Electrode ID Tracking in Battery Assembly for Process Traceability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery manufacturing systems lack the capability to effectively track and retrieve history data of the manufacturing process, leading to challenges in traceability and reliability of battery production.

Innovation Solution

A battery manufacturing system that includes a coupling device to form and combine electrodes with allocated IDs, a notching device to mark electrode IDs, and a server to store coordinate-related electrode ID data, enabling traceability and matching IDs to higher battery assemblies through a series of processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If battery manufacturing systems use traditional tracking methods, then the system complexity remains low, but the traceability and reliability of manufacturing history data are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraceability of manufacturing historyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the electrode manufacturing process into distinct stages (coating, drying, calendering, winding) and assigns unique identifiers to each electrode at each stage. This segmentation enables precise tracking of manufacturing history without requiring a completely complex centralized system, as each segment manages its own data independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital copies of electrode information through identification data that mirrors physical electrode attributes. Each electrode receives a unique ID that copies and stores its manufacturing parameters, allowing the digital representation to track the physical electrode through all subsequent processes without adding physical complexity to the electrode itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If the system collects and stores detailed coordinate-related electrode ID data, then the traceability improves, but the data management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing history data retentionVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data collection by capturing electrode identification information and coordinate data at the coating stage, before the electrode enters subsequent processes. This preliminary action ensures that all necessary manufacturing history data is recorded upfront, eliminating the need for complex real-time data collection systems throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary data structure (electrode identification data containing coordinates and IDs) that mediates between the physical electrode and the manufacturing history record. This intermediary simplifies data management by organizing complex manufacturing information into a standardized format that can be easily stored and retrieved without managing raw process data directly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the system matches electrode IDs across different processes and stages, then the reliability of traceability improves, but the processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrode identification accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary matching by establishing the relationship between electrode IDs and process coordinates at the coating stage. This preliminary action creates a reference framework that enables rapid matching in subsequent processes without requiring complex real-time calculations, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining high identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If the system implements comprehensive data collection and matching across all processes, then the traceability is enhanced, but the ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing traceabilityVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service functionality where each process stage automatically captures and records its own electrode identification data and coordinates without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously performs data matching and coordination across processes, eliminating the need for operators to manually manage complex traceability data while maintaining comprehensive manufacturing history records.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4654270A1Battery manufacturing system and battery manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4654270A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4654270A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4654270A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Example embodiments provide a battery manufacturing system. The battery manufacturing system includes a coupling device configured to form a plurality of first electrodes including an electrode identifier (ID) from a first electrode sheet to which the electrode ID is allocated at intervals of a pitch, form a plurality of second electrodes from a second electrode sheet, and combine the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes, in which the coupling device includes a controller configured to collect coordinate-related electrode ID data including the electrode ID and at least one of a coordinate of a first electrode sheet and a coordinate of a second electrode that match the electrode ID, based on a first input amount of the first electrode sheet, a second input amount of the second electrode sheet, and an electrode ID sensing signal.