Battery Plate Stack Aligner for Automatic Orientation Correction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In battery manufacturing, stacks of plates often become misaligned and stuck together, requiring manual or automatic realignment, which can slow down the process and necessitate stopping the production line to correct orientation errors.
Innovation Solution
A battery plate alignment system featuring a horizontal support surface with a rotating head frame, clamping members, and drive systems for vertical and rotational movement, allowing for the detection of misaligned stacks and automatic realignment by lifting, rotating, and repositioning the stack to correct orientation without interfering with the shuffling process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If stacks of battery plates are loaded manually or automatically onto a conveyor, then the manufacturing process can proceed, but misaligned stacks cause production interruptions and require stopping the line to correct orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables stacks to self-correct their orientation through the aligner mechanism. When a stack is misaligned, the aligner automatically detects and corrects it without requiring manual intervention or production line stops, allowing the system to service itself and maintain continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The light sensor provides feedback about stack orientation by detecting whether lugs are in the correct position. This feedback triggers the aligner mechanism only when needed, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains orientation accuracy without interrupting production
2Reliability
If operators manually ensure correct stack orientation before loading, then orientation accuracy improves, but operator burden increases and operation speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical orientation checking and correction with an automated system using light sensors and mechanical aligners. The sensor-detector mechanism substitutes for operator visual inspection, and the automated aligner substitutes for manual repositioning, thereby maintaining accuracy while increasing loading speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-checking and self-correction of stack orientation without requiring operator intervention. The light sensor automatically detects misaligned stacks and triggers the aligner mechanism, eliminating the need for operators to manually verify and correct orientation
3Reliability
If a complex alignment system is implemented, then orientation correction capability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment system is segmented into distinct functional modules: light sensors for detection, a trigger mechanism for activation, clamping members for securing stacks, and a rotary aligner for correction. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system design and maintenance while maintaining effective orientation correction capability
Data Source
AI summary
A battery plate alignment system includes a stack aligner having a head frame located above a stack support surface; a pair of clamping members mounted on the head frame so as to project below the head frame, wherein each clamping member is mounted on an actuator arranged to move the clamping member along the head frame; a rotary drive system arranged to rotate the head frame; and a vertical drive system arranged to move the head frame vertically. A method of aligning the stack includes positioning the stack to one side of the support surface; lowering the head frame; clamping the stack to the head frame; lifting the stack from the support surface; rotating the head frame around the vertical axis; moving the stack along the head frame so that the stack is over its original position; lowering the stack back onto the support surface; and unclamping the stack.