Printing Corrosion Coating on Battery Can Fractured Surface

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for preventing corrosion on the fractured surfaces of cylindrical battery cans are inefficient, costly, and interfere with the welding process, while chemical treatments and sealants complicate the manufacturing process and may cause defects.

Innovation Solution

A printing method is used to apply a corrosion-resistant coating material selectively to the minimum exposed area of the battery can's fractured surface, using a flexible pad to transcribe and cure the coating without additional processes, ensuring it does not interfere with welding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If re-plating is performed on the fractured surface, then corrosion prevention is improved, but the thickness of the additional plating area becomes different from other areas and work time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidplating process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a corrosion-resistant coating selectively only to the fractured surface area of the battery can, rather than re-plating the entire can. This localized approach prevents corrosion where needed while maintaining uniform thickness and avoiding the complexity of full re-plating processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If chemical treatment is used for anti-rust treatment, then corrosion prevention is improved, but it is difficult to apply locally only to the front end of crimped portion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidlocal application difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a coating material that can be precisely applied to the fractured surface through a printing process, enabling local corrosion prevention at the front end of the crimped portion without the spreading issues inherent in chemical treatments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If impregnation or spraying is used, then corrosion prevention is improved, but water washing and drying processes are required which increases the number of processes and process costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidmanufacturing process efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the water washing and drying steps by using a coating material that cures through UV light or other methods without requiring water-based removal processes, thereby reducing the number of manufacturing steps and improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Reliability

If sealant is dispensed along the circumference, then corrosion prevention is improved, but process speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidprocess speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical dispensing process with a printing method that can apply the coating material more rapidly and precisely, thereby maintaining corrosion prevention effectiveness while significantly improving process speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

5Reliability

If masking is used for selective application, then corrosion prevention is improved, but it is unreasonable in terms of process speed and cost due to the three-dimensional surface profile

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidmasking process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a printing method that can directly apply coating material to the three-dimensional fractured surface without requiring masking, thereby achieving local corrosion prevention while eliminating the complexity and cost associated with creating and applying masks to complex geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 method effectively prevents corrosion, enhances energy density, and maintains process efficiency by applying the coating without additional steps, thus improving the battery's structural integrity and manufacturing speed.

Implementation Method 1

the coating material may include a polymer or/and copolymer including at least one of epoxy, acrylic, imide and urethane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotopolymerisation: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP4672444A1Printing method for preventing corrosion, and battery cell manufactured using same
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4672444A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4672444A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4672444A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention provides a method for printing a coating material for corrosion prevention and a battery cell manufactured using the same. According to the method, a coating material may be locally printed on a minimum area where a coating for corrosion prevention is required at the front end of a crimped portion of a battery can having a fractured surface. The coating material is a thermosetting resin or a thermosetting sealant, and may be cured by the heat of a subsequent cell activation process without a separate curing process. The coating material may be printed on the front end of the crimped portion by reverse-transcribing (printing) onto the local area a coating material having a predetermined pattern transcribed on the surface of a flexible pad.