InQuZell - Intelligent Quality Assurance and Documentation for Laser-based Cell-internal Contacting

As part of a sustainable climate policy and the related goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the importance of alternative powertrain technologies is increasing in the transportation sector. The electro mobility plays an important role in the context of the energy transition. Lithium-ion batteries (LIB, in the physical sense accumulators) represent a core technology of electro mobility due to their high energy and power density. To meet the increasing demand for energy storage devices, reliable, highly automated, and fast manufacturing processes that deliver products of the highest quality are indispensable.

Flexible process control using laser production technology

Lithium-ion batteries are produced in a manufacturing chain that consists of a large number of interrelated individual processes. The cell-internal contacting of the stacked electrodes takes place at a late stage in the process line. The research project InQuZell addresses the laser-based internal contacting of LIB. This technology is characterized by a flexible process control and a high welding speed which enables an industrially scalable contacting process.

Quality monitoring for an all production documentation

The first step is the development of a method for inline quality monitoring and documentation to measure the quality of the intermediate product during and after the contacting. This method contributes to the complete production documentation as well as a consistent high-quality product. The recorded data is used to detect quality fluctuations in the production at an early stage, significantly reduce rejects, and save valuable resources.

Integration into the production chain

Concepts for the continuous integration of laser-based internal contacting into the existing production chain are developed during the second part of the research project. The overarching goal of the research project is the holistic examination of the contacting process.  The applicability of the laser-based process will be demonstrated in a technology demonstration model with a high maturity level. An essential aspect is the development of an automated and flexible clamping device, which enables the defined tensioning of the foils while providing accessibility for the required sensor systems.

The targeted combination of an intelligent quality assurance system based on the selected process sensors with an innovative machine technology enables the realization of sustainable and high-quality battery cell production in Germany.

Acknowledgement

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the project number 03XP0342A and is supervised by the Project Management Organisation Jülich (PTJ). We thank the BMBF and the PTJ for the valuable cooperation.