Test & measurement
industry alliance forecasts a five-fold increase in worldwide demand for lithium-ion batteries by the end of the decade. And the drive to electrification is not limited to vehicles. Rechargeable battery technology is powering other mobility solutions including scooters, e- bikes, carts, drones, and wheelchairs. Also, batteries are ubiquitous for consumer electronics devices and medical equipment. Lithium-ion batteries are also critical components in energy systems such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and solar panel arrays, where they are used to store excess power until it is needed. Across all these sectors, lithium-ion batteries are a crucial element of the world’s decarbonisation journey. A sustained increase in global demand means manufacturers are under severe pressure to enhance the capacity, efficiency and reliability of their operations while optimising product quality and performance.
U
QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT Lithium-ion battery production involves a number of discrete steps and processes that play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and consistency of the end product.
Issues in any of these processes can have a severe impact on plant availability and throughput. Moreover, any defects during manufacture could introduce safety issues for end- users. For example, faulty batteries could cause overheating, fires, and even explosions in smartphones, laptops and EVs. Such failures entail costly product recalls. The best way to mitigate these risks is to build quality in from the start. Manufacturing batteries at scale focuses on solutions relating to the thin copper and aluminium foils that provide substrates for a lithium-ion battery’s cathode and anode respectively. Supplied in rolls up to 1,500mm wide, these rolls range in
thickness from 5 - 25µm depending on the cell design. The essential fragile metal foils demand careful handling. Extremely fine tolerances apply to all phases of manufacturing, from initial coating with an active layer and drying, through to calendering, cutting, and finishing. In addition to avoiding the risk of stress-induced
ptake of electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining pace, as car and van owners switch away from costly fossil fuels to cleaner, more sustainable powertrain options. Li- Bridge, the public/private US
OPTIMISING QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY OF LITHIUM- ION BATTERY PRODUCTION
With demand for lithium-ion batteries outstripping supply, battery producers must be able to rely on making every production minute count. Quality and consistency are critical. But how do you ensure reliable measurement of flatness, tension, and thickness throughout the battery production process? Marko Sydanlammi, global product manager for ABB, explains.
tearing and breakage, battery manufacturers need to ensure the strict consistency of film coating adhesion, thickness, and homogeneity. Even small imperfections in the electrode’s surface finish - including cracks and pits - can cause significant performance and safety issues in the finished battery. This demands stringent quality monitoring.
ASSURED CONSISTENCY AND RELIABILITY AT EVERY STAGE
Accurate handling and management of fast- moving coated thin metal foils presents some very specific challenges. Well before the EV age, similar conditions have been run-of-the-mill for many decades in the metals, paper, cardboard, and coating industries, where precise control of flatness and tension, for example, is essential to avoid distortion and wrinkling that can compromise product quality, reliability, and safety. Maintaining accurate calibration of measurement systems for flatness, tension and thickness can be particularly demanding in factory environments. Equipment must be able to withstand physical vibration, impact forces and extremes of temperature. If calibration is needed, it can effectively halt production for several hours at a time, with additional delays introduced by factors such as difficulty in accessing
machinery and the need for equipment to cool before handling and maintenance. With lithium-ion battery production too the effective control of flatness, tension and thickness is paramount. Accurate measurement plays a pivotal role in every stage of the manufacturing process.
COATING, DRYING, CALENDERING AND SLITTING Preparation of electrodes begins with deposition on anode and cathode foils of a finely-mixed slurry – combining an active material with a binding agent and solvent – that is applied to both sides of copper or aluminium foils. Accurate tension measurement during this initial stage is critical to ensure even coating of the fast-moving foils. Excessive tension poses a significantly elevated risk of breaking the delicate foil, which could halt production. Equally, insufficient tension may result in uneven distribution of slurry on the surface of the metal substrate. This may create safety issues in the finished product as well as impacting battery performance. Following
application of
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March 2024 Instrumentation Monthly
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