Laser Notching with Single-Scanner Beam Alignment for Battery Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser notching apparatuses for forming electrode tabs in secondary batteries face issues with precise alignment of ablation and cutting lines, leading to notching defects and increased costs due to separate optical systems for each laser beam.
Innovation Solution
A laser notching apparatus that uses a single scanner to control both laser beams, with an optical member adjusting the focal lengths and divergence angles to ensure the ablation and cutting spots are closely aligned, allowing simultaneous ablation and cutting within a single location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate optical systems are used for the first laser (active material removal) and second laser (electrode cutting), then each laser can be independently controlled, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate optical systems into a single integrated optical system where one scanner controls both the first laser beam for active material removal and the second laser beam for electrode cutting. This merging reduces device complexity and cost while maintaining independent control capabilities through separate beam paths within the unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The single scanner in the optical system performs multiple functions by controlling both laser beams. The scanner is designed to handle both the first laser beam for ablation and the second laser beam for cutting, making it a universal control device that reduces the need for separate scanning mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If the first laser and second laser are controlled by separate scanners, then each laser beam can be precisely controlled, but the alignment between ablation line and cutting line becomes difficult, leading to notching defects
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the control of both laser beams into a single scanner, the patent ensures that the ablation line and cutting line are precisely aligned. The single scanner synchronizes the movement and positioning of both beams, eliminating alignment errors that occur with separate scanners and ensuring accurate following of the ablation line by the cutting line.
3Productivity
If the electrode transfer speed is increased for high productivity, then production efficiency improves, but the electrode is not physically secured during cutting, causing alignment errors between ablation and cutting lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous operation at high electrode transfer speeds while ensuring precise alignment through the single scanner system. The continuous motion is sustained without interruption, and the scanner continuously tracks and aligns both laser beams with the moving electrode, preventing alignment errors even at high speeds.
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 enables precise alignment of ablation and cutting lines, preventing burrs and short-circuits, while simplifying the optical system configuration and reducing costs by using a single scanner for both beams.
Implementation Method 1
a first laser irradiating a first beam... the first beam ablate the active material layer
Implementation Method 2
a second laser irradiating a second beam... the second beam cut the current collector exposed by the ablation of the first beam
Data Source
AI summary
A laser notching apparatus is presented, comprising: a laser irradiation unit including a first laser irradiating a first beam, a second laser irradiating a second beam, and an optical member which forms paths of the first beam and the second beam; and a control unit which moves a scanner of the laser irradiation unit along a notching line of an electrode, wherein the optical member forms the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam such that a first spot of the first beam and a second spot of the second beam are arranged apart from each other by a first distance on the notching line, and a size of the first spot is larger than a size of the second spot, and the control unit moves a reflective mirror such that a spot of the second beam follows a spot of the preceding first beam.