Multi-Packaging Battery Line with Buffer Transfer for Downtime Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing secondary battery manufacturing facilities face significant productivity losses due to the need for frequent component replacement and material supply in the tab welding and packaging units, requiring frequent stoppages and disrupting the continuous manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-line method with a multipackaging unit system that includes an electrode supply unit, a tab welding unit, a packaging unit, a temporary buffer, and a transfer unit, allowing for continuous supply or discharge of electrode assemblies even when the tab welding or packaging unit is stopped, using an automatic guided vehicle or autonomous mobile robot to manage the transfer of electrode assemblies between units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an in-line manufacturing method is used with sequential units, then the manufacturing process is simple and easy to control, but the production line must be stopped frequently for component replacement and material supply, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system is divided into multiple independent packaging units (first packaging unit, second packaging unit) that can operate separately. When one unit needs maintenance or component replacement, the other unit can continue operating, segmenting the production flow to avoid complete line stoppage and maintain productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Electrode assemblies are pre-stacked into battery packs with a predetermined number of cells before being transferred to packaging units. This preliminary action allows the stacking device to operate independently and continuously, and the pre-formed battery packs can be stored in buffers, enabling packaging units to be stopped for maintenance without interrupting the overall manufacturing flow.
2Productivity
If component replacement and material supply are performed frequently, then the manufacturing process remains flexible and maintainable, but the production line experiences frequent stoppages, decreasing output
Solution Approach 1:
Buffer devices are introduced as intermediary storage between the stacking device and packaging units. These buffers accumulate battery packs when packaging units are stopped for maintenance or component replacement, acting as a mediator that decouples the maintenance operations from production continuity, allowing maintenance without output loss.
3Device complexity
If a single packaging unit is used, then the device complexity is low and the system is easy to operate, but the entire system must be stopped when that unit requires maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging function is segmented into multiple independent packaging units that can operate in parallel or independently. This segmentation increases system reliability by ensuring that maintenance of one unit does not halt overall production, while the complexity increase is managed through standardized modular designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system configuration changes from a single packaging unit to multiple packaging units with different operational states (operating, maintaining, replenishing). This parameter change in system architecture enables continuous manufacturing capability while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized unit designs.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a secondary battery manufacturing system in which a packaging unit of a secondary battery manufacturing facility are configured to have multiple packaging units, and having a multipackaging unit such that a transfer box in which an electrode assembly is seated is transferred to each of the packaging units by a transfer unit, and including an electrode supply unit having a plurality of stacking devices supplying an electrode assembly in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a tab welding unit, at least one packaging unit, at least one temporary buffer, and a transfer unit.