Battery Housing Tray Bonding Line With Temperature-Controlled Curing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The production of battery housing parts for electric vehicles faces challenges in achieving cost-effective manufacturing while ensuring mechanical properties and safety, particularly due to the complexity introduced by cooling devices that can affect dynamic properties during vehicle operation.

Innovation Solution

A production line that includes an air conditioning device to control the temperature of battery housing receptacles, frames, and base plates within a process temperature range of 25°C to 55°C, allowing for short production cycles and a cohesive connection between components, using a multi-component system foam material and adhesive, and tempering stations to optimize the open and curing times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If cooling devices are integrated into battery housing parts to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and dynamic properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is separated from the battery housing structure. Instead of integrating cooling devices into the housing, the patent uses separate cooling plates that can be independently manufactured and then connected to the battery housing, thereby maintaining heat dissipation capability while reducing manufacturing complexity of the housing itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling function is extracted from the battery housing structure and implemented as a separate component (cooling plate). This allows the housing to focus on its primary structural function while the cooling plate handles thermal management, reducing overall manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Strength

If foam material and adhesive are used for material-to-material connection, then connection strength is improved, but process control difficulty increases due to sensitivity to temperature and time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidprocess control difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements temperature sensors and control systems that continuously monitor the temperature during the foaming and adhesive bonding processes. This feedback mechanism allows real-time adjustment of heating elements to maintain optimal temperature ranges, ensuring consistent connection strength while simplifying process control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes the foam material formulation and adhesive selection to achieve optimal curing characteristics within a specific temperature range (25-55°C). By carefully selecting materials with appropriate open times and curing rates, the process becomes more forgiving and easier to control while maintaining strong connections

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If production cycle time is reduced for cost-effective manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but joining quality may deteriorate due to insufficient curing time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction cycle speedVSAvoidjoining quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-heats the battery housing components and bonding surfaces before applying the foam material and adhesive. This preliminary heating action ensures that the materials are already at optimal temperature for rapid curing, allowing short production cycles without compromising joining quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent selects foam materials and adhesives with optimized open times and fast-curing properties that enable quick bonding at temperatures between 25-55°C. These materials are specifically chosen to achieve sufficient cure strength within compressed production cycles, maintaining reliability while improving productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables cost-effective production of battery housing parts with improved mechanical properties and reduced cycle times, ensuring reliable adhesion and cohesion while minimizing external influences and maintaining manufacturing tolerances.

Implementation Method 1

the at least one air conditioning device tempers battery housing receptacles, frames and/or base plates to a process temperature range, preferably depending on the open time and/or the curing time of the foam material and/or the adhesive

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature control: Heating

Implementation Method 2

The curing time, in particular, characterizes the time in which the foam material and/or the adhesive achieves such a strength that the components to be joined are bonded together

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCuring: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP4462529A1Production line for producing battery housing parts and method for producing battery housing parts
Publication Date: 2024.11.13 NEMAK SAB DE CV
  • EP4462529A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4462529A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4462529A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a production line for manufacturing battery housing parts (4), in particular battery trays, for electrically powered vehicles, comprising: at least one storage station (6) for storing battery housing mounts (12) and frames (14) for the battery housing part (4) to be manufactured; at least one connection station (26) for the material-bonded connection of the battery housing mounts (12) to the frames (14) by means of a foam material (32) and/or an adhesive (18); preferably at least one intermediate storage unit (36) for storing the battery housing mounts (12) connected to a frame (14); at least one storage unit (56) for storing base plates (58) for the battery housing parts (4) to be manufactured;at least one joining station (54) for the material-bonded connection of battery housing receptacles (12), in particular battery housing receptacles (14) connected to frames (14), with base plates (58) by means of at least one foam material (42) and/or at least one adhesive (40); and at least one storage bearing (56, 62) for storing the battery housing parts (4).