EV Bus Bar Plating and Shaping Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing bus bars in electric vehicles are inefficient due to the need for separate plating processes after shaping, leading to inconvenience and degradation of electrical properties, especially since cut-off surfaces are not plated, affecting contact resistance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a metal plate where battery terminal connection parts are formed and plated first, with masking applied to ensure a uniform plating layer on inner surfaces, followed by a second process to shape the remaining parts, using metals like nickel, gold, copper, or tin, and potentially an ultrasonic fusing process for coupling, to minimize manufacturing time and enhance electrical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plating is performed after shaping the bus bar using rack plating, then the connecting terminal can be plated, but the manufacturing process becomes inconvenient and continuity is lost due to separate hanging and plating steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shaping process and plating process into a single integrated operation. The bus bar is shaped and plated simultaneously in one manufacturing step, eliminating the need for separate rack plating operations. This merging of processes directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining process continuity while improving manufacturing convenience.
2Shape
If plating is performed on the metal plate before shaping, then the bus bar can be manufactured in desired shape, but the cut-off surfaces are not plated leading to degraded electrical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary plating to the entire bus bar surface before shaping, then performs selective removal of plating from areas where it is not needed (such as cut-off surfaces). This preliminary action ensures that all critical surfaces including future cut-off areas are initially plated, and then excess plating is removed only where necessary, maintaining electrical properties while achieving the desired shape.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple separate processes are used for shaping and plating, then each process can be optimized, but manufacturing time increases and mass production capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate manufacturing processes (shaping and plating) into a single integrated process. By combining these operations, the patent eliminates the time losses associated with transitioning between separate processes, enabling mass production while maintaining the ability to optimize both shaping and plating parameters within the unified process.
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 approach reduces manufacturing time, ensures uniform plating on inner surfaces for reduced contact resistance, and enables mass production by maintaining process continuity, addressing inefficiencies in conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
performing plating on the battery terminal connection part
Data Source
AI summary
A bus bar for a battery of an electric vehicle and a method of manufacturing the bus bar are disclosed. Specifically, in the bus bar for a battery of an electric vehicle according to exemplary embodiments, a method of manufacturing an electrical connector including a plurality of battery terminal connection parts each having a through hole therein includes forming a plurality of the battery connection parts at a metal plate by removing the through hole part and a predetermined part positioned outer side of the battery terminal connection part, applying masking onto a remaining area except the battery connection part and the predetermined part, performing plating on the battery connection part, and forming remaining parts except the plurality of battery connection parts in the bus bar.