Electrode Sheet Coating Layout for Laser-Free Tab Welding Grooves

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high manufacturing costs of electrode sheets in battery cells are attributed to the costly laser cleaning process required to form tab welding grooves in the active material layer.

Innovation Solution

A method of manufacturing electrode sheets that constructs tab welding grooves through sequential coating of active materials without laser cleaning, using a coating device with multiple discharge ports to form layers of varying widths, thereby defining the tab welding groove.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If laser cleaning is used to form tab welding groove, then the tab welding groove can be formed, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetab welding groove formationVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the tab welding groove structure through the coating pattern design. The active material is coated to form wide layers separated by narrow layers, which inherently create the groove structure before any post-processing. This eliminates the need for laser cleaning while maintaining the required groove geometry for tab welding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of forming a complete active material layer and then removing portions through laser cleaning, the patent inverts the approach by directly coating the active material in a pattern that already defines the groove structure. The narrow layers act as the groove boundaries from the beginning, reversing the traditional subtractive manufacturing approach to an additive one.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Manufacturing precision

If laser cleaning is used to form tab welding groove, then the tab welding groove can be formed, but the production time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetab welding groove formationVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure is preliminarily established through the coating pattern design, where wide layers and narrow layers are sequentially deposited to define the groove boundaries. This preliminary structuring during the coating process eliminates the need for subsequent laser cleaning steps, thereby reducing total production time while maintaining groove precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent maintains continuity of useful action by integrating the groove formation into the coating process itself. The coating operation continuously deposits active material in a pattern that simultaneously forms both the active material layers and the groove structure, eliminating idle time associated with separate laser cleaning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

This method reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for laser cleaning, ensuring efficient and cost-effective production of electrode sheets with defined tab welding grooves.

Implementation Method 1

coating a to-be-coated surface of a current collector with a first active material to form a first wide layer; coating the to-be-coated surface with a second active material to form a narrow layer; and coating the to-be-coated surface with a third active material to form a second wide layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCoating/Deposition: Deposition (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP4712149A1Electrode sheet manufacturing method and coating device
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 ZHEJIANG LIWINON ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • EP4712149A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4712149A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4712149A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method of manufacturing an electrode sheet and a coating device. The method of manufacturing an electrode sheet includes the following steps: coating a to-be-coated surface of a current collector with a first active material to form a first wide layer; coating the to-be-coated surface with a second active material to form a narrow layer; and coating the to-be-coated surface with a third active material to form a second wide layer. The first wide layer, the narrow layer, the second wide layer, and the to-be-coated surface jointly define a tab welding groove. According to the method, the tab welding groove is processed through coating without laser cleaning, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs of an electrode sheet.