Stacking process and integrated cutting and stacking machine

Abstract

The present application relates to a stacking process and an integrated cutting and stacking machine. An electrode sheet distribution procedure is configured between a sheet preparation procedure and a core preparation procedure, and during the electrode sheet distribution procedure, electrode sheets to be stored are stored in an electrode sheet storage device in a spaced stacking manner, and the electrode sheets can be cyclically transferred in the electrode sheet storage device; therefore, high-speed feeding / discharging of the electrode sheets are realized, and the electrode sheets are not prone to being damaged during feeding and discharging, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheets are distributed with high efficiency and low damage between the sheet preparation procedure and the core preparation procedure, and providing a good foundation for improving the OEE of a stacking apparatus. Moreover, by means of the integrated cutting and stacking machine using the stacking process, the decoupling of the sheet preparation procedure from the core preparation procedure can also be realized; and when either of the sheet preparation procedure and the core preparation procedure is subjected to a fault, the normal operation of the other procedure can be ensured, thereby ensuring the OEE of the stacking apparatus and also reducing the failure rate of the apparatus.

Description

Lamination process and cutting and lamination machine Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery cell production, and in particular to a stacking process and a cutting and stacking machine. Background Art

[0002] A key step in lithium battery production is lamination, which involves alternately stacking the positive and negative electrode sheets, separated by separators. Repeating this process multiple times creates a cell with the desired number of layers and thickness. Currently, there are two main types of integrated cutting and laminating processes. One is the NCSP lamination process (N = die-cutting, C = cutting, S = laminating, and P = hot pressing). NCSP couples these four steps, requiring each to complete before the next begins. The advantages of the NCSP lamination process include high OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and a relatively small footprint. However, the disadvantages are significant: a failure in any step requires the entire lamination process to be shut down, impacting lamination efficiency. The other is the NC+SP lamination process, which decouples the cutting and lamination processes. The cut electrode sheets are stored in clips, which are then transported to the lamination process using an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) handling system, an overhead crane (OHT) handling system, or manual labor. The advantage of the NC+SP lamination process is that after the NC and SP processes are decoupled, the actions of the two parts do not affect each other, and the failure rate of the entire lamination system is reduced. However, the added pole piece transfer process requires additional pole piece loading and unloading actions in the system, which affects the lamination efficiency. Moreover, the pole pieces are stacked in the clip, and friction damage will inevitably occur between the pole pieces. In addition, the pole piece loading and unloading actions also increase the probability of pole piece damage. This not only increases the loss of incoming pole piece materials, but also further affects the lamination efficiency due to frequent rejection of waste.

[0003] Therefore, a new lamination process needs to be provided to achieve lamination with low failure rate, high efficiency and high yield.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to propose a lamination process and a cutting and lamination machine that can achieve lamination with low failure rate, high efficiency and high yield.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application proposes a lamination process, including a lamination process and a core making process, wherein a pole piece allocation process is provided between the lamination process and the core making process, and the pole piece allocation process includes:

[0007] The electrodes are stored in an electrode storage device in a stacked manner at intervals, and circulated in the electrode storage device;

[0008] When the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the feeding side of the electrode storage device, the electrode cut from the manufacturing process is received;

[0009] When the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the discharge side of the electrode storage device, the electrode is delivered.

[0010] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0011] When the electrode storage device receives the first fault signal of the film production process, the electrode storage device stops receiving electrode sheets when the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the feeding side of the electrode storage device until the first recovery signal of the film production process is received;

[0012] And / or, when the electrode storage device receives the second fault signal of the core making process, when the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the discharge side of the electrode storage device, the electrode is stopped from being delivered until the second recovery signal of the core making process is received.

[0013] In one embodiment, the cache capacity of the pole piece storage device is N1, the number of stackings completed by the core making process within a single core making process failure cycle is N2, and the number of stackings completed by the core making process within a single core making process failure cycle is N3, N1>N2 and / or N1>N3.

[0014] In one embodiment, the time for a single electrode to be transferred from the manufacturing process to the electrode distribution process is less than 0.3 seconds, and the time for the electrode distribution process to deliver a single electrode is less than 0.7 seconds.

[0015] In one embodiment, when the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the discharge side of the electrode storage device, when the electrode is sent out, at least part of the body of the electrode is sent out of the electrode storage device by sucking the electrode.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a cutting and laminating machine, comprising a sheet-making unit and a core-making unit, wherein a pole piece distribution unit is provided between the sheet-making unit and the core-making unit, and the pole piece distribution unit comprises:

[0017] A pole piece storage device having an inlet side, an outlet side and a plurality of storage locations spaced apart, with pole pieces stored in a single piece form in each of the storage locations;

[0018] A circulating device, used for driving the storage position to circulate between the input side and the output side;

[0019] A feeding device, for receiving the electrode pieces cut from the production process and storing the electrode pieces in the storage position;

[0020] A discharging device is used to deliver the pole pieces on the storage position into the core making unit.

[0021] In one embodiment, there are two or more pole piece distribution units.

[0022] In one embodiment, the storage location has a rigid support, and a non-rigid storage area is provided in the rigid support, and the non-rigid storage area is used to store the pole piece.

[0023] In one embodiment, the discharging device comprises:

[0024] a plate suction assembly, used for sucking at least a portion of the body of the pole piece out of the pole piece storage device;

[0025] The tab assembly is used to receive at least a portion of the pole piece and deliver the pole piece to the core making unit.

[0026] In one embodiment, the splice assembly is at least one of a belt mechanism, a roller assembly, and a mechanical gripper.

[0027] The above-mentioned lamination process and cutting and laminating machine, by setting up a pole piece distribution process between the lamination process and the core making process, the pole piece distribution process stores the pole pieces in the pole piece storage device in the form of interleaved stacking, and allows the pole pieces to circulate in the pole piece storage device, thereby achieving high-speed feeding and discharging of the pole pieces, and the pole pieces are not easily damaged during the feeding and discharging process, ensuring high-efficiency and low-damage distribution of the pole pieces between the lamination process and the core making process, and providing a good foundation for improving the OEE of the lamination equipment. The cutting and lamination machine using the above-mentioned lamination process can also achieve decoupling of the lamination process and the core making process. When either the lamination process or the core making process fails, the other process can be guaranteed to operate normally, ensuring the OEE of the lamination equipment while reducing the equipment failure rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG1 is a flow chart of a pole piece allocation process in one embodiment.

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a die-cutting, laminating and hot-pressing integrated machine in one embodiment.

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a distribution system in some other embodiments.

[0031] Reference numerals: 100, die-cutting unit; 110, die-cutting knife;

[0032] 200, cutting unit; 210, cutting knife;

[0033] 300, lamination unit; 310, lamination table;

[0034] 400, hot pressing unit; 410, hot pressing machine;

[0035] 500, electrode distribution unit; 510, electrode storage device; 520, circulation device; 530, feeding device; 540, discharging device; 541, electrode suction assembly; 542, electrode splicing assembly; 543, pushing assembly; 545, robot; 546, roller assembly;

[0036] 610, electrode; 620, battery cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0039] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0040] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, these terms may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, if a first feature is described as being "above" or "below" a second feature, or similar descriptions, this may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is described as being "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is described as being "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0042] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

[0043] As shown in FIG1 , the lamination process provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a lamination process S1, a pole piece distribution process S2, and a core making process S3. The pole piece distribution process S3 is arranged between the lamination process S1 and the core making process S2, and is used to receive the pole pieces delivered from the lamination process S1 and provide the positive pole pieces / negative pole pieces required for lamination for the core making process S2. At the same time, the pole piece distribution process S3 also has the function of pole piece buffering, which can receive the excess pole pieces generated by the lamination process S1, or buffer the pole pieces continuously delivered from the lamination process S1 during the failure cycle of the core making process S2, so as to maintain the normal operation of the lamination process S1 when the core making process S3 fails; and, on the basis of a certain number of pole pieces buffered in the pole piece distribution process S3, the pole piece distribution process S3 can also continuously output pole pieces to the core making process S3 during the failure cycle of the lamination process, so as to maintain the normal operation of the core making process S3 when the lamination process S2 fails. The following describes each process shown in FIG1 .

[0044] (Filmmaking Step S1)

[0045] In this process, the electrode sheets required for the battery cell are manufactured. The electrode sheets can be positive electrode sheets, negative electrode sheets or composite electrode sheets. The electrode sheets include a core body made of a strip of metal foil, an active material layer is provided on the surface of the substrate, and a pole ear extending radially outward is provided on the peripheral side of the substrate. This process may include a pole sheet cutting step, that is, cutting the pole sheet roll coated with active material and with the pole ear cut out into a size that meets the requirements for producing the battery cell; or, this process may also include a die-cutting step and a cutting step, that is, including the step of cutting the pole ear from the pole sheet roll coated with active material by die-cutting / laser cutting, and the step of cutting the pole sheet roll into a single piece by die-cutting / laser cutting. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the order of the pole ear cutting step and the pole sheet cutting step can be reversed, that is, cutting the pole sheet first and then cutting the pole ear shape.

[0046] It should be noted that this process is not limited to the above-mentioned cutting and trimming steps, but may further include the active material coating step, the tab cleaning step, the tab reinforcement rib making step, etc. Other new steps may be added according to the needs of the film making process, as long as the cutting of the electrode sheet can be completed to form the single electrode sheet required for the stacking.

[0047] In addition, this process is not particularly limited as long as it can produce the electrode pieces required for the battery cell. For example, it is also possible to provide electrode pieces that have been produced separately.

[0048] (Electrode allocation process S2)

[0049] In this process, the electrodes are stored in an electrode storage device in the form of interval stacking, and circulated in the electrode storage device. Specifically, in the electrode allocation process S2, as shown in Figure 2, a plurality of interval-arranged storage positions are set in the electrode storage device, and the electrode storage device has a loading side and a unloading side. These storage positions can circulate in the electrode storage device, and, at certain moments, the storage positions can flow to the discharge end of the loading side / the feed end of the unloading side. When the storage position of the electrode storage device flows to the feed side of the electrode storage device, the electrode cut from the film production process, that is, the electrode of the film production process S1, is received and transported to the loading side, when any vacant storage position circulates to the discharge end of the loading side in the electrode storage device, the electrode can be received by the electrode storage device and stored in the storage position. When the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the discharge side of the electrode storage device, the electrode is sent out, that is, when any storage position carrying the electrode is circulated to the feed end of the discharge side of the electrode storage device, the electrode can be sent out by the electrode storage device and further received by the core making process S3 to complete the stacking action.

[0050] Existing methods for caching electrodes include using a vacuum belt for caching. This is done by setting up a long conveyor belt that can simultaneously transport a certain number of electrodes. The purpose of caching is achieved by controlling the belt conveyor speed. However, this method significantly affects the efficiency of lamination, and the number of laminations that can be cached is extremely limited. Once the lamination process fails and stops, the subsequent core-making process is likely to need to stop. Another method is to use a clip for electrode caching. That is, after the electrodes are cut in the lamination process, a certain number of electrodes are first received and stored in a clip. The clip loaded with electrodes is then transported to the core-making process by an AGV / OHT handling system or manually. The advantage of using a clip + transport method for caching and feeding electrodes is that it can decouple the lamination process from the core-making process, so that the two processes do not affect each other and the probability of lamination equipment downtime is reduced. However, the disadvantages are also obvious. For example, the electrodes are stored in the clip in a stacked manner, and friction between the electrodes is inevitable, causing damage to the electrodes. In the process of storing and removing the electrodes in and out of the magazine, in order to minimize the friction damage to the electrodes, it is necessary to control the speed of storing and removing the electrodes in and out of the magazine, which in turn affects the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) of the lamination equipment. Based on this, in this process, the electrodes are stored in the electrode storage device in an interleaved stacking manner. In this way, there is no need to consider the friction damage between the electrodes during the process of storing and removing the electrodes, which is conducive to improving the speed of storing and removing the electrodes, thereby improving the OEE of the lamination equipment; at the same time, the interleaved stacking of the electrodes can also effectively reduce / avoid the friction damage that may occur between the electrodes when the electrodes are cached in the electrode storage device. Furthermore, the storage locations for storing the electrodes are circulated in the electrode storage device, so that the vacant storage locations can be moved to the feeding side to quickly receive the electrodes delivered from the lamination process S1, and the storage locations containing the electrodes can be moved to the discharging side to quickly deliver the electrodes for efficient lamination in the core making process S3. The circulation of the electrodes in the electrode storage device can improve the distribution efficiency of the electrodes, reduce the buffer pressure of the electrode storage device, improve the electrode transportation efficiency, and improve the stacking efficiency.

[0051] In this process, the staggered stacking of electrodes and the circulation of electrodes enable the electrodes to be stored and retrieved at high speed, while reducing the requirements for electrode cache space, thereby achieving high-speed and low-loss distribution of electrodes in a small space.

[0052] It should be noted that there is no special restriction on the coupling between the electrode allocation process S2 and the film-making process S1 and the core-making process S3. Preferably, the electrode allocation process S2 can be decoupled from the film-making process S1 / core-making process S3, that is, when the film-making process S1 fails, the electrode allocation process S2 can be performed normally with the core-making process S3; when the core-making process S3 fails, the electrode allocation process S2 can be performed normally with the film-making process S1. Specifically, when the electrode storage device receives a first fault signal from the film-making process S1, when the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the feeding side of the electrode storage device, it stops receiving the electrode until the first recovery signal of the film-making process S1 is received; and / or, when the electrode storage device receives a second fault signal from the core-making process S3, when the storage position of the electrode storage device is transferred to the discharging side of the electrode storage device, it stops sending out the electrode until the second recovery signal of the core-making process S3 is received. That is to say, when the electrode allocation process S2 receives the first fault signal sent by the film-making process S1, it releases the coupling with the film-making process S1, so that the electrode allocation process S2 can normally deliver electrodes to the core-making process independently of the film-making process S1 to maintain the normal operation of the core-making process; and when the electrode allocation process S2 receives the second fault signal sent by the core-making process S3, it releases the coupling with the core-making process S3, so that the electrode allocation process S2 can normally receive the electrodes delivered from the film-making process S1 independently of the core-making process S3.

[0053] Compared with the existing NCSP stacking process, the present application sets a pole piece distribution process S2 between the pole piece production process S1 and the core making process S3, thereby releasing the coupling between the pole piece production process S1 and the core making process S3, so that the two pole piece production processes S1 and the core making process S3 can be executed independently of each other, thereby reducing the failure rate of stacking; and the pole piece distribution process S2 provided by the present application is compared with the process of magazine + VAG / OHT / manual transportation, which can realize high-speed and low-loss storage and removal of pole pieces, which is conducive to improving the OEE of the stacking equipment.

[0054] It should also be noted that there is no particular limit on the number of electrodes that can be cached in the electrode allocation process S2. Preferably, the number of electrodes that can be cached in the electrode allocation process S2 can preferentially meet the electrode cache requirements of the electrode production process S1 during the failure period of the core production process S3, or the lamination requirements of the core production process S3 during the failure period of the electrode production process S1. Specifically, assuming that the cache capacity of the electrode storage device in the electrode allocation process S2 is N1, the number of laminations completed by the core production process during a single failure period of the electrode production process is N2, and the number of laminations completed by the electrode production process during a single failure period of the core production process is N3, N1>N2 and / or N1>N3. For example, the stacking efficiency of the core-making process S3 is 0.5s / pcs. A failure occurs in the core-making process S1, and the failure time is 2 minutes. Then, during this 2-minute failure period, the number of electrodes required for the core-making process S3 is 240, and the number of positive and negative electrodes is 120, that is, N2=120. At this time, the cache capacity N1 of the electrode storage device is greater than 120, and can be 130, 140, 150, etc.

[0055] It should be noted that the N1, N2 and N3 pole pieces are determined based on various factors such as the equipment's stacking efficiency, OEE, failure rate, etc., and are not specifically limited here, as long as they can basically meet the normal operation of the tableting process during the core-making process failure period / the core-making process during the tableting process failure period.

[0056] In addition, in the electrode distribution process S2, by adopting the method of interval stacking of electrodes + circulating circulation of electrodes, the time for a single electrode to be transferred from the manufacturing process S1 to the electrode distribution process S2 can be less than 0.3 seconds, and the time for the electrode distribution process S2 to send out a single electrode can be less than 0.7 seconds, that is, the electrode storage efficiency can be achieved within 0.3s / pcs, and the electrode removal efficiency can be achieved within 0.7s / pcs.

[0057] In order to achieve the above-mentioned efficiency in depositing and removing the electrode pieces, in the electrode piece distribution process S2, the electrode piece can be deposited by a vacuum adsorption blowing belt. Specifically, the vacuum adsorption blowing belt has a belt assembly, an adsorption cavity is provided in the belt assembly, adsorption holes / adsorption gaps are provided on the belt, the discharge side rotation position of the belt assembly, that is, the part of the lower belt body connected to the rotation position is connected to the adsorption cavity, and a blowing assembly is provided at the position of the lower belt body of the belt assembly adjacent to the adsorption cavity; when the electrode piece vacuum adsorption blowing belt receives the electrode piece, it is quickly transported to the blowing position of the electrode piece vacuum adsorption blowing belt, and the electrode piece is quickly blown away from the belt body by the blowing assembly, so that it falls on the storage position of the electrode piece storage device.

[0058] The electrode is made of foil, which is light and thin. By adopting vacuum adsorption and blowing belt feeding, the electrode can be adsorbed on the belt during rapid transportation; and by adding a blowing component to blow air, on the one hand, the vacuum adsorption force between the electrode and the belt can be quickly broken, and at the same time, the electrode can be quickly dropped into the storage position of the electrode storage device, thereby realizing the rapid storage of the electrode.

[0059] The electrode can be removed by suction, combined with other actions such as pushing, pulling, pumping, and sucking. Specifically, the electrode is first removed from the storage location by suction to prevent frictional damage between the electrode and the storage location during transfer. The electrode is then removed by removing at least a portion of the electrode from the electrode storage device. For example, a suction element can be inserted from the discharge end of the feeder side into the gap above the storage location to pick up the electrode. The suction element is then quickly withdrawn and placed on the electrode discharge conveyor. The suction element can also be equipped with an air blowing mechanism to quickly release the electrode from the suction element and drop it onto the discharge conveyor. In another example, a suction element can be inserted from the discharge end of the feeder side into the gap above the storage location to pick up the electrode. The electrode is then gripped by a roller mechanism located at the discharge end of the feeder side. The roller mechanism then completely removes the electrode for grabbing by a robotic gripper or for the electrode discharge conveyor to pick up the electrode. In another example, the electrode can be directly grabbed and delivered by a robotic gripper equipped with the suction element.

[0060] It should be noted that there is no special restriction on the method of removing the electrode. Other mechanisms that can complete pushing, pulling, extracting, sucking and other actions can also be used to achieve rapid removal of the electrode. It is preferred to use adsorption to make the electrode first leave the storage area and then move it out in the form of a sheet to reduce damage to the electrode during the removal process.

[0061] In this process, each storage location is provided with a support surface. Since the pole pieces are somewhat flexible, when stacked vertically, the middle portion of the pole pieces may bend due to gravity, causing scratches and damage to the edges of the pole pieces and the support structure on the storage location.

[0062] Based on this, when the pole pieces are stacked vertically, a surface support structure is provided at the storage position to provide good surface support for the flexible pole pieces, thereby ensuring that the pole pieces can be stacked vertically.

[0063] In addition, when the electrode is circulated in the vertical direction, the electrode needs to remain basically motionless relative to the surface support structure to avoid damage caused by relative friction between the electrode and the surface support structure during circulation. For this reason, in this process, as a preference, a pressing structure can be selectively provided above the surface support structure to apply appropriate pressure to the electrode so that the electrode maintains a relatively stable positional relationship when the surface support structure circulates; or alternatively, an adsorption structure can be selectively provided on the surface support structure to temporarily adsorb and fix the electrode to the surface support structure by adsorption to ensure that the electrode maintains a relatively stable positional relationship when the surface support structure circulates. It should be noted that there are no special restrictions as long as the electrode can remain basically motionless relative to the surface support structure when the electrode circulates in the vertical direction.

[0064] In addition to providing a surface support structure, the contact between the surface support structure and the electrode may damage the electrode. To this end, in addition to providing a surface support structure, a protective area can be optionally provided within the surface support structure to store the electrode and reduce electrode damage. For example, a silicone gasket or Teflon gasket can be placed within this protective area to reduce frictional damage to the electrode caused by the surface support.

[0065] (Core Making Process S3)

[0066] In this process, the electrodes are stacked to form a battery cell. This core-making process may include a lamination step, where the positive and negative electrodes, or a composite electrode, are stacked layer by layer and separated by separators. Prior to the lamination step, this process may also include, but is not limited to, electrode defect detection and correction steps. Following the lamination step, this process may also include, but is not limited to, cell tail film winding, cell shaping, and cell hot pressing.

[0067] It should be noted that there is no particular limitation on the core making step S3 as long as the electrode stacking can be completed.

[0068] Referring to Figure 2, an embodiment of the present application provides a cutting and stacking machine, which includes a film-making unit and a core-making unit. A pole piece distribution unit 500 is provided between the film-making unit and the core-making unit. The pole piece distribution unit 500 includes a pole piece storage device 510, a circulation device 520, a feeding device 530 and a discharging device 540. The pole piece storage device 510 has a feeding side and a discharging side and a plurality of storage positions distributed at intervals. The pole pieces 610 are stored in each storage position in a single piece form. The circulation device 520 is used to drive the storage position to circulate between the feeding side and the discharging side. The feeding device 530 is used to receive the pole pieces 610 cut by the self-made film-making process and store the pole pieces 610 in the storage position. The discharging device 540 is used to send the pole pieces 610 on the storage position to the core-making process.

[0069] The electrode distributing unit 500 is disposed between the film-making unit and the core-making unit, and is used to receive the electrodes 610 delivered by the film-making unit and provide the core-making unit with the positive electrodes 610 and negative electrodes 610 required for lamination. Furthermore, the electrode storage device 510 has a plurality of spaced-apart storage locations, and the electrodes 610 can be stored individually in each storage location, thereby enabling the electrode storage device 510 to cache the electrodes 610. Specifically, the electrode distributing unit 500 can receive excess electrodes 610 generated by the film-making unit, or cache the electrodes 610 continuously delivered by the film-making unit during a core-making unit failure cycle, thereby maintaining normal operation of the film-making unit in the event of a core-making unit failure. Furthermore, based on the fact that the electrode distributing unit 500 has a certain number of electrodes 610 cached, the electrode distributing unit 500 can also continuously output electrodes 610 to the core-making unit during a film-making unit failure cycle, thereby maintaining normal operation of the core-making unit in the event of a film-making unit failure.

[0070] At the same time, since the multiple storage bits are arranged at intervals, it is also possible to effectively reduce / avoid the friction damage that may occur between two adjacent pole pieces 610 when the pole pieces 610 are cached in the pole piece 610 storage device.

[0071] It should be noted that the film making unit may include a cutting unit 200 or include both a die-cutting unit 100 and a cutting unit 200. The core making unit may include a laminating unit 300 or include both a laminating unit 300 and a hot pressing unit 400. The die-cutting unit 100 includes a die-cutting knife 110, which may be a die-cutting knife or a laser cutter. The cutting unit 200 includes a cutting knife 210, which may be a die-cutting knife or a laser cutter. The laminating unit 300 has a laminating table 310, on which the positive electrode sheet 610, the negative electrode sheet 610, and the separator are used to be stacked to form a battery cell 620. The hot pressing unit 400 performs hot pressing on the battery cell 620 using a hot press 410.

[0072] In actual use, the electrode 610 cut from the electrode production unit is first received by the feeding device 530, and then the electrode 610 is stored in the storage position. As one embodiment of the electrode storage device 510, the electrode storage device 510 includes a plurality of surface support structures, and the plurality of surface support structures are all slidably matched with the circulation device 520, and the plurality of surface support structures are arranged at intervals on the circulation device 520. The circulation device 520 can drive the surface support structure to move to the loading side to receive the electrode 610 transferred to the loading end of the loading side by the feeding device 530. At the same time, the circulation device 520 can drive the surface support structure to move to the discharge end of the discharge side to deliver the electrode 610 on the storage position to the core production unit through the discharge device 540.

[0073] In one embodiment of the circulation device 520, the circulation device 520 includes a slider and a slide rail. The slide rail is in the shape of a U-shaped slider. Multiple sliders are provided, each slider slidingly engages with the slide rail. The multiple sliders are connected to multiple surface support structures in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple sliders slide cyclically on the slide rail, thereby driving the multiple surface support structures to circulate.

[0074] Of course, in other embodiments, the electrode storage device 510 can also be a frame-type support structure, and the circulating flow device 520 can be a transmission chain. The frame-type support structure can be detachably set on the transmission chain, and the frame-type support structure is driven to circulate through the transmission chain.

[0075] In addition, as long as the electrode storage device 510 can store the electrode 610 in a single piece form in the storage position of the electrode storage device 510 and the circulation device 520 is used to drive the storage position to circulate between the feed side and the discharge side, there is no restriction on the specific structure of the electrode storage device 510 and the circulation device 520.

[0076] Furthermore, there are two or more electrode distribution units 500 .

[0077] In one embodiment, the number of electrode distribution units 500 is the same as the number of production units, that is, multiple electrode distribution units 500 are set up to simultaneously receive the cut electrode 610 from multiple production units and transfer the cut electrode 610 from multiple production units to one core making unit.

[0078] In another embodiment, the number of the pole piece distribution units 500 is the same as the number of the core making units, that is, multiple pole piece distribution units 500 are provided to deliver the pole pieces 610 cut from one pole making unit to multiple core making units.

[0079] In some embodiments, the feeding device 530 includes a belt assembly and a blowing assembly, an adsorption chamber is provided in the belt assembly, an adsorption hole / adsorption gap is provided on the belt of the belt assembly, and the blowing assembly is provided on the belt assembly and is located on the lower side of the belt rotation position. When the belt assembly receives the pole piece 610, the pole piece 610 is first adsorbed on the belt assembly by adsorption, and then the belt assembly quickly transports it to the blowing position of the belt assembly, and the pole piece 610 is quickly blown away from the belt body by the blowing assembly, so that it falls on the storage position of the pole piece 610 storage device.

[0080] In some embodiments, the discharge device 540 includes a suction assembly 541 and a splice assembly 542. The suction assembly 541 is used to suck at least part of the pole piece 610 out of the pole piece storage device 510. The splice assembly 542 is used to receive at least part of the pole piece 610 and send the pole piece 610 to the core making unit.

[0081] In actual use, the electrode 610 located on the storage position on the discharge side is first sucked to a certain height by the suction plate assembly 541, and then the electrode 610 is transferred out by the contact plate assembly 542. The electrode 610 is removed from the storage position by suction, avoiding friction damage between the electrode 610 and the storage position during the transfer process.

[0082] Of course, in other embodiments, the pole piece 610 can be pushed out of the storage position, or the pole piece 610 can be clamped to the storage position by the robot 545.

[0083] Specifically, the splice assembly 542 is at least one of a belt mechanism, a roller assembly, and a mechanical gripper.

[0084] For example, the sheet suction assembly 541 sucks out the pole piece 610 and places it on a belt mechanism, and the belt mechanism delivers the pole piece 610 into the core making unit.

[0085] Of course, in other embodiments, referring to Figure 3, the discharging device 540 may also include a pushing assembly 543 and a roller assembly 546, and the pushing assembly 543 and the roller assembly 546 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the storage position on the discharging side, and the pushing assembly 543 is used to push at least part of the body of the pole piece 610 into between the roller assemblies 546.

[0086] In some embodiments, the storage location comprises a rigid support frame with a non-rigid storage area within the rigid support frame for storing the electrode. The non-rigid storage area is constructed of a rigid material to enhance support and durability for the electrode, while the storage area is constructed of a non-rigid material to prevent scratches on the electrode surface. Examples of the non-rigid material include silicone or Teflon.

[0087] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0088] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lamination process, comprising a sheet production process and a core production process, characterized in that, a pole piece distribution process is provided between the sheet production process and the core production process, and the pole piece distribution process includes: storing pole pieces in a pole piece storage device in a stacked form at intervals and circulating and flowing within the pole piece storage device; when the storage position of the pole piece storage device rotates to the feeding side of the pole piece storage device, receiving the pole pieces cut by the sheet production process; when the storage position of the pole piece storage device rotates to the discharging side of the pole piece storage device, sending out the pole pieces.

2. The lamination process according to claim 1, characterized in that, further comprising: when the pole piece storage device receives the first fault signal of the sheet production process, when the storage position of the pole piece storage device rotates to the feeding side of the pole piece storage device, stopping receiving the pole pieces until receiving the first recovery signal of the sheet production process; and / or, when the pole piece storage device receives the second fault signal of the core production process, when the storage position of the pole piece storage device rotates to the discharging side of the pole piece storage device, stopping sending out the pole pieces until receiving the second recovery signal of the core production process.

3. The lamination process according to claim 2, characterized in that, further comprising: The buffer capacity of the electrode sheet storage device is N 1 , and the number of stacked sheets completed by the core-making process within the failure cycle of a single sheet-making process is N 2 , and the number of stacked sheets completed by the sheet-making process within the failure cycle of a single core-making process is N 3 , N 1 > N 2 and / or N 1 > N 3 .

4. The lamination process according to claim 1, characterized in that, the time for a single pole piece to be transferred from the sheet production process to the pole piece distribution process is less than 0.3 seconds, and the time for the pole piece distribution process to send out a single pole piece is less than 0.7 seconds.

5. The lamination process according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, when the storage position of the pole piece storage device rotates to the discharging side of the pole piece storage device and the pole pieces are sent out, at least part of the body of the pole piece is sent out of the pole piece storage device in a pole piece suction form.

6. A cutting and lamination integrated machine, comprising a sheet production unit and a core production unit, characterized in that, a pole piece distribution unit is provided between the sheet production unit and the core production unit, and the pole piece distribution unit includes: a pole piece storage device, having a feeding side, a discharging side and a plurality of storage positions distributed at intervals, and the pole pieces are stored in each of the storage positions in a single sheet form; a circulating and flowing device for driving the storage positions to circulate and move between the feeding side and the discharging side; a feeding device for receiving the pole pieces cut by the sheet production process and storing the pole pieces in the storage positions; a discharging device for sending the pole pieces on the storage positions into the core production unit.

7. The cutting and lamination integrated machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, the pole piece distribution unit is two or more.

8. The cutting and lamination integrated machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, the storage position has a rigid bracket, and a non-rigid storage area is provided inside the rigid bracket for storing the pole pieces.

9. The cutting and lamination integrated machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, the discharging device includes: a pole piece suction assembly for sucking at least part of the body of the pole piece out of the pole piece storage device; a pole piece receiving assembly for receiving at least part of the body of the pole piece and sending the pole piece to the core production unit.

10. The cutting and lamination integrated machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The tab component is at least one of a belt mechanism, a pair of roller components, and a mechanical gripper.

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