Gripperless Electrode Stack Assembly for Faster Li-Ion Cell Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of electrode stacks for lithium-ion batteries is time-consuming due to the slow operation of gripper systems used in stacking cathodes and anodes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that convey cathodes and anodes alternately into a chamber without using grippers, utilizing a conveying device with rotating rollers and rams to align and press them flush, increasing the production rate by eliminating the need for gripper systems and enhancing throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If gripper systems are used to convey and stack electrodes, then the electrodes can be precisely positioned and stacked, but the production process becomes time-consuming and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the gripper system from the electrode stacking process. Instead of using mechanical grippers to pick up and position electrodes, the invention uses a conveyor belt system that continuously transports electrodes through a stacking chamber, removing the bottleneck caused by gripper operation cycles while maintaining stacking precision through controlled conveyor movement and electrode alignment features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous electrode conveyance and stacking through a constantly moving conveyor belt system. Multiple electrodes are fed simultaneously or in rapid succession through the stacking chamber, eliminating the stop-start nature of gripper-based individual electrode handling. This continuous action dramatically increases production rate while the stacking mechanism ensures precise positioning of each electrode layer.
2Manufacturing precision
If gripper systems are used to handle individual electrodes, then precise control of electrode placement is achieved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex gripper system entirely and replaces it with a simpler conveyor belt mechanism combined with a stacking chamber. The conveyor belt provides continuous transport without the mechanical complexity of gripping, releasing, and positioning individual electrodes, while the stacking chamber incorporates alignment features that ensure precise electrode placement without requiring sophisticated control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical gripper system with a conveyor belt-based transport and stacking mechanism. Instead of using mechanical gripping forces and complex actuation systems to handle each electrode individually, the invention uses continuous belt movement and gravitational or controlled feeding mechanisms to achieve electrode placement, significantly reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining precision.
3Productivity
If alternating conveyance of cathodes and anodes is implemented without grippers, then production time is reduced and throughput increases, but the requirement for precise alignment and flushing of electrodes becomes more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary alignment features directly into the conveyor belt system and stacking chamber design. Electrodes are pre-aligned during the conveyance process using guide edges, alignment marks, or shaped conveyor surfaces, ensuring that when electrodes are stacked alternately at high speed, they are already positioned correctly for precise flushing and alignment without requiring additional complex alignment mechanisms during the stacking operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing an electrode stack from anodes (4) and cathodes (6) for a lithium-ion battery, in particular of an electrically driven motor vehicle, in which the cathodes (6) are provided in a first magazine (8) and are transported without grippers only in a first direction (R1) from the first magazine (8) into a chamber (12), in which the anodes (4) are provided in a second magazine (10) and are transported without grippers only in a second direction (R2) from the second magazine (10) into a chamber (12), wherein the cathodes (6) and anodes (4) are stacked alternately in the chamber (12), and in which the alternately stacked cathodes (6) and anodes (4) are aligned with one another, and pressed against one another, in the chamber (12). The invention also relates to an apparatus (16) for producing such an electrode stack (2).