Curved Secondary Battery Hot Pressing for Spring-Back Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to maintain the target radius of curvature of curved secondary batteries after activation due to the spring-back phenomenon, leading to inconsistencies in the final product's shape and capacity.

Innovation Solution

A manufacturing method involving two hot press steps is employed, where the first hot press sets the initial curvature and the second hot press adjusts the curvature to compensate for the spring-back effect, ensuring the final product maintains the target radius.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a single hot press step is performed to form the curved surface, then the manufacturing process is simple and fast, but the radius of curvature changes due to spring-back phenomenon after activation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidradius of curvature precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The hot press process is divided into multiple sequential steps: a first hot press step to form an initial curved surface, followed by activation steps, and then a second hot press step to adjust and finalize the radius of curvature. This segmentation allows the manufacturing process to maintain productivity while achieving the required precision by correcting spring-back effects in subsequent steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first hot press step performs a preliminary forming action to create the initial curved surface before activation. This preliminary action establishes the basic shape, and subsequent hot press steps after activation make final adjustments to compensate for spring-back, ensuring the final radius of curvature meets specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If the hot press is performed immediately after battery assembly, then the shape can be formed quickly, but the spring-back phenomenon causes the radius of curvature to deviate from target values

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime loss due to multiple processing stepsVSAvoidtarget radius of curvature accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The manufacturing process employs periodic hot press actions separated by activation periods. The first hot press forms the initial shape, then activation occurs (including degassing and capacity confirmation), followed by a second hot press to adjust the radius of curvature. This periodic action pattern allows the battery structure to settle during activation while maintaining shape control through scheduled hot press interventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple hot press steps are implemented to compensate for spring-back, then the radius of curvature precision is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradius of curvature consistencyVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The process incorporates feedback through quality inspection after activation to determine whether a second hot press step is necessary. The inspection results feed back into the process decision-making, allowing the manufacturing system to adaptively apply additional hot press steps only when needed to correct spring-back deviations, thereby managing complexity while ensuring precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If the curved shape is formed before activation, then the manufacturing process is efficient, but the spring-back during activation changes the final shape from the target

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidshape stability during activation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The process applies beforehand cushioning by performing a second hot press step after activation to pre-compensate for and counteract the spring-back phenomenon. This anticipatory correction ensures that even though the shape changes during activation, the final product meets the target radius of curvature specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

The method effectively stabilizes the radius of curvature, ensuring the final product meets the target specifications by compensating for the spring-back phenomenon, thus achieving consistent shape and capacity.

Implementation Method 1

a hot press step is performed to have a target radius of curvature

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP4270571B1Manufacturing method of curved secondary battery
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4270571B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4270571B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4270571B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a curved secondary battery having a target radius of curvature, the method comprising the steps of: (a) incorporating an electrode assembly including a cathode, an anode, and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode into a battery case together with an electrolyte to manufacture a secondary battery; (b) subjecting the secondary battery to a first activation and degassing it; (c) subjecting the degassed secondary battery to a first hot press so as to have a first radius of curvature; (d) subjecting the secondary battery passed through the first hot press step to a second activation; and (e) subjecting the secondary battery passed through the second activation to a second hot press so as to have a second radius of curvature.