Integrated Laser Notching for Battery Electrode Alignment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing notching apparatuses for secondary battery electrode sheets are prone to poor quality notching due to sensitivity to laser alignment, requiring separate and aligned ablation and notching processes, which increases costs and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A notching apparatus with an integral scanner unit that aligns and emits ablation and notching lasers adjacent to each other, reducing the distance between the two lasers and integrating them into a single apparatus, thereby minimizing alignment issues and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate ablation laser unit and notching laser unit are used, then productivity is improved through laser ablation, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to alignment sensitivity between the two lasers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ablation laser unit and notching laser unit into a single integrated laser apparatus. The ablation laser and notching laser are emitted from the same device through a shared optical system, eliminating the need for separate alignment procedures between independent units. This merging resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining high productivity through laser ablation while improving notching quality by eliminating alignment sensitivity issues.
2Productivity
If separate ablation and notching processes are used, then productivity is enhanced, but device complexity increases due to requiring two separate laser units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates both ablation and notching functions into a single laser apparatus with a unified optical system. The controller manages both laser emissions from one device, reducing the number of separate units required. This merging principle resolves the contradiction by maintaining enhanced productivity through sequential laser operations while reducing device complexity by eliminating the need for two independent laser systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The single laser apparatus performs multiple functions: it can emit ablation laser for material removal and notching laser for precise cutting. The optical system is designed to handle both functions through wavelength separation or temporal sequencing. This multi-functionality resolves the technical contradiction by enabling one device to perform both ablation and notching operations, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining productivity enhancement.
3Productivity
If two separate laser units are used for ablation and notching, then productivity is improved, but investment costs increase due to requiring two independent apparatuses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates the ablation laser unit and notching laser unit into a single integrated system. By merging two independent apparatuses into one, the investment cost is reduced while maintaining the productivity benefits of both ablation and notching operations. The shared optical system and controller reduce overall system cost compared to purchasing and maintaining two separate laser units.
Solution Approach 2:
The single laser apparatus is designed with multi-functionality to perform both ablation and notching operations. This universal design allows one device to replace two specialized units, thereby reducing investment costs while maintaining the enhanced productivity that would result from having both ablation and notching capabilities. The controller manages both functions within the single apparatus.
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
The solution effectively reduces the sensitivity to laser alignment, ensuring high-quality notching and reducing the need for separate processes and investments by integrating the ablation and notching functions into a single apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
an ablation laser unit configured to radiate ablation laser that performs an ablation operation on the electrode sheet
Implementation Method 2
a notching laser unit configured to radiate notching laser that is emitted to a place, in which the ablation operation has been performed by the ablation laser, to notch the electrode sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A notching apparatus relates to a notching apparatus for notching an electrode sheet used in a secondary battery, the notching apparatus including: an ablation laser source unit configured to radiate ablation laser that performs an ablation operation on the electrode sheet; a notching laser source unit configured to radiate notching laser, wherein the notching laser is emitted to the place, in which the ablation operation has been performed by the ablation laser, to notch the electrode sheet; and an integral scanner unit to which the ablation laser radiated from the ablation laser source unit and the notching laser radiated from the notching laser source unit are incident. The integral scanner unit allows the ablation laser and the notching laser to be emitted to positions adjacent to each other on the electrode sheet.