Cylindrical Cell Winding With Continuous Drum Motion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing machines for cylindrical lithium-ion batteries struggle to achieve high production speeds without compromising the quality of the final product, typically operating at limited speeds of 15 to 20 cells per minute to ensure quality.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing machine with a continuous rotation of the drum and feeding unit, along with a cutting device that creates a new free end of the composite material, allowing for a continuous and constant feeding speed, and a holding device that rotates to form a spiral winding, enabling higher production rates while maintaining quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the drum rotates with an intermittent (stepped) law of motion to ensure quality winding, then the manufacturing precision is maintained, but the productivity is limited to 15-20 cells per minute
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuous rotation of the drum instead of intermittent stepped motion. The feeding unit continuously feeds composite material to the winding heads while the drum rotates without stopping, eliminating idle time between production cycles and enabling sustained high-speed operation while maintaining winding quality through continuous process control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically coordinates the rotation of multiple winding heads around the drum with the continuous feeding of composite material. Each winding head rotates to its designated position, grabs the material, performs winding, and releases the completed cell, all in continuous motion. This dynamic coordination allows high-speed production while maintaining precise winding control through synchronized movement.
2Productivity
If the drum rotates faster to increase production speed, then the productivity improves, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to tension control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding unit is positioned to feed composite material to each winding head before the head reaches its winding position. This preliminary feeding ensures that material is already in place and properly tensioned when the winding head arrives, eliminating tension fluctuations that would occur with reactive feeding at high speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control where the position and motion of each winding head is continuously monitored and coordinated with the feeding rate. This feedback mechanism ensures that composite material is fed at the precise rate needed for each head's current position and speed, maintaining constant tension control even as overall production speed increases.
Data Source
AI summary
Manufacturing machine (9) and method for manufacturing a cylindrical electrochemical cell (2) consisting of a spiral winding of a composite material (8) comprising at least two conductor bands (4, 6) and at least two separator bands (5, 7) overlapping one another. They are provided: a plurality of winding heads (13), each of which supports a holding device (14) which is configured to grab an end of the composite material (8) and to rotate on itself around a first rotation axis (15) so as to obtain a spiral winding of the composite material (8); a drum (11) which supports the winding heads (13) and which is mounted in a rotary manner so as to rotate with a continuous law of motion around a second rotation axis (12) in order to move the winding heads (13) along a processing path (P2); and a feeding unit (10) configured to feed the composite material (8) to the winding heads (13).