Battery Electrode Manufacturing via Segmented Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing battery electrodes using metal dies result in significant raw material loss, increased production costs, and limitations in producing electrodes of varying sizes and shapes, due to fixed die sizes and the risk of micro short-circuits from debris.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a preliminary electrode plate with blank regions, slitting to create unit electrode plates, and sequential removal of corner regions using a cutting tool, allowing for precise cutting and adjustment of electrode dimensions without material waste and debris, enabling the production of electrodes with various sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If metal die is used to shape electrode plate, then electrode manufacturing precision is improved, but raw material loss increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode plate manufacturing process is segmented into two stages: first shaping the entire electrode plate using metal die, then cutting into individual electrode pieces. This segmentation allows the metal die to be used efficiently for shaping without requiring excessive tolerance margins for each individual piece, thereby reducing raw material loss while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode plate is preliminarily shaped into the complete electrode pattern using metal die before cutting into individual pieces. This preliminary action ensures that the entire plate is formed with proper precision, and subsequent cutting operations can be performed with less tolerance requirement, reducing material waste.
2Manufacturing precision
If metal die is used to shape electrode plate, then electrode manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process is segmented into shaping and cutting operations. The metal die is used only for the initial shaping of the complete electrode plate, which is a one-time operation per plate. The subsequent cutting into individual pieces uses simpler, less expensive tools, thereby reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining precision through the preliminary shaping step.
3Shape
If metal die is used to shape electrode plate, then electrode shape is fixed, but adaptability to various sizes and shapes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode plate is first shaped as a complete pattern using metal die, then segmented into individual electrodes of different sizes and shapes through cutting. This allows a single die to produce plates that can be divided into multiple electrode configurations, increasing adaptability to various customer requirements without needing multiple specialized dies.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting process is made dynamic and flexible, allowing the electrode plate to be cut into various sizes and shapes according to customer specifications. While the initial shaping uses a fixed die, the subsequent cutting operation can be adjusted to produce different electrode configurations from the same plate.
4Productivity
If metal die is used to shape electrode plate, then electrode manufacturing efficiency is improved, but debris generation increases causing micro short-circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into shaping and cutting operations. The metal die shaping operation is performed on the complete electrode plate in one efficient step, generating minimal debris. The subsequent cutting operation, which generates more debris, is performed on already-formed electrodes, and the debris can be easily removed without affecting the electrode integrity, thus preventing micro short-circuits.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrode for a secondary battery, which enables cost savings and the manufacture of products having various sizes and shapes. The method includes (A) preparing an electrode plate, (B) cutting the electrode plate to conform to the width of the electrode, thus providing a unit electrode plate, and (C) removing at least one of the corner regions of the unit electrode plate.