Lamination device and method for manufacturing unit cell

Abstract

The present invention discloses a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell. The lamination apparatus of the present invention includes a vision unit disposed downstream of a final cutter unit and capturing an image of a unit cell; and a control unit that calculates a brightness value of the captured image received by the vision unit and controls a pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit according to the calculated brightness value.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0049366 filed on April 21, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell, and more particularly to a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell, which can prevent damage to a separator and reduce the defective rate of the unit cells. [Background technology]

[0003] Typically, a secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, and generates electrical energy through a chemical reaction. Secondary batteries are gradually becoming more widely used due to their rechargeable / dischargeable nature. Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries, due to their high energy density per unit weight, are widely used as power sources for electronic communication devices and as driving sources for high-power hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like.

[0004] In terms of the shape of these secondary batteries, there is increasing demand for prismatic and pouch-type secondary batteries, which are thin and applicable to products such as mobile phones, etc. In terms of secondary battery materials, there is increasing demand for lithium secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion polymer batteries, which have high energy density, stable discharge voltage, and output.

[0005] The electrode sheet is fed to a notching module, which forms electrode tabs at uniform intervals on one side of the electrode sheet in the width direction. The electrode sheet with the electrode tabs formed thereon is then rewound by a rewinder.

[0006] Korean Patent Publication No. 2328527 discloses a lamination device. The lamination device receives an electrode sheet wound around two electrode rolls and a separation membrane sheet wound around two separation membrane rolls. A first cutter cuts the first electrode sheet to form a first electrode, which is then laminated between a pair of separation membrane sheets. A second cutter cuts the second electrode sheet to form a second electrode, which is then laminated on an upper separation membrane sheet. The second electrodes are laminated in a one-to-one correspondence with the first electrodes on the upper separation membrane sheet.

[0007] The electrode stack, in which the cut first and second electrodes are stacked on the separator sheet, is fed to the laminator's heater unit and laminator roller. The heater unit heats the electrode stack, and the laminator roller presses the electrode stack to align it. Next, a third cutter unit installed downstream of the laminator roller cuts the separator sheet between adjacent pairs of electrodes to form a monocell. A vision device is installed downstream of the laminator to inspect the monocell. The vision device inspects for changes in the position of the electrodes attached to the separator and for electrode misalignment.

[0008] However, in the above-described lamination device, the lamination roller always applies the same pressure to the electrode stack, and the top electrode of the electrode stack is laminated with a step between the separator sheet and the electrode. As a result, the edge of the electrode is subjected to impact every time it comes into contact with the lamination roller. Furthermore, as the transport speed of the electrode stack increases to improve the productivity of secondary batteries, the impact on the edge of the electrode may become even greater. Damage may occur in the separator sheet portion corresponding to the edge of the electrode or its surroundings due to excessive impact. This may increase the defect rate of monocells.

[0009] Furthermore, if the thickness of the electrodes in the electrode stack increases, the difference in height between the electrodes and the separator sheet increases, and the amount of impact between the lamination roller and the electrodes may become even greater. Furthermore, if the thickness of the separator sheet in the electrode stack decreases, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet may increase even if the same impact force is applied to the electrodes. In such cases, the defect rate of mono-cells may also increase.

[0010] In addition, the electrodes stacked on the electrode laminate may have different thicknesses due to processing errors of the current collectors, coating errors of the active material, lamination errors between the electrodes and the separator sheet, etc. However, in existing lamination devices, since the lamination roller presses the electrode laminate with a constant pressure, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet increases when electrodes of different thicknesses are pressed against the lamination roller.

[0011] In addition, since the vision device only inspects for defects in mono-cells, it is difficult to determine whether the separator sheet is damaged during lamination of the electrode stack. Furthermore, since the cause of the defect is investigated in the lamination device after the separator sheet is damaged for a certain period of time, the defect rate of mono-cells is inevitably increased. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell that can prevent damage to a separator and reduce the defective rate of the unit cell.

[0013] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell that can correct the pressure of a lamination roller unit in real time according to the brightness value of an image captured by a vision unit.

[0014] The present invention provides a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell that can prevent a separator sheet from being damaged or excessively pressed in real time while an electrode stack is being laminated.

[0015] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell that can significantly reduce the impact between electrodes having different thicknesses and a lamination roller portion in an electrode laminate.

[0016] An object of the present invention is to provide a lamination apparatus and a method for manufacturing a unit cell that can significantly reduce the possibility of damage to a separator by absorbing impacts on the separator even when the thickness of the separator in the unit cell is reduced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the lamination apparatus of the present invention includes a vision unit disposed downstream of the final cutter unit and capturing an image of a unit cell; and a control unit that calculates a brightness value of the captured image received by the vision unit and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit according to the calculated brightness value.

[0018] The vision unit may be disposed below the unit cell so as to photograph the unit cell.

[0019] The control unit may calculate a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion of the separation film contacting an edge portion of the electrode in the captured image.

[0020] The control unit can be configured to preset an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value.

[0021] When the control unit determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit can control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit.

[0022] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit cell in real time, and the control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time.

[0023] The control unit can correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on the largest pressure among the pressures with which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

[0024] The control unit may include a vision control unit that receives an image captured by the vision unit; and an automatic control unit that calculates the calculated brightness value by calculating the image received by the vision control unit, and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit when it determines that the calculated brightness value is outside a predetermined allowable brightness range.

[0025] The control unit can be configured to preset an initial pressure value for the pressure adjustment unit.

[0026] The lamination roller unit may include an upper lamination roller and a lower lamination roller.

[0027] The lower lamination roller may be fixed to the lower side of the separation membrane sheet, and the pressure adjusting unit may be connected to the upper lamination roller so as to raise and lower the upper lamination roller.

[0028] The lamination device may further include an alarm unit that generates an alarm sound when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit.

[0029] The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to the present invention includes a lamination step, a cutting step, and a pressure compensation step.

[0030] In the lamination step, the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate to laminate the separator sheet and the electrodes.

[0031] In the cutting step, a final cutter cuts the electrode stack to form unit cells.

[0032] In the photographing step, a vision unit photographs an image of the unit cell.

[0033] In the pressure correction step, the control unit calculates a brightness value by operating the photographed image received by the vision unit, and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit to the calculated brightness value.

[0034] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit cell below the unit cell.

[0035] The control unit may calculate a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion of the separator that contacts an edge portion of an electrode of the unit cell in the captured image.

[0036] The control unit can be configured to preset an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value.

[0037] When the control unit determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit can control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit.

[0038] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit cell in real time, and the control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time.

[0039] The control unit can correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on the largest pressure among the pressures with which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

[0040] The control unit can be configured to preset an initial pressure value for the pressure adjustment unit.

[0041] The pressure adjusting unit can adjust the pressure by raising and lowering the upper lamination roller of the lamination roller unit.

[0042] The method for manufacturing the unit cell may further include the step of: generating an alarm sound from an alarm unit when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0043] According to the present invention, the pressure of the lamination roller unit is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image captured by the vision unit, so that the separator sheet can be prevented from being damaged or being pressed excessively in real time while the electrode stack is being laminated, thereby significantly reducing the defect rate of unit cells.

[0044] According to the present invention, the pressure of the lamination roller part is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the photographed image of the unit cell, thereby significantly mitigating the impact between the lamination roller part and electrodes having different thicknesses in the electrode stack, thereby minimizing damage to the separator sheet and reducing the defective rate of the unit cells.

[0045] According to the present invention, the pressure of the lamination roller unit is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image captured by the vision unit, so that even if the thickness of the separation membrane in the unit cell is reduced, the impact applied to the separation membrane can be mitigated, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of damage to the separation membrane.

[0046] According to the present invention, the thickness of the electrode can be increased by the thickness of the separator in a unit cell of the same thickness, and further, the battery capacity of a battery package in which unit cells are stacked can be significantly increased.

[0047] According to the present invention, even after the pressure of the lamination roller portion is automatically corrected, if it is determined that the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range for a certain number of times or more (within a certain period of time), the alarm portion can generate a warning signal.

[0048] The above-mentioned effects and specific effects of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a lamination apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a vision unit and a control unit of a lamination apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 4 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which an electrode laminate is pressed by a lamination roller unit in a lamination apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 3 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a separator sheet in a cut unit cell of an electrode stack according to the present invention is formed to have a thickness thinner than that of a conventional separator; [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a vision unit captures an image of a unit cell according to the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an automatic control unit constituting a control unit according to the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating an image of a unit cell captured by a vision unit according to the present invention; [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which a damaged portion occurs in the second separator in the unit cell of FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a pressed mark is formed at an edge of a separator in a photographed image of a unit cell according to the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for manufacturing a unit cell according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be embodied in various different forms and with various modifications. However, the present embodiments are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and should be understood to include any modifications, equivalents, or alternatives within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, as well as the substitution or addition of the configuration of any embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment.

[0052] The accompanying drawings are intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical ideas disclosed in this specification, but should be understood to include any modifications, equivalents, or alternatives that fall within the ideas and technical scope of the present invention. The components in the drawings may be exaggerated in size or thickness for ease of understanding, but this should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] The terms used in this specification are merely used to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, singular terms include plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms such as "comprises," "includes," and "comprises" in the specification are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. In other words, terms such as "comprises," "includes," and "comprises" in the specification should not be understood to preclude the presence or possibility of adding one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0054] Although terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, the components are not limited by the terms and are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0055] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components between them. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between them.

[0056] When a component is referred to as being "on top of" or "under" another component, it should be understood that there may be other components between them, not just directly on top of them.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms commonly used and similar to dictionary definitions should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense in this application unless expressly defined.

[0058] A lamination device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0059] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a lamination apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a vision unit and a control unit of the lamination apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrode laminate being pressed by a lamination roller unit in the lamination apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a separator sheet in a cut unit cell in an electrode laminate according to the present invention being formed to be thinner than a conventional separator, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a vision unit taking an image (IM) of a unit cell according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a programmable logic controller (PLC) constituting a control unit according to the present invention, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an image (IM) of a unit cell taken by the vision unit according to the present invention, Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a damaged portion in the second separator in the unit cell of Figure 7, and Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing a pressed mark formed at the edge of the separator in the image (IM) of a unit cell according to the present invention.

[0060] 1 to 7, in a lamination apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a vision unit 170 captures an image (IM) of a unit cell 10, and a control unit 180 calculates a brightness value of the captured image (IM) and adjusts the pressure of a lamination roller unit 153. Adjusting the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 reduces the impact between the lamination roller unit 153 and the electrodes 11 and 12 attached to the electrode stack 102, thereby preventing damage to the separator sheet 131 or the electrodes 11 and 12 due to the impact of the lamination roller unit 153. Furthermore, because the control unit 180 adjusts the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 in real time and the vision unit 170 checks whether or not a unit cell 10 is defective in real time, the defect rate of unit cells 10 in the lamination apparatus 100 can be significantly reduced.

[0061] The unit cell 10 may be a mono-cell, a bi-cell, or a full cell.

[0062] A mono-cell refers to a cell having a structure in which a separator 13 is disposed on one outermost surface and an electrode is disposed on the other outermost surface. For example, a mono-cell may be formed by stacking a first separator 13a, a first electrode 11, a second separator 13b, and a second electrode 12. A mono-cell may also be formed by three or more electrodes and three or more separators 13 interposed between the electrodes.

[0063] A bicell is a cell having an outermost electrode with the same polarity on both sides. A bicell may be formed by stacking a first electrode 11, a first separator 13a, a second electrode 12, a second separator 13b, and another first electrode 11. A monocell may have five or more odd-numbered electrodes and three or more separators 13 stacked between the electrodes.

[0064] A full cell is a cell having opposite polarity electrodes on both outermost surfaces. A full cell may be formed by stacking a first electrode 11, a first separator 13a, and a second electrode 12. A mono cell may be formed by stacking four or more even-numbered electrodes and three or more separators 13 between the electrodes.

[0065] The lamination apparatus 100 of the present invention can manufacture any of mono-cells, bi-cells, and full-cells, and the number of electrode rolls 110, 120 and separator rolls 130 can be changed depending on the type of unit cell 10. Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a lamination apparatus 100 for manufacturing a mono-cell.

[0066] The lamination device 100 includes a first electrode roll 110 around which a first electrode sheet 111 is wound. The first electrode sheet 111 is unwound from the first electrode roll 110 and fed to a pinch roller 133. One or both sides of the first electrode sheet 111 are coated with an active material.

[0067] The lamination device 100 includes a second electrode roll 120 around which a second electrode sheet 121 is wound. The second electrode sheet 121 is unwound from the second electrode roll 120 and supplied to the lamination unit 150. One or both sides of the second electrode sheet 121 are coated with an active material.

[0068] The first electrode sheet 111 may be a negative electrode sheet coated with a negative electrode active material, and the second electrode sheet 121 may be a positive electrode sheet coated with a positive electrode active material. Alternatively, the first electrode sheet 111 may be a positive electrode sheet coated with a positive electrode active material, and the second electrode sheet 121 may be a negative electrode sheet coated with a negative electrode active material.

[0069] The lamination device 100 includes a plurality of separation membrane rolls 130 around which separation membrane sheets 131 are wound. The plurality of separation membrane rolls 130 can include a first separation membrane roll 130a around which a first separation membrane sheet 131a is wound, and a second separation membrane roll 130b around which a second separation membrane sheet 131b is wound.

[0070] A pinch roller 133 is installed between the first separation membrane roll 130a and the second separation membrane roll 130b so that the first separation membrane sheet 131a and the second separation membrane sheet 131b overlap. A first cutter unit 141 is installed between the first electrode roll 110 and the pinch roller 133. The first cutter unit 141 cuts the first electrode sheet 111 unwound from the first electrode roll 110 to form the first electrode 11. The first electrode 11 is stacked at regular intervals between the first separation membrane sheet 131a and the second separation membrane sheet 131b. The pinch roller 133 applies pressure toward the first electrode 11 so that the first separation membrane sheet 131a and the second separation membrane sheet 131b are stacked. At least two pinch rollers 133 can be installed as long as they apply pressure to stack the first separation membrane sheet 131a and the second separation membrane sheet 131b. The pinch rollers 133 are configured to change the transport direction of the separation membrane sheet 131, and the number of pinch rollers 133 can be changed depending on the number of separation membrane rolls 130 installed.

[0071] The separator membrane sheets 131 are laminated on both sides of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row. For example, the first separator membrane sheet 131a is laminated on one side of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row, and the second separator membrane sheet 131b is laminated on the other side of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row.

[0072] A second cutter unit 143 is disposed on the inlet side of the second electrode 12 in the lamination unit 150. The second cutter unit 143 cuts the second electrode sheet 121 unwound from the second electrode roll 120 and places the cut piece on the upper surface of the second separation membrane sheet 131b. As a result, the electrode stack 102 has a structure in which a plurality of first electrodes 11 are arranged between the first separation membrane sheet 131a and the second separation membrane sheet 131b, and a plurality of second electrodes 12 are arranged on the upper surface of the second separation membrane sheet 131b.

[0073] 1, the electrode stack 102 may include one first electrode sheet 111, one second electrode sheet 121, and two separator membrane sheets 131 stacked together. Alternatively, the electrode stack 102 may include two or more first electrode sheets 111, two or more second electrode sheets 121, and four or more separator membrane sheets 131 stacked together. The number of electrode sheets 111, 121, and separator membrane sheets 131 stacked together may vary.

[0074] In the present invention, the positive electrode active material coated on the first electrode sheet 111 and the negative electrode active material coated on the second electrode sheet 121 may be any active material known in the art.

[0075] The positive electrode active material is a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; 1+x Mn 2xLithium manganese oxides (LiMnO2), such as LiMnO4 (where x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3, and LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides, such as LiV3O8, LiFe3O4, V2O5, and Cu2V2O7; and the chemical formula LiNi 1-x M x O2 (where M=Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, or Ga, and x=0.01 to 0.3); 2-x M x The main component may be a lithium intercalation material, such as lithium manganese composite oxides expressed as LiMnO2 (where M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn, or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (where M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn); LiMn2O4, in which a portion of the lithium in the chemical formula is substituted with alkaline earth metal ions; disulfide compounds; Fe2(MoO4)3, or composite oxides formed by combinations of these. Positive electrode active materials include, but are not limited to, the types described above.

[0076] The positive electrode current collector has a thickness of, for example, 3 to 500 μm. There are no particular limitations on the positive electrode current collector, as long as it does not cause chemical changes in the battery and is conductive. For example, the positive electrode current collector can be made of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, plastic carbon, or aluminum or stainless steel whose surface has been treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, or the like. The electrode current collector can also have fine irregularities formed on its surface to increase the adhesive strength of the positive electrode active material. These electrode current collectors can be in various forms, such as films, sheets, foils, nets, porous bodies, foams, and nonwoven fabrics.

[0077] A conductive material can be further mixed with the positive electrode active material particles. The conductive material is added, for example, in an amount of 1 to 50 wt % based on the total weight of the mixture containing the positive electrode active material. There are no particular limitations on the conductive material, as long as it does not cause chemical changes in the battery and has high conductivity. Examples of conductive materials that can be used include graphites such as natural graphite and artificial graphite; carbon blacks such as carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and summer black; conductive fibers such as carbon fibers and metal fibers; metal powders such as carbon fluoride, aluminum, and nickel powder; conductive whiskers such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; conductive oxides such as titanium oxide; and conductive materials such as polyphenylene derivatives.

[0078] The negative electrode sheet is prepared by coating negative electrode active material particles on a negative electrode current collector and drying the coated negative electrode active material particles. If necessary, the negative electrode sheet may further contain components such as the conductive material, binder, and solvent.

[0079] The negative electrode current collector has a thickness of, for example, 3 to 500 μm. There are no particular limitations on the negative electrode current collector, so long as it does not cause chemical changes in the battery and is conductive. For example, the negative electrode current collector can be made of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, plastic carbon, copper or stainless steel surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, or an aluminum-cadmium alloy. Similarly to the positive electrode current collector, fine irregularities can be formed on the surface to strengthen the binding force of the negative electrode active material, and the negative electrode current collector can be used in various forms, such as a film, sheet, foil, net, porous material, foam, or nonwoven fabric.

[0080] The negative electrode active material may be, for example, carbon such as non-graphitizable carbon or graphite-based carbon; Li x Fe2O3(0≦x≦1), Li x WO2(0≦x≦1), Sn x Me 1-x Me'yO zMetal composite oxides of (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me': Al, B, P, Si, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 elements of the periodic table, halogen; 0 < x ≤ 1; 1 ≤ y ≤ 3; 1 ≤ z ≤ 8); lithium metal; lithium alloy; silicon-based alloy; tin-based alloy; oxides such as SnO, SnO2, PbO, PbO2, Pb2O3, Pb3O4, Sb2O3, Sb2O4, Sb2O5, GeO, GeO2, Bi2O3, Bi2O4, Bi2O5; conductive polymers such as polyacetylene; Li-Co-Ni-based materials, etc. can be used.

[0081] The binder polymer usable in the electrode sheets 11 and 12 is a component that helps bind the electrode active material particles with the conductive material and the like and to the electrode current collector, and is added in an amount of, for example, 1 to 50 wt % based on the total weight of the mixture including the electrode active material. Examples of these binder polymers include polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-trichloroethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polybutylacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylacetate, ethylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide, polyarylate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and cellulose acetate propionate. The binder polymer may be any one selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate ester ...

[0082] Non-limiting examples of solvents used in the manufacture of the electrode include acetone, tetrahydrofuran, methylene chloride, chloroform, dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), cyclohexane, water, or mixtures thereof. These solvents provide an appropriate level of viscosity so that a slurry coating layer can be formed at a desired level on the surface of the electrode current collector.

[0083] The separator 13 includes a porous polymer substrate and porous coating layers disposed on both sides of the porous polymer substrate, the coating layers including inorganic particles and a binder polymer.

[0084] The porous polymer substrate may be a polyolefin-based porous substrate.

[0085] The polyolefin porous substrate may be in the form of a film or a non-woven web. The porous structure facilitates the movement of the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes. The porous structure also increases the electrolyte impregnation of the substrate itself, ensuring excellent ionic conductivity and preventing an increase in the internal resistance of the electrochemical device, thereby preventing a decrease in the performance of the electrochemical device.

[0086] The polyolefin porous substrate used in the present invention can be any planar porous substrate that is commonly used in electrochemical elements, and its material and shape can be selected from a variety of options depending on the purpose.

[0087] The polyolefin porous substrate may be, but is not limited to, a film or nonwoven web formed from high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture of two or more of these.

[0088] When using a separator 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention, porous coating layers are provided on both sides of a porous polymer substrate, which improves electrolyte impregnation and allows for the formation of a uniform solid electrolyte interfacial layer, thereby ensuring superior air permeability compared to conventional cross-section inorganic-coated separators 13. For example, the air permeability may be within 120 s / 100 cc. Furthermore, even when inorganic porous coating layers are provided on both sides, the thickness can be the same as that of conventional cross-section inorganic-coated separators.

[0089] Furthermore, when the separator 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, the stability of the separator 13 is improved, and heat resistance and compression resistance can be ensured. Specifically, heat resistance characteristics with thermal shrinkage of 5% or less at 180°C can be ensured, and a puncture strength of 550 gf or more can be ensured. When core deformation occurs during cycles of a secondary battery using such a separator 13, damage or penetration of the separator 13 at the stepped portion can be prevented.

[0090] The lamination unit 150 includes a heater unit 151 , a lamination roller unit 153 , and a pressure adjustment unit 155 .

[0091] The heater units 151 heat the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12. The heater units 151 are disposed on both sides of the separator sheet 131 so as to heat the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12 on both sides. The heater units 151 are disposed on both sides of the first electrode sheet 111 at a distance from the separator sheet 131. The heater units 151 may be formed to be longer than the width of the separator sheet 131 so as to heat the electrodes 11 and 12 and the separator sheet 131 uniformly throughout.

[0092] The lamination roller unit 153 presses the separation membrane sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12. The lamination roller unit 153 includes an upper lamination roller 153a and a lower lamination roller 153b disposed on both sides of the separation membrane sheet 131 so as to press the separation membrane sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12 from both sides.

[0093] The pressure adjusting unit 155 is connected to the laminating roller unit 153 so as to adjust the pressure applied by the laminating roller unit 153 to the electrode stack 102. The laminating roller unit 153 may be formed to be longer than the width of the separator sheet 131 so as to apply uniform pressure to the first electrode sheet 111 and the separator sheet 131 as a whole.

[0094] The lower lamination roller 153b is fixed to the lower side of the separation membrane sheet 131, and the upper lamination roller 153a is installed above the separation membrane sheet 131 so as to be movable up and down. The pressure adjustment unit 155 is connected to the upper lamination roller 153a so as to raise and lower the upper lamination roller 153a. In this case, the pressure adjustment unit 155 can adjust the pressure by raising and lowering the upper lamination roller 153a of the lamination roller unit 153. When the pressure adjustment unit 155 adjusts the pressure, the lower lamination roller 153b remains fixed.

[0095] Of course, the pressure adjusting unit 155 can be connected to the upper lamination roller 153a and the lower lamination roller 153b, respectively, to raise and lower the upper lamination roller 153a and the lower lamination roller 153b, respectively.

[0096] The pressure adjusting section 155 includes a cylinder section (not shown) and a regulator (not shown).

[0097] The cylinder portion is connected to the lamination roller portion 153. When a fluid is supplied to the cylinder portion, the pressure in the lamination roller portion 153 increases, and the pressure in the lamination roller portion 153 decreases as the fluid in the cylinder portion is discharged.

[0098] The regulator adjusts the pressure of the cylinder unit by receiving a control signal from the control unit 180. The regulator adjusts the pressure of the cylinder unit by adjusting the amount of fluid supplied to or discharged from the cylinder. By adjusting the pressure of the cylinder unit, the lamination roller unit 153 can correct the pressure applied to the electrode stack 102.

[0099] An initial pressure value for the pressure adjusting unit 155 is preset in the control unit 180. The initial pressure value can be changed in various ways in consideration of the thickness and size of the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102, the transport speed of the electrode stack 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, etc.

[0100] For example, the initial pressure value can be increased as the thickness and width of the electrode stack 102 increase. Furthermore, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102 increases, the step between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases. Therefore, the initial pressure value of the pressure adjuster 155 can be relatively reduced to reduce the impact between the lamination roller unit 153 and the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12. Furthermore, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102 decreases, the possibility of the separator sheet 131 being damaged even by a relatively weak impact increases. Therefore, the initial pressure value of the pressure adjuster 155 can be relatively reduced to minimize the damage to the separator sheet 131. Even if the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 remains the same, the possibility of the separator sheet 131 being damaged increases as the transport speed of the electrode stack 102 increases. Therefore, the initial pressure value of the pressure adjuster 155 can be relatively reduced to minimize the damage to the separator sheet 131.

[0101] Furthermore, an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value is preset in the control unit 180. When the control unit 180 determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, it controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153. The brightness value described above is a numerical representation of the degree to which the brightness of the separation membrane sheet photographed by the vision unit 170 (described later) is dark or light. The higher these brightness values, the brighter the brightness of the photographed image (IM), and the lower the brightness value, the darker the brightness of the photographed image (IM).

[0102] In this case, the allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value can be varied in various ways, taking into consideration the thickness and size of the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102, the transport speed of the electrode stack 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, etc.

[0103] When the electrode stack 102 is initially supplied to the lamination unit 150, the pressure adjusting unit 155 applies pressure to the electrode stack 102 at an initial pressure value preset in the control unit 180. Then, the image (IM) of the unit cell 10 in the vision unit 170 is read, and if the brightness value of the unit cell 10 falls outside the allowable brightness range preset in the control unit 180, the pressure adjusting unit 155 corrects the pressure value in real time.

[0104] The final cutter unit 160 is disposed downstream of the lamination roller unit 153. The final cutter unit 160 cuts the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes to form unit cells 10. At this time, the final cutter unit 160 cuts the portion of the separator sheet 131 between two adjacent electrodes.

[0105] The vision unit 170 is disposed downstream of the final cutter unit 160 and takes an image (IM) of the unit cell 10. The vision unit 170 irradiates light onto the unit cell 10 cut by the final cutter unit 160, measures the light reflected by the unit cell 10, and takes an image (IM) of the unit cell 10.

[0106] The control unit 180 calculates a brightness value of the captured image (IM) received by the vision unit 170. For example, the control unit 180 calculates a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion (P: see FIGS. 3 and 5) of the separation membrane that contacts the edge portion (E) of the electrodes 111 and 12 in the captured image (IM). Then, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 according to the calculated brightness value.

[0107] The above-mentioned correction of the pressure of the lamination roller portion 153 will be described in detail below.

[0108] When the electrode laminate 102 is supplied to the lamination unit 150, the lamination roller unit 153 rotates to press the electrode laminate 102. At this time, when the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12, the electrode laminate 102 is pressed relatively strongly (see FIG. 3(a)). When the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned between two adjacent second electrodes 12, the electrode laminate 102 is pressed relatively weakly (see FIG. 3(b)).

[0109] However, because the second electrode 12 is stacked with the second separator sheet 131b with a step therebetween, an impact is applied to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 each time the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 comes into contact with the upper lamination roller 153a. Furthermore, the faster the electrode stack 102 is fed to the lamination roller unit 153 to increase the productivity of secondary batteries, the greater the impact applied to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 may become. At this time, because the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b are made of a porous material that allows ions to pass through, the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 is pressed downward by the impact, and the second separator sheet 131a and the first separator sheet 131a are pressed in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the portion (P) of the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131 corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 and the surrounding area may have marks or damaged areas caused by excessive impact.

[0110] Furthermore, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102 increases, the step between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases, resulting in a greater impact between the lamination roller unit 153 and the second electrode 12. Furthermore, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102 decreases, the possibility of the separator sheet 131 being damaged increases even when the same impact force is applied to the separator sheet 131.

[0111] The electrode stack 102 is cut by the final cutter unit 160 to generate the unit cells 10. The vision unit 170 takes an image (IM) of the unit cells 10 from below the unit cells 10.

[0112] At this time, if there are no pressed marks or damaged portions on the separation membrane 13 of the unit cell 10, the photographed image (IM) of the separation membrane 13 will be displayed as a white or similar color (low brightness). In contrast, if there are pressed marks or damaged portions on the separation membrane 13, the portion (P) corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 and its surrounding area in the photographed image (IM) of the separation membrane 13 will be displayed as a dark color (high brightness). The stronger the force with which the separation membrane 13 is pressed by the second electrode 12, the darker the portion corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 will be displayed as. Figure 9(a) shows an example in which a low-brightness portion (P1) is generated in the photographed image (IM) of the separation membrane 13, and Figure 9(b) shows an example in which a high-brightness portion (P2) is generated in the photographed image (IM) of the separation membrane 13.

[0113] Meanwhile, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the unit cell 10 increases, the separation membrane portion (P) corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 appears darker. Also, as the thickness of the separation membrane 13 decreases, the separation membrane portion (P) corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 appears darker. Also, the greater the degree of damage in the damaged portion, the darker the contrast becomes.

[0114] Since the higher the brightness value, the brighter the brightness, and the lower the brightness value, the darker the brightness, the lower the brightness value, the greater the degree of pressure or damage to the separation membrane sheet 131. Thus, the degree of damage to the separation membrane 13 can be measured using the brightness value of the image (IM) captured by the vision unit 170. Figure 7 shows an example of a captured image (IM) in which minute damaged portions (P) have been formed, and Figure 8 shows a separation membrane in which minute damaged portions (P) have been formed.

[0115] The pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 can be corrected based on the pressure when the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned on the top surface of the second electrode 12. The pressure deviation of the pressure when the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned on the top surface of the second electrode 12 is the smallest compared to the pressure when the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned between two second electrodes 12. As a result, the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 can be accurately corrected by correcting the pressure based on the largest pressure of the pressures that the lamination roller unit 153 applies to the electrode stack 102.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 6, the control unit 180 includes a vision control unit 181 and an automatic control unit 183 (PLC: Programmable Logic Controller).

[0117] The vision control unit 181 receives the image (IM) captured by the vision unit 170. The vision control unit 181 controls the vision unit 170 to irradiate light, and receives the captured image (IM) captured by the vision unit 170. The vision control unit 181 presents a vision computer.

[0118] The automatic control unit 183 calculates the captured image (IM) received by the vision control unit 181 to calculate a calculated brightness value, and if it determines that the calculated brightness value is outside a preset allowable brightness range, it controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153.

[0119] The automatic control unit 183 (PLC) includes an input control unit 184, a data memory unit 185, a processing unit 186, a program memory unit 187, and an output control unit 188. A photographed image (IM) is input to the input control unit 184 via the input unit, and the input control unit 184 transmits the photographed image (IM) to the processing unit 186. The processing unit 186 calculates the photographed image (IM) to derive a calculated brightness value, and if the program determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, it calculates a pressure correction value. Next, the output control unit 188 outputs the pressure correction value to the pressure adjustment unit 155, and the pressure adjustment unit 155 corrects the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 based on the pressure correction value.

[0120] 4, in recent years, in order to increase the charge capacity of a secondary battery of the same size, the thicknesses (t3, t4) of the separator 13 of the unit cell 10 have been made thinner, while the thicknesses of the electrodes 11, 12 have been made thicker. For example, in existing unit cells 10, the separator 13 had a thickness (t1, t2) of about 19 to 20 μm, but in recent years, the separator 13 has a thickness (t3, t4) of about 16 to 14 μm. Therefore, according to the present invention, the thickness (t3, t4) of the separator 13 in a unit cell 10 of the same size can be reduced by about 25%, while the thicknesses of the electrodes 11, 12 can be increased by about 25%.

[0121] The thinner thicknesses (t3, t4) of the separator 13 allow for the use of thicker electrodes 11, 12. The electrodes 11, 12 are formed by applying an active material to a current collector, and the current collector has fine irregularities on its surface to enhance the adhesive strength of the active material. Therefore, the electrodes 11, 12 may have slight height variations in the length and width directions due to the irregularities on the current collector surface and the coating deviation of the active material layer.

[0122] Furthermore, while the electrode stack 102 is being pressed by the lamination roller unit 153 of the lamination device 100, the lamination roller unit 153 may become slightly eccentric due to height deviations of the electrodes 11 and 12. If the trailing electrodes 11 and 12 approach the lamination roller unit 153 while the lamination roller unit 153 is eccentric due to the leading electrodes 11 and 12, the lamination roller unit 153 applies impact to the edge portions E of the electrodes 11 and 12, damaging the portion P of the separator sheet that contacts the edge portions E of the electrodes 11 and 12. If the lamination roller unit 153 continues to press the electrode stack 102 with the same pressure, damaged portions of the separator sheet 131 may occur frequently, increasing the defective rate of the unit cells 10.

[0123] However, in the present invention, a photographed image (IM) of the unit cell 10 is taken in real time, and it is determined whether the brightness value of the photographed image (IM) falls within an allowable brightness range to determine whether the unit cell 10 is defective. Furthermore, if a specific unit cell 10 is determined to be defective, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjusting unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 in real time, thereby significantly reducing the defective rate of the unit cell 10.

[0124] The lamination apparatus 100 further includes an alarm unit 190 that generates a warning signal when it determines that the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range a certain number of times (within a certain period of time) even after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153. In this case, if the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range for a certain period of time after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153, the alarm unit 190 may generate a warning sound. When the alarm unit 190 generates a warning sound, the manufacturing process of the lamination apparatus 100 may be manually or automatically interrupted.

[0125] As described above, in the present invention, the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 is adjusted in real time according to the brightness value of the image (IM) captured by the vision unit 180, thereby preventing the separator sheet 131 from being damaged or being pressed excessively in real time while the electrode stack 102 is being laminated. This significantly reduces the defect rate of the unit cells 10.

[0126] In addition, the electrodes 11 and 12 stacked on the electrode stack 102 may have different thicknesses due to processing errors of the current collectors, coating errors of the active material, and stacking errors between the electrodes 11 and 12 and the separator sheet 131. However, in the present invention, the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the photographed image (IM) of the unit cell 10, thereby mitigating the impact between the electrodes 11 and 12, which have different thicknesses in the electrode stack 10, and the lamination roller unit 153. This minimizes damage to the separator sheet 131.

[0127] In addition, since the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image (IM) captured by the vision unit 180, even if the thickness (t3, t4) of the separator 13 in the unit cell 10 is reduced, the impact applied to the separator 13 can be mitigated, significantly reducing the possibility of damage to the separator 13. As a result, the thickness of the electrodes 11 and 12 can be increased by the amount that the separator 13 becomes thinner in unit cells 10 of the same thickness. Furthermore, the battery capacity of a battery package in which unit cells 10 are stacked can be significantly increased.

[0128] A method for manufacturing a unit cell using the lamination apparatus of the present invention configured as described above will now be described.

[0129] FIG. 10 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for manufacturing a unit cell according to the present invention.

[0130] 10, the electrode stack 102 is supplied to the lamination unit 150. At this time, the heater unit 151 heats the electrode stack 102, and the lamination roller unit 153 presses the electrode stack 102 to laminate the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12 (S11). An initial pressure value for the pressure adjustment unit 155 is preset in the control unit 180.

[0131] The final cutter unit 160 cuts the electrode stack 102 to form a unit cell 10 (S12). At this time, the final cutter unit 160 cuts the separator sheet 131 between two adjacent electrodes 11 and 12. The unit cell 10 is moved above the vision unit 170.

[0132] The vision unit 170 captures an image (IM) of the unit cell 10 (S13). At this time, the vision unit 170 irradiates light onto the bottom of the unit cell 10 cut by the final cutter unit 160, measures the light reflected from the unit cell 10, and captures an image (IM) of the unit cell 10. The vision unit 170 transmits the captured image (IM) to the control unit 180.

[0133] The control unit 180 calculates a brightness value by operating on the captured image (IM) received from the vision unit 170 (S14). At this time, the control unit 180 calculates a calculated brightness value corresponding to the separation membrane portion (P) that contacts the edge portion (E) of the electrodes 11 and 12 of the unit cell 10 from the calculated image (IM).

[0134] At this time, if the separator membrane sheet 131 of the unit cell 10 is pressed by the lamination roller unit 153 within the allowable range, the photographed image (IM) of the separator membrane sheet 131 is shown as a white or similar color (low brightness). In contrast, if the separator membrane sheet 131 of the unit cell 10 is pressed excessively by the lamination roller unit 153 beyond the allowable range or is damaged, the portion corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 and its surrounding area in the photographed image (IM) of the separator membrane sheet 131 is shown as a dark color (high brightness). The stronger the force pressing the separator membrane sheet 131 by the electrode, the darker the color of the portion corresponding to the edge portion (E) of the electrode.

[0135] Furthermore, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102 increases, the difference in level between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases, resulting in a greater impact between the second electrode 12 and the separator sheet 131. Furthermore, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102 decreases, the possibility of the separator sheet 131 being damaged by the impact force of the second electrode 12 increases. Even if the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 remains the same, the possibility of the separator sheet 131 being damaged increases as the transport speed of the electrode stack 102 increases.

[0136] The control unit 180 determines whether the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range (S15). If the control unit 180 determines that the calculated brightness value falls within the allowable brightness range, it maintains the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 as it is.

[0137] If the control unit 180 determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, it controls the pressure adjusting unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 (S16). At this time, the allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value can be changed in various ways, taking into consideration the thickness and size of the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode stack 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode stack 102, the transport speed of the electrode stack 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, etc.

[0138] The pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 can be corrected based on the pressure when the lamination roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12. As a result, the lamination roller unit 153 can accurately correct the amount of pressure by correcting based on the largest pressure among the pressures that press the electrode stack 102.

[0139] In this manner, the edge portion (E) of the first electrode 11 impacts the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 at the moment of contact with the lamination roller unit 153, and the separator sheet portion (P) in contact with the edge portion (E) of the second electrode 12 may be pushed or damaged by the impact. When the electrode stack 102 is cut by the final cutter unit 160, damage remains at the edge portion (E) of the separator 13 of the unit cell 10. When the vision unit 170 captures an image (IM) of the unit cell 10, the brightness value of the pushed or damaged portion of the separator 13 may appear dark. As a result, it is possible to determine whether the unit cell 10 is defective based on the brightness value.

[0140] The control unit 180 calculates the brightness value again by calculating the captured image (IM) captured in real time by the vision unit 170 (S17).

[0141] It is determined again whether the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range (S18). At this time, after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153, it is determined again whether the calculated brightness value falls outside the allowable brightness range within a certain period of time.

[0142] The alarm unit 190 generates an alarm and halts the operation of the lamination apparatus 100 (S19, S20). At this time, when the alarm unit 190 issues a warning sound, the manufacturing process of the lamination apparatus 100 can be halted manually or automatically.

[0143] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to illustrative drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed in this specification, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, even if the effects of the configuration of the present invention are not explicitly described and explained while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the effects that can be predicted by the configuration should also be recognized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 10 unit cells 11 1st electrode 12 Second electrode 13 Separation membrane 13a 1st separation membrane 13b Second separation membrane E Edge 100 lamination device 102 Electrode laminate 110 First electrode roll 111 First electrode sheet 120 Second electrode roll 121 Second electrode sheet 130 Separation membrane roll 130a First separation membrane roll 130b Second separation membrane roll 131 Separation membrane sheet 131a First separation membrane sheet 131b Second separation membrane sheet 133 Pinch Roller 141 First Cutter Section 143 Second Cutter Section 150 Lamination Department 151 Heater section 153 Lamirola Department 153a Upper Ramirola 153b Lower Ramirola 155 Pressure adjustment unit 160 Final cutter section 170 Vision Department 180 Control Unit 181 Vision control unit 183 Automatic Control Unit 184 Input control section 185 Data memory section 186 Processing Section 187 Program Memory Section 188 Output control section 190 Alarm section

Claims

1. a lamination roller unit that applies pressure to the upper and lower sides of the electrode laminate to laminate the separation membrane sheet and the electrodes; a pressure adjusting unit connected to the lamination roller unit so as to adjust the pressure of the lamination roller unit; a final cutter unit disposed downstream of the lamination roller unit and configured to cut the separator sheet and the electrodes in the electrode stack to form unit cells; a vision unit disposed downstream of the final cutter unit and configured to capture an image of the unit cell; and A control unit that calculates a brightness value of the captured image received by the vision unit and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit according to the calculated brightness value. Lamination equipment.

2. the vision unit is disposed below the unit cell so as to photograph the unit cell; The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

3. The control unit calculates a calculated brightness value corresponding to a separation membrane portion in contact with an edge portion of the electrode in the captured image. The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

4. an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value is preset in the control unit; When the control unit determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit. The lamination apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. the vision unit captures an image of the unit cell in real time; The control unit corrects the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time. The lamination apparatus according to claim 4 .

6. the control unit corrects the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on the largest pressure among pressures applied by the lamination roller unit to the electrode laminate. The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

7. The control unit a vision control unit that receives the images captured by the vision unit; and an automatic control unit that calculates the calculated brightness value by calculating the image received by the vision control unit, and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside a preset allowable brightness range; The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

8. An initial pressure value of the pressure adjusting unit is set in advance in the control unit. The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

9. The lamination roller unit includes an upper lamination roller and a lower lamination roller, The lower lamination roller is fixed to the lower side of the separation membrane sheet, The pressure adjusting unit is connected to the upper lamination roller so as to raise and lower the upper lamination roller. The lamination apparatus of claim 1 .

10. and an alarm unit that generates an alarm sound when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit. The lamination apparatus according to claim 4 .

11. a lamination step in which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate to laminate the separator sheet and the electrode; a cutting step in which a final cutter unit cuts the electrode stack to form unit cells; A vision unit captures an image of the unit cell; and The control unit calculates a brightness value by calculating the captured image received by the vision unit, and controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit according to the calculated brightness value. Method for manufacturing unit cells.

12. the vision unit captures an image of the unit cell below the unit cell; The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 11 .

13. the control unit calculates a calculated brightness value corresponding to a separation membrane portion in contact with an edge portion of an electrode of the unit cell in the captured image. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 11 .

14. an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value is preset in the control unit; When the control unit determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 13 .

15. the vision unit captures an image of the unit cell in real time; The control unit corrects the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 14 .

16. the control unit corrects the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on the largest pressure among pressures applied by the lamination roller unit to the electrode laminate. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 11 .

17. An initial pressure value of the pressure adjusting unit is set in advance in the control unit. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 11 .

18. The pressure adjusting unit adjusts the pressure by raising and lowering the upper lamination roller of the lamination roller unit. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 11 .

19. The method further includes a step of: an alarm unit generating an alarm sound when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after correcting the pressure of the lamination roller unit. The method for manufacturing the unit cell according to claim 14 .

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