Method and device for forming grooves in electrode plates

Abstract

This application discloses a method and apparatus for forming grooves in an electrode plate, which includes the steps of thinning an active material layer located in a groove formation target area of ​​the electrode plate using a laser method and removing the thinned active material layer using a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed. By combining the laser method and the physical removal method, this application is able to quickly remove the active material layer in the groove formation target area while avoiding damage to the current collector layer, ensuring processing accuracy, shortening takt time, and improving product yield.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application is filed based on and claims priority to a Chinese patent application having application number 202010720961.5 (filing date July 23, 2020), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to a method and apparatus for forming grooves in electrodes. [Background technology]

[0003] When manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, a very important step is forming grooves in the plates to accommodate the tabs, which are essential because the tabs are the metallic conductors that bring the positive and negative electrodes out of the cell.

[0004] Currently, the method of forming the groove is to fill the position where the groove needs to be installed with polyurethane foam during the manufacturing process of the electrode plate, and then remove the polyurethane foam after the manufacturing of the electrode plate is completed to form the groove at the holding position of the polyurethane foam. However, the above method requires the use of polyurethane foam, which is a consumable item, and the cost is high, and the tolerance of the groove formed by the polyurethane foam is large. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a method and device for forming grooves in electrodes, which uses a laser to remove active material on the surface of the electrodes where a groove needs to be formed, retaining a very thin layer of active material, and then removing the remaining very thin layer of active material by a physical method to form a groove to accommodate a tab. There is no need to use consumables to form the grooves, which reduces costs, and the laser method has high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method for forming a groove in an electrode plate including a current collector layer and an active material layer attached to the current collector layer, according to a first aspect of the present application, includes the steps of: thinning the active material layer located in a groove formation target region of the electrode plate by a laser method; and removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method to form a storage groove in which the current collector layer is exposed.

[0007] In the above-mentioned method for forming grooves in an electrode plate, the step of removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method includes the step of removing the thinned active material layer by any one of a brushing removal method, a scraping method, a wiping method, and an adhesion removal method.

[0008] In the above-mentioned method for forming grooves in an electrode plate, the step of removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method includes a step of performing a first removal of the thinned active material layer by any one of a brushing removal method, a scraping method, and a wiping method, and a step of performing a second removal of the thinned active material layer by an adhesive removal method.

[0009] In the above-mentioned electrode plate groove forming method, the brushing removal method is a method of sweeping out the thinned active material layer using a brush, the scraping method is a method of scraping off the thinned active material layer using a scraper, the wiping method is a method of wiping off the thinned active material layer using a dust-free cloth, and the adhesion removal method is a method of removing the thinned active material layer using an adhesive tape.

[0010] In the above method for forming grooves in an electrode plate, after the active material layer is thinned, the value of the thickness H of the active material layer is in the range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

[0011] The method for forming grooves in an electrode plate further includes a step of moving the electrode plate so as to move the active material layer to a thinning treatment station before the active material layer is thinned by a laser method, and a step of moving the electrode plate so as to move the active material layer from the thinning treatment station to a removal station after the active material layer is thinned by a laser method and before the thinned active material layer is removed by a physical removal method.

[0012] A groove forming device for an electrode plate according to a second aspect of the present application includes a laser device and a removal tool, the laser device thinning an active material layer located in a groove formation target area of ​​the electrode plate by a laser method, and the removal tool removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed.

[0013] In the electrode plate groove forming device, the removal tool includes any one of a brush, a dust-free cloth, a scraper, and an adhesive tape, and the brush, the dust-free cloth, the scraper, and the adhesive tape are each used to remove the thinned active material layer by a brushing removal method. 、 How to wipe, Scraping method, Or remove it using an adhesive removal method.

[0014] In the electrode plate groove forming device, the removal tool includes any one of a brush, a dust-free cloth, a scraper, and an adhesive tape, and the brush, the dust-free cloth, and the scraper are each used for a brushing removal method for the thinned active material layer. 、 How to wipe or scraping method The first removal is performed using the adhesive tape, and the active material layer that has been subjected to the thinning treatment is then removed a second time using the adhesive removal method.

[0015] After the active material layer is thinned by the electrode plate groove forming device, the thickness H of the active material layer is in the range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

[0016] In the above-mentioned electrode plate groove forming device, the brushing removal method is a method of sweeping out the thinned active material layer using a brush, the scraping method is a method of scraping off the thinned active material layer using a scraper, the wiping method is a method of wiping off the thinned active material layer using a dust-free cloth, and the adhesion removal method is a method of removing the thinned active material layer using an adhesive tape.

[0017] The plate groove forming device further includes a conveyor belt that moves the active material layer to a thinning station and moves the plate to move the active material layer from the thinning station to a removal station. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present invention uses a method that combines a laser method and a physical removal method, which, on the one hand, can rapidly remove the active material layer in the groove formation target area, and, on the other hand, can avoid damage to the current collector layer, thereby improving processing accuracy, shortening takt time, and improving product yield. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] In order to describe the technical solutions of the present application more clearly, the following briefly describes the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments.

[0020] [Figure 1] 2 is a flowchart of a method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] 2 is a flowchart of a method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] 1 is a front view of a groove forming device for an electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of a groove forming device for an electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0022] The general flow of the manufacturing process of the electrode plate as the core component of the lithium ion battery is as follows: After preparing an active material slurry by mixing an active material, a binder, a conductive agent, etc., the slurry is applied to both sides of a current collector made of a copper material or an aluminum material, and the active material slurry applied to both sides of the current collector is dried, which is generally called an active material layer. Since the tab is a positive / negative electrode lead part of the cell and needs to contact the current collector, it is necessary to remove the active material layer at the position where the tab of the electrode plate is connected to expose the current collector layer so that the tab can be easily installed and contacted with the current collector. Based on the above, the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail. EXAMPLES

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, the method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps S1 to S2.

[0024] In step S1, the active material layer located in the region of the electrode plate where the groove is to be formed is thinned by a laser method. After the active material layer is thinned, the thickness H of the active material layer is in the range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

[0025] In step S2, the thinned active material layer is removed by a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed. The processed receiving groove can receive the exposed current collector layer and the tab welded to the receiving groove.

[0026] In the present invention, first, the active material layer in the region of the electrode plate where the groove is to be formed is thinned using a laser method, and then the thinned active material layer is removed. That is, in the present invention, the groove forming process is divided into two steps, the first step being thinning and the second step being removal. The thinning can be performed quickly and accurately using a laser method to thin the active material layer, that is, to ensure processing accuracy. Since heat is generated during the operation process using the laser method, the oxidation of the current collector layer due to heat can be avoided by simply performing the thinning process using the laser method, and the product yield can be improved.

[0027] After the thinning treatment by the laser method, a very thin active material layer remains, which protects the current collector layer and can prevent the current collector layer from being oxidized by heat. In addition, the very thin active material layer can be removed by a physical removal method, and since the active material layer is very thin, when the physical removal method is used to remove the active material layer, the remaining active material layer can be removed quickly, and the physical removal method is gentle and does not damage the current collector layer.

[0028] As described above, the present invention uses a method that combines a laser method and a physical removal method, which, on the one hand, makes it possible to quickly remove the active material layer in the groove formation target area, and, on the other hand, makes it possible to avoid damage to the current collector layer, thereby improving processing accuracy, shortening takt time, and improving product yield.

[0029] Furthermore, the step of removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method may be specifically carried out in the following two ways.

[0030] In the first method, the thinned active material layer is removed by any one of the brushing removal method, scraping method, wiping method, and adhesive removal method. Specifically, the brushing removal method is to brush and remove the thinned active material layer using a brush, the scraping method is to scrape off the thinned active material layer using a scraper, the wiping method is to adsorb and wipe off the thinned active material layer using a dust-free cloth, and the adhesive removal method is to adhesively remove the thinned active material layer using an adhesive tape. By removing the thinned active material layer in one go, the tact time is further shortened. In addition, whichever of the above physical removal methods is used, the thinned active material layer can be gently and quickly removed, and damage to the current collector layer can be avoided.

[0031] In the second method, the thinned active material layer is subjected to a first removal by any one of a brushing removal method, a scraping method, and a wiping method. After the thinned active material layer is subjected to a first removal, the thinned active material layer is subjected to a second removal by an adhesive removal method.

[0032] Specifically, in the first removal, the brushing removal method is to use a brush to brush and remove the thinned active material layer, the scraping method is to use a scraper to scrape off the thinned active material layer, and the wiping method is to use a dust-free cloth to adsorb and wipe off the thinned active material layer. In the second removal, the adhesive removal method is to use an adhesive tape to adhesively remove the thinned active material layer.

[0033] That is, in the second method, after the first removal, it is necessary to use adhesive tape to remove the active material layer once more. This allows the remaining active material layer to be thoroughly and cleanly removed, preventing the remaining active material layer from affecting the welding of the tabs and ensuring product yield. Adhesive tape allows the active material layer to be thoroughly and cleanly removed by adhering particles of the active material layer remaining on a brush, scraper, or dust-free cloth to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape.

[0034] In addition, as described above, after the active material layer is thinned, the value range of the thickness H of the active material layer is 30 μm≧H≧1 μm. In other words, after the active material layer is thinned, the thickness can be basically controlled to be between 1 μm and 30 μm. At this time, the active material layer can be easily removed using a physical removal method, and the difficulty of removal is reduced and the removal speed is accelerated, thereby shortening the tact time. EXAMPLES

[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, the method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps S1 to S4.

[0036] In step S1, the electrode plate is moved so as to move the active material layer to a thinning station.

[0037] In step S2, the active material layer located in the region of the electrode plate where the grooves are to be formed is thinned by a laser method.

[0038] In step S3, the plate is moved so as to move the active material layer from the thinning station to a removal station.

[0039] In step S4, the thinned active material layer is removed by a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed.

[0040] Steps S2 and S4 are the same as steps S1 and S2 in the first embodiment, respectively, and therefore will not be described.

[0041] Steps S1 and S3 can be performed using a conveyor belt; specifically, the electrode plate to be grooved is placed on the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is started to transport the electrode plate, and is stopped until the area of ​​the electrode plate to be grooved is moved to a thinning station, where a laser device is used to thin the active material layer in the area to be grooved.

[0042] After the thinning process is complete, the conveyor belt continues to transport the plates and stops to move the thinned active material layer to a removal station where a removal tool can then be utilized to remove the active material layer.

[0043] As can be seen from the above, by setting an automatic movement flow, it is possible to further shorten the takt time and reduce the number of manufacturing steps. EXAMPLES

[0044] Referring to FIG. 3, the groove forming apparatus for the electrode plate 10 according to the embodiment of the present application includes a laser device 20 and a removal tool.

[0045] The laser device 20 thins the active material layer located in the groove formation target region 11 of the electrode plate 10 by a laser method. After the active material layer is thinned, the thickness H of the active material layer is in the range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

[0046] The removal tool removes the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method to form the receiving groove 12 in which the current collector layer is exposed.

[0047] In this embodiment, a method of combining a laser device 20 and a removal tool is used to remove the active material layer in the groove formation target region 11 of the electrode plate 10. First, the active material layer is thinned using the laser device 20, and then the thinned active material layer is removed by the removal tool. On the one hand, it is possible to prevent the heat generated by the laser device 20 from oxidizing the current collector layer, and on the other hand, it is possible to accelerate the speed of removing the active material layer and shorten the tact time.

[0048] Furthermore, the removal tool can remove the thinned active material layer in the following two ways: Specifically, the removal tool can be any one of the following: a brush 30, a dust-free cloth, a scraper, or an adhesive tape.

[0049] In the first method, the thinned active material layer is removed by a brushing removal method using the brush 30. Alternatively, the thinned active material layer is removed by a wiping method using a dust-free cloth. Alternatively, the thinned active material layer is removed by a scraping method using a scraper. Alternatively, the thinned active material layer is removed by an adhesive tape removal method. By removing the thinned active material layer in one go, the tact time can be further shortened.

[0050] In the second method, the thinned active material layer is removed in two steps.

[0051] In the first removal, the thinned active material layer is removed by a brushing method using the brush 30. Alternatively, the thinned active material layer is removed by a wiping method using a dust-free cloth. Alternatively, the thinned active material layer is removed by a scraping method using a scraper.

[0052] In the second removal, after the first removal has been performed on the thinned active material layer, the thinned active material layer is removed by an adhesive removal method using an adhesive tape.

[0053] In the second method, after the first removal, it is necessary to use adhesive tape to remove the active material layer again. This allows the remaining active material layer to be thoroughly and cleanly removed, preventing the remaining active material layer from affecting the welding of the tabs and ensuring product yield. The adhesive tape allows the active material layer to be thoroughly and cleanly removed by adhering particles of the active material layer remaining on the brush 30, scraper or dust-free cloth to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape.

[0054] Furthermore, the groove forming device for the electrode plate 10 further includes a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt moves the active material layer to a thinning station, and moves the electrode plate 10 so as to move the active material layer from the thinning station to a removal station. The conveyor belt realizes automation of the movement of the electrode plate 10, thereby further shortening the tact time.

[0055] The above describes the embodiments of the present application in detail, and the principles and embodiments of the present application are explained using specific examples in this specification. However, the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core ideas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Plate 11 Groove formation target area 12 Storage Groove 20 Laser Equipment 30 Brushes

Claims

1. A method for forming grooves in an electrode plate including a current collector layer and an active material layer attached to the current collector layer, comprising the steps of: A step of thinning an active material layer located in a groove formation target area of ​​an electrode plate by a laser method; removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed; 13. A method for forming grooves in an electrode plate, comprising the steps of: thinning an active material layer; and forming a thickness H of the active material layer in a range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

2. The step of removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method includes:

2. The method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to claim 1, further comprising the step of removing the thinned active material layer by any one of a brushing method, a scraping method, a wiping method, and a sticking removal method.

3. The step of removing the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method includes: performing a first removal step on the thinned active material layer by any one of a brushing removal method, a scraping method, and a wiping method; 2. The method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: removing the active material layer that has been thinned a second time by the adhesion removing method.

4. 4. The method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the brushing removal method is a method of sweeping out the thinned active material layer using a brush, the scraping method is a method of scraping off the thinned active material layer using a scraper, the wiping method is a method of wiping off the thinned active material layer using a dust-free cloth, and the adhesion removal method is a method of removing the thinned active material layer using an adhesive tape.

5. Before the active material layer is thinned by the laser method, further comprising the step of moving the plate to move the active material layer to a thinning station; After the active material layer is thinned by a laser method and before the thinned active material layer is removed by a physical removal method, 4. The method for forming grooves in an electrode plate according to claim 1, further comprising the step of moving the electrode plate so as to move the active material layer from a thinning station to a removal station.

6. a laser device and a removal tool; The laser device thins the active material layer located in the groove formation target area of ​​the electrode plate by a laser method, the removal tool removes the thinned active material layer by a physical removal method to form a receiving groove in which the current collector layer is exposed; 1. A groove forming device for an electrode plate, wherein after the active material layer is thinned, the thickness H of the active material layer is in the range of 30 μm≧H≧1 μm.

7. The removal tool includes any one of a brush, a dust-free cloth, a scraper, and an adhesive tape; The electrode plate groove forming device according to claim 6, characterized in that the brush, dust-free cloth, scraper or adhesive tape removes the thinned active material layer by a brushing removal method, a wiping method, a scraping method or an adhesive removal method, respectively.

8. The removal tool includes any one of a brush, a dust-free cloth, a scraper, and an adhesive tape; The brush, the dust-free cloth, or the scraper is used to perform a first removal of the thinned active material layer by a brushing removal method, a wiping method, or a scraping method, respectively; 7. The electrode plate groove forming device according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive tape is removed a second time by the adhesive removing method from the active material layer that has been subjected to the thinning treatment.

9. 9. The electrode plate groove forming device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the brushing removal method is a method of sweeping out the thinned active material layer using a brush, the scraping method is a method of scraping off the thinned active material layer using a scraper, the wiping method is a method of wiping off the thinned active material layer using a dust-free cloth, and the adhesion removal method is a method of removing the thinned active material layer using an adhesive tape.

10. Further comprising a conveyor belt, The electrode plate groove forming device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the conveyor belt moves the electrode plate so as to move the active material layer to a thinning treatment station and then move the active material layer from the thinning treatment station to a removal station.

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