Process arrangement for the production of an electrode / separator stack for a battery cell

Abstract

The invention relates to a process arrangement for the continuous production of an electrode / separator stack (1) for a battery cell, comprising a production line along which layer composites (3, 3'), each of which is composed of at least one separator sheet (S) and of electrode sheets, i.e., at least one anode sheet (A) and at least one cathode sheet (K), can be conveyed by means of gripper units (4) to a stacking station (7) and stacked there to form the electrode / separator stack (1). A sorting station (19) is assigned to the production line, in which a layer composite (3') with at least one defective electrode sheet (A, K) can be sorted out. According to the invention, the defective layer composite (3') can be separated or disassembled into its components, i.e., separator and electrode sheets, in the sorting station (19).The defective electrode sheet can be fed to a material waste container (A-, K-), while in particular the remaining, defect-free separator and electrode sheets can each be fed into corresponding receiving containers (23, K+, A+) and can be used in particular to form new layer composites (3).

Description

The invention relates to a process arrangement for the continuous production of an electrode / separator stack for a battery cell according to the preamble of claim 1.The fabrication of an electrode / separator stack can be performed using various processes: the lamination process is a common process in which the cathode is laminated with a separator. Similarly, the anode is also laminated with a separator. The lamination of cathode and anode is referred to as a monocell. Here, it is important to position the separator exactly over the anode and cathode. A mono-cell of anode and separator is alternatively stacked with a mono-cell of separator and cathode.In an alternative method, the separator is trimmed and then collected in the magazine. Similarly, the cathode and anode are collected in a separate hopper. The individual segments are removed one after the other from the magazine (anode, separator, cathode and separator) and deposited on the rotary table. Each coil is accurately positioned with a camera. This stacking process is also referred to as a pick-and-drop stacking method. Currently, the positioning and placement of a single coil takes at least 1 second. This means that a stack of 4 coils takes 4 seconds. A cell with 30 stacks takes about 120 seconds. This is too slow for mass production of cells.Another method is Z stacking. Here, the anode and cathode are trimmed to the final dimension. The separator is in the form of a coil and performs a Z-shaped movement. It is important to position the cathode and anode over the Z-shaped separator. The stacking process is fast, but more separator is needed for the bend, which increases cost and weight. The bending stress in the separator is non-uniform.Alternatively, a winding method may be employed. Here, no trimmed segments as in the stacking process are used, but cathode, anode and separator coils are wound together. This process is faster than stacking, but has a high scrap. The damage to the electrodes cannot be sorted out from the end. This means that the entire winding must be scrapped, even if only one electrode is damaged. This can lead to a high waste in the winding process.The disadvantages of the above-indicated methods are the high costs for laminating separators. In addition, a high requirement is to be met for the accuracy in the positioning of separator and electrode with respect to one another, as a result of which the speed during stacking is reduced. The Z-stack creates an uneven bending stress of the separator. The winding process is associated with a high reject rate, since in the event of a fault in the electrode the entire winding is unusable. The winding process also leads to an uneven stress on the radius, since the cell is heated during normal operation or during aging at high temperatures.In contrast, in the present invention, the production of the electrode / separator stack takes place in a continuous stacking process, as is known from DE 10 2021 209 224 A1, to which express reference is made in connection with the present invention. In such a continuous production of the electrode / separator stack, firstly layer composites are provided. In each of the bearing composites, at least one separator sheet, an anode sheet and a cathode sheet are loosely laid one above the other. The layer composites are conveyed continuously along a production line by gripper units to a stacking station and are stacked there to form the electrode / separator stack.A process arrangement of the generic type is known from DE 10 2017 215 905 A1. In DE 10 2021 209 224 A1, there is a problem in that a defective electrode sheet cannot be easily removed from the layer composite which consists of a total of four separator and electrode sheets, namely separator, anode, separator and cathode. Rather, in DE 10 2021 209 224 A1, the entire separator / electrode stack with the defective electrode located therein must be supplied with a scrap material. The above problem does not occur in the pick-and-drop method or in Z-fold stacks. Here, the defective electrode may be removed before it comes into the stack. However, these two stacking methods are much slower than the continuous stacking method of the present invention.From US 2020 / 0373606 A1 an apparatus for manufacturing a laminated electrode body is known, comprising: a laminating unit having a rotatable cross arm; a first transport head and a third transport head at a first distance from a rotation center of the cross arm; a second transport head and a fourth transport head at a second distance shorter than the first distance from the rotation center; a positive electrode feed table having a first positive electrode mounting table at the first distance and a second positive electrode mounting table at the second distance from the rotation center; and a negative electrode feed stage having a first negative electrode mounting table at the first distance and a second negative electrode mounting table at the second distance from the rotation center.From US 2023 / 0184690 A1 a system for detecting a defect of an electrode tab is known, which is capable of easily detecting whether an electrode tab is folded during the manufacturing process of a secondary battery. Also disclosed is a method of detecting a defect of an electrode tab using the same. The system includes a gripper configured to grasp a unit cell with an electrode and to transport the unit cell into a magazine, and a visual inspection system for detecting an electrode tab.The object of the invention is to provide a process arrangement in which a defective layer composite can be easily removed from the production line in terms of process technology before the defective layer composite reaches the stacking station.The object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.The invention relates to a process arrangement for the continuous production of an electrode / separator stack for a battery cell. The process arrangement has a production line along which layer composites can be conveyed to a stacking station by means of gripper units. Each of the layer composites has at least one separator sheet and electrode sheets, that is to say at least one anode sheet and at least one cathode sheet. The layer composites are stacked in the stacking station to form the electrode / separator stack. The production line is assigned a sorting station, which is upstream of the stacking station in terms of process technology. In the sorting station, a layer composite conveyed by means of a gripper unit, in which at least one defective electrode sheet is located, is sorted out of the production line. According to the invention, the sorting process in the sorting station is carried out as follows: Thus, the sorted-out layer composite is broken down or dissolved into its constituents, that is to say separator and electrode sheets. The damaged electrode sheet is supplied to a material reject container. The remaining, defect-free separator and electrode sheets are each guided into corresponding receiving containers and are intermediately stored therein. The defect-free separator and electrode sheets are not supplied to the scrap material, but rather can be used to form new layer composites.Each of the layer composites has at least one separator sheet, an anode sheet and a cathode sheet, which are laid loosely one above the other. From the layer composite, an anode-side arrester tab and a cathode-side arrester tab project in mutually opposite directions. Specifically, this structure is used in the configuration of the gripper units as follows: Thus, each of the gripper units is divided into diverter flag grippers, i.e. a cathode-side diverter flag gripper and an anode-side diverter flag gripper, and into at least one layer composite gripper. All grippers are separately adjustable between a release position and a clamping position. In the release position, the separator and / or electrode sheets of the defective layer composite can be released from the gripper unit. In the clamping position, on the other hand, the separator and / or electrode sheets are clamped in the gripper unit.The anode-side diverter tab gripper has clamping jaws, between which the anode-side diverter tab can be clamped. In the same way, the cathode-side diverter tab gripper can have clamping jaws between which the cathode-side diverter tab can be clamped. The layer composite gripper can have clamping jaws between which the layer composite, but not the diverter lugs, can be clamped.The clamping jaws of the respective diverter tab gripper can be adjusted between the release position and the clamping position via a preferably vertical clamping stroke in the layer-composite thickness direction, i.e. at right angles to the layer-composite sheet plane. This takes place while enlarging / reducing the clamping gap defined therebetween. In addition, the clamping jaws of the diverter flag gripper can be prestressed by means of a spring element in the direction of the release position. The clamping jaws of the tail gripper are controllable by means of an actuator. With the aid of the actuator, the clamping jaws of the respective diverter-tab gripper can be adjusted into the clamping position, with the build-up / dissipation of a spring force, or spring back or be reset into the release position, with the dissipation of the spring force.In a specific embodiment, the gripper unit can have a total of two layer composite grippers. Of these, one layer composite gripper is preferably positioned on the side of the anode lead-off tab of the layer composite, while the other layer composite gripper is positioned on the side of the cathode lead-off tab of the layer composite. In contrast to the diverter tab grippers, the clamping jaws of each of the layer composite grippers can be adjustable between the release and the clamping positions in the layer composite sheet plane, that is to say at right angles to the layer composite thickness direction, over a horizontal clamping stroke and with a constant clamping gap.A package-optimized arrangement of the different grippers is of great importance for a reliable sorting operation. Against this background, viewed in the layer composite thickness direction, the clamping jaws of the respective diverter tab gripper can be positioned on the inside between the clamping jaws of the respective layer composite gripper. In addition, the clamping jaws of the respective diverter flag gripper can be brought by means of the spring element into sliding contact with the outer clamping jaws of the layer composite gripper, namely in such a way that the layer composite gripper acts with its clamping jaws as an actuator with which the vertical clamping stroke of the inner clamping jaws of diverter flag gripper can be controlled. Thus, in the clamping position of the outer layer composite gripper between its clamping jaws, both the layer composite can be clamped in between and the clamping jaws of the diverter flag gripper can be controlled into their clamping position. The outer layer composite gripper can be reset in a resetting movement from its clamping position via the horizontal clamping stroke into its release position, in which the layer composite is not clampingly engaged. Preferably, the release position of the layer composite gripper is designed such that the clamping jaws of the inner diverter tab gripper are still in clamping engagement between the clamping jaws of the outer layer composite gripper. The outer layer composite gripper can preferably be set back further beyond its release position with a control stroke in order to open the clamping jaws of the inner diverter flag gripper. In this case, the respective electrode lead-off tab can also be released, that is to say can be out of clamping engagement with the lead-off tab gripper. By different actuation of the layer composite grippers and the diverter tab grippers, the components of the defective layer composite can be released from the clamping position and fed into the associated containers at different process times when passing through the sorting station.It is preferred if the supply of the layer composite constituents to the associated containers takes place under the action of gravity. For this purpose, at least during the passage of the sorting station, the layer composite conveyance can preferably take place in a right-edge position in which the layer composite sheet plane is a vertical plane. In this case, when the tail gripper is in the release position, the electrode, i.e. anode and / or cathode, can fall under the action of gravity out of the laterally open clamping gap of the respective gripper into the corresponding container. With the layer composite gripper in the release position, on the other hand, the separator sheet can fall into the corresponding receiving container. In order to provide an easy-to-move horizontal adjusting movement of the layer composite gripper, the following configuration is advantageous: Thus, in the clamping position of the diverter tab gripper, the clamping jaw outer sides thereof can end flush with the respective layer composite flat sides. In this case, the restoring movement of the clamping jaws of the outer layer composite gripper from the clamping position in the direction of the release position can be carried out smoothly without disturbing contour.In summary, the sorting station according to the invention is integrated into the continuous stacking process in such a way that damaged layer composites can be removed in the continuous process without stopping or slowing down the continuous process. Once a camera detects a mark on a damaged electrode, it sends a control signal to the gripper units, which activate the process for removing the damaged electrodes and the separator from the layer composite. The construction of the gripper units is an essential part of the invention. By means of the gripper units, it is ensured that the damaged electrode is always located on the side facing the stacking station. This is achieved by rotating the gripper unit with the layer composite clamped in between by +90° or -90°. After the layer composite has been pivoted from the horizontal into the vertical, the process of removing the separator and electrode begins. The separator is first disposed of in the container provided for the separator. After that, the defect-free electrode also comes into the container provided for this purpose. Finally, the defective electrode is disposed of in the container provided for this purpose. Once the laminate is removed, the clip rotates back to the horizontal orientation. In this way, the gripper unit follows the other gripper units, which respectively convey defect-free layer composites to the stacking station. The process is therefore continued without interruption. The gripper unit is composed of an outer clamp and an inner clamp which makes it possible to remove the separator and the electrode in a certain time sequence. In this way, the separator and electrode are released in their respective container exactly at the right time.This concept ensures that the anode and cathode are not located in the same container. Therefore, two containers are always provided on both sides of the clamping movement. The correct container is placed under the defective ply bond by the controller.The advantages of the invention are as follows: damaged or defective electrodes can be removed in the continuous stacking process without reducing the speed of the continuous stacking process. If a layer composite has a damaged electrode (e.g. anode), then the defect-free electrode of this layer composite (e.g. cathode) is always disposed of in the container provided for this purpose. In this way, the waste material is reduced. A layer composite with a damaged electrode is prevented from reaching the stacking station, so that the finished electrode / separator stack does not become unusable. This drastically reduces the scrap material. Even a non-defective separator can be recovered and reused. The containers are allocated so that the one container for fault-free anodes receives only the fault-free anodes. Likewise, the other container receives only defective anodes. The same applies to cathodes. In no case are a defective cathode and a defective anode placed in the same container. This eliminates any possibility of a short circuit. The grippers of the gripper unit function automatically as soon as they receive a signal from, for example, a digital camera, which detects a marked faulty electrode in a layered arrangement.If desired, the movement of the containers can be automatically synchronized with the opening mechanism of the clamp, which is controlled by a control signal coming from the digital camera. The entire process is automated and can be easily integrated into the stacking process. This makes the stacking process very efficient, fast, low-scrap and fail-safe.Two exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the attached figures. The following are shown: FIGS. 1 to 9 show different views, on the basis of which the structure and the mode of operation of the process arrangement according to the invention are illustrated.FIG. 1 shows a plant diagram of a process arrangement by means of which an electrode / separator stack 1 for a battery cell is produced. In the process arrangement, layer composites 3, 3' are conveyed to a stacking station 7 with the aid of gripper units 4 of an endless conveyor belt 5. In the stacking station 7, the layer composites 3 are stacked to form the electrode / separator stack 1. In FIG. 2, a layer composite 3 is indicated alone. Accordingly, the layer composite 3 has separator sheets S and electrode sheets laid loosely one above the other, that is to say an anode sheet A and a cathode sheet K. A cathode-side diverter tab 15 and an anode-side diverter tab 17 project laterally from the layer composite 3 in opposite directions in each case.A core of the invention consists in a sorting station 19 (FIG. 1 ) which is upstream of the stacking station 7 in terms of process technology and through which the endless conveyor belt 5 passes. With the aid of the sorting station 19, a layer composite 3' with at least one defective electrode sheet is sorted out of the production line. The sorted-out layer composite 3' is separated or broken down into its components in the sorting station 19, i.e. into individual separator and electrode sheets S, A, K. The defective electrode sheet is fed to a material reject container, while the remaining, defect-free separator and electrode sheets are each guided into corresponding receiving containers. By way of example, in the sorted-out layer composite 3', the anode sheet A can be defective, while the cathode sheet 13 is defect-free. In this case, the defective anode sheet A is supplied to the material reject container A- as shown in Fig. 1, while the separator sheets S are supplied to the separator container 23, and the defective cathode sheet K is supplied to the cathode container K+. The sorted-out defect-free separator and cathode sheets S, K can be used to form new layer composites 3.For the sorting-out process, according to FIG. 1, the gripper unit 4, which carries the defective layer composite 3', is pivoted from its horizontal orientation into an edgewise position, in which the layer composite sheet plane is vertically oriented. The gripper unit 4 can be controlled by means of a control unit, not shown, in order to selectively release, i.e. to bring out a clamping engagement, the separator sheets S, the anode sheet A and / or the cathode sheet K. The components of the defective layer composite 3' which are not in clamping engagement can fall under the action of gravity into the receiving containers 23, A+, A-, K+, K- provided for this purpose. In this way, in a time series synchronized with the conveying speed of the endless conveyor belt 5, the separator sheets S and the electrode sheets A, K can be fed into the respective receptacles 23, A+, A-, K+, K-.The structure and the mode of operation of one of the gripper units 4 by means of which the above-indicated sorting-out process can be carried out are described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. The gripper unit 4 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 in a view from above. Accordingly, the gripper unit 4 in FIG. 3 is divided into an anode-side diverter gripper 25, a cathode-side diverter gripper 27 and two layer composite grippers 29.According to FIG. 3, the anode-side lead-off tab gripper 25 has clamping jaws 31, between which the anode-side lead-off tab 17 is clamped. In addition, the cathode-side diverter tab gripper 27 has clamping jaws 33, between which the cathode-side diverter tab 15 is clamped. The two layer composite grippers 29 are each positioned on the side of the anode-side conductor tab 17 of the layer composite 3 and on the side of the cathode conductor tab 15. Each of the layer composite grippers 29 has clamping jaws 35, between which the layer composite 3 can be clamped. The clamping jaws 31, 33 of the respective lead-off tab gripper 25, 27 can be adjusted in the layer-composite thickness direction between the release position and the clamping position via a vertical clamping stroke H V( FIG. 6 ), namely while enlarging / reducing the clamping gap defined therebetween. The clamping jaws 31, 33 of the lead-off tab gripper 25, 27 are also prestressed in the direction of the release position by means of a spring element 37.In contrast to the clamping jaws 31, 33 of the diverter tab grippers 25, 27, the clamping jaws 35 of the two layer composite grippers 29 are adjustable in the layer composite sheet plane, i.e. at right angles to the layer composite thickness direction, over a horizontal clamping stroke H H( FIG. 4 ) and with a constant clamping gap between the release position and the clamping position.As can be further seen from FIGS. 3 to 6, the clamping jaws 31, 33 of the respective lead-off tab gripper 25, 27 are positioned on the inside between the clamping jaws 35 of the respective layer composite gripper 29. The clamping jaws 31, 33 of the tail-tab gripper 25, 27 arranged on the inside are in sliding contact with the outer clamping jaws 35 of the respective layer-composite gripper 29 by means of the respective spring element 37.In FIG. 3, the two layer composite grippers 29 are shown in their clamping position. Between their clamping jaws 35, both the layer composite 3 and the clamping jaws 31, 33 of the diverter-tab gripper 25, 27 are clamped. In FIG. 4, each of the two layer composite grippers 29 is reset over the horizontal clamping stroke H H in a resetting movement from its clamping position (FIG. 3 ) to its release position (FIG. 4 ). In the release position of the two layer composite grippers 29, the layer composite 3 is out of clamping engagement, so that the separator sheets S fall under the action of gravity downward into the separator container 23. In contrast to this, in the free order (FIG. 4 ) of the layer composite gripper 29, the inner clamping jaws 31, 33 of the diverter tab gripper 25, 27 are still in clamping engagement between the outer clamping jaws 35 of the layer composite gripper 29.As can be further seen from FIG. 5, the layer composite gripper 29 can be further reset beyond its release position (FIG. 4 ) with a control stroke H S. The layer composite gripper 29 therefore acts as an actuator with which the inner clamping jaws 31, 33 of the diverter flag gripper 25, 27 can be controlled open by the vertical clamping stroke H V( FIG. 6 ). In this way, the two diverter lugs 15, 17 are released, that is to say are brought out of clamping engagement with the diverter lug grippers 25, 27. Accordingly, both the anode sheet A and the cathode sheet K can fall under the action of gravity into the container K+, A+, K-, A- provided for this purpose. The anode-side and cathode-side tail grippers 25, 27 are opened at different process times, so that the electrode sheets A, K can each fall into the container provided for this purpose.According to FIG. 3 or 4, the diverter tab grippers 25, 27 are aligned with their clamping jaw outer sides flush with the respective layer composite flat sides in their clamping position. The return movement of the clamping jaw pairs 35 of the layer composite grippers 29 from the clamping position into the release position can therefore be carried out smoothly and without disturbing contours.FIG. 7 shows a roughly schematic plant diagram of a further exemplary embodiment in a view from above. The construction and the mode of operation substantially correspond to the construction and the mode of operation of the preceding exemplary embodiment. Reference is therefore made to the description above. In contrast to the preceding exemplary embodiment, in the sorting station 19 according to FIG. 7, a total of two pairs of separator containers 23, a pair of cathode containers K+ in which defective cathode sheets K are collected, a pair of material waste containers K- in which defective cathode sheets K are collected, a pair of anode containers A+ in which defective anode sheets A are collected and a pair of material waste containers A- in which defective anode sheets A are collected are arranged in series one after the other in the production direction FR. The containers, analogously to the preceding exemplary embodiment, are all positioned in a plane below the endless conveyor belt 5, not shown in FIG. 7. In contrast to the preceding exemplary embodiment, the containers are adjustable in a transverse direction y between a starting position laterally outside the endless conveyor belt 5 and a loading position. In the loading position, the containers 23, K+, K-, A+, A- are located in vertical alignment below the gripper 4 which carries the defective layer composite 3'.In FIG. 7, the cathode sheet K is defective, for example. During the sorting-out process, the gripper unit 4 with the layer composite 3' to be sorted out is pivoted into the edgewise position. In the edgewise position, the defective cathode sheet K is arranged in front of the defect-free anode sheet A in the production direction FR. In the course of the sorting-out process, in FIG. 7, the two layer composite grippers 29 of the defective layer composite 3' are first adjusted from their clamping position into their release position. In addition, one of the separator containers 23 is adjusted in vertical alignment below the gripper 4 which carries the defective layer composite 3', so that the separator sheets S fall into the separator containers 23 provided for this purpose. In the further course, the anode-side tail gripper 25 is moved into its release position, while at the same time the anode container A+ is positioned in vertical alignment below the gripper 4, so that the defect-free anode sheet A falls into the anode container A+. At the end of the sorting process, the cathode-side diverter tab gripper 25 is moved into its release position, while at the same time a material reject container K- is adjusted in vertical alignment below the gripper 4, so that the defective cathode sheet K falls into the material reject container K-.In FIG. 8, the anode sheet A is defective, for example. During the sorting-out process, the gripper unit 4 with the layer composite 3' to be sorted out is pivoted back into the edgewise position. In the edgewise position, the defective anode sheet A is arranged in front of the defect-free cathode sheet K in the production direction FR. In the course of the sorting-out process, in FIG. 8, the two layer composite grippers 29 of the defective layer composite 3' are first adjusted from their clamping position into their release position. In addition, one of the separator containers 23 is adjusted in vertical alignment below the gripper 4 which carries the defective layer composite 3', so that the separator sheets S fall into the separator containers 23 provided for this purpose. In the further course, the cathode-side diverter tab gripper 27 is moved into its release position, while at the same time the cathode container K+ is positioned under the gripper 4 in vertical alignment, so that the defect-free cathode sheet K falls into the cathode container K+. At the end of the sorting process, the anode-side diverter tab gripper 27 is moved into its release position, while at the same time a material reject container A- is adjusted in vertical alignment below the gripper 4, so that the defective anode sheet A falls into the material reject container A-.In FIG. 9, both the anode sheet A and the cathode sheet of the layer composite 3' are defective, for example. During the sorting-out process, the gripper unit 4 with the layer composite 3' to be sorted out is pivoted back into the edgewise position. In the course of the sorting-out process, in FIG. 9, the two layer composite grippers 29 of the defective layer composite 3' are first adjusted from their clamping position into their release position. In addition, one of the separator containers 23 is arranged in vertical alignment below the gripper 4 which carries the defective layer composite 3', so that the two separator sheets S fall into the separator containers 23 provided for this purpose.In the further course, the anode-side diverter tab gripper 25 is moved into its release position, while at the same time the material reject container A- is positioned in vertical alignment below the gripper 4, so that the defect-free anode sheet A falls into the material reject container A-. At the end of the sorting process, the cathode-side diverter tab gripper 27 is moved into its release position, while at the same time a material reject container K- is adjusted in vertical alignment below the gripper 4, so that the defective cathode sheet K falls into the material reject container K-.List of reference characters1 Electrode / separator stack 3, 3' Layer composite 4 Gripper unit 5 Endless conveyor belt 7 Stacking station 15 Cathode-side diverter tab 17 Anode-side diverter tab 19 Sorting station 23 Separator container 25 Anode-side diverter tab gripper 27 Cathode-side diverter tab gripper 29 Layer composite gripper 31 Clamping jaws 33 Clamping jaws 35 Clamping jaws S Separator sheet A Anode sheet K Cathode sheet K+ Cathode container A+ Anode container K Material reject container A Material reject container H V Vertical stroke H H Horizontal stroke H S Control stroke

Claims

Process arrangement for the continuous production of an electrode / separator stack (1) for a battery cell, having a production line along which layer composites (3, 3') which are each constructed from at least one separator sheet (S) and from electrode sheets, that is to say at least one anode sheet (A) and at least one cathode sheet (K), can be conveyed by means of gripper units (4) to a stacking station (7) and can be stacked there to form the electrode / separator stack (1), wherein the production line is assigned a sorting station (19) in which a layer composite (3') having at least one defective electrode sheet (A, K) can be sorted out, wherein the defective layer composite (3') can be broken up or broken down into its constituents, that is to say separator and electrode sheets, in the sorting station (19), wherein the defective electrode sheet can be supplied to a material reject container (A, K), while the remaining, defect-free separator and electrode sheets can each be supplied to corresponding receiving containers (23, K+, A+), and wherein in the layer composite (3, 3') at least one separator sheet (S), an anode sheet (A) and a cathode sheet (K) are loosely placed one above the other, characterized in that each of the gripper units (4) is divided into a cathode-side reject tab gripper (27), an anode-side reject tab gripper (25) and into at least one layer composite gripper (29), or in that the separator and electrode sheets (S, A, K) of the layer composite (3') can be selectively released by means of the gripper unit (4), i.e. that in particular the grippers (25, 27, 29) are displaceable separately from one another between a release position, in which the separator and / or electrode sheets (S, A, K) are in clamping engagement with the gripper unit (4), and a clamping position, in which separator and / or electrode sheets (S, A, K) are in clamping engagement with the gripper unit (4).Process arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that an anode conductor tab (17) and a cathode conductor tab (15) each project from the layer composite (3, 3') in opposite directions.Process arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the anode-side diverter tab gripper (25) has clamping jaws (31), between which the anode-side diverter tab (17) can be clamped, and / or in that the cathode-side diverter tab gripper (27) has clamping jaws (33), between which the cathode-side diverter tab (15) can be clamped, and / or in that the layer composite gripper (29) has clamping jaws (35), between which the layer composite (3, 3') can be clamped.Process arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grippers (25, 27, 29) of the gripper unit (4) can be adjusted into the release position at different process times when passing through the sorting station (19), so that the respectively exposed separator and / or electrode sheets (S, A, K) can be supplied to the associated containers (23, K+, K-, A+, A-).Process arrangement according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the respective diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) can be adjusted between the release position and the clamping position over a vertical clamping stroke (H V) in the layer-composite thickness direction, that is to say at right angles to the sheet plane of the layer composite (3'), to be precise in particular with enlarging / reducing the clamping gap located therebetween, and in that in particular the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) are prestressed in the direction of the release position by means of a spring element (37), and / or in that in particular the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) can be adjusted by means of an actuator into the clamping position or into the release position with the build-up / dissipation of a spring force.Process arrangement according to either of Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the gripper unit (4) has two layer-composite grippers (29), of which preferably one layer-composite gripper (29) is arranged on the side of the anode conductor tab (17) of the layer composite (3, 3') and the other layer-composite gripper (29) is arranged on the side of the cathode conductor tab (15) of the layer composite (3, 3'), and in that in particular the clamping jaws (35) of each of the layer-composite grippers (29) can be adjusted between the release and clamping position in the layer-composite sheet plane, that is to say at right angles to the thickness direction, via a horizontal clamping stroke (H H) and with the clamping gap remaining the same.Process arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that, as viewed in the layer-composite thickness direction, the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) are positioned on the inside between the clamping jaws (35) of the layer-composite gripper (29), and in that the inner clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) are in sliding contact with the outer clamping jaws (35) of the layer-composite gripper (29), with the result that the layer-composite gripper (29) acts with its clamping jaws (35) as an actuator with which the vertical clamping stroke (H V) of the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27) can be controlled, and in that, in particular in the clamping position of the layer-composite gripper (29) between its clamping jaws (35), both the layer composite (3, 3') as well as the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter flag gripper (25, 27) are clamped, and that in particular the layer composite gripper (29) can be reset in a reset movement from its clamping position via the horizontal clamping stroke (H H) to its release position, and that in the release position the layer composite gripper (29) the layer composite (3') is out of clamping engagement, while the clamping jaws (31, 33) of the diverter flag gripper (25, 27) are still in clamping engagement between the clamping jaws (35) of the layer composite gripper (29), i.e. in the clamping position, and that in particular the layer composite gripper (29) can be reset further beyond the release position with a control stroke (H S) around the clamping jaws (31, 31, 3'), 33) of the lead-off tab gripper (25, 27) so that the electrode lead-off tab (15, 17) can also be released, i.e. can be brought out of clamping engagement with the lead-off tab gripper (25, 27).Process arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at least in the sorting station (19), the defective layer composite (3') is conveyed in a edged position in which the layer composite sheet plane is vertically oriented, and / or in that, in particular, the clamping gap of the respective gripper (25, 27, 29) is designed open in the production direction, such that, when the diverter tab gripper (25, 27) is located in the release position, the electrode, that is to say the anode sheet (A) and / or the cathode sheet (K), falls into the corresponding receiving container (K+, K-, A+, A-) by the action of gravity, and / or in that, when the layer composite gripper (29) is located in the release position, the separator sheet (S) falls into the corresponding receiving container (23).Process arrangement according to either of Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that, in the clamping position of the diverter-tab gripper (25, 27), the clamping-jaw outer sides thereof end flush with the respective flat sides of the layer composite, so that, in particular, the restoring movement (R) of the clamping jaws (35) of the layer-composite gripper (29) can be carried out smoothly from the clamping position into the release position.

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