Laser-Cut Electrode Beads Prevent Battery Shorts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rechargeable batteries face issues with electric shorts and metallic foreign materials due to sharp burrs on electrode plates, which occur during the cutting process, leading to quality control problems and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The formation of a curved or bead-shaped cutting portion on electrode plates using continuous wave laser beams, which are covered with a ceramic layer to prevent piercing of separators and ensure the cutting portion remains attached, thereby preventing electric shorts and metallic foreign materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mold cutting is used to cut electrode plates, then cutting can be performed, but sharp burrs occur on the electrode plate leading to electric shorts and metallic foreign materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mold cutting system with a laser cutting system. The laser beam melts and vaporizes the electrode plate material without mechanical contact, eliminating the burr formation mechanism inherent in mechanical cutting. This substitution of cutting mechanism fundamentally resolves the burr problem while maintaining cutting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cutting parameters by using laser energy density and pulse duration instead of mechanical force and speed. By controlling laser power, pulse width, and scanning speed, the cutting process achieves clean edges without burrs. The parameter transformation from mechanical to optical/thermal domain enables precise control over cutting quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If mold is frequently maintained and replaced, then cutting quality can be maintained, but facility maintenance costs increase and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The laser cutting system eliminates the physical mold component that requires maintenance and replacement. Without mechanical contact tools, there are no blades to dull, no molds to wear, and no mechanical parts to fail. This removes the entire maintenance cycle from the process, ensuring consistent cutting quality indefinitely while maximizing production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser system creates a virtual cutting template through software programming rather than physical molds. The cutting path is defined by digital data that can be stored and reproduced infinitely without degradation. This digital copying approach replaces physical tooling, eliminating wear and maintenance requirements while maintaining precise cutting quality.
3Reliability
If mold cutting is used, then electrode plates can be cut, but the likelihood of burr occurrence depends on mold state and setting clearance making quality uniformity difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The laser cutting system replaces the complex mechanical mold setting and adjustment mechanism with a simplified optical system controlled by software. The cutting parameters are programmed rather than mechanically adjusted, eliminating the complexity of mold clearance settings, blade sharpness monitoring, and mechanical alignment procedures. This simplification directly improves quality consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser cutting system is self-regulating through feedback control mechanisms that automatically maintain optimal cutting conditions. The system self-adjusts parameters such as power, speed, and focal position to compensate for material variations, eliminating the need for external intervention through mold maintenance and setting adjustments. This self-service capability ensures consistent quality without adding operational complexity.
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 prevents electric shorts and the generation of metallic foreign materials by creating a smooth cutting surface that does not damage separators and securely attaches to the electrode plates, enhancing the quality and reliability of rechargeable batteries.
Implementation Method 1
forming a curved or bead-shaped cutting portion on electrode plates using continuous wave laser beams
Implementation Method 2
The cutting portion of the electrode plate is formed by cutting or severing the electrode plate using continuous wave laser beams
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery and a manufacturing method of the same are provided, which can aid in preventing an electric short from occurring between electrode plates by forming a cutting portion of each on the electrode plates in the shape of a curved surface or a bead having a uniform thickness and/or a diameter sufficient to prevent or substantially prevent the cutting portion from piercing a separator separating the electrode plates from each other. In a present embodiment, the electrode assembly includes an electrode plate having a current collector plate, a coating portion having an electrically active material coated on the current collector plate, a non-coating portion formed at an edge of the current collector plate and not coated with the electrically active material, a cutting portion inwardly formed from the non-coating portion, and a curved portion formed along the cutting portion in a thickness direction of the non-coating portion.