Electrode marking device and roll map creation system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a marking device for an electrode moving between an unwinder and a rewinder. The marking device includes a position measuring device for acquiring a position of the electrode according to a rotation amount of the unwinder or the rewinder as a coordinate value along the electrode longitudinal direction, at least one defect inspection device for inspecting the electrode to identify a defect and for acquiring the coordinate value of the defect along the electrode longitudinal direction by being connected to the position measuring device, a marking device installed behind the defect inspection device along the electrode moving direction, and a control unit for comparing a real-time relative position value of the marking device with respect to the moving electrode and the coordinate value of the defect, and the marking device marks the defect on the electrode according to a defect marking signal from the control unit. The present invention also provides a roll map creation system using the above electrode marking device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrode marking device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrode marking device that compares the real-time relative position value of a marking machine relative to an electrode with the coordinate value of a defective portion, and can more accurately mark the defective portion on the electrode regardless of the moving speed of the electrode.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a roll map creation system using such an electrode marking device.

[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0127182 filed on October 5, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent application are incorporated as a part of the present specification.

Background Art

[0004] With technological development and increasing demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries has also increased sharply. Among them, lithium secondary batteries are widely used as an energy source for various mobile devices as well as various electronic products because they have high energy density and operating voltage, and are excellent in storage and lifespan characteristics.

[0005] The electrode manufacturing process for manufacturing electrodes of lithium secondary batteries includes a coating step of applying an active material and a predetermined insulating material onto the surface of a metal electrode plate as a current collector to form a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a roll press step of rolling the coated electrode, a slitting step of cutting the rolled electrode according to dimensions, a notching step of forming tabs on the electrode, and the like.

[0006] After tabs are formed in the notching process, a separator membrane is interposed between the positive and negative electrodes to form an electrode assembly. This electrode assembly is then stacked or folded, packaged in pouches or cans, and filled with electrolyte in an assembly process to create the form of a secondary battery. Subsequently, the assembled secondary battery is charged and discharged, and undergoes an activation process to impart battery characteristics, resulting in the final, complete secondary battery.

[0007] Figure 1 shows the state of an electrode after going through this electrode manufacturing process.

[0008] A coated electrode 1 is manufactured by coating the current collector with electrode active material in a coater to form a coated portion 1a. Reference points may be marked on the uncoated portion 1b of the current collector where the electrode active material is not coated. The electrode active material is usually coated on both the front and back surfaces of the electrode 1. The coated electrode 1 is pressed by a press roll in a roll press process and cut along the longitudinal direction of the electrode 1 by a slitter in a slitting process. Subsequently, electrode tabs 2 are formed by punching them out with a press or the like in a notching process. In the notching process, the electrode tabs 2 are formed separately for each unit electrode, either so that they can be cut separately for each unit electrode manufactured in the battery cell or so that they can be cut in a subsequent process. The width of the unit electrode corresponds to the pitch P processed by the press.

[0009] Such an electrode manufacturing process is carried out through a series of roll-to-roll processes in which electrodes unwound from an unwinder are moved and wound onto a rewinder, with this process being repeated sequentially. Specifically, electrodes are coated as they move from the unwinder to the rewinder in the coating process, and then wound onto the rewinder to complete the electrode roll for the coating process. Next, the electrode roll is mounted on the unwinder in the roll press process and moved to the rewinder in the roll press process. The electrode roll is wound onto the rewinder in the roll press process and completed as the electrode roll for the roll press process. Subsequently, the electrode roll moves again in a roll-to-roll manner from the unwinder in a subsequent process (e.g., a second roll press process, a slitting process, or a notching process), is wound onto the rewinder in the subsequent process, and completed as the electrode roll for the subsequent process. Thus, the electrode manufacturing process consists of a series of roll-to-roll processes in which electrodes unwound from an unwinder are moved and wound onto a rewinder (roll-to-roll process), with this process being repeated sequentially.

[0010] Figure 2 shows the roll map RM in the electrode manufacturing process.

[0011] As described above, in processes such as coating, roll pressing, and slitting, the electrodes are moved in a roll-to-roll manner. The roll map RM is a representation of this electrode movement in bar form, and the longitudinal and widthwise positions of the electrodes are shown on the roll map using coordinates. Such a roll map RM shows information about defects, quality, and electrode breakage that occur in the electrode manufacturing process, along with the coordinates, allowing for easy visual understanding of quality and defect data in the electrode manufacturing process at a glance.

[0012] Referring to Figure 2, visual defect information such as pinhole defects f1 and line defects f2 is visually displayed at the coordinates where the defects occurred. Mismatch areas f3 between the coated and uncoated parts are also shown. Other loading amount defects are also displayed, and areas where electrodes were discarded at the outermost shell are also indicated. Such roll maps can be created for each of the detailed processes described above.

[0013] On the other hand, the coordinate values ​​of the defective part on the electrode moving in a roll-to-roll manner can be detected by various inspection machines or measuring instruments. Based on the detected coordinate values, the marking machine marks the defective part on the electrode. For example, based on the distance between the defect inspection machine and the marking machine and the speed at which the electrode moves, the time when the defective part arrives at the marking machine can be determined, and the marking machine can be configured to mark the defective part at that time.

[0014] However, vibrations in the electrode transfer line or pressure from press rolls can cause shocks to the moving electrodes. In such cases, the electrode's movement speed may not be constant but variable. In particular, if the electrode transfer line breaks and electrode movement is stopped, and then the broken electrode is repaired and the electrode is moved again, the electrode movement speed will inevitably change naturally during the stopping and restarting process of the transfer line. As a result of this change in electrode movement speed, the time at which the defective part arrives at the marking machine may also differ from the set time. Consequently, the position of the defective part marked by the marking machine on the actual electrode may differ from the coordinate value detected by the inspection machine.

[0015] If the inspection machine cannot accurately mark the defective area at the detected coordinate position, and the marking position is variable, there is a risk of removing a non-defective electrode portion when removing the defective area at the marked position in a subsequent process.

[0016] Furthermore, when representing defective areas on a roll map by referring to the markings mentioned above, the location of the defective area on the actual electrode may differ from the location of the defective area on the roll map. This reduces the reliability of the roll map, which provides detailed information about quality and defects. When subsequent processes are carried out by referring to information from an unreliable roll map, errors may occur in subsequent processes due to the deviation in the location of the normal and defective parts of the electrode. Also, when tracing the cause of a problem occurring in a secondary battery by referring to the defect data on the roll map mentioned above, it is difficult to accurately analyze the cause of the problem due to positional errors of the defective area. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0051699 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0018] The present invention relates to an electrode marking device that can accurately mark defective parts of an electrode by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking device with the coordinate value of the defective part.

[0019] The present invention aims to provide an electrode marking device that can efficiently mark defective parts or sections, even in the case of electrodes equipped with multiple electrode lanes.

[0020] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a roll map creation system that can accurately represent information regarding electrode defects on a roll map using the electrode marking device described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0021] An electrode marking apparatus of the present invention for solving the above problem is a marking apparatus for an electrode moving between an unwinder and a rewinder, comprising: a position measuring device that acquires the position of the electrode corresponding to the rotation amount of the unwinder or the rewinder as a coordinate value along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; at least one defect inspection device that is connected to the position measuring device and acquires the coordinate value of the defective portion along the longitudinal direction of the electrode by inspecting the electrode to identify the defective portion; a marking device disposed downstream of the defect inspection device along the moving direction of the electrode; and a control unit that determines whether to perform marking by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking device with respect to the moving electrode and the coordinate value of the defective portion, wherein the marking device can mark the defective portion on the electrode in response to a defect marking signal from the control unit.

[0022] The coordinate value of the defective portion may be a value obtained by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance between the inspection device and the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time when the defective portion is detected by the defect inspection device.

[0023] Furthermore, the defect inspection device can acquire the position of the defective portion along the width direction of the electrode as a coordinate value along the width direction of the electrode.

[0024] The real-time relative position value of the marking device is a value obtained by adding a second offset distance, which is the distance between the marking device and the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount at the time when the electrode passes the marking device in real time, and the control unit can output a defect marking signal to the marking device at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes larger than the coordinate value of the defective portion.

[0025] The control unit comprises: an electrode travel control unit that controls movement of the electrode from the unwinder to the rewinder and is connected to the position measuring device to acquire information on the electrode winding amount of the rewinder; and a marking device control unit that determines whether to perform marking by the marking device, The marking machine control unit calculates a real-time relative position value of the marking machine by adding the second offset distance to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and can output a defect marking signal to the marking machine at the moment when the calculated real-time relative position value becomes larger than the coordinate value of the defective portion.

[0026] The defect inspection device obtains a coordinate value of a defective portion by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance from the inspection device to the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and can transmit the obtained coordinate value of the defective portion to the marking machine control unit.

[0027] In the electrode marking apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the defective portion is a defective section where defective locations continue continuously or intermittently along the electrode, the defect inspection device obtains a start coordinate value and an end coordinate value of the defective section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, the control unit determines whether to start and end marking by respectively comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine relative to the moving electrode with the start coordinate value and the end coordinate value of the defective section, and the marking machine can perform marking on the electrode along the defective section in accordance with signals instructing marking start and marking end from the control unit.

[0028] The start coordinate value of the defective section is a value obtained by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance from the defect inspection device to the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time point when the first defective location of the defective section is detected by the defect inspection device, and the end coordinate value of the defective section can be a value obtained by adding the first offset distance to the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time point when the last defective location of the defective section is detected by the defect inspection device.

[0029] The real-time relative position value of the marking machine is a value obtained by adding a second offset distance, which is the distance from the marking machine to the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount at the time point when the electrode passes through the marking machine in real time, The control unit can output a fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the start coordinate value of the faulty section, and can cut off the output of the fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section.

[0030] The control unit includes an electrode travel control unit that controls the movement of electrodes from the unwinder to the rewinder and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire electrode winding amount information of the rewinder, and a marking machine control unit that determines whether or not to mark by the marking machine. The marking machine control unit calculates the real-time relative position value of the marking machine by adding the second offset distance to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit. Furthermore, the marking machine control unit may output a fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the calculated real-time relative position value becomes greater than the start coordinate value of the faulty section, and may cut off the output of the fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section.

[0031] The above-mentioned defect inspection machine can obtain the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defect section by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance between the inspection machine and the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and transmit the obtained start and end coordinate values ​​of the defect section to the marking machine control unit.

[0032] The electrode has multiple electrode lanes along its width, and one marking machine is provided for each electrode lane. Each marking machine can continuously mark along the defective section of each electrode lane based on signals from the control unit to indicate the start and end of marking.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention is a roll map creation system comprising: a position measuring instrument that acquires the position of the electrode as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder or rewinder, when the electrode moves between the unwinder and the rewinder; at least one defect inspection machine that inspects the electrode to identify a defect and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the coordinate values ​​of the defect along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; a marking machine installed behind the defect inspection machine along the direction of electrode movement and that marks the defect on the electrode in response to a defect marking signal from the control unit; and a mechanism for the moving electrode. The system includes a control unit that outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value of the marking machine becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part, and acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine at the time the defect marking signal is output as the marking coordinates, and a roll map creation unit that creates a roll map defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes, the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode, and in which the position of the moving electrode is displayed by the coordinate values ​​of the coordinate plane, wherein the roll map creation unit can represent the defective part on the roll map based on the marking coordinates received from the control unit.

[0034] A roll map creation system in another embodiment of the present invention includes: a position measuring instrument that acquires the position of the electrode as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder or rewinder, when the electrode moves between the unwinder and the rewinder; at least one fault inspection machine that inspects the electrode to identify a faulty section and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the start and end coordinate values ​​of the faulty section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; a marking machine that is installed behind the fault inspection machine along the direction of electrode movement and marks the electrode along the faulty section in response to signals from the control unit to indicate the start and end of marking; and a real-time relative position value of the marking machine with respect to the moving electrode that is greater than the start coordinate value of the faulty section. The system includes a control unit that outputs a faulty marking signal to the marking machine at the moment it becomes faulty, and cuts off the output of the faulty marking signal at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section, and acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine at the time the faulty marking signal was output and the time it was cut off as the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate, respectively, and a roll map creation unit that creates a roll map defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes, the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode, and in which the position of the moving electrode is displayed by the coordinate values ​​of the coordinate plane, wherein the roll map creation unit can represent the faulty section on the roll map based on the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate received from the control unit.

[0035] The electrode has multiple electrode lanes along its width, and one marking machine is provided for each electrode lane. Each marking machine continuously marks along the defective section of each electrode lane in response to signals from the control unit to indicate the start and end of marking, and the roll map creation unit can represent the defective section of each electrode lane on a roll map representing each electrode lane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] According to the present invention, by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with the coordinate value of the defective part or section of the electrode, it is possible to accurately mark the defective part or section of the electrode regardless of the electrode movement speed.

[0037] Furthermore, even in the case of electrodes with multiple electrode lanes, faulty sections can be efficiently marked. In particular, even when coordinate signals related to faulty sections are received overlapping across multiple electrode lanes, fault identification markings can be easily applied to each electrode lane.

[0038] The present invention also makes it possible to obtain a reliable roll map in which the coordinate information of a defective part or section is accurately displayed by using the electrode marking device described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the state of electrodes in the electrode manufacturing process. [Figure 2] This is an example of a roll map in the electrode manufacturing process. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of an electrode marking apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the first and second offset distances. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the marking machine according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the role map creation system of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the role map creation section. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a role map created by the role map creation system of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the defective section of a multi-lane electrode to which a defective tag has been attached. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of a roll map created using the electrode marking apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] The details of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and various embodiments. The embodiments described below are illustrative to aid in understanding the present invention, and the attached drawings are not shown to actual scale to aid in understanding the invention, and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

[0041] The present invention is subject to various modifications and may take many forms; therefore, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to any particular disclosure, but rather should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0042] (First Embodiment) <Electrode Marking Device> Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrode marking apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the first offset distance and the second offset distance, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a marking machine according to the present invention.

[0043] The electrode marking device 100 of the present invention is a marking device for an electrode 1 that moves between an unwinder UW and a rewinder RW, and includes: a position measuring instrument 10 that acquires the position of the electrode 1 according to the amount of rotation of the unwinder UW or rewinder RW as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; at least one defect inspection machine 20 that inspects the electrode 1 to identify a defective part and is connected to the position measuring instrument 10 to acquire the coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; a marking machine 30 installed behind the defect inspection machine 20 along the electrode movement direction; and a control unit 40 that compares the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with the coordinate values ​​of the defective part to determine whether or not to mark the electrode 1.

[0044] The present invention relates to an electrode marking device 100 for marking defective parts on an electrode 1 that moves in a roll-to-roll manner between an unwinder UW and a rewinder RW.

[0045] The electrode 1 described above is provided with a coated portion 1a coated with an electrode active material and an uncoated portion 1b where the active material is not coated and the surface of the current collector is exposed. Furthermore, the electrode 1 may be provided with only one electrode lane along the width direction of the current collector, or it may be provided with two or more electrode lanes. An electrode provided with multiple electrode lanes is called a multi-lane electrode. The electrode marking device 100 of the present invention can also be applied to multi-lane electrodes. In the case of a multi-lane electrode, the uncoated portion 1b and the coated portion 1a are repeatedly arranged along the electrode width direction. The marking machine 30 described later marks defective parts or defective sections on the uncoated portion 1b of the electrode 1.

[0046] The electrode 1 described above may also be a cross-sectional electrode in which the active material is coated on only one of the front or back surfaces of the current collector. Alternatively, it may be a double-sided electrode in which the active material is coated on both the front and back surfaces of the current collector. The electrode marking device 100 of the present invention can inspect both the front and back surfaces of both cross-sectional electrodes and double-sided electrodes and mark any defects.

[0047] The electrode marking apparatus 100 of the present invention can be applied to any process in which the electrode 1 moves in a roll-to-roll manner between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW, and the electrode 1 is inspected to identify any defects, such as the electrode coating process, roll pressing process, slitting process, and notching process described above.

[0048] The embodiment shown in Figure 3 illustrates an electrode marking device 100 used for marking defective areas in the electrode coating process, but it is not limited to this. That is, the electrode marking device 100 can be used to mark defective areas in processes such as roll pressing and slitting.

[0049] The electrode marking apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a position measuring instrument 10, a defect inspection machine 20, a marking machine 30, and a control unit 40.

[0050] In the roll-to-roll process, electrode 1 is mounted between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW. Electrode 1 is released from the unwinder UW, and in the case of a coating process, the active material is coated by a coater. After coating, defects are marked on the uncoated portion 1b of electrode 1. Since electrode 1 moves due to the rotation of the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW, the longitudinal position of electrode 1 can be determined according to the amount of rotation of the unwinder UW or the rewinder RW. The position measuring instrument 10 can acquire such longitudinal position of electrode 1 as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode. For example, in an electrode 1 with a length of 1200 meters, a coordinate of 0 acquired by the position measuring instrument 10 represents the start of electrode 1, and a coordinate of 1200 meters represents the end of electrode 1. Rotary encoders 10U and 10R installed on the unwinder UW or the rewinder RW can be used as the position measuring instrument 10. Typically, the rotary encoders 10U and 10R are installed in the motor drive unit that drives the unwinder UW and rewinder RW, and can detect the electrode movement distance according to the motor's rotation speed (rotation amount). Therefore, when electrode 1 moves between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW, the movement distance can be detected by the rotary encoders 10U and 10R. In Figure 3, for the sake of explanation, the rotary encoder 10U of the unwinder and the rotary encoder 10R of the rewinder are shown to be located outside the unwinder UW and rewinder RW, respectively, but the encoders can be built into the unwinder UW and rewinder RW, respectively.

[0051] To obtain coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction, either the rotary encoder 10U of the unwinder UW or the rotary encoder 10R of the rewinder RW may be used. However, the roll map described later may be created after the electrode 1 is completely wound onto the rewinder RW and the electrode winding roll is completed, that is, after all coordinate data and inspection data along the electrode length have been input. Therefore, it is preferable to use the rotary encoder 10R installed on the rewinder RW as the position measuring instrument 10 for creating the roll map. In this specification, electrode defect marking and roll map creation will be described based on the coordinate values ​​obtained with respect to the rewinder RW.

[0052] The rotation amount of the unwinder UW described above is the same as the unwinding amount of electrode 1 wound on the unwinder UW, and the rotation amount of the rewinder RW is the same as the winding amount of electrode 1 wound on the rewinder RW. In this embodiment, the coordinate values ​​of electrode 1 are obtained with respect to the rewinder RW, so the position of electrode 1 can be expressed in coordinate values ​​based on the amount of electrode winding (meters) wound on the rewinder RW.

[0053] The defect inspection machine 20 can inspect the electrode 1 to identify the defective part and, when connected to the position measuring instrument 10, can acquire the coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode.

[0054] The above defects may be cosmetic defects such as pinhole defects or line defects. In this case, the defect inspection machine 20 may be an electrode appearance inspection machine (for example, a vision camera). However, the defects referred to herein are not limited to mere cosmetic defects. That is, if the electrode part does not meet the conditions required by the process, such a part may also be considered defective.

[0055] For example, if electrode 1 breaks and is rejoined with tape, the joint portion on the electrode can also become defective.

[0056] Alternatively, in the electrode coating process, a defect may occur if the loading amount (coating amount) of the electrode active material falls outside the set range. In this case, the loading amount measuring instrument can function as a defect inspection machine 20.

[0057] Alternatively, in the case of a roll press process, a defect may occur if the rolling thickness of electrode 1 by the press roll falls outside the set range. In this case, the thickness measuring instrument can function as a defect inspection machine 20.

[0058] Alternatively, a defect may occur if the dimensions and width of the electrodes deviate from the set values. In this case, the dimension and width measuring instrument can function as a defect inspection machine 20.

[0059] Such defective areas can be directly marked onto the actual electrodes using the marking machine 30. Alternatively, the defective areas can be visually represented on the coordinates of the roll map described later by changing their color, brightness, saturation, and shape.

[0060] Defects in the actual electrode can be marked on the uncoated portion 1b of electrode 1. However, since the roll map is a virtual coordinate plane representing the actual electrode, the defective portion can be directly displayed on the coated portion 1a of the roll map corresponding to the coordinate value of the defective portion obtained by the electrode marking device 100 of the present invention.

[0061] Defects may occur sparsely along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, such as pinhole defects, appearing as spots. In this case, the coordinate values ​​of the defective areas can be obtained, and the uncovered portion 1b of the electrode at the relevant electrode location can be intermittently marked with the defective areas.

[0062] The defective areas described above may appear as long sections, such as line defects. Alternatively, defective sections may appear along the longitudinal direction of electrode 1, such as loading amount defects or rolling thickness defects. Or, intermittent defects, such as spot defects, may occur in close proximity to each other.

[0063] Thus, in cases where defective areas are continuous or intermittent, the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defective area can be obtained, and the defective area can be marked on the electrode.

[0064] This embodiment assumes a scenario where defective areas occur intermittently at intervals, such as spot defects.

[0065] As described above, the defect inspection machine 20 is not limited as long as it can inspect for defects and identify the defective location or section. Therefore, depending on the type of defect, at least one defect inspection machine 20 may be provided. Also, if there are multiple electrode lanes, one defect inspection machine 20 may be provided for each electrode lane.

[0066] The defect inspection machine 20 is connected to a position measuring instrument 10 and can acquire coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode. Referring to Figure 3, the control unit 40 is connected to the position measuring instrument 10 of the unwinder UW or rewinder RW. In this specification, each component constituting the electrode marking device 100 can be connected. Such "connection" between components means that they are connected in a way that enables the transmission and reception of data by wired communication or wireless communication. The defect inspection machine 20 can be connected to the position measuring instrument 10 via the control unit 40, as in this embodiment. Therefore, when the electrode 1 passes through the defect inspection machine 20, the defect inspection machine 20 inspects the electrode 1 and can transmit information regarding the electrode winding amount at the time of inspection in real time via the control unit 40 or directly from the position measuring instrument 10. When the defect inspection machine 20 finds a defective part, it can acquire coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the defective part based on the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at that time.

[0067] In Figure 3, when the defect inspection machine 20 inspects the electrode 1 and acquires data regarding the defective part, the position of that electrode is sensed by the rewinder RW position measuring instrument 10. However, at the time the defective part is sensed, that electrode has not yet arrived at the rewinder RW. That is, the coordinate value of the defective part must be the coordinate value when the defective part actually arrives at the rewinder RW. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the coordinate value of the defective part is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at the time the defect inspection machine 20 senses the defective part, and the first offset distances A and A', which are the distances between the inspection machine and the rewinder RW. The first offset distances A and A' may differ depending on the installation position of each inspection machine. As shown in Figure 4, when the defect inspection machine 20 consists of an A inspection machine 20A (e.g., an electrode appearance inspection machine) and a B measuring instrument 20B (e.g., a loading amount measuring instrument), the first offset distance A of the A inspection machine 20A may be 15m, and the first offset distance A' of the B measuring instrument 20B may be 10m.

[0068] On the other hand, depending on the method by which the defect inspection machine 20 detects defects, it can be classified into a spot inspection machine and a scan inspection machine.

[0069] The spot inspection machine identifies defective areas from electrode images acquired by capturing each frame. The spot inspection machine matches each captured image with the electrode winding amount (meters). This allows the coordinates of the defective area to be determined by adding the first offset distance to the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW in the captured frame in which the defective area was captured. For example, if the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW in the nth captured frame is 500.5m, and a pinhole defect occurs in that captured image, the longitudinal coordinate value of the pinhole defect will be 515.5m, which is the winding amount plus the first offset distance of 15m.

[0070] The above-described scannability inspection machine is a defect inspection machine 20 that identifies defective parts from scan data obtained by scanning electrode 1 in predetermined lengths. The longitudinal coordinate values ​​of the defective part can be obtained by adding the first offset distance to the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at the time the defective part is scanned.

[0071] On the other hand, the defect inspection machine 20 can acquire the position of the defective part along the electrode width direction as a coordinate value along the electrode width direction.

[0072] Since electrode 1 has a predetermined length and width, it can be represented by a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes: a longitudinal axis and a width axis. A typical example of the above coordinate plane is the roll map described later. In the electrode marking device 100 of the present invention, the coordinates along the longitudinal axis, i.e., the coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, are acquired by the position measuring instrument 10 described above. On the other hand, the coordinates along the width axis, i.e., the coordinate values ​​along the width direction of the electrode, can be acquired by the defect inspection machine 20 described above. In the case of the spot inspection machine described above, the width coordinate values ​​of the defective area can be acquired from the captured image taken for each shooting frame. For example, the captured image can be divided into sections horizontally and vertically at regular intervals, and the distance from the edge of the captured image to the defective area can be measured to determine the width coordinate values. The size of the divided area can also be calculated to determine the size of the defective area. Programs for detecting the size and position of a defective area from a captured image are publicly known, so further explanation of them will be omitted.

[0073] Alternatively, the scanning inspection machine described above may be equipped with a program that can scan and inspect the electrode surface along the entire width of the electrode 1. As the scanning inspection machine moves along the width of the electrode, the electrode 1 moves in the longitudinal direction, so as described above, the scanning inspection machine can scan the electrode 1 along its entire width in predetermined lengths. The scanned data can be collected by the scanning inspection machine in tens or thousands, or even more, along the longitudinal and width directions of the electrode 1. The width coordinate values ​​of the defective part can be obtained from the scan data.

[0074] The widthwise coordinate values ​​of the defective area obtained in this manner are transmitted to the roll map creation unit 50 along with the longitudinal marking coordinates obtained by the marking machine 30 (described later), and can be displayed in the coordinate space of the roll map.

[0075] Referring to Figure 3, a marking machine 30 is provided behind the defect inspection machine 20 along the direction of electrode movement.

[0076] In this embodiment, since it is assumed that a defective part is to be marked on an electrode having one electrode lane, one marking machine 30 is installed. However, for marking a multi-lane electrode having multiple electrode lanes, multiple marking machines 30 may be installed corresponding to the number of electrode lanes.

[0077] The marking machine 30 may, but is not limited to, an inkjet marking machine, a laser marking machine, or a punching marking machine. A suitable marking machine can be selected and used, provided that it offers excellent visibility of the marking point and does not damage the electrode 1. In the case of laser or punching marking machines, damage to the electrode 1 may occur, so care must be taken during marking.

[0078] Figure 5 shows an example of an ink marking machine. Referring to Figure 5, the marking machine 30 includes a marking unit (nozzle unit) 31 connected to an ink supply unit (not shown). The marking machine 30 also includes a vision camera 32 that can distinguish and recognize the coated portion 1a and the uncoated portion 1b. The vision camera 32 identifies the boundary between the coated portion 1a and the uncoated portion 1b so that the marking unit 31 can mark a predetermined position on the uncoated portion 1b. The ink marking machine 30 may also include an illumination device 33 so that the vision camera 32 can easily distinguish between the coated portion 1a and the uncoated portion 1b.

[0079] If the width of electrode 1 changes depending on the type of electrode or the number of electrode lanes, the marking machine 30 can also be made movable to accommodate this. For example, the marking machine 30 can move in the electrode width direction along a guide axis R installed on the electrode.

[0080] As shown in Figure 4, when the electrode 1 is a double-sided electrode, the defect inspection machine 20 and the marking machine 30 can be installed on the front and back sides of the electrode, respectively. Defect marking in the coating process is performed after the active material coating. Figure 4 shows that both the front and back sides of the electrode have been coated before defect inspection and marking. Figure 3 shows that the electrode marking apparatus 100 of the present invention marks defects on both the front and back sides of the electrode simultaneously. However, this is to explain the arrangement relationship between the marking machine 30 and the electrode 1, and in reality, depending on the factory equipment layout, the marking of defects on the front and back sides of the electrode may proceed sequentially. For example, the marking machine 30 may mark defects on the front surface after the electrode active material has been first coated and dried on the front surface of the electrode, and then, after the electrode continues to move and the electrode active material has been coated and dried on the back side of the electrode, the marking machine 30 may mark defects on the back side of the electrode. In this case, depending on the electrode's travel path, the marking machine 30 may be positioned on both the front and back sides of the electrode to mark defects. Alternatively, if the coatings on the electrode surface and back surface are applied sequentially, the marking machine 30 can be configured to mark defective areas on both the electrode surface and back surface.

[0081] The control unit 40 can determine whether or not to mark the electrode 1 by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with the coordinate value of the defective part, with respect to the electrode 1 moving between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW.

[0082] For marking defective areas, the position of the marking machine 30 relative to the moving electrode 1 must be known. That is, in order for the marking machine 30 to mark the defective area as soon as it passes the marking machine 30, the real-time position of the marking machine 30 must be known. Of course, as shown in Figure 3, the marking machine 30 is installed behind the defect inspection machine 20 in the longitudinal direction of the electrode, and is installed at a predetermined distance (second offset distance C) from the rewinder RW. In other words, the installation position of the marking machine 30 on the electrode line is fixed. Referring to Figure 4, in this embodiment, the second offset distance C is 5m.

[0083] As described above, although the position of the marking machine 30 itself is fixed, the electrode 1 is continuously wound up by the rewinder RW as it passes under the marking machine 30, so the relative position of the marking machine 30 with respect to the moving electrode 1 changes continuously. That is, the relative position value, which is the relative position of the marking machine 30 with respect to the electrode 1, changes in real time as the electrode 1 is wound up. The control unit 40 of the present invention can grasp this real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with respect to the electrode 1 and compare it with the defective part coordinate value obtained by the defective inspection machine 20 to decide whether or not to mark. From the above, it can be said that the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 is a function of the amount of electrode winding at the time the electrode 1 passes the marking machine 30 in real time. However, the amount of rewinder RW winding at the time the electrode 1 passes the marking machine 30 does not immediately mean the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30. Since the marking machine 30 is located about the distance of the second offset distance C from the rewinder RW, the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 is the sum of the electrode winding amount at the time the electrode 1 passes the marking machine 30 and the above-mentioned second offset distance C.

[0084] Since the control unit 40 receives the electrode winding amount from the position measuring instrument 10 in real time, it is always aware of the electrode winding amount at the time it passes through the marking machine 30. Therefore, the control unit 40 can also grasp the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with respect to the electrode.

[0085] Specifically, the control unit 40 outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part. The marking machine 30 can then mark the defective part on the electrode based on the defect marking signal from the control unit 40.

[0086] The moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part refers to the moment when the defective part of the electrode passes the marking machine 30. That is, if the coordinate value of the defective part, which is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW plus the first offset distance at the time the defect is detected by the defect inspection machine 20, is 515.5m, the marking machine 30 starts marking at the moment when the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW plus the second offset distance at the moment the defective part of the electrode passes the marking machine 30 becomes greater than 515.5m. In this way, the present invention determines whether or not to mark by comparing the coordinate value of the defective part calculated based on the electrode winding amount with the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30.Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the electrode's movement speed when determining whether or not to mark.Furthermore, it is not affected even if the electrode movement speed changes due to the electrode 1 breaking or the broken electrode 1 being rejoined and the rejoined electrode 1 being moved again. In other words, the electrode winding amount information obtained by the rewinder RW can always be obtained in proportion to the rotation amount of the rewinder RW, even if some event occurs during electrode movement. Therefore, the marking machine 30 can accurately mark the defective part of the electrode in real time, regardless of the electrode movement speed.

[0087] The control unit 40 acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 at the time it outputs the defect marking signal as the marking coordinate. The real-time relative position value generally matches the coordinate value of the defective part. However, in reality, a delay in signal transmission occurs due to communication between the control unit 40 and the defect inspection machine 20. This can result in a coordinate value difference that corresponds to the delay. In other words, there may be a slight difference between the real-time relative position value and the coordinate value of the defective part. The roll map, which will be described later, needs to display the defective part at the coordinate position of the actual electrode that the marking machine 30 has actually marked. Therefore, the control unit 40 transmits the marking coordinate to the roll map creation unit 50, which will be described later, so that the defective part can be displayed on the roll map based on the marking coordinate.

[0088] The control unit 40 described above is connected to the position measuring instrument 10, the defect inspection machine 20, and the marking machine 30 so as to be able to communicate data. It is also connected to the roll map creation unit 50, which will be described later, so as to be able to communicate data.

[0089] The control unit 40 may include both a function to control the electrode movement between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW, and a function to control the marking machine 30. The control unit 40 may be composed of a control unit 40 that integrates these functions. An example of the detailed configuration of such a control unit 40 is shown in the embodiment of Figure 3. Referring to Figure 3, the control unit 40 includes an electrode movement control unit 41 and a marking machine control unit 42.

[0090] The electrode travel control unit 41 controls the movement of the electrodes from the unwinder UW to the rewinder RW and is connected to the position measuring instrument 10 to acquire electrode winding amount information of the rewinder RW.

[0091] The marking machine control unit 42 decides whether or not to mark the marking machine 30.

[0092] The electrode travel control unit 41 and the marking machine control unit 42 are connected to each other so that they can communicate data.

[0093] The electrode travel control unit 41 described above may be a PLC control unit that controls the movement of the electrode 1 when the electrode 1 is moved in a roll-to-roll manner between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW. The electrode travel control unit 41 is connected to the position measuring instrument 10. As a result, the electrode travel control unit 41 can acquire electrode winding amount information of the rewinder RW in real time and send this winding amount information to the defect inspection machine 20 and the marking machine control unit 42. As described above, the defect inspection machine 20 can calculate the longitudinal coordinate value of the defective part by adding a first offset distance to the electrode winding amount transmitted from the electrode travel control unit 41. The defect inspection machine 20 transmits the calculated defective part coordinate value to the marking machine control unit 42.

[0094] The marking machine control unit 42 calculates the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 by adding the electrode winding amount transmitted from the electrode travel control unit 41 to the second offset distance C. Furthermore, the marking machine control unit 42 outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the calculated real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 becomes greater than the defect coordinate value transmitted from the defect inspection machine 20.

[0095] The marking machine 30 marks the defective area on the electrode based on the defective marking signal from the marking machine control unit 42.

[0096] The marking machine control unit 42 acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 at the time it outputs a faulty marking signal as marking coordinates and transmits them to the electrode travel control unit 41. The electrode travel control unit 41 transmits the marking coordinates to the roll map creation unit 50, which will be described later.

[0097] <Role map creation system> Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the roll map creation system of the present invention, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the roll map creation unit 50, and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a roll map created by the roll map creation system of the present invention.

[0098] The roll map creation system 200 of the present invention includes a position measuring instrument 10, a defect inspection machine 20, a marking machine 30, a control unit 40, and a roll map creation unit 50.

[0099] The position measuring instrument 10, defect inspection machine 20, marking machine 30, and control unit 40 described above constitute the electrode marking device 100. The roll map creation system 200 of the present invention further includes a roll map creation unit 50. That is, the roll map creation system 200 of the present invention creates a roll map using the electrode marking device 100 described above. As described above, the control unit 40 includes an electrode travel control unit 41 and a marking machine control unit 42.

[0100] As described above, the position measuring instrument 10 acquires the position of the electrode 1 as a coordinate value along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder UW or rewinder RW, when the electrode 1 moves between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW.

[0101] The defect inspection machine 20 inspects the electrode 1 to identify the defective part and is connected to the position measuring instrument 10 to obtain the coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode. The coordinate values ​​of the defective part are the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at the time the defective part is detected, plus the first offset distances A and A', which are the distances between the defect inspection machine 20 and the rewinder RW.

[0102] The marking machine 30 is installed behind the defect inspection machine 20 along the electrode movement direction and marks the defective part on the electrode based on a defect marking signal from the control unit 40. The marking machine 30 is, for example, an ink marking machine.

[0103] The control unit 40 outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with respect to the moving electrode 1 becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part. The real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 is the value obtained by adding the electrode winding amount at the moment when the electrode 1 passes the marking machine 30 in real time to the second offset distance C, which is the distance between the marking machine 30 and the rewinder RW. The marking machine control unit 42 of the control unit 40 calculates the real-time relative position value. The marking machine control unit 42 also receives the coordinate value of the defective part from the defect inspection machine 20. The marking machine control unit 42 outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part. The marking machine control unit 42 also acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 at the time the defect marking signal is output as the marking coordinate. The acquired marking coordinates are transmitted, for example, to the electrode travel control unit 41, which is a PLC control unit, and the electrode travel control unit 41 transmits the marking coordinates to the roll map creation unit 50.

[0104] The role map creation system 200 of the present invention includes a role map creation unit 50.

[0105] The roll map creation unit 50 creates a roll map that replicates the electrode 1 moving in a roll-to-roll manner. As shown in Figure 2, the roll map is defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes: the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode 1. The position of the moving electrode 1 is displayed on the roll map using the coordinate values ​​of the coordinate plane. Based on the marking coordinates received from the control unit 40 (electrode travel control unit 41), the roll map creation unit 50 can represent the defective part on the roll map.

[0106] The roll map creation unit 50 may store data acquired from the position measuring instrument 10, the defect inspection machine 20, and the control unit 40, or it may have a database 51 in which data such as the quality and dimensions of normal electrodes are stored. The roll map creation unit 50 may also have a central processing unit 52 that processes the acquired data and instructs the visualization device 53 provided in the roll map creation unit 50 to visualize it.

[0107] The roll map creation unit 50 defines a visualization area that forms a coordinate plane of a roll map that replicates the electrode 1, and includes a visualization device 53 that can visually display the longitudinal axis coordinate values, width axis coordinate values, and various inspection data of the electrode on the defined area. The visualization device 53 can visualize and represent various inspection data, such as defective part data, at the position of the coordinate values ​​(e.g., marking coordinates) from which the inspection data was acquired. The visualization device 53 is connected to the central processing unit 52 and can visualize and represent inspection data and coordinate data according to instructions from the central processing unit.

[0108] Referring to Figure 7, the visualization device 53 may include an acquired data input unit 53a, a roll map coordinate recognition unit 53b, an image generation unit 53c, and so on.

[0109] The data acquisition input unit 53a receives and inputs data from the central processing unit 52.

[0110] The roll map coordinate recognition unit 53b defines a visualization area that forms the roll map and can define pixel coordinate values ​​within the visualization area for each data element of the acquired source data. When data regarding the lot number, length, width, and other specifications of the electrode roll is input to the control unit 40 or server through electrode roll information registration, the roll map coordinate recognition unit 53b can calculate and determine the visualization area of ​​the roll map from this data regarding the size of the electrode 1 according to a predetermined scale conversion scale. Alternatively, it is also possible to calculate and determine the visualization area of ​​the roll map from the longitudinal and width coordinate value data of the electrode 1 according to a predetermined scale conversion scale.

[0111] The coordinate recognition unit 53b can map the acquired quality or defect data with the position data (width and longitudinal direction) of the electrode 1, and assign the mapped data onto the visualization area (roll map) based on pixel coordinates.

[0112] The image generation unit 53c can represent the mapped data elements assigned to each pixel coordinate within the visualization area using at least one legend. A legend refers to various shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles displayed in the visualization area, or the above shapes with assigned colors. Therefore, the image generation unit 53c can create the roll map of the present invention by visually displaying various data related to quality or defects on the roll map in the visualization area called the roll map, using display units with patterns, shapes, and colors specified for each data, at the pixel coordinates (coordinates on the roll map) corresponding to each position data of the actual electrode 1.

[0113] Furthermore, based on data stored in a storage unit such as the database 51, the system can link with a specific range in the role map and retrieve data corresponding to that range from the storage unit and display it on the screen (create an image). At this time, the central processing unit 52 can issue a command to the visualization device 53 to distinguish and visualize inspection data that has been found to be abnormal by comparing it with normal data stored in the database 51, and to display it separately from other data.

[0114] Setting the size of the visualization area and creating an image by understanding the coordinates of the visualization area can be done using a variety of conventional user interfaces and various programs and processing tools related to data allocation, processing, analysis, and visualization. Therefore, the role map creation unit 50 described above is merely one example and is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0115] The roll map creation unit 50 described above may be, for example, a data processing system such as a manufacturing process management system (MES) or a component of said data processing system. A data processing system is a system (including hardware or software) that performs a series of operations on data, such as input, processing, output, and communication. The electrode 1 manufacturing process is equipped with an electrode MES and an assembly MES that manage a series of electrode manufacturing processes such as coating, pressing, and slitting. Therefore, when the coordinate value data, inspection data, etc. described above are sent to the MES, the MES can create the roll map described above.

[0116] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the roll map can be displayed on the display unit 60.

[0117] Figure 8 shows an example of a role map created by the role map creation system 200 described above.

[0118] Figure 8 shows that after the electrode active material has been fully coated on both the front and back surfaces of electrode 1, the defect inspection machine 20 inspects for defects. It also shows that the marking machine 30 marks the defective areas after the defect inspection. Roll map creation is performed after the defect inspection and marking of defective areas. In practice, all data is acquired from the defect inspection machine 20 and the marking machine 30, all electrodes are wound onto the rewinder RW, and the roll map is created after the electrode winding roll is completed. The upper diagram of Figure 8 shows a simplified time sequence for creating such a roll map.

[0119] The lower diagram in Figure 8 shows an example of a roll map.

[0120] In the roll map of Figure 8, the defective areas are visually indicated in the coated area 1a. The defective areas shown are spot defects, but as mentioned above, the defective areas that can be marked are not limited to these.

[0121] The lower end of the roll map shows the marking coordinates of the defective area. As described above, these marking coordinates are acquired by the marking machine control unit 42 and transmitted to the roll map creation unit via the electrode travel control unit 41. The roll map creation unit 50 can visually display the defective area on the coordinate plane of the roll map and simultaneously display the marking coordinates.

[0122] On the other hand, the black dot-like markings shown in the uncoated area 1b of the roll map in Figure 8 are for reference only and are not displayed on the actual roll map. The markings mentioned above are applied to the uncoated area of ​​the actual electrode.

[0123] In this specification, marking coordinates refer to the coordinates of the defective area along the longitudinal direction of the electrode. However, as described above, the defect inspection machine 20 can also acquire widthwise coordinate values ​​of the defective area along the electrode width direction. The widthwise coordinate values ​​acquired by the defect inspection machine 20 are also transmitted to the roll map creation unit 50 via the control unit 40. In the roll map of Figure 8, the widthwise coordinate values ​​are not shown numerically on the roll map for the sake of illustration simplicity. However, referring to the roll map of Figure 8, each spot defect is visually displayed with a different position in the widthwise direction. This means that the defect inspection machine 20 identified the widthwise position of the defective area and transmitted its coordinate information to the roll map creation unit 50, and based on this, the roll map creation unit 50 visually represented the defective area in the covered area of ​​the roll map according to the widthwise coordinate of each defective area.

[0124] (Second Embodiment) <Electrode Marking Device> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the defective section of a multi-lane electrode to which a defective tag is attached.

[0125] As shown in Figure 9, conventionally, in the case of multi-lane electrodes where multiple electrode lanes L1, L2, L3, and L4 are arranged along the width direction of the current collector, labels 3 were attached to indicate defective areas. This method had the following problems.

[0126] Firstly, since label 3, used for marking defective sections, is attached only once at the start and end points of the defective section, it was difficult to determine whether the remaining label indicated the start or end point if either the start or end label was lost.

[0127] Secondly, as shown in Figure 9, since the defective labels adhere to the edges of the electrode current collector plates, there was a risk that if a defect occurred only in specific electrode lanes L1 and L3, electrode lanes that did not experience defects would also be mistakenly considered defective.

[0128] Thirdly, as shown in Figure 9, it was difficult to handle cases where fault coordinate signals overlapped and were input to multiple fault inspection machines 20. For example, if a fault start coordinate value of 1000m was received by inspection machine A, but a fault start coordinate value of 1100m was received by measuring instrument B before a fault end coordinate was generated, there was no way to determine how to handle the fault marking.

[0129] The electrode marking device 100 of the second embodiment is designed for marking when a defective area is represented by a defective section, as shown in Figure 9.

[0130] In other words, the defective area described above may be a defective section in which defective areas are continuously formed along the electrode 1. Alternatively, even if defective areas appear intermittently, if they are formed in close proximity and consecutively as shown in Figure 9, such a defective area can also be recognized as a defective section.

[0131] Such defective sections must have their start and end coordinate values ​​clearly identified. Furthermore, defect indication methods using labels that make it difficult to determine the start or end point of the defect should be avoided. In addition, in the multi-lane electrode 1, electrode lanes where defects occur and electrode lanes where defects do not occur must be marked to distinguish between them. And, if defects occur in multiple electrode lanes simultaneously, the defects must be indicated in each electrode lane, reflecting the entire overlapping area.

[0132] The electrode marking apparatus 100 of this embodiment can achieve these objectives.

[0133] The basic configuration of the electrode marking device 100 in this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figure 3.

[0134] Therefore, the electrode marking device 100 includes a position measuring instrument 10, a defect inspection machine 20, a marking machine 30, and a control unit 40. The control unit 40 may also include an electrode travel control unit 41 that controls the movement of the electrode from the unwinder UW to the rewinder RW and is connected to the position measuring instrument 10 to acquire electrode winding amount information of the rewinder RW, and a marking machine control unit 42 that determines whether or not to mark by the marking machine 30. In the electrode marking device 100 of this embodiment, specific descriptions of parts that are the same as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0135] The defect inspection machine 20 according to this embodiment acquires the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defective section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode. Since the defect inspection machine 20 is connected to the position measuring instrument 10, it can grasp the amount of electrode winding in the rewinder RW while the defective section is detected. That is, the defect inspection machine 20 can receive the amount of electrode winding in the rewinder RW at the start and end of the defective section via the position measuring instrument 10 or the control unit 40 connected to the position measuring instrument 10, respectively. Similarly, it can receive the amount of electrode winding in the rewinder RW that changes between the start and end of the defective section via the position measuring instrument 10 or the control unit 40.

[0136] Specifically, in the case of a spot-based inspection machine, the image captured for each frame is matched with the electrode winding amount. In the case of a scan-based inspection machine, the start / end signals for each scan are matched with the electrode winding amount.

[0137] Furthermore, the defect inspection machine 20 calculates the starting coordinate value of the defect section after determining the starting point of the defect section. At this time, the starting coordinate value of the defect section is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at the time the first defect in the defect section is detected by the defect inspection machine 20 (i.e., the electrode winding amount matched to the first defect in the defect section) and the first offset distance, which is the distance between the defect inspection machine 20 and the rewinder RW.

[0138] Furthermore, the end coordinate value of the defective section is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder RW at the time the last defective location in the defective section was detected by the defective inspection machine 20 (i.e., the electrode winding amount matched to the last defective location in the defective section) and the first offset distance, which is the distance between the defective inspection machine 20 and the rewinder RW.

[0139] The defective inspection machine 20 can receive the electrode winding amount from the control unit 40 (for example, the electrode travel control unit 41), and add a first offset distance, which is the distance between the inspection machine and the rewinder RW, to the received electrode winding amount to obtain the start coordinate value and end coordinate value of the defective section. The start coordinate value and end coordinate value of the defective section obtained in this way can be transmitted to the marking machine control unit 42 of the control unit 40.

[0140] The table below shows an example of calculating the coordinate values ​​of a defective section by placing a spot inspection machine 20a and a scan inspection machine 20b in two electrode lanes, respectively.

[0141] [Table 1]

[0142] <Spot-type inspection machine 20a, first offset distance 15m> Table 1 shows that the faulty start coordinate value for electrode lane 2 (L1) inspected by the spot inspection machine 20a is 515.5m, which is the electrode winding amount at the starting point of 500.5m plus the first offset distance (15m). The faulty end coordinate value for electrode lane 2 is 529.5m, which is the electrode winding amount at the end point of 514.5m plus the first offset distance.

[0143] [Table 2]

[0144] <Scanning inspection machine 20b, first offset distance 10m> From Table 2, the faulty start coordinate value of electrode lane 2 inspected by the scanning inspection machine 20b is 520m, which is the starting electrode winding amount of 510m plus the first offset distance (10m). The faulty end coordinate value of electrode lane 2 is 570m, which is the ending electrode winding amount of 560m plus the first offset distance.

[0145] In Tables 1 and 2 above, the electrode lot count indicates the lot number. For example, the lot number of the electrode that is moved first between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW may be 0, and the lot number of the electrode that is moved next may be 1. Information regarding such lot numbers can also be stored in the control unit 40 and the roll map creation unit 50.

[0146] The control unit 40 can determine whether or not to start and end marking by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with the start coordinate value and end coordinate value of the defective section, respectively.

[0147] The real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 is the value obtained by adding the electrode winding amount at the time the electrode 1 passes the marking machine 30 in real time to the second offset distance (for example, 10m), which is the distance between the marking machine 30 and the rewinder RW.

[0148] The control unit 40, specifically the marking machine control unit 42, outputs a fault marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the start coordinate value of the faulty section. This fault marking signal serves as a signal to start marking. The marking machine control unit 42 also acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 at the time the fault marking signal is output as the marking start coordinate.

[0149] Furthermore, the marking machine control unit 42 can cut off the output of a faulty marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment when the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section. Cutting off the output of the faulty marking signal serves as a signal to indicate the end of marking. The marking machine control unit 42 acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 at the time the faulty marking signal is cut off as the marking end coordinate.

[0150] The marking machine 30 marks the electrode along the defective section based on a signal from the marking machine control unit 42 to start marking (defective marking signal) and a signal to end marking (output cutoff of the defective marking signal). Specifically, the marking machine 30 marks the uncoated portion 1b located between the coated portions of the multi-lane electrode 1.

[0151] Thus, the electrode marking device 100 of this embodiment can reliably mark the start and end coordinates of a defective section on the electrode using a marking machine, such as an ink marking machine. Therefore, the loss of defective coordinates due to label detachment, as in the conventional method, does not occur.

[0152] Furthermore, the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate are obtained by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30, which is a function of the electrode winding amount regardless of the electrode movement speed, with the start and end coordinates of the defective section, respectively. Therefore, the position of the defective section can be reliably determined regardless of the electrode movement speed.

[0153] On the other hand, the electrode marking device 100 of the present invention can be applied to marking defective sections of an electrode having one electrode lane. Furthermore, the electrode marking device 100 of the present invention can also be applied to marking defective sections of an electrode having multiple electrode lanes along the electrode width direction. In this case, one marking machine 30 is provided for each electrode lane. Each marking machine 30 can continuously mark along the defective section of each electrode lane based on signals from the control unit 40 instructing the start and end of marking. In this case, each defect inspection machine 20 and each marking machine 30 are independently controlled by the control unit 40, specifically the marking machine control unit 42. Therefore, if a defective section occurs only in a specific electrode lane among multiple electrode lanes, marking can be performed by the marking machine 30 responsible for that specific electrode lane. At this time, the uncovered portions of other electrode lanes where no defects occur are not marked.

[0154] Furthermore, when fault coordinate signals overlap and are input to multiple fault inspection machines 20, each marking machine 30 responsible for each electrode lane marks the area, so that the overlapping fault sections can also be marked.

[0155] Referring to Tables 1 and 2 above, the defect marking process when defective sections of electrode lanes overlap will be explained.

[0156] First, the spot inspection machine 20a receives the starting coordinate value of 515.5m for the defective section of electrode lane 1 (L1). The marking machine control unit 42 monitors the real-time relative position value of the marking machine (first marking machine 30A) responsible for marking electrode lane 1, and outputs a defective marking signal to the first marking machine 30A the moment that value exceeds 515.5m. The first marking machine 30A marks the uncovered portion 1b of electrode lane 1 (L1) based on this defective marking signal. As the spot inspection machine 20a continues to receive the coordinate values ​​of the defective section as shown in Table 1, the first marking machine 30A continues to mark the defective section continuously.

[0157] Meanwhile, during marking by the first marking machine 30A, the scanability inspection machine 20b receives the starting coordinate value of 520m for the defective section relative to the electrode lane 2. The marking machine control unit 42 monitors the real-time relative position value of the marking machine (second marking machine 30B) responsible for marking the electrode lane 2 (L2), and outputs a defective marking signal to the second marking machine 30B the moment that value exceeds 520m. The second marking machine 30B marks the uncovered portion 1b of the electrode lane 2 (L2) based on this defective marking signal. As the scanability inspection machine 20b continues to receive the coordinate values ​​of the defective section as shown in Table 2, the second marking machine 30B continues to mark continuously.

[0158] When the spot inspection machine 20a receives the end coordinate value of the defective section, 529.5m, and the real-time relative position value of the first marking machine 30A becomes greater than 529.5m, the marking machine control unit 42 cuts off the output of the defective marking signal to the first marking machine 30A.

[0159] Furthermore, when the scannability inspection machine 20b receives the end coordinate value of the defective section, 570m, and the real-time relative position value of the second marking machine 30B becomes greater than 570m, the marking machine control unit 42 blocks the output of the defective marking signal to the second marking machine 30B.

[0160] Based on the above, in the section where the electrode coordinate values ​​are in the range of 515.5 to 520 m, only the first marking machine 30A marks the electrode lane 1 (L1).

[0161] Furthermore, in the section where the electrode coordinate values ​​are between 520m and 529.5m, the defective sections of electrode lane 1 (L1) and electrode lane 2 (L2) overlap. In this case, the first marking machine 30A and the second marking machine 30B mark the uncoated portion 1b of electrode lane 1 (L1) and electrode lane 2 (L2), respectively.

[0162] In the section where the electrode coordinate values ​​are in the range of 529.5 to 570 m, only the second marking machine 30B marks the electrode lane 2 (L2).

[0163] Thus, the electrode marking device 100 of this embodiment can effectively mark defective sections even when defective sections overlap in a multi-lane electrode.

[0164] Figure 10 shows the marking of defective sections by the first and second marking machines described above.

[0165] <Role map creation system> Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a roll map created using the electrode marking apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0166] The roll map creation system 200 of the present invention can represent the aforementioned defective sections on the roll map based on the marking start coordinates and marking end coordinates.

[0167] The roll map creation system 200 of this embodiment includes: a position measuring instrument 10 that acquires the position of the electrode 1 as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder UW or rewinder RW when the electrode 1 moves between the unwinder UW and the rewinder RW; at least one fault inspection machine 20 that inspects the electrode 1 to identify a faulty section and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the start and end coordinate values ​​of the faulty section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode; a marking machine 30 that is installed behind the fault inspection machine 20 along the electrode movement direction and marks the electrode along the faulty section in response to signals from the control unit 40 instructing the start and end of marking; and the real-time relative position value of the marking machine 30 with respect to the moving electrode 1 is the start coordinate of the faulty section. The system includes a control unit 40 that outputs a faulty marking signal to the marking machine 30 at the moment the value becomes greater than the value, and cuts off the output of the faulty marking signal at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section, and acquires the real-time relative position values ​​of the marking machine 30 at the time the faulty marking signal was output and the time it was cut off as the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate, respectively, and a roll map creation unit 50 that creates a roll map defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes, the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode 1, and in which the position of the moving electrode 1 is displayed by the coordinate values ​​of the coordinate plane, and the roll map creation unit 50 can represent the faulty section on the roll map based on the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate received from the control unit 40.

[0168] Since the position measuring instrument, defect inspection machine 20, marking machine 30, control unit 40, and roll map creation unit 50 have been described above, a repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0169] Figure 10 shows a roll map representing the two electrode lanes L1 and L2.

[0170] The above roll map shows, in a coordinate plane, how the coordinate values ​​of the defective section were acquired by the defective inspection machine equipped with the spot inspection machine and scan inspection machine of the second embodiment described above, and how the defective section was marked on the actual electrode by comparing these coordinate values ​​with the real-time relative position values ​​of the first marking machine and the second marking machine, respectively.

[0171] The areas representing the coating portion of each electrode lane on the roll map visually indicate defective areas.

[0172] Furthermore, marking coordinates are displayed below each defective area. Specifically, the marking start and end coordinates are displayed to indicate the defective sections of electrode lane 1 (L1) and electrode lane 2 (L2). In addition, the overlapping area of ​​the defective sections of electrode lane 1 (L1) and electrode lane 2 (L2) can be easily identified from the above-mentioned defective areas.

[0173] For reference, black dot-like markings are continuously displayed along the defective section in the area corresponding to the uncoated portion 1b of the roll map. As mentioned above, these markings are displayed on the uncoated portion of the actual electrode and do not necessarily have to be displayed on the roll map.

[0174] The present invention has been described in more detail above with reference to the drawings and embodiments. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments described herein are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can substitute for them at the time of filing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0175] 1: Electrode 1a: Covering part 1b: Uncovered part 3: Label 10: Position measuring device 20: Defect inspection machine 20a: Spot-type inspection machine 20A: A Inspection Machine 20b: Scanning inspection machine 20B: B Measuring Instrument 30: Marking machine 30A: First marked aircraft 30B: Second marking aircraft 40: Control Unit 41: Electrode travel control unit 42: Marking machine control unit 50: Role Map Creation Department 51: Database 52: Central Processing Unit 53: Visualization device 60: Display section 100: Electrode marking device 200: Role map creation system

Claims

1. A marking device for electrodes that move between an unwinder and a rewinder, A position measuring instrument that acquires the position of the electrode corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder or rewinder as coordinate values ​​along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, A defect inspection machine that inspects the electrode to identify a defective part, and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, A marking machine is installed behind the fault inspection machine along the direction of electrode movement, The system includes a control unit that determines whether or not to mark the defective part by comparing the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with the coordinate value of the defective part, The marking machine is an electrode marking device that marks the defective part on the electrode based on a defective marking signal from the control unit, The position measuring device is connected to the rewinder, The real-time relative position value of the marking machine is the value obtained by adding the electrode winding amount at the time the electrode passes through the marking machine in real time to a second offset distance, which is the distance between the marking machine and the rewinder. The control unit outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part, thereby providing an electrode marking device.

2. The electrode marking device according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate value of the defective part is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time the defective part is detected by the defective inspection machine and a first offset distance which is the distance between the defective inspection machine and the rewinder.

3. The electrode marking device according to claim 1, wherein the defect inspection machine acquires the position of the defective part along the electrode width direction as a coordinate value along the electrode width direction.

4. The control unit, It includes an electrode travel control unit that controls the movement of electrodes from the unwinder to the rewinder and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire information on the amount of electrode winding of the rewinder, and a marking machine control unit that determines whether or not to mark by the marking machine, The electrode marking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marking machine control unit calculates a real-time relative position value of the marking machine by adding the second offset distance to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine at the moment when the calculated real-time relative position value becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part.

5. The electrode marking device according to claim 4, wherein the defect inspection machine obtains coordinate values ​​of the defective part by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance between the defect inspection machine and the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and transmits the obtained coordinate values ​​of the defective part to the marking machine control unit.

6. The defective portion is a defective section in which defective areas continue continuously or intermittently along the electrode. The aforementioned defect inspection machine acquires the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defect section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, The control unit compares the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defective section, respectively, to determine whether marking has started or ended. The electrode marking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the marking machine marks the electrode along the defective section in response to signals from the control unit that instruct the start and end of marking.

7. The starting coordinate value of the defective section is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time when the first defective location in the defective section is detected by the defective inspection machine, plus a first offset distance which is the distance between the defective inspection machine and the rewinder. The electrode marking device according to claim 6, wherein the end coordinate value of the defective section is the sum of the electrode winding amount of the rewinder at the time the last defective location in the defective section was detected by the defective inspection machine and the first offset distance.

8. The control unit is At the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the starting coordinate value of the defective section, a defective marking signal is output to the marking machine. The electrode marking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the output of a fault marking signal to the marking machine is cut off at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section.

9. The control unit, It includes an electrode travel control unit that controls the movement of electrodes from the unwinder to the rewinder and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire information on the amount of electrode winding of the rewinder, and a marking machine control unit that determines whether or not to mark by the marking machine, The marking machine control unit calculates the real-time relative position value of the marking machine by adding the second offset distance to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit. Furthermore, the electrode marking apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the marking machine control unit outputs a fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the calculated real-time relative position value becomes greater than the start coordinate value of the faulty section, and cuts off the output of the fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the faulty section.

10. The electrode marking device according to claim 9, wherein the fault inspection machine obtains the start coordinate value and end coordinate value of the fault section by adding a first offset distance, which is the distance between the fault inspection machine and the rewinder, to the electrode winding amount received from the electrode travel control unit, and transmits the obtained start coordinate value and end coordinate value of the fault section to the marking machine control unit.

11. The electrode comprises multiple electrode lanes along the width direction, The marking machines are arranged one for each electrode lane, The electrode marking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each marking machine continuously marks along the defective section of each electrode lane in accordance with signals from the control unit that instruct the start and end of marking.

12. A position measuring instrument that acquires the position of the electrode as a coordinate value along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder or rewinder, when the electrode moves between the unwinder and the rewinder. A defect inspection machine that inspects the electrode to identify a defective part, and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the coordinate values ​​of the defective part along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, A marking machine is installed behind the fault inspection machine along the direction of electrode movement and marks the faulty part on the electrode in response to a fault marking signal from the control unit. A control unit that compares the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with the coordinate value of the defective part to determine whether or not to mark, outputs a defective marking signal to the marking machine at the moment the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with the moving electrode becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part, and acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine at the time the defective marking signal is output as the marking coordinate, The system includes a roll map creation unit that creates a roll map in which the position of the moving electrode is displayed as coordinate values ​​on the coordinate plane, defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes: the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode, In a roll map creation system, the roll map creation unit represents the defective area on the roll map based on the marking coordinates received from the control unit, The position measuring device is connected to the rewinder, The real-time relative position value of the marking machine is the value obtained by adding the electrode winding amount at the time the electrode passes through the marking machine in real time to a second offset distance, which is the distance between the marking machine and the rewinder. The control unit is a roll map creation system that outputs a defect marking signal to the marking machine at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the coordinate value of the defective part.

13. A position measuring instrument that acquires the position of the electrode as a coordinate value along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, corresponding to the amount of rotation of the unwinder or rewinder, when the electrode moves between the unwinder and the rewinder. A defect inspection machine that inspects the electrode to identify a defective section, and is connected to the position measuring instrument to acquire the start and end coordinate values ​​of the defective section along the longitudinal direction of the electrode, A marking machine is installed behind the fault inspection machine along the direction of electrode movement, and marks the electrodes along the faulty section in response to signals from the control unit that instruct the start and end of marking. A control unit that outputs a fault marking signal to the marking machine at the moment when the real-time relative position value of the marking machine with respect to the moving electrode becomes greater than the start coordinate value of the fault section, and cuts off the output of the fault marking signal at the moment when the real-time relative position value becomes greater than the end coordinate value of the fault section, and acquires the real-time relative position value of the marking machine at the time the fault marking signal was output and the time it was cut off as the marking start coordinate and marking end coordinate, respectively. The system includes a roll map creation unit that creates a roll map in which the position of the moving electrode is displayed as coordinate values ​​on the coordinate plane, defined as a coordinate plane having two coordinate axes: the longitudinal axis and the width axis of the electrode, In a roll map creation system, the roll map creation unit represents the defective section on the roll map based on the marking start coordinates and marking end coordinates received from the control unit. The position measuring device is connected to the rewinder, A roll map creation system in which the real-time relative position value of the marking machine is the value obtained by adding a second offset distance, which is the distance between the marking machine and the rewinder, to the amount of electrode winding at the time the electrode passes through the marking machine in real time.

14. The electrode comprises multiple electrode lanes along the width direction, The marking machines are arranged one for each electrode lane, Each marking machine continuously marks along the defective section of each electrode lane in response to signals from the control unit that instruct the start and end of marking. The roll map creation unit represents the defective section of each electrode lane on a roll map representing each electrode lane, as described in claim 13.

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