E-mobility – the future now with Precitec
One in 70 of the world’s 1.2 billion cars is electric-powered. That doesn’t exactly sound like a revolution in automotive mobility but the bigger picture tells a different story. Transporting people and goods causes around a fifth of global climate-harming emissions. Consequently, numerous governments around the world have drawn up ambitious plans to replace fossil-fuel-burning vehicles with battery-powered ones.
The trend is clear: Thanks to better batteries, more extensive charging networks and generous government subsidies global electric-vehicle (EV) sales more than doubled in 2021 to 6.6 million. That adds up to around one in 12 new cars sold, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At current rates, the IEA expects 22-35% of cars sold in 2030 to be electric. Between 2017 and 2022 the number of EVs sold in Europe increased by an average of over 60% a year.
As the e-mobility sector expands, so will the need for measurement solutions in the production of EV batteries and the hairpins and stators required for e-motors. This is where Precitec has a lot to offer. In the battery production chain, for example, Precitec 3D metrology solutions are available for the majority of process steps:
For our laser technology solutions for e-mobility applications see here.
Profit from optical measurement in EV battery production
Our inline, non-contact 3D metrology gives you the cutting edge in the production of electrodes for electric-vehicle (EV) battery cells:
- Edge and start/stop quality control
- Coating thickness
- Control of coating waviness over the foil width
- Control of the roughness of coatings
- Cutting burr inspection
How you benefit from optical measurement
With our single-point, dual-point and line sensors, chromatic camera and flying spot sensors that deploy chromatic confocal or interferometric technology in the visible or infrared light spectrum you enjoy the benefits of:
- Non-contact measurement
- No shadowing
- High angle acceptance
- High resolution to detect micro-features
Coating thickness measurement
The task here is to perform inline non-contact quality controls of electrodes with the specific goal of inspecting coating thickness, offset top-to-bottom layer, and critical edge height. Our Precitec solution is the CHRocodile 2 DPS Dual Point Sensor with a Z resolution of as little as down to 2 nanometer (nm).
Critical edge and start/stop quality inspection
Whether it’s measuring the height of critical edges in solvent cathode production, controlling the quality of superelevated foil edges or measuring the wet or dry active material, Precitec’s line sensors family CLS deliver high-precision findings ultra-fast.
Cutting burr inspection
The outstanding inline 3D topography inspection qualities of Precitec’s line sensor family CLS are ideal for controlling cutting burr. With a Z resolution from <1 µm to as little as 20 nm, a data rate of up to 36,000 lines/sec, 21.6 million measuring points and a line length of up to 20 mm, our line sensor CLS range has the measuring devices to meet any of your needs.
Crack, defect and foreign particle detection
Besides the line sensor family CLS the Precitec CHRomatic Vision Camera CVC is ideal for detecting cracks, defects or foreign particles of <30 µm to ensure the required high standards are met in electrode production.
Electrolyte contamination
When assembling battery cells, any electrolyte contamination has a detrimental effects on the final product, e.g. seal pins. Here, too, Precitec’s CLS 2Pro and CLS 2.0 line sensors are the ideal solution for detecting any such contamination.