Reimagining Electrode Loading Analysis

The rapid shift to electric vehicles has created an unprecedented demand for batteries that prioritize safety, reliability, faster charging, extended lifespan, increased power, and cost efficiency.

Electrode loading uniformity—evenly distributing active materials in the coating—is a performance-defining quality for batteries and upgrades are crucial to meet these requirements.

Detecting non-uniformity and defects such as blisters, pinholes, folds, and streaks early is critical for implementing cost-efficient remedial actions. However, current quality control measures often fall short, as electrodes are typically fully evaluated only after the final cell is assembled.

If a substandard cell makes it into a vehicle, the consequences can be severe, including reputational damage and, in the worst-case scenario, catastrophic thermal runaway and fire. Failures in the field are not only costly but also potentially dangerous.

To achieve higher performance levels, battery manufacturers are innovating with advanced cathode and anode materials while simultaneously seeking to enhance cost-efficiency.

Real-time quality assurance is essential to support these advancements, providing a solid foundation for continuous improvement. To fully realize these goals, more effective solutions are required to:

• Identify progressively small inconsistencies and size miscalculations
• Enable battery manufacturers to balance anode and cathode mass loadings consistently
• Detect issues more rapidly to decrease waste and reduce downtime
• Deliver complete assurance and traceability  
• Facilitate reactive, enhanced process control

Current electrode mass loading measurement technology falls short of meeting these demands, highlighting the need for new, innovative solutions.

Designed specifically for the battery industry, in-line mass profilometry provides simultaneous monitoring across the full width of the electrode, delivering complete edge-to-edge coating profiles in milliseconds.

The Thermo Scientific^TM LInspector Edge^TM In-line Mass Profilometer builds on a legacy of real-time metrology, utilizing this innovative technique to set new standards in measurement speed, precision, resolution, and coverage. It empowers manufacturers to detect even the smallest defects with confidence, ensuring exceptional coating uniformity, enhancing process understanding, and accelerating the development of new battery technologies.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

Technology Comparison

Traditional in-line gauges rely on a single-point scanning sensor to measure the cross-width electrode profile. Typically, only 2-3 % of the total surface area is assessed, and several meters of electrode can be produced in the time it takes to complete a single profile scan.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

The LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer’s features include:

• Full width basis weight and profile uniformity analysis in one system
• Orders of magnitude–1000X–more mass loading data than conventional gauges. Complete high-resolution coating images in place of spot measurements.
• Excellent spatial resolution for superior mass loading defect detection

The LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer establishes a new benchmark for electrode coating analysis, delivering faster, more comprehensive, and more precise measurements than any other in-line technology.

The LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer stands apart by providing precise, complete, edge-to-edge electrode coating analysis in milliseconds—without the need for scanning.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

The breakthrough performance of the LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer brings significant value by allowing manufacturers to:

• Identify faults quicker: Edge-to-edge measurement, entire area coverage, and high data acquisition rates enable quick and thorough fault identification. Utilize information-rich data and high-resolution visualization to capture small defects—wrinkles, thick edges (“bunny ears”), and streaks—early in the process and make corrections promptly.
• Increase production yields: Quicker feedback means faster, better-informed, and more precise control decisions. Instant start-up and accelerated product transitions decrease scrap and improve throughput.
• Accomplish full traceability: Complete coating uniformity measurements for the whole production run with high-resolution images, enabling full traceability of the electrode roll. Record data for every patch on the surface and export measurements and statistics to the Manufacturing Execution System to enhance visibility and drive optimization.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

The heat map provides high-resolution visualization of electrode loading and coating weight defects in real-time, while the stripe profile display provides a cross section view with statistics for each stripe. Real-time availability of information-rich data allows operators to make process control decisions faster, and ensure that optimal electrode loading uniformity and coat weight are maintained. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

The LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer provides the data that battery manufacturers need for success, to make safer, higher performance batteries, confidently and cost-efficiently.

A Future Investment

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

To quantify the potential impact of the LInspector Edge In-Line Mass Profilometer, let’s compare the performance with traditional measurement technology.

These benefits improve understanding, monitoring, and control of electrode coating processes, resulting in operational savings that deliver a return on investment (ROI) through:

• Condensed start-up/transition times: Setpoints can be quickly reached with millisecond data acquisition, creating more marketable products.
• Reduced scrap: The longer it takes to identify out-of-specification products, the more scrap is produced. With quicker feedback, scrap can be dramatically decreased, facilitating lesser disposal or recycling expenses and higher throughput.
• Improved line speeds: Coating line throughput can be pushed to the maximum during well-controlled operations. Even small speed gains can significantly impact the bottom line at no financial expense.

These substantial gains can easily justify the investment. Equally important, however, are the advantages derived from reliable and timely quality assurance.

Utilizing the LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer:

• Decreases end-of-line testing dependence
• Lowers the chance of sub-standard electrodes slipping into the completed cell
• Reduces the possibility of making poor-quality battery packs

When evaluating the investment in the LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer, consider the costs of a single safety issue, product recall, or brand-damaging event.

In these images, a small section has flaked off this coated sample. The traditional gauge (left) misses the defect because of its zig zag scanning pattern; LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer clearly captures it (right). Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics

A Comprehensive Package for Long-Term Profitability

The inherently robust, state-of-the-art design of the LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer provides exceptional performance, reliability, and serviceability.

However, its value extends far beyond the product itself. Comprehensive service plans are tailored to align with specific operational strategies, offering a proactive partnership aimed at optimizing performance throughout the equipment’s lifetime. This approach ensures maximum return on investment for customers.

All service plan levels include:

• Secure global supply chains for affordable, high-quality upgrades and spares
• International engineers to deliver specialist support and responsive service from project launch through commissioning, and for the product’s lifetime through custom service contracts.
• Remote technical support team, available to answer any queries and share their knowledge.
• Comprehensive, relevant application support customized to battery industry requirements.
• Education and training programs to promote enhanced performance and team growth.

The LInspector Edge In-line Mass Profilometer is a future-proof, economically sound solution to the problems that many battery manufacturers face.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics.

For more information on this source, please visit Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Process & Analytics.