Scratch Tester for Battery Electrode Drying Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing secondary battery electrodes require stopping equipment operations to diagnose the dried state of electrode active materials, leading to reduced productivity and inconsistent quality due to the need for visual and tactile inspections.

Innovation Solution

A system that integrates a scratch tester unit to measure the dried state of the electrode active material without stopping the manufacturing process, allowing for real-time monitoring and adjustment of drying conditions through a control unit, ensuring optimal drying without equipment interruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operation of manufacturing equipment is stopped to diagnose the dried state of electrode active material, then the quality of electrode can be maintained, but the productivity is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of electrodeVSAvoidproductivity of electrode manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The scratch tester is integrated into the manufacturing line to enable continuous monitoring of the dried state of electrode active material without stopping the coating or drying processes. The tester operates simultaneously with the manufacturing equipment, allowing real-time quality assessment while maintaining continuous production flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The manual visual and tactile inspection method is replaced with an automated scratch tester that applies mechanical scratching and measures the force required to generate scratches. This automated mechanical testing system eliminates the need to stop equipment for manual diagnosis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If the operation of manufacturing equipment is stopped to perform visual and touching diagnosis, then the dried state can be determined, but the overall productivity is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedried state determination accuracyVSAvoidoverall productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Manual visual and tactile inspection is replaced with an automated scratch testing mechanism that measures the force required to create scratches on the dried active material. This provides objective, quantifiable measurement of the dried state without relying on operator subjectivity or requiring equipment shutdown.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The scratch tester provides real-time feedback on the dried state of the electrode active material by measuring scratching force. This feedback can be used to monitor and control the drying process parameters, ensuring consistent quality while maintaining continuous production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If manual diagnosis is performed by operator, then the dried state can be assessed, but the quality consistency cannot be kept constant

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality assessmentVSAvoidquality consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Subjective manual assessment by operators is replaced with an objective automated scratch testing system that measures the force required to generate scratches. This eliminates variations in human judgment and provides consistent, repeatable measurements of the dried state across different production batches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-assessment of the dried state through automated scratch testing, eliminating dependence on operator skill and experience levels. The standardized testing procedure ensures that quality assessment is consistent regardless of which operator would have performed the manual inspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

Enables continuous electrode manufacturing with improved product quality by determining the dried state of the active material and adjusting drying conditions in real-time, enhancing both productivity and consistency.

Implementation Method 1

a scratch tester configured to generate a scratch on the electrode active material and measure a force required to generate the scratch

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS10535862B2System for manufacturing electrode for secondary battery having scratch tester

Publication Date: 2020.01.14 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a system for manufacturing an electrode for a secondary battery, which includes an active material drying unit configured to dry an active material coated on an electrode current collector, and a tester unit configured to measure a dried state of the active material by performing a scratch test to the dried active material.