Press Roll Heating Profile for Uniform Electrode-Separator Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laminators for manufacturing unit structural bodies face issues with inconsistent adhesion forces due to thermal expansion differences in press rolls, leading to potential separation between electrodes and separators, necessitating additional processes to compensate.
Innovation Solution
A laminator with a temperature-raising mechanism for press rolls and an air blower to control temperature gradients, ensuring the peripheral part of the press roll remains hotter than the middle part, enhancing adhesion at the peripheral part of the unit structural body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional press roll is used for laminating electrodes and separators, then the lamination process can be performed, but the adhesion force becomes inconsistent due to thermal expansion differences between the middle and peripheral parts of the press roll
Solution Approach 1:
The press roll is designed with non-uniform temperature distribution where the peripheral parts are heated to a higher temperature than the middle part. This creates different local thermal expansion characteristics, causing the peripheral parts to expand more and apply greater pressure during lamination, thereby compensating for the naturally lower pressure at the edges and achieving uniform adhesion force across the entire lamination area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes controlled thermal expansion of the press roll by selectively heating the peripheral regions. The temperature difference between peripheral and central areas causes differential expansion, which adjusts the contact pressure distribution to achieve uniform adhesion. This transforms the harmful thermal expansion effect into a useful mechanism for pressure equalization.
2Strength
If the press roll temperature is increased to improve adhesion, then bonding strength increases, but thermal expansion differences between middle and peripheral parts worsen, leading to non-uniform pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly heating the entire press roll, the invention applies heat locally to the peripheral regions only. This creates a controlled temperature gradient where peripheral areas are hotter than the center, inducing selective thermal expansion that equalizes pressure distribution across the lamination surface while maintaining overall high adhesion strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional processes are added to compensate for adhesion inconsistencies, then manufacturing quality improves, but production complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The press roll is pre-heated with a specific temperature distribution pattern before the lamination process begins. This preliminary thermal conditioning ensures that when lamination occurs, the pressure distribution is already optimized for uniform adhesion, eliminating the need for subsequent corrective processes or adjustments.
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
Uniform adhesion force is maintained across the unit structural body, preventing separation and eliminating the need for additional processes, thus improving manufacturing efficiency and quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heating means configured to heat a unit structural body sheet constituted by an electrode and a separator in a stacked state
Implementation Method 2
the temperature of a middle part R2 of the press roll R becomes higher than the temperature of a peripheral part R1 of the press roll R, there occurs a difference in thermal expansion between the middle part R2 and the peripheral part R1 of the press roll R
Implementation Method 3
laminators configured to apply heat and pressure to a unit structural body sheet constituted by the electrodes and the separators that are stacked to adhere the electrodes and the separators to each other
Implementation Method 4
an air blower configured to inject air to a middle part of the press roll
Data Source
AI summary
A laminator is configured for increasing the force of adhesion between an electrode and a separator upon forming a unit structural body. The laminator is configured for heating a unit structural body sheet that includes an electrode and a separator in a stacked state and a press roll having a pair of upper and lower rolls configured to press the heated unit structural body sheet. The press roll is configured to raise its temperature. The average temperature of the press roll is higher than the temperature of the unit structural body sheet.