Manufacturing apparatus for electrode substrate and manufacturing method for electrode substrate

Abstract

A manufacturing apparatus for an electrode substrate, related to an embodiment of the present invention, includes: a transport unit including transport rolls that allow light to be transmitted into the internal space thereof through the surface and guide the movement of the electrode substrate which has passed through a drying unit; illuminance sensors installed in the internal space of the transport rolls and provided so as to detect the illuminance of the light transmitted into the internal space; and a control unit provided to inspect the contamination level of the transport rolls on the basis of illuminance information from the illuminance sensors and to stop the transport unit if the contamination level corresponds to a predetermined contamination level for stopping.

Description

Manufacturing equipment for electrode substrates and manufacturing method for electrode substrates

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrode substrate, and more particularly, to a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrode substrate capable of inspecting the contamination level of a conveying roll in real time through changes in the illuminance transmitted through the conveying roll that guides the movement of an electrode substrate that has passed through a drying section.

[0002] Additionally, this application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0051959, filed April 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional electrode substrate manufacturing facility, and Fig. 2 is a drawing for schematically explaining a state in which foreign matter is attached to a conveying roll when guiding the movement of an electrode substrate having a less dried coating layer.

[0004] The electrode process, one of the manufacturing processes of secondary batteries, is the process of producing an electrode substrate by applying and drying a slurry containing an electrode active material onto a substrate.

[0005] Referring to Fig. 1, the electrode substrate (10) includes the substrate (11) and a coating layer (12). The coating layer (12) adheres to the substrate (11) as the slurry dries.

[0006] The above slurry may be either a cathode slurry or a cathode slurry. The cathode slurry is a mixture of electrode materials such as a cathode active material (e.g., lithium cobalt oxide), a conductive additive (e.g., carbon black), and a binder (e.g., PVDF). The anode slurry is a mixture of electrode materials such as a cathode active material (e.g., graphite), a binder, and a conductive additive.

[0007] The above electrode manufacturing equipment includes a coating unit (20) for applying the slurry to the substrate (11), a drying unit (30) for drying the substrate (11) to which the slurry has been applied, and a rolling unit (50) for rolling the electrode substrate (10).

[0008] The coating section (20), the drying section (30), and the rolling section (50) are arranged sequentially along the travel path of the substrate (11). A rewinder (41) is arranged at the rear end of the drying section (30).

[0009] The substrate (11) to which the slurry is applied is dried while passing through the drying section (30). The electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (30) travels to the rolling section (50) via a plurality of transport rolls (42, 43) installed in the transport section of the rewinder (41) and the transport section (40).

[0010] The conveying section of the above conveying section (40) is several hundred meters. The plurality of conveying rolls (42, 43) are spaced apart from each other in the conveying section to guide the movement of the electrode substrate (10) from the drying section (30) to the rolling section (50). The conveying rolls (42, 43) are arranged parallel to the width direction (W) of the electrode substrate (10). The conveying rolls (42, 43) push the electrode substrate (10) in the traveling direction (MD).

[0011] The electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (30) can be cooled to room temperature while traveling over a conveying section of several hundred meters. However, if the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (30) is not fully dried, the partially dried slurry of the coating layer (12) adheres to the surface of the conveying roll (42) and hardens to become a foreign substance (S).

[0012] The coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) may be damaged by foreign matter (S) of the transfer roll (42). Damage to the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) may cause poor quality of the secondary battery.

[0013] In the past, in order to prevent quality defects of the electrode substrate (10) of the coating layer (12), the drying state of the electrode substrate (10) that passed through the drying section (30) and foreign matter (S) attached to the transfer rolls (42, 43) were visually checked.

[0014] The worker visually inspected (E1) the drying state of the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) passing through the rewinder (41) at the rear end of the drying unit (30). If the worker determined that the coating layer (12) was not dried as a result of the visual inspection, he stopped the operation of the transport unit (40) and the drying unit (30).

[0015] In addition, the worker conducts a full inspection to visually check for foreign substances (S) on the conveying rolls (42, 43) in the conveying section of several hundred meters. The foreign substances (S) can be mainly found on the conveying roll (42) in the contact zone (C1). The contact zone (C1) is a point in the conveying section where the conveying roll (42) comes into contact with the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) and guides the movement of the electrode substrate (10). When the electrode substrate (10) moves on the conveying roll (42) installed in the contact zone (C1), the coating layer (12) comes into contact with the surface of the conveying roll (42), and when the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) is less dried, the less dried slurry of the coating layer (12) adheres to the surface of the conveying roll (42) and hardens to become the foreign substances (S).

[0016] When the worker discovered a foreign substance in the above-mentioned transfer roll (42, 43), the worker stopped the transfer unit (40). The later the worker discovered the foreign substance in the above-mentioned transfer roll (42, 43), the more the quality of the electrode substrate (10) continued to deteriorate.

[0017] In addition, as the speed of electrode manufacturing equipment is gradually increasing due to technological development, the amount of loss due to poor quality of the electrode substrate (10) may increase.

[0018] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate capable of inspecting the contamination level of a transfer roll in real time through changes in the intensity of light transmitted through the transfer roll that guides the movement of the electrode substrate.

[0019] In particular, the above-mentioned transfer roll guides the movement of the electrode substrate that has passed through the drying section, and the purpose is to provide a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate that can inspect the contamination level of the transfer roll in real time through changes in the intensity of light transmitted into the inside of the transfer roll.

[0020] In addition, the purpose is to provide a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrode substrate that can automatically stop a conveying unit including the conveying roll when the contamination level of the conveying roll reaches a stop contamination level.

[0021] In addition, the purpose is to provide an electrode substrate manufacturing facility and an electrode substrate manufacturing method capable of automatically stopping a drying unit when the contamination level of the conveying roll reaches a stop contamination level and resetting the drying conditions of the drying unit based on the contamination level of the conveying roll.

[0022] In addition, the purpose is to provide a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrode substrate that can provide a cleaning alarm when the contamination level of the above-mentioned transfer roll corresponds to the cleaning contamination level.

[0023] In order to achieve the above purpose, the manufacturing equipment for the electrode substrate and the manufacturing method for the electrode substrate can be configured as follows.

[0024] The above-mentioned electrode substrate manufacturing equipment may include a conveying roll configured to allow light to pass through a surface into an internal space, a conveying unit configured to guide the movement of the electrode substrate that has passed through a drying unit, an illuminance sensor mounted in the internal space of the conveying roll and configured to detect illuminance of light transmitted into the internal space, and a control unit configured to inspect the contamination level of the conveying roll based on illuminance information of the illuminance sensor and to stop the conveying unit when the contamination level reaches a preset stopping contamination level.

[0025] The above-mentioned conveying roll may include a roll body having a plurality of holes through which light is transmitted and a roll axis that is arranged to be rotatable together with the roll body.

[0026] The above light sensor can be mounted on the outer surface of the roll axis facing the hole in the internal space of the roll body.

[0027] The above hole can be provided in the entire area of ​​the above roll body.

[0028] The above illuminance sensor is mounted on the roll axis facing the entire area where the hole is provided, and can detect illuminance according to changes in the roll width of the conveying roll in the entire area of ​​the roll body.

[0029] The above hole may be provided in a portion of the roll body along the width direction of the conveying roll.

[0030] The above illuminance sensor is mounted on the roll axis facing a portion of the area where the hole is provided, and can detect illuminance according to a change in the roll width of the conveying roll in a portion of the roll body.

[0031] The above-mentioned transport section includes a plurality of transport rolls spaced apart along the travel direction of the electrode substrate, and some of the transport rolls can be installed in a plurality of contact areas that come into contact with the coating layer of the electrode substrate.

[0032] The manufacturing equipment for the above electrode substrate may additionally include lighting arranged to irradiate light to the transport roll in the transport section of the transport section.

[0033] The manufacturing equipment for the electrode substrate may include a monitoring unit that displays an illuminance graph generated based on the acquired illuminance information.

[0034] Additionally, the manufacturing equipment for the electrode substrate may include a monitoring unit that displays a luminance graph generated based on luminance information obtained for each of the transfer rolls.

[0035] Additionally, the illuminance graph may include at least one of an illuminance graph according to a change in time and an illuminance graph according to a change in roll width.

[0036] The control unit can obtain a first illuminance value and a second illuminance value lower than the first illuminance value from an illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information, and inspect the contamination level of the transfer roll through an illuminance ratio of the second illuminance value to the first illuminance value.

[0037] The above first illuminance value may be an illuminance value measured when all of the plurality of holes provided on the surface of the conveying roll are open, and the above second illuminance value may be an illuminance value measured when some or all of the holes are blocked by foreign matter.

[0038] The above control unit can provide a cleaning alarm to the monitoring unit when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a cleaning contamination level in the range of 0.5 to 0.8.

[0039] The above control unit may be characterized in that it stops the transport unit when the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a static contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0040] The above control unit can provide a monitoring unit with a stop alarm when the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a stop contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0041] The above control unit can determine that the coating layer of the electrode substrate is poorly dried when the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a still contamination level of less than 0.5, stop the drying unit, and reset the drying conditions of the drying unit.

[0042] The above control unit can calculate the contamination location of the conveying roll through a roughness graph according to changes in the roll width of the conveying roll.

[0043] The above control unit can calculate the contamination area of ​​the transfer roll through the above illuminance graph.

[0044] Meanwhile, the method for manufacturing the electrode substrate may include a driving step in which the electrode substrate that has passed through the drying section is driven toward the rolling section along the driving roll of the transfer section, and an inspection step in which the contamination level of the transfer roll is inspected based on illuminance information obtained through an illuminance sensor built into the transfer roll during the driving step.

[0045] The above inspection step may include an illuminance ratio calculation step of obtaining a first illuminance value and a second illuminance value lower than the first illuminance value from an illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information, and calculating an illuminance ratio of the second illuminance value to the first illuminance value.

[0046] The above inspection step may include a first alarm step for providing a cleaning alarm when the cleaning contamination level corresponds to a cleaning ratio in the range of 0.5 to 0.8.

[0047] The above inspection step may include a second alarm step for providing a stop alarm when the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a stop contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0048] The above inspection step may include a driving stop step for stopping the transport unit if the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a stationary contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0049] In the above driving stop step, the drying unit can be stopped and the drying conditions of the drying unit can be reset.

[0050] The manufacturing equipment for an electrode substrate having the above-described composition and structure and the manufacturing method for an electrode substrate have the following effects.

[0051] The contamination level of the transfer roll can be inspected by measuring the illuminance value penetrating the transfer roll in real time through an illuminance sensor built into the transfer roll that guides the movement of the electrode substrate passing through the drying section.

[0052] In addition, when the contamination level of the above-mentioned transfer roll corresponds to the stop contamination level, the transfer unit including the above-mentioned transfer roll is automatically stopped, thereby reducing the amount of loss of the electrode substrate damaged due to contamination of the above-mentioned transfer roll.

[0053] In addition, when the contamination level of the above-mentioned conveying roll reaches the stop contamination level, the drying unit is automatically stopped and the drying conditions of the drying unit are reset based on the contamination level of the above-mentioned conveying roll, thereby improving the efficiency of facility operation.

[0054] Additionally, a cleaning alarm can be provided when the contamination level of the above-mentioned transfer roll reaches the cleaning contamination level. Through the cleaning alarm, the facility manager can clean the transfer roll at the optimal time, thereby improving facility operation efficiency.

[0055] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the configuration of a conventional electrode substrate manufacturing facility.

[0056] Figure 2 is a drawing schematically illustrating a state in which foreign matter is attached to a conveying roll when guiding the running of an electrode substrate having a less dried coating layer.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention and a drawing for explaining a travel path of the electrode substrate.

[0058] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a conveying roll according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a conveying roll according to an example, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of a conveying roll according to another example.

[0060] Figure 6 is an operational diagram showing a state in which a transfer roll according to one embodiment of the present invention guides the movement of the electrode substrate in a contact area of ​​a transfer section.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a roughness graph measured on a conveying roll without foreign matter in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining a roughness graph measured on a conveying roll with foreign matter.

[0062] Figures 9 and 10 schematically illustrate a flow chart of a method for manufacturing an electrode substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrode substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention and a traveling path of the electrode substrate, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conveying roll according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] In addition, Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a conveying roll according to an example, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of a conveying roll according to another example.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the manufacturing equipment (100) of the electrode substrate includes a transfer roll (132) provided to allow light to pass through the surface into the internal space (136), and includes a transfer unit (130) provided to guide the movement of the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying unit (120).

[0067] In addition, the manufacturing equipment (100) of the electrode substrate includes an illuminance sensor (141) mounted in the internal space (136) of the transfer roll (132) and configured to detect illuminance transmitted into the internal space (136).

[0068] In addition, the manufacturing equipment (100) of the electrode substrate may include a control unit (160) configured to inspect the contamination level of the transfer roll (132) based on the illumination information of the illumination sensor (141) and to stop the transfer unit (130) when the contamination level corresponds to a preset stop contamination level.

[0069] In addition, the manufacturing equipment (100) of the electrode substrate may include a coating unit (110), a drying unit (120), a conveying unit (130), and a rolling unit (150). For example, the coating unit (110), the drying unit (120), the conveying unit (130), and the rolling unit (150) may be connected inline, and may be connected inline in a roll-to-roll manner. The coating unit (110), the drying unit (120), the conveying unit (130), and the rolling unit (150) are arranged sequentially along the traveling direction (MD).

[0070] The coating unit (110) is intended to apply slurry to a moving substrate (11). The substrate (11) may be a current collector made of aluminum. The slurry is a material containing an electrode active material, for example, a negative electrode active material or a positive electrode active material. The slurry is applied to the substrate (11) in a liquid state.

[0071] The drying unit (120) provides heat (Q) to the substrate (11) to which the slurry is applied. The substrate (11) to which the slurry is applied is dried while passing through the drying unit (120) to become an electrode substrate (10) having a coating layer (12). The coating layer (12) is formed by removing moisture from the slurry and attaching the electrode active material contained in the slurry to the substrate (11).

[0072] The above electrode substrate (10) can be naturally cooled while passing through the drying section (120) and traveling through the transport section of the transport section (130).

[0073] The above-mentioned transport unit (130) is provided to guide the movement of the electrode substrate (10) having the coating layer (12) in which the slurry is dried at the rear end of the above-mentioned drying unit (120). The above-mentioned transport unit (130) includes a rewinder (131) and a plurality of transport rolls (132).

[0074] The above rewinder (131) is a device that pushes the electrode substrate (10) from the rear end of the drying section (120) to the plurality of transfer rolls (132). The plurality of transfer rolls (132) are rollers that guide the movement of the electrode substrate (10) in the movement direction (MD).

[0075] The transport section of the above-mentioned transport section (130) is approximately several hundred meters. In order for the electrode substrate (10) to travel in a flat and tensioned state, a plurality of transport rolls (132) may be spaced apart in the transport section at different heights.

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the transfer roll (132) may include a roll body (133) having a plurality of holes (134) through which light is transmitted, and a roll axis (135) that is arranged to be rotatable together with the roll body (133).

[0077] The above roll body (133) may have a smooth surface by having a plurality of holes (134) finely machined. The plurality of holes (134) are openings that fluidly connect the surface of the roll body (133) and the internal space (136). The holes (134) may have a diameter in millimeters (mm). The holes (134) may have a diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0078] The above hole (134) may be provided in the entire area of ​​the roll body (133). The above hole (134) may be provided in a part of the roll body (133) along the width direction (W) of the transfer roll (132).

[0079] The above roll axis (135) is mounted on the roll body (133) parallel to the width direction (W) of the transfer roll (132). The roll axis (135) is mounted at the center of the roll body (133).

[0080] The above illuminance sensor (141) can be mounted on the outer surface of the roll axis (135) in the internal space (136) of the roll body (133). The illuminance sensor (141) is a sensor for measuring the illuminance of light transmitted into the internal space (136) of the roll body (133) through the hole (134).

[0081] The above illuminance sensor (141) may be arranged to face a plurality of holes (134) of the roll body (133). The illuminance sensor (141) may be mounted on the outer surface of the roll axis (135) along the width direction (W) of the transfer roll (132). The illuminance sensor (141) may be installed in the inner space (136) of the roll body (133) so as to be exposed to the holes (134) along the circumferential direction of the transfer roll (132). That is, the illuminance sensor (141) may be arranged to face the holes (134) so ​​as to detect light incident through the holes (134).

[0082] For example, referring to FIG. 5(a), the illuminance sensor (141) is mounted on the roll axis (135) facing the entire area where the hole (134) is provided, and can detect illuminance according to changes in the roll width of the transfer roll (132) in the entire area of ​​the roll body (133).

[0083] As another example, referring to FIG. 5(b), the illuminance sensor (141) is mounted on the roll axis (135) facing a portion of the area where the hole (134) is provided, and can detect illuminance according to a change in the roll width of the transfer roll (132) in a portion of the roll body (133).

[0084] Figure 6 is an operational diagram showing a state in which a transfer roll according to one embodiment of the present invention guides the movement of the electrode substrate in a contact area of ​​a transfer section.

[0085] The electrode substrate (10) may be naturally cooled while traveling through a conveying section of several hundred meters to dissipate the heat generated while passing through the drying section (120). However, referring to Fig. 6, if the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (120) is not sufficiently dried, the electrode substrate (10) may contaminate the conveying roll (132) installed in the conveying section.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 3, in the above-described transport section, some of the plurality of transport rolls (132) may be installed in each of the plurality of contact areas (A1, A2) that come into contact with the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10). For convenience of explanation, the plurality of transport rolls (132) may be divided into a first transport roll (132a), a second transport roll (132b), a third transport roll (132c), a fourth transport roll (132d), and a fifth transport roll (132e) in the order in which they are arranged along the travel direction of the electrode substrate (10).

[0087] The less dried slurry of the above coating layer (12) can be mainly attached to the surface of the first transfer roll (132a) of the first contact zone (A1) and the surface of the third transfer roll (132c) of the second contact zone (A2).

[0088] As mentioned above as a problem of conventional electrode manufacturing equipment, foreign matter (S) adhered to the surface of the above-mentioned transfer roll (132) may scratch the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) that is subsequently driven. Such scratches on the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) may cause electrode defects in secondary batteries in the future.

[0089] Unlike conventional electrode manufacturing equipment, the electrode substrate manufacturing equipment (100) can monitor in real time whether the foreign matter (S) is attached to the transfer roll (132) through a transfer roll (132) having a plurality of holes (134) provided on the surface and a light sensor (141) built into the transfer roll (132).

[0090] The above foreign substance (S) may block some of the holes (134) among the plurality of holes (134) provided on the surface of the transfer roll (132), thereby hindering the transmission of light into the internal space (136).

[0091] The first transfer roll (132a) to the fifth transfer roll (132e) are sequentially spaced apart from each other along the driving direction (MD). A light sensor (141) may be built into each of the first transfer roll (132a) to the fifth transfer roll (132e).

[0092] The first transfer roll (132a) and the third transfer roll (132c) are rollers that come into contact with the coating layer (12) while the electrode substrate (10) is moving, and the probability of contamination by foreign substances (S) due to slurry when the coating layer (12) is not dried is high.

[0093] The first transfer roll (132a) is installed in the first contact area (A1). The first illuminance sensor (141a) is an illuminance sensor mounted on the first transfer roll (132a). The first illuminance sensor (141a) measures the illuminance of light transmitted into the internal space of the first transfer roll (132a).

[0094] The third transfer roll (132c) is installed in the second contact area (A2). The third illuminance sensor (141c) is an illuminance sensor mounted on the third transfer roll (132c). The third illuminance sensor (141c) measures the illuminance of light transmitted into the internal space of the third transfer roll (132c).

[0095] In the above-mentioned transport section, a light (139) designed to irradiate light onto the transport roll (132) may be installed. The light (139) may be installed concentrated in the first contact area (A1) and the second contact area (A2).

[0096] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a roughness graph measured on a conveying roll without foreign matter in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining a roughness graph measured on a conveying roll with foreign matter.

[0097] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the illuminance sensor (141) is built into the internal space (136) of the transfer roll (132), and can measure the illuminance value according to the intensity of light transmitted into the internal space (136) through the hole (134).

[0098] The above illuminance varies depending on the open area of ​​the hole (134). As the open area of ​​the hole (134) decreases, the illuminance transmitted into the internal space (136) through the hole (134) decreases. In addition, referring to Fig. 8, if the hole (134) is blocked by the foreign substance (S), light may not be able to transmit into the internal space (136).

[0099] The above control unit (160) generates a light graph based on the light information of the light sensor (141). The light information of the light sensor (141) is obtained for each conveying roll (132) equipped with the light sensor (141).

[0100] The above illuminance graph may include an illuminance graph according to changes in time and an illuminance graph according to changes in roll width. The illuminance graph may be displayed in the monitoring unit (170) according to the position information of the conveying roll (132).

[0101] The above control unit (160) can obtain a first illuminance value (V1) and a second illuminance value (V2) lower than the first illuminance value (V1) from the illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information.

[0102] Here, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the first illuminance value (V1) may be an illuminance value measured when all of the plurality of holes (134) provided on the surface of the transfer roll (132) are open. The first illuminance value (V1) may be an average of the illuminance values ​​of the amount of light passing through the holes (134) in a portion where there is no foreign matter (S).

[0103] And, referring to Fig. 8, the second illuminance value (V2) may be an illuminance value measured when part or all of the hole (134) is blocked by a foreign substance. The second illuminance value (V2) may be an average of illuminance values ​​of the amount of light passing through the hole (134) in the part where the foreign substance (S) is present. The second illuminance value (V2) may vary depending on the thickness of the foreign substance (S) blocking the hole (134).

[0104] The above control unit (160) can inspect the contamination level for each of the transfer rolls (132) through the illuminance ratio of the second illuminance value (V2) to the first illuminance value (V1).

[0105] For example, the control unit (160) can inspect the contamination level of the first conveying roll (132a) based on the first illuminance information of the first illuminance sensor (141a) built into the first conveying roll (132a). In addition, the control unit (160) can inspect the contamination level of the third conveying roll (132c) based on the third illuminance information of the third illuminance sensor (141c) built into the third conveying roll (132c).

[0106] The control unit (160) can calculate the location of the foreign matter (S) of the transfer roll (132) through a roughness graph according to changes in the roll width of the transfer roll (132). In addition, the control unit (160) can calculate the area of ​​the foreign matter (S) of the transfer roll (132) through a roughness graph according to changes in the roll width of the transfer roll (132) and the circumference of the transfer roll (132).

[0107] For example, when the control unit (160) assumes that the first illuminance value (V1) is 100, it can extract an illuminance reduction section (D, see Fig. 8) in which the illuminance value decreases below the first illuminance value (V1) from the illuminance graph. The second illuminance value (V2) can be an average illuminance value of the illuminance reduction section (D, see Fig. 8).

[0108] The above control unit (160) can calculate the contamination location and contamination area of ​​the transfer roll (132) through the illumination reduction section (D, see FIG. 8(a)) of the illumination graph.

[0109] The control unit (160) has a preset cleaning contamination level. The cleaning contamination level is a contamination level at which cleaning of the transfer roll (132) is required. The cleaning contamination level is not a contamination level due to under-dried slurry, but rather a contamination level resulting from dust generated during the operation of the electrode substrate manufacturing equipment (100) accumulating on the surface of the transfer roll (132). The cleaning contamination level is a contamination level of the transfer roll (132) that does not damage the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10).

[0110] The above-mentioned cleaning contamination level is a roughness ratio in the range of 0.5 to 0.8. For example, if the relative value of the second roughness value (V2) to the first roughness value (V1) in the roughness graph of the first transport roll (132a) is obtained as 70, the roughness ratio of the first transport roll (132a) is 0.7.

[0111] This is a case where the amount of light transmitted into the internal space (136) through the hole (134) of the first transfer roll (132a) is reduced by 30%. The foreign matter (S) present on the surface of the first transfer roll (132a) does not damage the coating layer of the electrode substrate (10) when the electrode substrate (10) is driven, but the hole (134) may be blocked by dust, which may become an obstacle that reduces the sensing sensitivity of the first illuminance sensor (141a).

[0112] The control unit (160) can provide a cleaning alarm to the monitoring unit (170) when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a cleaning contamination level in the range of 0.5 to 0.8. The control unit (160) can operate the transport unit (130) and the drying unit (120) when the illuminance ratio is 0.5 or higher.

[0113] The facility manager can recognize the cleaning time of the transfer roll (132) through the cleaning alarm. The facility manager can manually clean the contaminated transfer roll (132) while the transfer unit (130) is in operation. The facility manager can facilitate the maintenance of the electrode substrate manufacturing facility (100).

[0114] The control unit (160) above has a preset static contamination level. The static contamination level is contamination due to less-dried slurry (S) of the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10). The static contamination level is contamination that is likely to damage the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10).

[0115] The above static pollution level may be an illuminance ratio of less than 0.5.

[0116] For example, if the relative value of the second illuminance value (V2) to the first illuminance value (V1) in the illuminance graph of the first conveying roll (132a) is obtained as 45, the illuminance ratio of the first conveying roll (132a) is 0.45. This is when the amount of light transmitted into the internal space (136) through the hole (134) of the first conveying roll (132a) is reduced by 55%.

[0117] Additionally, if the foreign matter (S) due to the slurry completely blocks the hole (134), the roughness value of the corresponding portion may be 0. As described above, the foreign matter (S) due to the slurry may scratch the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) during operation.

[0118] The control unit (160) can stop the transport unit (130) when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a stationary contamination level of less than 0.5. In addition, the control unit (160) can provide a stop alarm to the monitoring unit (170) when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a stationary contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0119] In addition, the control unit (160) can determine that the coating layer of the electrode substrate (10) is poorly dried when the light intensity ratio corresponds to a still contamination level of less than 0.5, and can stop the drying unit (120). In addition, the control unit (160) can restart the drying unit (120) with reset drying conditions.

[0120] The above control unit (160) can calculate the travel distance of the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the transport roll (132) contaminated with foreign matter (S) by taking into account the travel speed and deceleration speed of the transport unit (130).

[0121] Conventional electrode manufacturing equipment does not have an automatic stop function due to foreign matter (S) on the transfer roll (132), so the operator must visually detect the foreign matter (S) on the transfer roll (132) and then press the stop button of the transfer unit (130) to stop the operation of the transfer unit (130). The electrode substrate (10) may be damaged by scratching the coating layer (12) while traveling on the transfer roll (132) to which the foreign matter (S) is attached.

[0122] In the past, during the time between when the worker discovered a foreign substance (S) on the transfer roll (132) and when the transfer unit (130) stopped operating, the electrode substrate (10) traveled at a preset travel speed, and thus the travel distance of the electrode substrate (10) with the damaged coating layer (12) also increased.

[0123] Compared to conventional electrode manufacturing equipment, the electrode substrate manufacturing equipment (100) automatically stops the conveying unit (130) when the contamination level of the conveying roll (132) corresponds to the stop contamination level, thereby shortening the reaction time from the discovery of a foreign substance (S) in the conveying roll (132) to the point of stopping when the stop button of the conveying unit (130) is pressed, thereby shortening the damage travel distance of the electrode substrate (10). As a result, the loss amount of the electrode substrate (10) can be minimized.

[0124] After the above-mentioned transfer unit (130) is stopped, the worker can perform a cleaning operation to remove the foreign matter (S) from the transfer roll (132) depending on the contamination level of the transfer roll (132) or replace the contaminated transfer roll (132) with a new transfer roll (132).

[0125] In addition, the control unit (160) can automatically stop the drying unit (120) simultaneously with the stop alarm. The control unit (160) can restart the drying unit (120) according to the drying conditions reset based on the illuminance ratio after stopping the drying unit (120), thereby improving the equipment operation efficiency of the electrode substrate manufacturing equipment (100).

[0126] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an electrode substrate using an electrode substrate manufacturing facility having the above-described structure will be described.

[0127] Figures 9 and 10 schematically illustrate a flow chart of a method for manufacturing an electrode substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 9, the method for manufacturing the electrode substrate may include a driving step (S2) in which the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (120) is driven toward the rolling section (150) along the driving roll (132) of the transfer section (130), and an inspection step (S3) in which the contamination level of the transfer roll (132) is inspected based on illuminance information obtained through an illuminance sensor (141) built into the transfer roll (132) in the driving step (S2).

[0129] The method for manufacturing the above electrode substrate includes a drying step (S1), a running step (S2), an inspection step (S3), and a rolling step (S4).

[0130] The above drying step (S1) is a process of providing heat (Q) to the substrate (11) to which the slurry is applied to dry the moisture in the slurry.

[0131] In the above drying step (S1), the drying unit (120) provides heat (Q) to the substrate (11) to which the slurry is applied. The heating temperature of the drying unit (120) is set in consideration of the components of the slurry, the application thickness, etc. The slurry is dried by the heat (Q) of the drying unit (120) and adheres to the substrate (11) to form a coating layer (12). The coating layer (12) is the slurry solidified.

[0132] It is preferable that the heat (Q) is evenly provided along the width direction (W) and length direction of the substrate (11). However, if the heat (Q) of the drying unit (120) is not evenly provided along the width direction (W) and length direction of the substrate (11), the slurry may be partially dried.

[0133] The above driving step (S2) is a process of naturally cooling the electrode substrate (10) heated to a predetermined temperature in the drying unit (120).

[0134] In the above driving step (S2), the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (120) can be naturally cooled while traveling through the transport section of the transport section (130).

[0135] If there is a less dried portion in the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) that has passed through the drying section (120), the less dried portion of the coating layer (12) can be attached to the transfer roll (132) installed in the contact area (A1, A2) of the transfer section.

[0136] The completely dried portion of the coating layer (12) is solidified and has no viscosity. On the other hand, the less dried portion of the coating layer (12) has a certain viscosity in a form between liquid and solid. The larger the area of ​​the less dried portion of the coating layer (12), the larger the area of ​​the foreign matter (S) attached to the surface of the transfer roll (132).

[0137] In the above-mentioned transport section, a plurality of contact zones (A1, A2) are provided. For example, if the drying environment of the drying section (120) is poor, there is a high possibility that the foreign matter (S) due to slurry will be found in the transport roll (132) located close to the drying section (120) among the transport rolls (132) installed in the above-mentioned multiple contact zones (A1, A2).

[0138] The above inspection step (S3) is performed while the electrode substrate (10) is traveling along the transportation section of the transportation unit (130). The above inspection step (S3) is performed during the transportation step (S2).

[0139] Referring to FIG. 10, the inspection step (S3) may include a light intensity ratio calculation step (S31), a first alarm step (S32), a second alarm step (S33), and a driving stop step (S34).

[0140] In the illuminance ratio calculation step (S31), the control unit (160) can obtain a first illuminance value (V1) and a second illuminance value (V2) lower than the first illuminance value (V1) from the illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information, and calculate an illuminance ratio of the second illuminance value (V2) to the first illuminance value (V1).

[0141] In the first alarm step (S32), the control unit (160) can provide a cleaning alarm to the monitoring unit (170) when the cleaning contamination level corresponds to a cleaning ratio in the range of 0.5 to 0.8.

[0142] In the second alarm step (S33), the control unit (160) can provide a stop alarm to the monitoring unit (170) when the light intensity ratio corresponds to a stop pollution level of less than 0.5.

[0143] In the driving stop step (S34), the control unit (160) can stop the transport unit (130) if the light ratio corresponds to a stop contamination level of less than 0.5.

[0144] In the driving stop step (S34), the control unit (160) can stop the drying unit (120) and reset the drying conditions of the drying unit (120).

[0145] In the above inspection step (S3), if there is no contamination of the transfer roll (132), the electrode substrate (10) passes through the transfer unit (130) and travels toward the rolling unit (150). As the electrode substrate (10) passes through the rolling unit (150), the coating layer (12) of the electrode substrate (10) is rolled (S4). In the rolling step (S4), in order to increase the energy density of the coating layer (12), a pair of rolling rolls of the rolling unit (150) rotate in opposite directions while pressurizing and rolling the electrode substrate (10) up and down.

[0146] The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge of the present invention will be able to make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be considered to fall within the scope of the following claims.

[0147] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the contamination level of the transfer roll can be inspected by measuring the illuminance value penetrating the transfer roll in real time through an illuminance sensor built into the transfer roll that guides the movement of the electrode substrate passing through the drying section.

Claims

1. A transport section including a transport roll arranged to allow light to pass through the surface into the internal space, and arranged to guide the movement of the electrode substrate passing through the drying section; A light sensor mounted in the internal space of the above-mentioned transfer roll and configured to detect the intensity of light transmitted into the internal space; and An electrode substrate manufacturing facility including a control unit configured to inspect the contamination level of the transfer roll based on the illumination information detected by the illumination sensor and to stop the transfer unit when the contamination level reaches a preset stop contamination level.

2. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned transfer roll is an electrode substrate manufacturing facility including a roll body having a plurality of holes through which light is transmitted and a roll axis that is arranged to be rotatable together with the roll body.

3. In paragraph 2, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the light sensor is mounted on the outer surface of the roll axis facing the hole in the inner space of the roll body.

4. In paragraph 3, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the above hole is provided in the entire area of ​​the above roll body.

5. In paragraph 4, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the illuminance sensor is mounted on the roll axis facing the entire area where the hole is provided, and detects illuminance according to changes in the roll width of the transfer roll in the entire area of ​​the roll body.

6. In paragraph 3, The above hole is a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate provided in a part of the roll body along the width direction of the transfer roll.

7. In paragraph 6, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the illuminance sensor is mounted on the roll axis facing a portion of the area where the hole is provided, and detects illuminance according to a change in the roll width of the transfer roll in a portion of the roll body.

8. In paragraph 1, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility further comprising a light arranged to irradiate light onto the conveying roll in the conveying section of the conveying section.

9. In paragraph 1, It further includes a monitoring unit that displays a light graph generated based on the above-mentioned acquired light information, The above illuminance graph is a manufacturing facility for an electrode substrate including at least one of an illuminance graph according to a change in time and an illuminance graph according to a change in roll width.

10. In paragraph 9, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the control unit obtains a first illuminance value and a second illuminance value lower than the first illuminance value from an illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information, and inspects the contamination level of the transfer roll through an illuminance ratio of the second illuminance value to the first illuminance value.

11. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the first illuminance value is an illuminance value measured in a state where all of the plurality of holes provided on the surface of the transfer roll are open, and the second illuminance value is an illuminance value measured in a state where some or all of the holes are blocked by foreign matter.

12. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the control unit provides a cleaning alarm to the monitoring unit when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a cleaning contamination level in the range of 0.5 to 0.

8.

13. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the control unit stops the transport unit when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a static contamination level of less than 0.

5.

14. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the control unit determines that the coating layer of the electrode substrate is poorly dried when the illuminance ratio corresponds to a static contamination level of less than 0.5, stops the drying unit, and resets the drying conditions of the drying unit.

15. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the above control unit calculates the contamination location of the transfer roll through a roughness graph according to changes in the roll width of the transfer roll.

16. In paragraph 10, An electrode substrate manufacturing facility characterized in that the control unit calculates the contamination area of ​​the transfer roll through the illuminance graph.

17. A driving step in which the electrode substrate passing through the drying section is driven toward the rolling section along the driving roll of the driving section; and A method for manufacturing an electrode substrate, comprising an inspection step of inspecting the contamination level of the conveying roll based on illuminance information obtained through an illuminance sensor built into the conveying roll in the above driving step.

18. In paragraph 17, A method for manufacturing an electrode substrate, wherein the inspection step comprises a step of obtaining a first illuminance value and a second illuminance value lower than the first illuminance value from an illuminance graph generated based on the illuminance information, and calculating an illuminance ratio for the second illuminance value with respect to the first illuminance value.

19. In paragraph 18, A method for manufacturing an electrode substrate, wherein the above inspection step further comprises a first alarm step for providing a cleaning alarm when the cleaning contamination level corresponds to a cleaning ratio in the range of 0.5 to 0.

8.

20. In paragraph 18, A method for manufacturing an electrode substrate, wherein the above inspection step further includes a second alarm step for providing a stop alarm when the above illuminance ratio corresponds to a stop contamination level of less than 0.5.

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