MANUFACTURING
Powering Up Battery Manufacturing with
High-Speed Defect Detection Advanced, phased array scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) non-destructively detects minute flaws for up to 100% inspection of all batteries manufactured.
F
or the battery manufacturers powering the exponential growth of sectors such as electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems, testing various components for flaws before shipping is crucial to prevent serious safety and performance issues. The need is only expected to increase, as production volumes ramp up. The global battery market is likely to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 15.8% from 2023 to 2030, with lithium-ion batteries gaining most of the market share by 2024, according to Grand View Research. When manufacturing battery cells, various defects can occur that require detection so the product can be removed before shipping. Microscopic cracks can occur in the electrode materials or the separator, potentially leading to reduced performance and safety concerns. Inconsistent coating on electrodes can lead to short circuits or reduced capacity. Gaps between layers in a battery cell, such as the separator and electrodes, can result in uneven charge distribution and potential thermal issues. Delamination between layers of materials within a cell can compromise its structural integrity.
Inadequate battery inspection can pose serious dangers. Certain defects, especially those that lead to internal short circuits, can result in safety risks like overheating, fires, or even explosions. Additionally, defects can cause a decrease in battery capacity, efficiency, and overall performance. Insufficient battery inspection may also lead to costly product recalls and damage the reputation of the manufacturer. The need to assure quality is driving the adoption of non-destructive battery inspection techniques such as Scanning Acoustic Microscopy, which can provide more detailed insights into the internal structure of battery cells to identify cracks, defects, separations, and delamination in the materials.
Scanning Acoustic Microscopy, acknowledged for its capability to identify
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SAM can detect defects in batteries as miniscule as 50-microns.
defects as minuscule as 50-microns, is extensively embraced in the semiconductor industry as a metrology technology for failure analysis and reliability detection. Now the same high-speed technology is being applied to testing and failure analysis of battery cells. With battery production booming, manufacturers are increasingly integrating Scanning Acoustic Microscopy inspection tools into their processes to catch defects at an early stage. For high volume operations, automated systems are also available that enable 100% inspection of battery cells, ensuring both safety and optimal performance.
Scanning Acoustic Microscopy Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a non- invasive, non-destructive ultrasonic testing method that works by directing focused sound from a transducer at a small point on a
APRIL 2024 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS target object.
“The sound hitting the object is either scattered, absorbed, reflected, or transmitted. By detecting the direction of scattered pulses as well as the ‘time of flight,’ the presence of a boundary or object can be determined as well as its distance,” explains Hari Polu, President of OKOS, a Virginia-based manufacturer of SAM and industrial ultrasonic non-destructive (NDT) systems.
Polu notes that samples are scanned point by point and line by line to produce an image. Scanning modes range from single layer views to tray scans and cross-sections. Multi- layer scans can include up to 50 independent layers.
“Depth-specific information can be extracted and applied to create two- and three-dimensional images without the need for time-consuming tomographic scan procedures and more costly X-rays. The
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