Battery manufacturing apparatus and battery manufacturing method using the same

Abstract

A battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first pressure roll that rotates around a first rotation axis, a second pressure roll that rotates around a second rotation axis and forms a rolling gap through which a substrate passes together with the first pressure roll, a first sensor for measuring the thickness of the substrate, and a second sensor for measuring the load of at least one of the rotation axes, which is connected to the first pressure roll and the second rotation axis, which is connected to the second pressure roll.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0123278 filed on September 15, 2023, and all the contents disclosed in the literature of the Korean patent application are included as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery manufacturing apparatus and a battery manufacturing method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a battery manufacturing apparatus and a battery manufacturing method using the same, which can reduce the footprint occupied by process equipment while being able to measure the thickness of a base material.

Background Art

[0003] In modern society, the use of portable devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, video cameras, digital cameras, etc., and energy storage systems (ESS) has become common, and the development of technologies in related fields has become active. In addition, rechargeable secondary batteries are used as power sources for electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug - in hybrid electric vehicles (P - HEV), etc. as a solution to problems such as air pollution of existing gasoline vehicles that use fossil fuels, and the need for development of secondary batteries is increasing.

[0004] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel - cadmium batteries, nickel - metal hydride batteries, nickel - zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these, lithium secondary batteries are most notable for their advantages of free charge - discharge, low self - discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0005] The manufacturing process of such lithium secondary batteries is roughly divided into three steps: an electrode process, an assembly process, and a forming process. The electrode process is further divided into an active material mixing process, an electrode coating process, a rolling process, a slitting process, a winding process, etc. In particular, measuring the thickness of an electrode in the electrode process is a necessary process for the production reliability of the electrode.

[0006] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional battery manufacturing apparatus.

[0007] Referring to Figure 1, the battery manufacturing apparatus 1 may include an electrode coating apparatus 3, a rolling apparatus 4, and an electrode thickness measuring apparatus 5.

[0008] Generally, during the manufacture of a secondary battery electrode assembly, the positive electrode active material and negative electrode active material are coated onto the positive electrode current collector and negative electrode current collector, respectively, so that the secondary battery includes electrodes with active material layers formed on the current collectors. The positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer need to be formed with a uniform thickness on the current collector to ensure uniform characteristics of the secondary battery. The electrode coating apparatus 3 is a device for uniformly coating the electrode current collector with electrode active material. The electrode coating apparatus 3 discharges and applies an active material slurry onto the transported current collector. The active material slurry discharged from the electrode coating apparatus 3 is widely applied to one surface of the current collector, forming an active material layer.

[0009] The rolling apparatus 4 is a device for compressing electrodes to a desired thickness by passing them between two high-temperature heated pressure rolls in order to reduce the thickness of the electrodes after the coating process, increase the capacity density, and increase the adhesion between the electrode current collector and the electrode active material.

[0010] The electrode thickness measuring device 5 is a device for measuring the thickness of electrode 2. The electrode thickness measuring device 5 uses, for example, X-ray, b-ray, or confocal laser, or a method in which a tip physically contacts electrode 2 to directly measure its thickness. However, such methods have problems such as difficulty in accurate measurement due to differences in reflectivity and absorptivity of electrode 2, and difficulty in maintaining the zero point of the tip. In addition, since the thickness of electrode 2 is measured while electrode 2 is moving, there is a risk of errors due to vibration. Therefore, there may be problems with the reliability of electrode thickness measurement of electrode 2 by the electrode thickness measuring device 5.

[0011] Furthermore, the electrode thickness measuring device 5 needs to be positioned before and after the electrode coating device 3, rolling device 4, etc., in order to measure the thickness of the electrode 2 while it is in motion. Therefore, the battery manufacturing apparatus 1 needs to secure space for the installation of the electrode thickness measuring device 5. As a result, the footprint of process equipment such as the electrode thickness measuring device 5 increases. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The present invention aims to provide a battery manufacturing apparatus and a battery manufacturing method utilizing the same, which can reduce the footprint of process equipment and measure the thickness of the substrate.

[0013] However, the problems that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve are not limited to those described above, and can be extended in various ways within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first pressure roll that rotates around a first rotation axis, a second pressure roll that rotates around a second rotation axis and forms a rolling gap through which a substrate passes together with the first pressure roll, a first sensor for measuring the thickness of a substrate passing through the first and second pressure rolls, and a second sensor for measuring the load of at least one of the rotation axes, which is connected to the first rotation axis connected to the first pressure roll and the second rotation axis connected to the second pressure roll.

[0015] The thickness of the substrate can be calculated by the difference between the distance between the first and second rotation axes and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll and the thickness of the second pressure roll.

[0016] The first sensor may be a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in a non-contact manner.

[0017] The distance measuring sensor includes a first distance measuring sensor located on one side of either the first pressure roll or the second pressure roll, and a second distance measuring sensor located on the other side. The first distance measuring sensor measures a first distance between the first and second rotation axes, and the second distance measuring sensor measures a second distance between the first and second rotation axes. The thickness of the substrate can be calculated by the average value of the first and second distances.

[0018] The second sensor may be a load cell that measures the load on a rotating shaft connected to a pressure roll.

[0019] The load cells may include a pair of first load cells arranged on both sides of the first rotation axis of the first pressure roll, and a pair of second load cells arranged on both sides of the second rotation axis of the second pressure roll.

[0020] The battery manufacturing apparatus may further include a processor that compares the deviation of the load on both sides of the first rotating shaft measured by the pair of first load cells with a first reference value, and compares the deviation of the load on both sides of the second rotating shaft measured by the pair of second load cells with a second reference value.

[0021] The first reference value and the second reference value can be different from each other.

[0022] The processor can measure the thickness of the substrate using the first sensor if the deviation of the load on the first rotating shaft and the deviation of the load on the second rotating shaft are less than or equal to the first reference value and the second reference value, respectively.

[0023] The processor can determine that there is an abnormality in the pressure roll if the deviation of the load on the first rotating shaft exceeds the first reference value, and if the deviation of the load on the second rotating shaft exceeds the second reference value.

[0024] When the processor determines that there is an abnormality in the pressure roll, it can output an alarm signal and stop the operation of the pressure roll.

[0025] The base material may be an electrode including a current collector and an active material applied to one or both surfaces of the current collector.

[0026] A battery manufacturing method using a battery manufacturing apparatus including a first pressure roll that rotates about a first rotation axis and a rolling interval through which a base material passes together with the first pressure roll, and a second pressure roll that rotates about a second rotation axis may include measuring the load of at least one of the first rotation axis connected to the first pressure roll and the second rotation axis connected to the second pressure roll, and measuring the thickness of the base material.

[0027] The battery manufacturing method may further include comparing the deviation of the load of the at least one rotation axis with a predetermined reference value after measuring the load of the at least one rotation axis.

[0028] The battery manufacturing method can measure the loads on both sides of the at least one rotation axis.

[0029] The battery manufacturing method may further include outputting an alarm signal indicating that there is an abnormality in the pressure roll and stopping the operation of the pressure roll when the deviation of the load of the at least one rotation axis exceeds the predetermined reference value.

[0030] When the deviation is less than or equal to the predetermined reference value, the battery manufacturing method can perform the step of measuring the thickness of the base material.

[0031] The step of measuring the thickness of the substrate may include the step of measuring the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, and the step of calculating the thickness of the substrate by the difference between the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll and the thickness of the second pressure roll. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] Unlike conventional technology, a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention does not require space for installing a measuring device to measure the thickness of the substrate, thus reducing the footprint occupied by the measuring equipment. Furthermore, since the thickness of the substrate is not measured directly, errors due to the material of the substrate are eliminated, and errors due to vibrations generated by the movement of the substrate can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention can detect if an abnormality occurs in the pressure roll during the battery manufacturing process. In other words, the battery manufacturing apparatus can improve the reliability of measuring the thickness of the substrate by determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the condition of the pressure roll and / or the substrate.

[0034] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing a battery manufacturing apparatus using conventional technology. [Figure 2] This is a side view of a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first pressure roll of the battery manufacturing apparatus shown. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery manufacturing apparatus shown. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates an example of an abnormal load occurring on a rotating shaft connected to a pressure roll. [Figure 6] This drawing shows another example of an abnormal load occurring on the rotating shaft connected to the pressure roll. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a battery manufacturing method using a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention can be implemented in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0037] To clearly explain the present invention, irrelevant parts have been omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0038] Furthermore, the dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for the sake of explanation, and therefore the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown. In the drawings, the thicknesses are shown enlarged to clearly represent multiple layers and regions. Also, in the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are shown exaggerated for the sake of explanation.

[0039] Furthermore, when a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part is "on top of" or "on above" another part, this includes not only when it is "directly above" the other part, but also when there is another part in between. Conversely, when we say that one part is "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part between them. Also, being "on top of" or "on above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being "on top of" or "on above" in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0040] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, it means that it may include other components rather than excluding them.

[0041] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "on a plane" refers to the view of the subject part from above, and "on a cross-section" refers to the view of a cross-section of the subject part, obtained by cutting it vertically, from the side.

[0042] Figure 2 is a side view of a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first pressure roll of the battery manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 2.

[0043] Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first pressure roll 101 that rotates around a first rotation axis 111, a second pressure roll 102 that rotates around a second rotation axis 112 and forms a rolling gap through which the substrate passes together with the first pressure roll 101, a first sensor 120 for measuring the thickness of the substrate 10 passing between the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102, and a second sensor 130 for measuring the load on at least one of the rotation axes, which is connected to the first rotation axis 111 connected to the first pressure roll 101 and the second rotation axis 112 connected to the second pressure roll 102. On the other hand, in the drawings referred to in the following description, the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 are shown as being arranged on a vertical plane, but the arrangement of the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 is not limited to the shown configuration. For example, the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 may be arranged side by side on the same horizontal plane.

[0044] As the substrate 10 passes through the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102, its thickness decreases. For example, the substrate 10 has a thickness of t1 before passing through the pair of pressure rolls 101 and 102, but has a thickness of t2 after passing through the pair of pressure rolls 101 and 102.

[0045] The substrate 10 passing through the pair of pressure rolls 101 and 102 may be, for example, an electrode containing an active material. Specifically, the electrode may be a current collector to which an electrode mixture containing a positive or negative electrode active material, a conductive agent, and a binder is coated on one or both sides. However, the type of substrate 10 is not limited by the above. Any substrate 10 that can pass between the pair of pressure rolls 101 and 102 can be included in the embodiments of the present invention, and for example, the substrate 10 may be a battery semi-finished product such as a separation membrane, a monocell, a halfcell, or a pouch.

[0046] The first sensor 120 may be a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance (D) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 in a non-contact manner.

[0047] For example, the distance measuring sensor 120 can measure the distance (D) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 by emitting light (light, such as a laser or infrared light) from a light source from one of the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 to the other. In other words, the distance measuring sensor 120 emits light from a light-emitting part from one of the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 to the other and receives the reflected light. The distance measuring sensor 120 can measure the distance (D) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 in a non-contact manner by measuring the amount of received light or the amount of voltage change generated by the received light.

[0048] The thickness (t2) of the substrate 10 passing through the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 can be calculated from the distance (D) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 measured by the distance measuring sensor 120. For example, the thickness (t2) of the substrate 10 passing through the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 can be calculated as shown in Equation 1 below, by the difference between the distance (D) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll 101 (T1) and the thickness of the second pressure roll 102 (T2). [Formula 1] t² = D - (T1 + T2)

[0049] At this time, the thickness (T1) of the first pressure roll 101 and the thickness (T2) of the second pressure roll 102 may be measured in advance or may be predetermined values ​​according to the specifications of each pressure roll 101 and 102 themselves.

[0050] The distance measuring sensor 120 may be located on only one side of either the first rotation axis 111 or the second rotation axis 112, but it is preferable to have it located on both sides, as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the distance measuring sensor 120 may include a first distance measuring sensor 121 located on one side of either the first pressure roll 101 or the second pressure roll 102, and a second distance measuring sensor 122 located on the other side.

[0051] Therefore, the first distance measuring sensor 121 can measure the first interval (D1) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112, and the second distance measuring sensor 122 can measure the second interval (D2) between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112. The thickness of the base material 10 described above can be calculated by the average value of the first interval (D1) and the second interval (D2).

[0052] In the battery manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, distance measuring sensors 120 are placed on the rotation axes 111 and 112 of the pressure rolls 101 and 102, eliminating the need to add separate equipment for measuring the thickness of the substrate 10. This reduces the footprint occupied by separate process equipment and also reduces the cost of installing separate process equipment. Furthermore, in the battery manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, instead of directly measuring the thickness of the substrate 10, the thickness of the substrate 10 is calculated by measuring the distance between the rotation axes 111 and 112 of the pressure rolls 101 and 102. This eliminates errors due to the material of the substrate 10 and reduces errors caused by vibrations generated by the movement of the substrate 10.

[0053] On the other hand, in Figure 3, for the sake of explanation, the first distance measuring sensor 121 and the second distance measuring sensor 122 are shown as being connected to both ends of the first rotating shaft 111, respectively. However, the first distance measuring sensor 121 and the second distance measuring sensor 122 are structured so as not to be affected by the rotation of the first rotating shaft 111. For example, the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a housing that supports the first rotating shaft 111 and the second rotating shaft 112. The first rotating shaft 111 and the second rotating shaft 112 can rotate without affecting the housing during rotation. The first distance measuring sensor 121 and the second distance measuring sensor 122 are arranged in the housing and can measure the distance (D) between the first rotating shaft 111 and the second rotating shaft 112 without being affected by the rotation of the first rotating shaft 111 and the second rotating shaft 112.

[0054] The second sensor 130 is a device for measuring information regarding the load on the rotating shafts 111 and 112 connected to the pressure rolls 101 and 102. The second sensor 130 may be, for example, a load cell, and preferably, the load cell may be a bearing load cell including a bearing and a load cell. The load cell 130 is a type of load sensing sensor that utilizes an elastic body that changes proportionally to an external force and a strain gauge that converts this into an electrical signal. Therefore, the load cell 130 can sense load information including the magnitude of the load applied to the rotating shafts 111 and 112 of the pressure rolls 101 and 102, and the direction of the load applied to the rotating shafts 111 and 112. However, for the sake of explanation, the load cell 130 will be described below as sensing the load on the rotating shafts 111 and 112.

[0055] The load cell 130 may include a pair of first load cells 131 positioned on either side of the first rotation axis 111 of the first pressure roll 101, and a pair of second load cells 132 positioned on either side of the second rotation axis 112 of the second pressure roll 102. The loads applied to both sides of the first rotation axis 111 and both sides of the second rotation axis 112 can be sensed through the pair of first load cells 131 and the pair of second load cells 132, respectively.

[0056] The battery manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a processor (not shown) that compares the deviations to the load on both sides of the first rotating shaft 111, measured by a pair of first load cells 131, and the deviations to the load on both sides of the second rotating shaft 112, measured by a pair of second load cells 132, with a predetermined reference value. The processor may include, for example, a microcontroller unit (MCU). The processor may be located inside the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 or may be located separately outside the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 and be able to communicate remotely with the battery manufacturing apparatus 100. The form of the processor can be modified or changed in various ways depending on the environment in which the present invention is carried out.

[0057] At this time, the predetermined reference value can be set according to the type of substrate 10 passing through the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102. In addition, the deviation of the load on both sides of the first rotating shaft 111 measured by a pair of first load cells 131 can be compared with the first reference value, and the deviation of the load on both sides of the second rotating shaft 112 measured by a pair of second load cells 132 can be compared with the second reference value. At this time, the first reference value and the second reference value may be the same or different from each other.

[0058] For example, when the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 are arranged side by side on the same horizontal plane, the load deviations on both sides of the first rotation 111 of the first pressure roll 101 and the load deviations on both sides of the second rotation axis 112 of the second pressure roll 102 can be compared using the same reference value.

[0059] As another example, if the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 are not positioned on the same horizontal plane (for example, if the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 are positioned on a vertical plane), the loads on the first rotation shaft 111 applied to the pair of first load cells 131 and the loads on the second rotation shaft 112 applied to the pair of second load cells 132 may differ from each other due to the loads of the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102 themselves. In such cases, the deviation of the load on both sides of the first rotation 111 of the first pressure roll 101 can be compared with a first reference value, and the deviation of the load on both sides of the second rotation shaft 112 of the second pressure roll 102 can be compared with a second reference value that is different from the first reference value.

[0060] The processor can determine that the pressure rolls 101 and 102 are in a normal state if the deviation of each load is below a reference value. For example, if the deviation of the load on the first rotating shaft 111 and the deviation of the load on the second rotating shaft 112 are below a first reference value and a second reference value, respectively, the processor can determine that the pressure rolls 101 and 102 are in a normal state, and if it determines that they are in a normal state, the first sensor 120 can measure the thickness of the substrate 10.

[0061] The processor can determine that there is a problem with the pressure rolls 101 and 102 if the deviation of the respective loads exceeds a reference value. For example, the processor can determine that there is a problem with the pressure rolls 101 and 102 if at least one of the following occurs: the deviation of the load on the first rotating shaft 111 exceeds the first reference value, or the deviation of the load on the second rotating shaft 112 exceeds the second reference value. On the other hand, detailed examples of when the processor determines that there is a problem with the pressure rolls 101 and 102 will be described later.

[0062] If the processor determines that there is an abnormality in the pressure rolls 101 and 102, it can output an alarm signal and stop the operation of the pressure rolls 101 and 102. At this time, the alarm signal can be output via a speaker (not shown). As another example, the alarm signal can also be output via a display (not shown). However, the alarm signal is not limited to the above, and any embodiment of the present invention can be included as one that can notify the operator of the abnormality by providing various stimuli such as auditory and visual signals. The battery manufacturing apparatus 100 outputs an alarm signal and stops the operation of the pressure rolls 101 and 102 when an abnormality occurs in the pressure rolls 101 and 102, so that the operator can respond quickly.

[0063] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an abnormal load occurring on the rotating shaft connected to the pressure roll. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of an abnormal load occurring on the rotating shaft connected to the pressure roll.

[0064] Referring to Figure 5, twisting occurs in the first rotation axis 111 of the first pressure roll 101 due to external impact, equipment vibration, etc., causing the first rotation axis 111 to be biased to one side (right side in the drawing). As a result, the load applied to the first load cell 131 located on the right side of the first rotation axis 111 may increase, while the load applied to the first load cell 131 located on the left side may decrease. If the twisting in the first pressure roll 101 becomes large, the deviation of the load measured at each of the first load cells 131 located on the first pressure roll 101 may exceed a predetermined standard value. In this case, the processor can determine that there is an abnormality in the first pressure roll 101.

[0065] Referring to Figure 6, this shows a case where a portion 10a of the substrate 10 protrudes upward due to reasons such as uneven application of the material to the substrate 10, resulting in an uneven thickness of the substrate 10. As a result, the first pressure roll 101 may experience a force on the left side of the first rotation axis 111 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the first pressure roll 101 applies pressure to the substrate 10. Consequently, the load applied to the first load cell 131 located on the right side of the first rotation axis 111 may increase, while the load applied to the first load cell 131 located on the left side may decrease. When the material is applied unevenly to the substrate 10, the deviation of the load measured at each of the first load cells 131 located on the first pressure roll 101 may exceed a predetermined reference value. In this case, the processor can determine that there is a problem with the first pressure roll 101.

[0066] As described above, if an abnormality occurs in the pressure rolls 101, 102 and / or the base material 10, the load measured from the load cell located on the abnormal pressure roll among the pair of first load cells 131 and the pair of second load cells 132 will deviate by a predetermined standard value or more. Therefore, it is possible to identify the abnormal pressure roll among the first pressure roll 101 and the second pressure roll 102. Furthermore, the load distribution of the abnormal pressure roll makes it possible to identify the part of the base material 10 where the abnormality occurred. As described above, the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention allows for the identification of the part where the abnormality occurred, thus enabling a quick response by the operator. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a battery manufacturing method using a battery manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] The battery manufacturing method can be carried out using the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 described above. However, a detailed explanation of each step of the battery manufacturing method described below will be omitted as it has already been explained in relation to the battery manufacturing apparatus 100 with reference to Figures 2 to 6.

[0068] The battery manufacturing method may include the steps of measuring the load on at least one of the rotating shafts, which is connected to the first pressure roll 101 and the second rotating shaft 112, which is connected to the second pressure roll 102 (S10); determining whether the deviation of the load on at least one rotating shaft is below a predetermined reference value (S20); and measuring the thickness of the base material 10 (S30).

[0069] In the battery manufacturing method, if the load deviation of at least one rotating shaft is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the step of measuring the thickness of the base material 10 (S30) can be performed in step S20.

[0070] The step of measuring the thickness of the base material 10 (S30) may include the step of measuring the distance between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 (S31) and the step of calculating the thickness of the base material 10 based on the distance between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 (S32).

[0071] In step S32, the thickness of the base material 10 can be calculated by the difference between the distance between the first rotation axis 111 and the second rotation axis 112 and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll 101 and the thickness of the second pressure roll 102.

[0072] Furthermore, the battery manufacturing method may include a step (S40) in which, if the load deviation of at least one rotating shaft exceeds a predetermined reference value, an alarm signal is output indicating that there is a problem with the pressure rolls 101 and 102, and the operation of the pressure rolls 101 and 102 is stopped.

[0073] As described above, the battery manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention measures the deviation of the load on the rotation axes 111 and 112 of the pressure rolls 101 and 102 during the battery manufacturing process, and therefore can detect when an abnormality occurs in the pressure rolls 101 and 102. In other words, the battery manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention can improve the reliability of measuring the thickness of the substrate because it measures the thickness of the substrate after determining whether or not an abnormality occurs in the condition of the pressure rolls and / or the substrate.

[0074] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art, utilizing the basic concepts of the present invention as defined in the following claims, also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10 electrodes 100 Battery manufacturing equipment 101, 102 First pressure roll, second pressure roll 111, 112 First axis of rotation, second axis of rotation 121, 122 First sensor (first distance measuring sensor, second distance measuring sensor) 131, 132 Second sensor (first load cell, second load cell)

Claims

1. A first pressure roll that rotates around a first rotation axis; A second pressure roll that rotates around a second rotation axis, forming a rolling gap through which the substrate passes together with the first pressure roll; A first sensor for measuring the thickness of the substrate passing through the first pressure roll and the second pressure roll; and A battery manufacturing apparatus including a second sensor for measuring the load on at least one of the rotating shafts, which is connected to the first pressure roll and the second pressure roll.

2. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the substrate is calculated by the difference between the distance between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll and the thickness of the second pressure roll.

3. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in a non-contact manner.

4. The distance measuring sensor includes a first distance measuring sensor located on one side of either the first pressure roll or the second pressure roll, and a second distance measuring sensor located on the other side. The first distance measuring sensor measures the first distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, and the second distance measuring sensor measures the second distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the substrate is calculated by the average value of the first interval and the second interval.

5. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second sensor is a load cell for measuring the load on a rotating shaft connected to a pressure roll.

6. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the load cell includes a pair of first load cells arranged on both sides of the first rotation axis of the first pressure roll, and a pair of second load cells arranged on both sides of the second rotation axis of the second pressure roll.

7. The deviation of the load on both sides of the first rotation axis measured by the pair of first load cells is compared with a first reference value. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a processor for comparing the deviation of the load on both sides of the second rotating shaft, measured by the pair of second load cells, with a second reference value.

8. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first reference value and the second reference value are different from each other.

9. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor measures the thickness of the substrate using the first sensor when the deviation of the load on the first rotating shaft and the deviation of the load on the second rotating shaft are less than or equal to the first reference value and the second reference value, respectively.

10. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor determines that there is an abnormality in the pressure roll when the deviation of the load of the first rotating shaft exceeds the first reference value, and when the deviation of the load of the second rotating shaft exceeds the second reference value, in at least one of these cases.

11. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor outputs an alarm signal and stops the operation of the pressure roll when it determines that there is an abnormality in the pressure roll.

12. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is an electrode containing a current collector and an active material coated on one or both sides of the current collector.

13. A battery manufacturing method using a battery manufacturing apparatus that includes a first pressure roll that rotates around a first rotation axis and a second pressure roll that rotates around a second rotation axis and forms a rolling gap through which the substrate passes together with the first pressure roll, A step of measuring the load on at least one of the rotating shafts, which is connected to the first pressure roll and the second pressure roll; and A battery manufacturing method comprising the step of measuring the thickness of the substrate.

14. The battery manufacturing method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of measuring the load of the at least one rotating shaft and then comparing the deviation of the load of the at least one rotating shaft with a predetermined reference value.

15. The battery manufacturing method according to claim 14, comprising measuring the load on both sides of the at least one rotating shaft.

16. The battery manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of outputting an alarm signal indicating an abnormality in the pressure roll and stopping the operation of the pressure roll when the deviation of the load of at least one of the rotating shafts exceeds a predetermined reference value.

17. The battery manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein if the deviation is less than or equal to the predetermined reference value, the step of measuring the thickness of the substrate is performed.

18. The step of measuring the thickness of the substrate is: A step of measuring the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis; and The battery manufacturing method according to claim 17, comprising the step of calculating the thickness of the substrate by the difference between the distance between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft and the sum of the thickness of the first pressure roll and the thickness of the second pressure roll.

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