Electrode Alignment Unit for Uniform Battery Electrode Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrode assembly manufacturing processes struggle to maintain uniform intervals between unit electrodes and align them accurately before lamination, leading to misalignment and decreased battery performance.
Innovation Solution
An electrode manufacturing apparatus with sensor units to sense electrode positions and alignment units to adjust transfer speeds, ensuring uniform intervals and alignment between unit electrodes before lamination, using correction rolls to correct deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If unit electrodes are cut from electrode sheets and stacked for lamination, then electrode assembly is manufactured, but the interval between unit electrodes becomes non-uniform causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting the position of unit electrodes and adjusting their intervals before the lamination process. The alignment unit corrects the positions of unit electrodes on the separator sheet in advance, ensuring uniform intervals before stacking and lamination occur, thereby preventing misalignment issues during assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through sensor units that detect the positions of unit electrodes and provide information to the alignment unit. This closed-loop system continuously monitors and adjusts the intervals between unit electrodes, maintaining uniform spacing despite variations in the cutting or transfer processes
2Measurement precision
If alignment detection is performed after lamination, then defective electrodes can be sorted, but defective electrode incidence rate cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the alignment detection and correction process to occur before lamination rather than after. By detecting and correcting misalignment of unit electrodes on the separator sheet prior to the lamination step, the system prevents defective assemblies from being created in the first place, thereby reducing the defective electrode incidence rate at the source
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the need for post-lamination alignment detection and sorting by rushing through the alignment correction process before lamination occurs. This approach skips the inefficient step of manufacturing complete assemblies only to detect and sort defects later, thereby improving both reliability and productivity
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus including a first electrode transfer unit configured to transfer a first electrode having an electrode coating layer formed on one surface or opposite surfaces thereof; a first cutter configured to cut the first electrode transferred by the first electrode transfer unit in order to form a first unit electrode; a first separator transfer unit disposed at one surface of the first electrode transfer unit, the first separator transfer unit being configured to transfer a first separator; a first sensor unit configured to sense the position of the first unit electrode; and a first alignment unit configured to adjust transfer speeds of outer peripheries of the first unit electrode parallel to a transfer direction thereof in order to adjust the interval between the first unit electrodes that are seated on one surface of the first separator and an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus including the same, wherein it is determined whether a positive electrode and a negative electrode are aligned with each other before a process of stacking and laminating electrodes having different polarities, and then the positive electrode and the negative electrode are stacked, whereby it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a defective electrode due to misalignment between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.