and the two sets of the welding apparatus are symmetrically arranged.

[0015] In summary, this application has at least the following advantages: The welding device provided in this application removes welding slag during the welding process through a dust extraction unit, effectively avoiding welding slag residue. It uses a pressure sensing component to monitor the clamping status of the busbar during the welding process, ensuring sufficient clamping force and avoiding incomplete welding. This effectively reduces short circuits and overheating caused by incomplete welding or welding slag, effectively improving welding quality and ensuring the long-term safe operation of the battery pack. It also ensures that the cost of the entire set of equipment is reasonable. It can reduce the presence of welding slag and incomplete welding problems during the battery pack production process, eliminating the need for cumbersome testing processes in the later stages, and effectively improving the production efficiency of the battery pack. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the welding mechanism in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the welding mechanism in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the welding device in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the welding system in Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the solder joints in Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0021] Marked in the image: 100. Welding mechanism; 1. Welding assembly; 11. Welding component; 111. Dust extraction unit; 112. Copper nozzle; 113. Nitrogen inlet component; 114. Protective cover; 115. Insulating connector; 12. Pressure sensing component; 121. Force-bearing part; 122. Force-bearing spring; 123. Pressure sensor; 1231. Guide rail; 1232. Guide slider; 2. Lifting assembly; 21. Lifting cylinder; 22. Guide component; 221. Guide rail; 222. Guide block; 3. Mounting plate; 200. Welding device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments.

[0023] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] Example 1: Please see the appendix Figure 1 This application discloses a welding apparatus, including a welding mechanism 100, which comprises a welding assembly 1 and a lifting assembly 2. The welding assembly 1 includes a welding component 11 and a pressure sensing component 12, connected to each other. The pressure sensing component 12 senses the clamping force between the welding component 11 and the manifold. The welding component 11 includes a dust extraction section 111 for adsorbing welding slag between the welding component 11 and the manifold. The lifting assembly 2 is driven by the pressure sensing component 12, driving the lifting movement of the welding assembly 1.

[0025] In this embodiment, the welding device 200 first presses the welding component 11 against the busbar during the welding process using the lifting assembly 2. The pressure sensing component 12 monitors whether the welding component 11 is pressing against the busbar. After ensuring the busbar is pressed firmly, the welding operation begins. During the process, the dust extraction unit 111 removes the welding slag generated during welding, thereby significantly reducing welding slag and incomplete welds, ensuring overall welding quality. The dust extraction unit 111 remains active throughout the welding process. The drive component of the dust extraction unit 111 can be a Huile JFCB-7.5-T, achieving a negative pressure value of 20000Pa, effectively removing welding slag. The pressure sensing component 12 can perform analog-to-digital conversion with the PLC, converting the sensed analog signal into a digital force display. This allows for accurate signal interaction. A pressure value greater than a certain value indicates that the copper nozzle 112 has pressed against the busbar; a pressure value less than a certain value indicates that the busbar is in position, without any obstruction of the bracket or other foreign objects causing incomplete welds.

[0026] Through the above technical solution, the pressure sensing component 12 monitors the pressing status of the welding component 11 against the busbar in real time, ensuring that the lifting assembly 2 moves to a sufficient position, so that the welding component 11 provides sufficient pressure to the busbar, greatly reducing the occurrence of incomplete welding. Furthermore, the dust extraction unit 111 remains open throughout the welding process, effectively removing welding slag, thereby reducing the possibility of fires caused by short circuits or overheating due to incomplete welding or welding slag, effectively improving welding quality, and ensuring the long-term safe operation of the battery pack.

[0027] In addition, the overall design of this structure is cost-effective and can greatly reduce the presence of welding slag and incomplete welding during the battery pack production process, eliminating the need for cumbersome testing processes in the later stages and effectively improving the production efficiency of the battery pack.

[0028] In some embodiments, the welding component 11 further includes a copper nozzle 112 and a nitrogen inlet 113. The dust suction part 111 is connected to one side of the copper nozzle 112 and communicates with the copper nozzle 112; the nitrogen inlet 113 is connected to the other side of the copper nozzle 112 and communicates with the copper nozzle 112; wherein, the height of the connection point between the nitrogen inlet 113 and the copper nozzle 112 is lower than the height of the connection point between the dust suction part 111 and the copper nozzle 112.

[0029] Specifically, the nitrogen inlet 113 provides the necessary environment for the entire welding process, ensuring the stability of the welding environment and thus guaranteeing welding quality. Furthermore, the height of the connection point between the nitrogen inlet 113 and the copper nozzle 112 is lower than the height of the connection point between the dust extraction section 111 and the copper nozzle 112, effectively preventing most of the nitrogen from being drawn away by the dust extraction section 111, ensuring sufficient nitrogen, and improving the stability and smoothness of the welding operation. Moreover, by setting the dust extraction section 111 to communicate with the copper nozzle 112, the distance between the dust extraction section 111 and the welding position can be shortened, effectively improving the ability to remove welding slag and achieving thorough slag removal.

[0030] In some embodiments, please refer to the appendix Figure 2 The pressure sensing component 12 includes a force-receiving part 121, a force-receiving spring 122, and a pressure sensor 123. The force-receiving part 121 is connected to the welding component 11, and the force-receiving spring 122 is connected between the force-receiving part 121 and the pressure sensor 123. This arrangement uses the force-receiving spring 122 to buffer the copper nozzle 112, thereby achieving the function of pressing the busbar. Furthermore, the pressure sensor 123 is positioned at the upper end of the force-receiving spring 122, and the pressure sensor performs analog-to-digital conversion with the PLC, converting the sensed analog signal into a digital force display. This ensures accurate signal interaction, guarantees sufficient force on the busbar, significantly reduces the phenomenon of cold solder joints, and thus ensures welding quality and improves the battery pack production yield.

[0031] In some embodiments, the pressure sensing component 12 further includes a guide rail 1231 and a guide slider 1232. The guide slider 1232 is slidably connected to the guide rail 1231, and the guide slider 1232 is fixedly connected to the force-receiving part 121. The guide rail 1231 is fixedly connected to the pressure sensing part. Specifically, when the lifting assembly 2 drives the copper nozzle 112 to press down on the busbar, when the pressure is reached, the force spring 122 is compressed, causing the force-receiving part 121 to move upward along the guide rail 1231 and be reflected on the pressure sensor 123 until the set pressure value is reached, at which point the lifting assembly 2 stops descending. By setting the guide rail 1231 and the guide slider 1232, the upward movement direction of the force-receiving part 121 is effectively prevented from deviating, ensuring the perpendicularity of the compression direction of the force spring 122, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the pressure measured by the pressure sensing part.

[0032] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 The welding component 11 also includes a protective cover 114, which is connected to the top of the copper nozzle 112. With this configuration, the protective cover 114 can effectively prevent welding slag from flying out without blocking the laser, thereby ensuring that the dust collection unit 111 can completely remove the welding slag, ensuring the completeness of welding slag removal, and thus improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0033] In some embodiments, the welding component 11 further includes an insulating connector 115, which connects the copper nozzle 112 and the pressure sensing component 12. Preferably, the insulating connector 115 can be a fiberglass insulating connector 115. This arrangement ensures the insulation of the copper nozzle 112, prevents short circuits caused by forming a loop with other conductors, and effectively improves the safety of the welding component 11.

[0034] Example 2: The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that, please refer to... Figure 3 In this embodiment, the lifting assembly 2 includes a lifting cylinder 21, which is drivenly connected to the pressure sensing component 12. With this configuration, the lifting cylinder 21 drives the copper nozzle 112 to move up and down, and the lowering position can be individually adjusted according to the specific pressure to ensure sufficient pressure is provided to the manifold.

[0035] In some embodiments, the lifting assembly 2 further includes a guide component 22, which includes a guide rail 221 and a guide block 222. The guide rail 221 and the guide block 222 are movably connected, and the guide block 222 is connected to the pressure sensing component 12. This configuration ensures the accuracy of the lifting direction of the welding assembly 1, avoids lifting skew, ensures precise compaction of the busbar, and improves welding accuracy.

[0036] In some embodiments, the welding apparatus 200 further includes a mounting plate 3, and two welding mechanisms 100 are arranged side by side, both connected to the mounting plate 3. Specifically, during continuous welding, the copper nozzle 112 needs to move and change positions. By designing two welding structures, the cycle time can be avoided. Two pairs of copper nozzles 112 can move independently and alternately press, effectively improving welding efficiency.

[0037] Example 3: This embodiment is based on the above embodiment; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4-5 A welding system is provided, including the welding device 200 as described above. Two sets of welding devices 200 are provided and are arranged symmetrically.

[0038] In this embodiment, the welding system has two welding devices 200, each with four copper nozzles 112, which can be labeled as welding mechanism 100 #1, welding mechanism 100 #2, welding mechanism 100 #3, and welding mechanism 100 #4. Welding mechanism 100 and welding mechanism 200 constitute one welding device 200, while welding mechanism 300 and welding mechanism 400 constitute the other welding device 200. The two devices operate independently without interference. The specific welding process is as follows: Step one: First, the module motor in the welding system drives welding mechanisms 1#, 2#, 3#, and 4# to the predetermined position directly above the welding point.

[0039] Step two, the lifting component 2 in the four welding mechanisms 100 presses down, causing the copper nozzle 112 to press against the manifold, and at the same time the dust extraction unit 111 starts to extract dust, and nitrogen gas is blown into the welding area through the nitrogen gas inlet 113.

[0040] Step three: The pressure is displayed in real time by the instrument and simultaneously acquired in real time by the PLC. Based on the set value of 8±3KG, the equipment proceeds to the next step of the brightening and welding process if the pressure is within the set range. If the pressure value is less than or greater than the set value, the equipment alarms and stops, prompting technicians to check. The set value is determined based on the different busbar thickness requirements; 8KG is the pressure set value for a 1.2mm thick busbar.

[0041] Step four: Following step three, weld welding of welding mechanism 100 and welding mechanism 100 in sequence. After completion, the copper nozzles 112 of welding mechanism 100 and welding mechanism 100 are reset by lifting assembly 2. The module motor drives welding mechanism 100 and welding mechanism 100 to welding positions 5 and 6, and then repeats step three.

[0042] Step 5: During the gap time when welding mechanisms 1# and 2# move in step 4, welding mechanisms 3# and 4# weld in sequence. After completion, the copper nozzles 112 of welding mechanisms 3# and 4# are reset by lifting assembly 2. The module motor drives welding mechanisms 3# and 4# to welding positions 7# and 8#, and then the third step is repeated.

[0043] Step six: During the interval between the actions of welding mechanisms 100 #3 and 100 #4 in step five, welding positions #5 and #6 are welded in sequence, and so on, to complete the welding of all 32 points.

[0044] Once the dust extraction unit 111 starts, the entire welding process must be completed before stopping. If any abnormality occurs during the process, the spot welding equipment must sound an alarm and stop, and technicians must be notified for handling. Welding cannot proceed if the dust extraction unit 111 is not working.

[0045] The pressure sensor has a range of 0-200KG, and the spring can be replaced with a larger or smaller one depending on the pressure requirements.

[0046] Through the above technical solution, the welding system adopts 4 sets of welding mechanisms 100. According to the above welding process, multiple welding points can be welded at the same time, which enhances the cycle time of welding operations and effectively improves welding efficiency.

[0047] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this application is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0049] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0050] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above or below" a first feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on" a first feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" a first feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0051] Although the description of this application has been made in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that many substitutions, modifications, and variations can be made based on the above description. Therefore, all such substitutions, modifications, and variations are included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A welding device, characterized in that, Includes a welding mechanism (100), said welding mechanism (100) comprising: A welding assembly (1) includes a welding component (11) and a pressure sensing component (12), wherein the welding component (11) is connected to the pressure sensing component (12), and the pressure sensing component (12) is used to sense the clamping force between the welding component (11) and the busbar; the welding component (11) includes a dust suction section (111), which is used to adsorb welding slag between the welding component (11) and the busbar; and The lifting assembly (2) is driven and connected to the pressure sensing component (12) to drive the lifting and lowering movement of the welding assembly (1).

2. The welding device of claim 1, wherein, The welding component (11) also includes a copper nozzle (112) and a nitrogen inlet (113). The dust suction part (111) is connected to one side of the copper nozzle (112) and communicates with the copper nozzle (112); the nitrogen inlet (113) is connected to the other side of the copper nozzle (112) and communicates with the copper nozzle (112). The height of the point where the nitrogen inlet (113) communicates with the copper nozzle (112) is lower than the height of the point where the dust suction part (111) communicates with the copper nozzle (112).

3. The welding device of claim 1, wherein, The pressure sensing component (12) includes a force-receiving part (121), a force-receiving spring (122) and a pressure sensor (123). The force-receiving part (121) is connected to the welding component (11), and the force-receiving spring (122) is connected between the force-receiving part (121) and the pressure sensor (123).

4. The welding device of claim 3, wherein, The pressure sensing component (12) further includes a guide rail (1231) and a guide slider (1232). The guide slider (1232) is slidably connected to the guide rail (1231), the guide slider (1232) is fixedly connected to the force receiving part (121), and the guide rail (1231) is fixedly connected to the pressure sensing part.

5. The welding device of claim 2, wherein, The welding component (11) also includes a protective cover (114) which is attached to the top of the copper nozzle (112).

6. The welding device of claim 2, wherein, The welding component (11) further includes an insulating connector (115) connected between the copper nozzle (112) and the pressure sensing component (12).

7. The welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (2) includes a lifting cylinder (21), which is drivenly connected to the pressure sensing component (12).

8. The welding apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (2) further includes a guide component (22), which includes a guide rail (221) and a guide block (222). The guide rail (221) and the guide block (222) are movably connected, and the guide block (222) is connected to the pressure sensing component (12).

9. The welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding device also includes a mounting plate (3), and two welding mechanisms (100) are arranged side by side and are connected to the mounting plate (3).

10. A welding system, characterized in that, The welding apparatus includes any one of claims 1-9, wherein two sets of the welding apparatus are provided and the two sets of the welding apparatus are arranged symmetrically.

Images