Electrode Coating Process That Avoids Protection Layer Cracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing electrodes with protective coatings face challenges such as damage to the coating layers during cutting, leading to reduced effectiveness and lifetime of the electrodes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the use of a carrier with masked regions to apply protection layers to electrodes, where the current collectors are cut before coating, avoiding further cutting after coating and ensuring the protection layers are not cut, thus maintaining their integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If protective coating layers are applied to metal foil electrodes and then cutting is performed, then electrode shape and size can be formed, but the protection layers suffer damage such as cracks reducing their effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrode shape and sizeVSAvoidprotection layer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The metal foil is cut to the desired electrode shape and size before the protective coating layers are applied. This preliminary cutting action prevents subsequent mechanical damage to the coating layers during cutting operations, as the coating is already present on the pre-cut foil. The process sequence is changed from coating-then-cutting to cutting-then-coating, eliminating the technical contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If roll-to-roll coating process is used to apply protection layers, then production efficiency is improved, but stretching during the process causes damage to the protection layers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidprotection layer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The metal foil is pre-cut to the exact electrode dimensions before coating, eliminating the need for post-coating cutting operations. This allows the use of efficient roll-to-roll coating processes without the harmful stretching and mechanical stress that would otherwise damage the protective layers during subsequent cutting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If cutting is performed after coating to form electrodes, then electrode dimensions can be precisely controlled, but cracks and damage occur in the protection layers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrode dimensionsVSAvoidcracks in protection layer

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The conventional process sequence is inverted: instead of coating first and then cutting, the metal foil is cut to the desired electrode dimensions first, and then the protective coating layers are applied. This inversion eliminates the harmful effect of cutting on the coating layers while maintaining precise electrode dimensional control through the pre-cutting step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS20250087657A1Electrode production process

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 GELION TECH PTY LTD

AI summary

A method for forming at least one electrode, said method comprising: providing an electronically conductive, inert material; cutting the substrate material to form at least one current collector; placing at least one current collector on a carrier; applying one or more protection layers to one or both sides of the current collector to form a coated electrode; and removing the electrode from the carrier.