KR101004006B1 - Manufacturing Method of Battery Pack and Manufacturing Process Monitoring System for the Same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a battery pack in a continuous operation for a plurality of battery cells, (A) mounting a carrier jig while mounting an insulating bottom cap on the bottom surface of the battery cell; (b) placing the metal clad on one side of the top surface of the battery cell, and then joining the metal clad and the top surface of the battery cell by welding; (c) applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member or the top surface of the battery cell to bond the insulating mounting member to the top surface of the battery cell; (d) placing the protective circuit module on the upper surface of the insulating mounting member and then electrically connecting the protective circuit module and the battery cell with a predetermined welding device; (e) applying an adhesive to the outer surface of the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap, and the insulating upper cap surrounding the protective circuit module, combining the insulating upper cap with the protective circuit module or the battery cell; (f) taking the battery pack from the carrier jig; (g) testing the performance of the battery pack by the pack test apparatus and transmitting the test data A to the data server; (h) wrapping the outer surface of the battery pack with an outer film, testing a barcode attached to the outer surface of the outer film with a barcode reader, and transmitting test data B to the data server; And (i) measuring the size of the battery pack by the sensor and transmitting the measurement data C to the data server; It provides a battery pack manufacturing method consisting of.

Description

Manufacturing Method of Battery Pack and Manufacturing Process Monitoring System for the Same}

The present invention relates to a battery pack manufacturing method and a manufacturing process inspection system, and more particularly, a method of manufacturing a battery pack in a continuous operation for a plurality of battery cells, the insulating bottom cap on the bottom surface of the battery cell Mounting on the carrier jig while mounting, bonding the metal cladding and the top surface of the battery cell by welding, bonding the insulating mounting member to the top surface of the battery cell, electrically connecting the protection circuit module and the battery cell Process, combining the insulating top cap and the protection circuit module or battery cell, taking the battery pack out of the carrier jig, testing the performance of the battery pack by the pack test device and transmitting the test data (A) to the data server Process, test the barcode attached to the outer surface of the outer film by a barcode reader, and transmits the test data (B) to the data server And it relates to a battery pack manufacturing method consisting of a process of measuring the size of the battery pack by the sensor and transmitting the measurement data (C) to the data server, and a manufacturing process inspection system for this.

With the development of technology and increasing demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries is also rapidly increasing. Among them, lithium secondary batteries with high energy density, high operating voltage, and excellent storage and life characteristics are used for various mobile devices as well as various electronic products. It is widely used as an energy source.

However, since lithium secondary batteries contain various combustible materials, there is a risk of overheating, explosion, etc. due to overcharging, overcurrent, and other physical external shocks. Therefore, a lithium secondary battery has a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element and a protection circuit module (PCM) connected to the battery cell as a safety device that can effectively control abnormal conditions such as overcharge and overcurrent. It is mounted.

In general, PCM and the like are connected to the battery cell by a welding method via a conductive nickel plate. In other words, the nickel plate is welded to the electrode tab of the PCM, and then the nickel plate is connected to the electrode terminal of the battery cell, respectively, to connect the PCM to the battery cell to manufacture a battery pack.

These safety devices, including PCM, must maintain electrical connection with the electrode terminals while maintaining electrical isolation from other parts of the battery cell.

On the other hand, the operation of coupling a component such as a protective circuit member such as PCM to the top of the battery cell is performed in the battery pack assembly line. The configuration of such an assembly line may vary depending on necessity, but is generally composed of a line that sequentially performs a mounting process of a metal clad, an insulating mounting member, a protective circuit module, and an insulating upper cap.

On the other hand, the battery pack is sensitive to temperature and humidity due to the characteristics of the product, the product quality may vary depending on some changes in the process line, the work status of the operator, seasonal factors, and the like. In other words, battery packs are sensitive to environmental factors because they are devices based on electrochemical reactions, and they are manufactured through a series of processes in which small parts are precisely mounted and connected in a limited space. Product quality may also be degraded due to immature work.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the battery pack by the mass production system, serious defects may be caused by small defects in the process. This fact has been confirmed in recent times when a large number of battery pack manufacturers recall a battery pack, and the failure of the battery pack is also associated with safety aspects, simply beyond the problem of quality deterioration.

Nevertheless, the fundamental countermeasures have not yet been prepared because of the fact that the battery pack is manufactured in a mass production system through a precise assembly process, and it is not easy to identify a small defect in the production line. The cause of the problem may be found in the fact that the defect or quality deterioration problem can be confirmed after the product is actually used in a device or the like. As a result, the improvement process of the method which traces back the problem about the manufacturing process of the said battery pack after the complaint report of a consumer about a product is performed.

Therefore, there is a high need for a technology that can greatly improve the quality and productivity of the battery pack by configuring the battery pack assembly line and manufacturing process inspection system to solve the above problems.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and technical problems that have been requested from the past.

Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack manufacturing method that can improve the assembly quality of the battery pack and can be quickly responded in case of failure.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack manufacturing process inspection system capable of monitoring battery pack assembly lines in real time and collecting measurement data so as to analyze and improve quality data of battery packs.

Battery pack manufacturing method according to the present invention for achieving this object, as a method for manufacturing a battery pack in a continuous operation for a plurality of battery cells,

(A) mounting on the carrier jig while mounting an insulating lower cap on the lower surface of the battery cell;

(b) placing the metal clad on one side of the top surface of the battery cell, and then joining the metal clad and the top surface of the battery cell by welding;

(c) applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member or the top surface of the battery cell to bond the insulating mounting member to the top surface of the battery cell;

(d) placing the protective circuit module on the upper surface of the insulating mounting member and then electrically connecting the protective circuit module and the battery cell with a predetermined welding device;

(e) applying an adhesive to the outer surface of the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap, and the insulating upper cap surrounding the protective circuit module, combining the insulating upper cap with the protective circuit module or the battery cell;

(f) taking the battery pack from the carrier jig;

(g) testing the performance of the battery pack by the pack test apparatus and transmitting the test data A to the data server;

(h) wrapping the outer surface of the battery pack with an outer film, testing a barcode attached to the outer surface of the outer film with a barcode reader, and transmitting test data B to the data server; And

(i) measuring the size of the battery pack by the sensor and transmitting the measurement data (C) to the data server;

It is configured to include.

Therefore, the battery pack manufacturing method according to the present invention, the coupling between the insulating mounting member and the top surface of the battery cell, and the coupling between the insulating top cap and the battery cell using an adhesive, so as to combine the respective members, the conventional fitting method Compared to each other, it can be more firmly combined.

In addition, by configuring the test process together with the battery pack assembly line and monitoring the progress of the battery pack in real time, it is possible to quickly identify the failure of the battery pack, and the data tested and measured on the test line to the data server. Since it is transmitted and stored, process improvement can be easily performed by quantitatively analyzing data stored in the data server as needed.

Moreover, production and quality related information such as battery pack performance, bar codes, battery pack dimensions, etc. are collected at the battery pack assembly line for automatic storage, analysis, and database to facilitate other systems (production management system, quality control system). It can be easily connected, storage and control of production and quality information can be prevented, and defects can be prevented by tracking product status and monitoring quality status in real time.

In one preferred embodiment, in order to further strengthen the coupling of the insulating mounting member and the top surface of the battery cell in the process (c) and to standardize the product, after applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member or the top surface of the battery cell The method may further include pressurizing the upper end of the insulating mounting member with a pressing device.

In addition, by further including the step of pressing the upper end of the insulating top cap with a predetermined pressurizing device in the process (e), it is possible to further strengthen the bonding force of the insulating top cap and the protective circuit module or the battery cell and to standardize the product. have.

The pressurization process may be performed for each battery cell using a plurality of pressurization devices, but performing the operation for a plurality of battery cells using a single pressurization device may reduce manufacturing lead time. More preferred.

Specifically, the pressing may be performed by setting an optimum pressurization time after bonding of the insulating mounting member and the bonding of the upper cap of the insulating phase, which affect the adhesion and the overall dimensions, and may install the pressurizing unit. By installing a timer in the unit can be configured to automatically discharge after pressurizing for a predetermined time.

In general, when the pressurization process is performed for a time shorter than a predetermined time according to the battery pack manufacturing specifications, it may be difficult to secure a desired bonding force, and when performed for a time longer than the predetermined time, the efficiency of the process may be reduced and the possibility of adhesive leakage may occur. It is not desirable because it goes through. Therefore, the pressurizing device may have a structure in which a timer is mounted to perform pressurization for a predetermined time.

On the other hand, the process of bonding the respective members after applying the adhesive during the coupling of the insulating mounting member and the top surface of the battery cell and the coupling of the insulating top cap and the battery cell, as mentioned above, because a lot of defects occur a battery pack Is an important process in terms of securing assembly quality. Therefore, it is desirable to automate adhesive application in order to ensure excellent quality of the battery pack.

When the insulating mounting member and the top surface of the battery cell are coupled, and the adhesive is applied when the insulating top cap is coupled with the battery cell, the pressing and mounting of the respective members are processes that generate a lot of defects, as mentioned above. In addition, it is an important process in securing assembly quality of battery pack. Therefore, it is desirable to automate the adhesive application and pressurization process to ensure excellent quality of the battery pack.

In one preferred example, the adhesive can be configured to be automatically applied by an automatic bonding dispenser, so that the bonding operation can be carried out continuously and precisely, which can improve productivity and quality by automation. Existing battery pack manufacturing line has a difficulty in automating the overall manufacturing process of the battery pack by not using the automatic bonding dispenser.

This automatic bonding dispenser enables the application of the adhesive to a large number of areas automatically when applying the adhesive to a predetermined site, and thus is effective in manufacturing lines requiring precision and mass production, such as battery pack manufacturing lines. .

In addition, in the case of using the automatic bonding dispenser, it is possible to enhance the adhesive strength by varying the application method according to the characteristics of the member to be bonded, for example, in the bonding operation of the insulating mounting member by applying an adhesive through a point attachment method The bonding operation of the insulating top cap may be configured to apply an adhesive by applying a line attachment method.

The test data A may include one or more information selected from the group consisting of an open circuit voltage, a current, a resistance, and a protection circuit module of the battery pack.

The test data (B) may be one or more information selected from the group consisting of print quality status of the barcode and comparison information with the battery pack serial number displayed on the barcode.

The measurement data (C) may be one or more information selected from the group consisting of the length, width, thickness and weight of the battery pack.

On the other hand, the data server is linked to the device for automatically managing the quality of the battery pack ('quality control device'), based on the test data (A) to the measurement data (C) in the quality control device (i) A process for checking whether a predetermined battery pack is defective or not, (ii) Checking for the necessity of checking or improving a battery pack manufacturing process in operation, and (iii) Sorting and storing product information about a battery pack by battery pack. It may be configured to perform at least one of the process.

Therefore, the quality control device collects the information of the test data (A) to the measurement data (C), and it can be usefully used for process or product improvement by using a quantitative analysis method such as statistical analysis. It is highly desirable because it can greatly improve productivity and quality.

In one preferred example, the quality control device,

A data server storing information for setting an optimization range ('standard information') corresponding to the test data A and the measurement data C for each battery pack type (specification); And

A central processing unit for processing test data (A) and measurement data (C) from the data server in comparison with standard information of the data server;

It may be configured to include.

That is, the quality control apparatus includes a data server (including a database) that sets an optimization range and stores standard information corresponding to the test data A and the measurement data C according to the type (specification) of the battery pack. And a central processing unit for processing the test data A and the measurement data C from the data server in comparison with the standard information of the data server.

In this case, the checking process of the battery pack failure may include a process of checking whether the test data (A) or the measurement data (C) for a predetermined battery pack is within a tolerance range based on standard information.

That is, when the test data A or the measurement data C for the predetermined battery pack are not within the defective error allowable range, it is determined as defective, and when it is within the defective error allowable range, it can be determined as good quality.

  The process of checking the necessity of checking or improving the process may include checking whether the average value of the test data (A) or the measurement data (C) for a plurality of battery packs is within a process error tolerance range based on standard information. Can be.

The process check or confirmation of the necessity of improvement is a process of checking whether a deterioration of product quality occurs even if a defect does not occur in the battery pack. Therefore, the process error tolerance may be set to a narrower range than the error tolerance, for example, when the error tolerance is set to a range of 10% of the standard information, the process error tolerance is 5% It can be set within the range of.

In addition, the process check or confirmation of the need for improvement, unlike the battery pack check whether there is a defect, can be performed as an average value for a predetermined number of battery packs without performing for each battery pack. For example, if the average value of the test data (A) or the measurement data (C) is not within the process error tolerance, it means that a deterioration has occurred, so that the process can be checked or improved to solve the problem. have.

This process check or confirmation of the need for improvement is very useful when defects in the process line that cause quality deterioration are not easily identified by common inspection methods or methods. For example, it may be assumed that mechanical wear occurs due to repetitive operations in a specific device on a manufacturing line, resulting in a fine assembly process error. This assembly process error is small enough not to cause a defect of the battery pack is not easy to check, but the data information on the battery packs to be produced tends to be different from the data information in the normal state. Therefore, in the process of checking the process or confirming the necessity of improvement, it is possible to check the difference in these trends and to perform the check and / or improvement on the work process.

Process checks or the necessity of improvement can be applied not only to the devices on the manufacturing line but also to the identification of changes in product quality due to changes in the working environment, such as trends of specific workers, temperatures and humidity. For example, the plastic resin may change in size during the day, the temperature change over time, the temperature change due to seasonal factors, which may cause the size change in the final battery pack. Therefore, based on the data information, it is possible to check the small size change and adjust the process to the optimum condition.

In the battery pack manufacturing method according to the invention, the process (a),

(a1) mounting the insulating bottom cap of the battery cell in the mounting groove of the carrier jig;

(a2) attaching a double-sided tape to the bottom surface of the battery cell;

(a3) attaching the battery cell to the carrier jig with the electrode terminal exposed in an upward direction to couple the bottom surface of the battery cell to the insulating bottom cap; And

(a4) repeating steps (a1) to (a3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward);

Can be made.

 In other words, after attaching the insulating lower cap of the battery cell to the mounting groove of the carrier jig, attach double-sided tape to the lower surface of the insulating phase, and mount the battery cells in the carrier jig with the electrode terminal exposed in the upper direction, the battery cell After coupling the lower surface of the insulating cap and the insulating bottom cap, while moving the carrier jig step by step in progress can be achieved to continuously combine the insulating lower cap and the lower surface of the battery cell.

As another example, the process (b),

(b1) attaching a metal clad mounting cover having a plurality of through holes formed on the upper end of the carrier jig;

(b2) placing the metal clad on the top surface of the battery cell electrode terminal through the through hole of the metal clad mounting cover;

(b3) welding the metal clad downwardly from the top by a welding device to couple the metal clad to the battery cell electrode terminals; And

(b4) repeating step (b3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward);

Can be made.

That is, in the welding operation of the metal clad as described above, the metal clad mounting cover is additionally mounted on the upper part of the carrier jig, and the metal clad mounting cover is welded to the upper end of the metal clad mounted on the battery cells. Through holes may be formed that are exposed toward the welding device.

Specifically, a metal clad mounting cover having a plurality of through holes formed thereon is mounted on an upper end of a carrier jig, and a metal clad is placed on an upper end surface of a battery cell electrode terminal through the through hole, and then a welding device is attached to the welding device. The metal clad is welded downward from the top to thereby couple the metal clad to the battery cell electrode terminal, and the carrier jig is moved in the advancing direction step by step, thereby continuously welding the metal clad and the battery cell electrode terminal. have.

Therefore, with the structure in which the through holes are formed in the metal clad mounting cover as described above, the welding device can weld the upper welding portion of the metal clad through the through hole from the top of the metal clad mounting cover, and the welding device is made of metal. It can be accurately guided to the upper welding portion of the clad, it is possible to fundamentally prevent the possibility of damage to other parts during the welding process of the battery cell electrode terminal and the metal clad. For example, a welding operation for mutually coupling the metal clad and the electrode terminal located on the top surface of the battery cell may be accomplished by spot welding.

As another example, the process (c),

(c1) removing the metal clad mounting cover from the carrier jig and mounting the insulating mounting member mounting cover on the upper end of the carrier jig in which a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the insulating mounting member are formed;

(c2) applying an adhesive to the top surface of the battery cell or the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member in a point-adhesive manner;

 (c3) placing the insulating mounting member in the through hole of the cover for mounting the insulating mounting member;

 (c4) pressing the insulating mounting member downward by a pressing device to couple the insulating mounting member to the top of the battery cell; And

(c5) repeating the step (c4) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward);

It may be configured as.

In the bonding operation of the insulating mounting member, the cover for mounting the insulating mounting member is additionally mounted on the upper portion of the carrier jig, and the through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the insulating mounting member are formed in the cover for mounting the insulating mounting member. There may be.

Specifically, the metal clad mounting cover is removed from the carrier jig, the insulating mounting member mounting cover is mounted on the top of the carrier jig, and then adhesive is applied to the top surface of the battery cell or the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member. Apply with Thereafter, the insulating mounting member may be inserted into the through holes, and the upper portion of the insulating mounting member may be pressed downward by the pressing device, thereby firmly coupling the upper end of the battery cell and the insulating mounting member. Thereafter, while the carrier jig is moved in the advancing direction by one step, the coupling between the top surface of the battery cell and the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member may be continuously achieved.

The through holes have a structure corresponding to the outer circumferential surface shape of the insulating mounting member, and thus may prevent the positional separation of the insulating mounting member that may occur during the coupling process between the insulating mounting member and the top cap of the battery cell.

In addition, the process of coupling the lower surface of the insulating mounting member and the upper surface of the battery cell may be selectively applied according to the bonding method, it is preferable to apply by applying a point attachment method. Therefore, the bonding operation for coupling the insulating mounting member and the top surface of the battery cell can be carried out accurately and safely, and the adhesion of the adhesive can be improved, and the bonding can be performed with enhanced adhesive force.

As another example, the process (d),

(d1) removing the insulating mounting member mounting cover from the carrier jig, and mounting the protective circuit module mounting cover on the upper end of the carrier jig in which a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the protective circuit module are formed;

(d2) placing the protective circuit module on the upper portion of the insulating mounting member through the through hole of the cover for mounting the protective circuit module;

(d3) welding the electrode terminals of the battery cells exposed through the opening on the insulating mounting member to the connection terminals of the protection circuit module by a welding device; And

(d4) repeating step (d3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward);

Can be made.

In the coupling operation of the insulating mounting member and the protective circuit module, a cover for mounting the protective circuit module is additionally mounted on the upper part of the carrier jig, and the cover for mounting the protective circuit module penetrates corresponding to the outer peripheral surface shape of the protective circuit module. Spheres may be formed.

Specifically, the cover for mounting the insulating mounting member is removed from the carrier jig, the cover for mounting the protective circuit module is mounted on the upper end of the carrier jig, the protective circuit module is inserted into the through holes, and then the opening on the insulating mounting member is removed. By welding to the connection terminal of the protective circuit module through the mutual coupling can be easily achieved. In addition, the coupling of the insulating mounting member and the protective circuit module can be continuously achieved while moving the carrier jig in the advancing direction step by step.

Since the through holes have a structure corresponding to the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the protective circuit module, the through holes may be prevented from being displaced from the protective circuit module, which may occur during the coupling process between the insulating mounting member and the protective circuit module.

As another example, the process (e),

(e1) removing the protective circuit module mounting cover from the carrier jig, and mounting the insulating top cap mounting cover having a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the insulating top cap on the carrier jig;

(e2) applying the adhesive to the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap by wire attachment;

(e3) placing the insulating upper cap on the upper portion of the protective circuit module through the through hole of the insulating upper cap mounting cover;

(e4) pressing the insulating top cap downward by a pressing device to couple the insulating top cap to the top of the battery cell; And

(e5) repeating step (e4) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward);

It may be configured to include.

In the bonding operation of the protective circuit module and the insulating top cap, an insulating top cap mounting cover is additionally mounted on the upper portion of the carrier jig, and the insulating top cap mounting cover penetrates corresponding to the outer peripheral surface shape of the insulating top cap. Spheres may be formed.

Specifically, the protective circuit module mounting cover is removed from the carrier jig, the insulating top cap mounting cover is mounted on the upper portion of the protective circuit module, and then the adhesive is applied to the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap. Apply by adhesive method. Thereafter, the insulating upper caps are inserted into the insulating upper cap mounting Kerr part, and the upper portion of the insulating upper cap is downwardly pressed by the pressing device to easily couple the insulating upper caps from the protection circuit module to a part of the outer circumferential surface of the battery cell. have. In addition, it is possible to continuously achieve the coupling of the protective circuit module and the insulating top cap while moving the carrier jig step by step in the advancing direction.

Since the through holes have a structure corresponding to the outer circumferential surface shape of the insulating upper cap, it is preferable to prevent the positional deviation of the protective circuit module that may occur during the coupling process of the protective circuit module and the insulating upper cap.

In addition, the process of coupling the protective circuit module and the insulating top cap may be selectively applied according to the bonding method. For example, when applying by applying a wire attachment method, the bonding of the protective circuit module and the insulating top cap may be performed. It can be achieved solidly.

On the other hand, the continuous operation is a welding operation for attaching the metal clad on the top surface of the battery cell, bonding and pressing operation for coupling the insulating mounting member to the electrode terminal of the battery cell, the insulating mounting member is coupled to the top of the battery cell Welding to electrically connect the protection circuit module to the battery cell, and bonding and crimping to combine the protection circuit module and the insulating top cap while the protection circuit module is coupled to the insulating mounting member on the top of the battery cell. It may consist of one task selected from the group.

That is, the continuous operation is not particularly limited as long as the operation is performed on the battery cell, and may be performed in various kinds of operations, and may be one of several operations for coupling a part to the upper part of the battery cell. In the above operation, the coupling may be performed by various methods such as bonding, fitting, fastening, welding, and the like.

The battery cell is not particularly limited as long as the electrode terminal is exposed to the top, and may be, for example, a rectangular secondary battery in which a negative electrode terminal and a positive electrode terminal are formed on an upper surface thereof.

The present invention also provides a rectangular secondary battery produced by the above method. The rectangular secondary battery has a structure in which an electrode assembly having a cathode / separation membrane / cathode structure is embedded with an electrolyte in a rectangular battery case such as a metal can. Since the rectangular secondary battery is known in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

The present invention also in the process of continuously manufacturing the battery pack automatically or semi-automatically, by tracking the product status of the battery pack and monitoring the quality status in real time, to prevent the occurrence of defects of the battery pack in advance and the need for inspection or improvement of the process To provide a battery pack manufacturing process check system to verify.

Specifically, the battery pack manufacturing process check system, the data server to obtain one or more test data (A) selected from the group consisting of the open circuit voltage, current, resistance, and protection circuit module of the battery pack to the data server Pack test device to transmit to;

A barcode reader for obtaining one or more test data B selected from a group consisting of print quality status of a barcode and comparison information with a battery pack serial number displayed on the barcode and transmitting the same to a data server;

A sensor device for obtaining one or more measurement data C selected from a group consisting of a length, a width, a thickness, and a weight of a battery pack and transmitting the measured data to a data server;

A data server storing data received from the pack test device, the sensor device, and the barcode reader; And

A database which is linked to the data server and stores information ('standard information') for setting an optimization range corresponding to the data (A) and data (C) for each battery pack type (specification); and the data And a quality control device including a central processing unit for processing the data A and the data C from the server in comparison with the standard information of the database.

The battery pack manufacturing process system, in the mass production system of the battery pack, by tracking the product status of the battery pack and monitoring the quality status in real time, to prevent the occurrence of defects in the finally produced battery pack, check or improve the process It is easy to identify the need to improve the quality of the product.

As described above, the battery pack manufacturing method and the battery pack manufacturing process checking system according to the present invention may be variously modified based on the above methods, all of which should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the scope of the present invention.

1 is a process schematic diagram of a battery pack manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the battery pack manufacturing method according to the invention is mounted on the carrier jig of the battery cell moving device while mounting an insulating lower cap on the lower surface of the battery cell (10); Placing the metal clad on one side of the top surface of the battery cell, and then joining the metal clad and the top surface of the battery cell by welding (not shown); Bonding the insulating mounting member to the top surface of the battery cell by applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member or the top surface of the battery cell (20); Placing the protective circuit module on the upper surface of the insulating mounting member, and electrically connecting the protective circuit module and the battery cell with a welding device (30); Applying an adhesive to an upper surface of the protective circuit module or an inner surface of the insulating upper cap, and insulating the upper cap surrounding the protective circuit module, combining the insulating upper cap with the protective circuit module or the battery cell (40); Taking a battery pack from a carrier jig (not shown); Testing the performance of the battery pack by the pack test apparatus and transmitting test data A to the data server (52); Wrapping the outer surface of the battery pack with an outer film, testing a barcode attached to the outer surface of the outer film by a barcode reader, and transmitting test data B to a data server (54); And a step 56 of measuring the size of the battery pack by the sensor and transmitting the measurement data C to the data server.

2 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack manufacturing process system of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 together with FIG. 1, a battery pack manufacturing process system includes a battery pack assembly line 940, a pack test device 910, a barcode reader 920, a sensor device 930, and a data server 950. , And a quality control device 960.

The pack test apparatus 910 obtains test data A including the open circuit voltage, the current, the resistance of the battery pack, and the protection circuit module, and transmits the test data A to the data server 950.

The barcode reader 920 obtains test data B including the print quality status of the barcode and comparison information with the battery pack serial number displayed on the barcode and transmits the test data B to the data server 950.

The sensor device 930 obtains the measurement data C including the length, width, thickness, and weight of the battery pack, and transmits the measured data C to the data server 950, and the data server 950 includes the pack test device 910 and the sensor device. 930 and the data received from the barcode reader 920.

The quality control device 960 is composed of a database 964 and a central processing unit 962, the database 964 is optimized range in response to the data (A) and data (C) by battery pack type (specifications) The central processing unit 962 compares the data A and the data C from the data server 950 with the standard information of the database 964. Perform the function.

That is, when the data (A) to the data (C) exceeds the defective error tolerance range compared to the standard information, the battery is confirmed the failure of a specific battery pack based on the data (B) to cause a failure in the pack line Remove the pack. Also, if the quality information of the battery packs is checked in a predetermined number unit based on the data (A) to the data (C), and the quality of the battery pack exceeds the process error tolerance compared with the standard information under normal conditions Based on this, the process line that leads to quality deterioration is checked and necessary improvements are made.

The test data (A) is data consisting of the functions of the open circuit voltage, current, resistance, and protection circuit module of the battery pack, the test data (B) is the print quality status of the bar code, and the battery pack serial number displayed on the bar code It is data consisting of comparison information with the measurement data (C) is composed of data consisting of the length, width, thickness and weight of the battery pack.

3 shows a schematic diagram of a process in which a battery cell is mounted on a carrier jig.

Referring to FIG. 3, first, the insulating lower cap 830 of the battery cell 800 is mounted in the mounting groove 222 of the carrier jig 200, and the double-sided tape 840 is attached to the bottom surface of the battery cell 800. After attaching, the battery terminals 800 are mounted on the carrier jig 200 while the electrode terminals 810 and 820 are exposed upward, thereby coupling the lower surface of the battery cells 800 to the insulating lower cap 830. Done.

In addition, magnets 252 are installed at a detachable part of the carrier jig main body 250, and the mounting grooves 220 and 222 have a shape corresponding to the lower surface and both sides of the battery cell 800, which is a rectangular secondary battery. It is formed in the lower inner surface and the side inner surface of the carrier jig main body 250, respectively.

Due to the structure in which one side is opened, the insulating lower cap 830 and the battery cell 800 can be easily mounted to the carrier jig main body 250, and mounting grooves formed on the inner surface of the carrier jig main body 250. After attaching the battery cells 800 to the 220 and 222, the detachable member 260 may be coupled.

In addition, the upper surface of the battery cell 800 is formed with a cathode terminal 810 protruding upward and a cathode terminal 820 consisting of other parts.

4 shows a schematic diagram of a process in which the metal clad is welded to the top surface of the battery cell.

Referring to FIG. 4, first, a metal clad mounting cover 70 having a plurality of through holes formed thereon is mounted on an upper end of a carrier jig 200, and a through hole 72 of the metal clad mounting cover 70 is provided. By placing the metal clad on the top surface of the battery cell electrode terminal, by welding the metal clad from the top downwards by the welding device, the metal clad is coupled to the battery cell electrode terminal.

5 is a schematic diagram of a process in which the insulating mounting member is coupled to the top of the battery cell.

Referring to FIG. 5 together with FIGS. 3 and 4, the metal clad mounting cover 70 is removed from the carrier jig 200, and a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the insulating mounting member 82 are formed. Attaching the insulating mounting member mounting cover 80 to the top of the carrier jig 200, and applying the adhesive to the top surface of the battery cell 800 or the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member 82 in a dot-attached manner, The insulating mounting member 82 is positioned in the through hole of the cover 80 for mounting the insulating mounting member, and the insulating mounting member 82 is pressed downward by a pressure device (not shown) to form an upper end of the battery cell 800. Couple the insulating mounting member 82 to the.

6 is a schematic diagram showing a process in which the protective circuit module is located on the upper end of the insulating mounting member.

Referring to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 5, a protective cover for removing the insulating mounting member mounting cover 80 from the carrier jig 200 and having a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the protective circuit module 92 are formed. The circuit module mounting cover 90 is mounted on the top of the carrier jig 200, and the protective circuit module 92 is positioned on the insulating mounting member through the through hole of the protective circuit module mounting cover 90. The electrode terminals of the battery cells exposed through the openings on the insulating mounting member are welded (not shown) to the connection terminals of the protection circuit module 92 and vertically bent.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a process in which the insulating top cap is coupled to the battery cell.

Referring to FIG. 7 together with FIG. 6, the protective circuit module mounting cover 90 is removed from the carrier jig 200 and a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface shape of the insulating upper cap 94 are formed. A top cap mounting cover (not shown) is mounted on the top of the carrier jig 200, and an adhesive is applied to the top surface of the protection circuit module 92 or the inner surface of the insulating top cap 94 by a line attachment method. After placing the insulating upper cap 94 on the upper portion of the protective circuit module 92 through the through hole of the insulating upper cap mounting cover, the insulating upper cap 92 is pressed downward by a pressure device, It consists of a process of bonding the insulating top cap 92 to the top.

8 is a schematic diagram of a process of taking out a battery pack from a carrier jig. Referring to FIG. 8, one battery pack 96 sequentially mounted from an insulating lower cap to an insulating upper cap is formed from the carrier jig 200. After taking out, the outer surface of the battery pack 96 is wrapped with an outer film on which a barcode is printed.

As described above, the battery pack manufacturing method according to the present invention, in particular, an object of the present invention is to significantly improve the assembly quality of the battery pack by configuring the battery pack assembly line and the test line to enable rapid response in the event of a failure. .

In addition, the present invention is to configure the battery pack manufacturing process system to monitor the battery pack assembly line and the test line in real time and collect measurement data, thereby preventing the occurrence of defects of the battery pack in advance, and to improve the process inspection and quality improvement Can be.

Furthermore, the adhesive coating, exterior film attaching, and crimping processes, which greatly affect the assembly quality of the battery pack, are automated, and the transportation and mounting cover mounting processes without affecting the assembly quality are configured by manual methods, thereby assembling overall assembly quality and Mass production is greatly improved, and economic efficiency can be greatly increased.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

1 is a process schematic diagram of a battery pack manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a block diagram of a battery pack manufacturing process system of the present invention;

3 is a schematic diagram of a process (a) in which a battery cell is mounted on a carrier jig;

4 is a schematic diagram of a process (b) in which the metal clad is welded to the top surface of the battery cell;

5 is a schematic diagram of a process (c) in which the insulating mounting member is coupled to the top of the battery cell;

6 is a schematic diagram of a process (d) in which the protective circuit module is located on top of the insulating mounting member;

7 is a schematic diagram of a process (e) in which the insulating top cap is coupled to the battery cell;

8 is a schematic diagram of a process (f) for taking a battery pack out of a carrier jig.

Claims (21)

As a method of manufacturing a battery pack in a continuous operation for a plurality of battery cells, (A) mounting on the carrier jig while mounting an insulating lower cap on the lower surface of the battery cell; (b) placing the metal clad on one side of the top surface of the battery cell, and then joining the metal clad and the top surface of the battery cell by welding; (c) applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member or the top surface of the battery cell to bond the insulating mounting member to the top surface of the battery cell; (d) placing the protective circuit module on the upper surface of the insulating mounting member and then electrically connecting the protective circuit module and the battery cell with a predetermined welding device; (e) applying an adhesive to the outer surface of the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap, and the insulating upper cap surrounding the protective circuit module, combining the insulating upper cap with the protective circuit module or the battery cell; (f) taking the battery pack from the carrier jig; (g) testing the performance of the battery pack by the pack test apparatus and transmitting the test data A to the data server; (h) wrapping the outer surface of the battery pack with an outer film, testing a barcode attached to the outer surface of the outer film with a barcode reader, and transmitting test data B to the data server; And (i) measuring the size of the battery pack by the sensor and transmitting the measurement data (C) to the data server; Battery pack manufacturing method consisting of. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pressing the upper end of the insulating mounting member with a pressurizing device in the step (c). The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pressing the upper end of the insulating top cap with a predetermined pressurizing device in the process (e). The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the pressurizing device is equipped with a timer for performing a predetermined time of pressing. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied by an automatic bonding dispenser. The method of claim 1, wherein the test data (A) is one or more information selected from the group consisting of an open circuit voltage, a current, a resistance, and a protection circuit module of the battery pack. . The battery according to claim 1, wherein the test data (B) is one or more pieces of information selected from the group consisting of print quality status of a barcode and comparison information with a battery pack serial number displayed on the barcode. Pack manufacturing method. According to claim 1, wherein the measurement data (C) is a battery pack manufacturing method, characterized in that one or more information selected from the group consisting of the length, width, thickness and weight of the battery pack. According to claim 1, wherein the data server is linked to the device for automatically managing the quality of the battery pack ('quality control device'), the process based on the data (A) to (C) in the quality control device Method of manufacturing a battery pack, characterized in that for performing at least one of the following: (i) a process of confirming whether a predetermined battery pack is defective or not; (ii) checking the necessity of checking or improving the battery pack manufacturing process in operation; and (iii) classifying and storing product information on battery packs by battery pack. The method of claim 9, wherein the quality control device, A database storing information ('standard information') for setting an optimization range corresponding to the data (A) and the data (C) for each battery pack type (specification); And A central processing unit for processing test data (A) and measurement data (C) from the data server in comparison with standard information of the database; Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining whether the battery pack is defective is a process of checking whether the data A or the data C for the predetermined battery pack are within a tolerance range based on standard information. Battery pack manufacturing method characterized in that. The process of claim 9 or 10, wherein the process checking or checking whether the improvement is necessary may be performed such that the average value of the data A or the data C for the plurality of battery packs is within a process error tolerance range based on standard information. Battery pack manufacturing method characterized in that the process of checking whether there is. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (a) (a1) mounting the insulating bottom cap of the battery cell in the mounting groove of the carrier jig; (a2) attaching a double-sided tape to the bottom surface of the battery cell; (a3) attaching the battery cell to the carrier jig with the electrode terminal exposed in an upward direction to couple the bottom surface of the battery cell to the insulating bottom cap; And (a4) repeating steps (a1) to (a3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward); Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) (b1) attaching a metal clad mounting cover having a plurality of through holes formed on the upper end of the carrier jig; (b2) placing the metal clad on the top surface of the battery cell electrode terminal through the through hole of the metal clad mounting cover; (b3) welding the metal clad downwardly from the top by a welding device to couple the metal clad to the battery cell electrode terminals; And (b4) repeating step (b3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward); Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) (c1) removing the metal clad mounting cover from the carrier jig and mounting the insulating mounting member mounting cover on the upper end of the carrier jig in which a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the insulating mounting member are formed; (c2) applying an adhesive to the top surface of the battery cell or the bottom surface of the insulating mounting member in a point-adhesive manner;  (c3) positioning the insulating mounting member in the through hole of the cover for mounting the insulating mounting member;  (c4) pressing the insulating mounting member downward by a pressing device to couple the insulating mounting member to the top of the battery cell; And (c5) repeating the step (c4) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward); Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the process (d), (d1) removing the insulating mounting member mounting cover from the carrier jig, and mounting the protective circuit module mounting cover on the upper end of the carrier jig in which a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the protective circuit module are formed; (d2) placing the protective circuit module on the upper portion of the insulating mounting member through the through hole of the cover for mounting the protective circuit module; (d3) welding the electrode terminals of the battery cells exposed through the opening on the insulating mounting member to the connection terminals of the protection circuit module by a welding device; And (d4) repeating step (d3) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward); Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) (e1) removing the protective circuit module mounting cover from the carrier jig, and mounting the insulating top cap mounting cover having a plurality of through holes corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the insulating top cap on the carrier jig; (e2) applying the adhesive to the upper surface of the protective circuit module or the inner surface of the insulating upper cap by wire attachment; (e3) placing the insulating upper cap on the upper portion of the protective circuit module through the through hole of the insulating upper cap mounting cover; (e4) pressurizing the insulating upper cap downward by a pressing device to couple the insulating upper cap to the upper portion of the battery cell; And (e5) repeating step (e4) by moving the carrier jig one step forward (or backward); Battery pack manufacturing method comprising a. According to claim 1, wherein the continuous operation is a welding operation for attaching a metal clad on the top surface of the battery cell, bonding and pressing operation for coupling the insulating mounting member to the electrode terminal of the battery cell, the insulating mounting member on the top of the battery cell Welding to electrically connect the protection circuit module to the battery cell in a coupled state, and bonding the protection circuit module to the insulating top cap in a state in which the protection circuit module is coupled to the insulating mounting member on the top of the battery cell; Battery pack manufacturing method characterized in that the one selected from the group consisting of the pressing operation. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a rectangular secondary battery. Square battery pack manufactured by a battery pack manufacturing method according to claim 1. In the process of continuously manufacturing battery packs automatically or semi-automatically, battery tracking and monitoring of the quality status of the battery packs in real time to prevent the occurrence of defective battery packs in advance and to check the need for checking or improving the process. As a pack manufacturing process check system, A pack test device for obtaining one or more test data A selected from a group consisting of an open circuit voltage, a current, a resistance of a battery pack, and a function of a protection circuit module and transmitting the test data to the data server; A barcode reader for obtaining one or more test data B selected from a group consisting of print quality status of a barcode and comparison information with a battery pack serial number displayed on the barcode and transmitting the same to a data server; A sensor device for obtaining one or more measurement data C selected from a group consisting of a length, a width, a thickness, and a weight of a battery pack and transmitting the measured data to a data server; A data server storing data received from the pack test device, the sensor device, and the barcode reader; And A database which is linked to the data server and stores information ('standard information') for setting an optimization range corresponding to the data (A) and data (C) for each battery pack type (specification); and the data A quality control device including a central processing unit for processing the data A and the data C from the server in comparison with the standard information of the database; Battery pack manufacturing process check system consisting of.

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