Traceability of Battery Electrodes with Fiducial Markers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023253542-A1
Application number	US-202217666505-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 7, 2022
Publication date	Aug 10, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Fiducial markers (reference marks and associated tracing codes) are applied to sheet materials such as electrodes, paper, plastics, and fabrics and serve as reference points along the machine direction. As the sheet advances, tracing codes are recorded to create a database of tracing codes and as a physical property of the sheet of material is measured a measurement profile is recorded wherein measurements of the physical property are synchronized with the tracing codes from the database so that different portions of the measurement profile are associated with one or more accompanying tracing codes. Customers can match measurements made during production to finished products such as electrochemical batteries so that defects found at a later stage of production can be traced to the source measurements to achieved improved quality assurance. The reference marks facilitate alignment among measurements made by different scanners especially on discontinuous batch processes that require resetting and rethreading.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet production system that comprises:
a sheet of material that moves in a machine direction (MD); marking means for applying a series of markers and associated tracing codes on the sheet of material along the MD; a computer configured to record a series of tracing codes that are applied on the sheet of material; reader means for reading markers and associated tracing codes on the sheet of material; sensor means for sensing a characteristic of the sheet of material at different locations along the MD to generate a characteristic profile of the sheet of material; and correlation means for correlating the characteristic profile with the series tracing codes on the sheet of material.

2 . The sheet production system of claim 1 which comprises:
a first sensor means for sensing a first characteristic of the sheet of material from first interrogations spots along the MD to generate a first characteristic profile of the sheet of material;
a first reader means for reading the markers and associated tracing codes on the sheet of material;
a second sensor means for sensing a second characteristic of the sheet of material from second interrogations spots along the MD to generate a second characteristic profile of the sheet of material, wherein the second sensor means is located downstream of the first sensor means;
a second reader means for reading the markers and associated tracing codes on the sheet of material, wherein the second reader means is located downstream of the first reader means; and
synchronizing means for synchronizing the second sensor so that the first interrogation spots match the second interrogation spots.

3 . The sheet production system of claim 2 wherein the first sensor is mounted to a first scanner that traverses back and forth along the cross direction (CD) across the sheet of material and wherein the second sensor is mounted to a second scanner that traverses back and forth along the CD across the sheet of material.

4 . A sheet production system for coating a metal sheet with electrode material that comprises:
a sheet of metal substrate which moves in a machine direction (MD); a coater that is configured to apply a coat of electrode material onto the moving sheet of metal substrate to form a coated moving sheet of metal substrate having one or more coated regions and one or more uncoated regions; marking means for applying a series of markers and associated tracing codes on an uncoated region, a coated region, or both an uncoated and a coated region, wherein the markers and associated tracing codes are aligned along the MD, wherein the marking means is positioned either downstream or upstream of the coater, wherein when located upstream, the marking means is configured to apply the series of markers and associated tracing codes on the metal substrate, whereas when located downstream, the marking means is configured to apply the series of markers and associated tracing codes on the metal substrate of the uncoated regions, on the coated regions or on both the metal substrate of the uncoated regions and on the coated regions; and a computer configured to record a series of tracing codes that are applied.

5 . The sheet production system of claim 4 wherein the marking means is positioned downstream of the coater.

6 . The sheet production system of claim 4 further comprising:
reader means for reading markers and associated tracing codes;
sensor means for sensing a characteristic of one or more of the coated regions at different locations along the MD to generate characteristic profiles of one or more of the coated regions; and
correlation means for correlating the characteristic profiles with the series tracing codes.

7 . The sheet production system of claim 6 wherein the sensor means measures at least one of basis weight, caliper, or temperature of the one or more coated regions or captures an image of the one or more coated regions.

8 . The sheet production system of claim 6 wherein the sensor means is secured to a scanner that traverses back and forth along the cross direction (CD) across the sheet of metal substrate.

9 . The sheet production system of claim 4 further comprising:
transport means for moving the sheet of metal substrate in the MD; and
speed measurement means for determining the speed that the sheet of metal substrate moves in the MD.

10 . The sheet production system of claim 4 wherein the marking means is secured to a scanner that traverses back and forth along the cross direction (CD) across the sheet of metal substrate.

11 . The sheet production system of claim 4 wherein the coater is configured to apply two or more discrete parallel layers of electrode material onto the sheet of metal substrate.

12 . A sheet production system that comprises:
a sheet of material that moves in a machine direction (MD); marking means for applying a series of MD position marks and corresponding position codes on the sheet of material along the MD; reader means for position codes on the sheet of material; sensor means for sensing a characteristic of the sheet of material at different locations along the MD to generate a characteristic profile of the sheet of material; and correlation means for correlating the characteristic profile with the on the sheet of material.

13 . A method of monitoring a sheet of material comprising:
(i) advancing a sheet of material that moves in a machine direction (MD); (ii) applying a series of reference markers and associated tracing codes onto the sheet of material along the MD; (iii) recording tracing codes that have been applied to create a database of tracing codes; and (iv) measuring a physical property of the sheet of material along the MD to generate a measurement profile that is recorded wherein measurements of the physical property are synchronized with the tracing codes from the database so that different portions of the measurement profile are associated with one or more accompanying tracing codes.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein step (iv) uses a first sensor that is mounted to a first scanner that traverses back and forth along the cross direction (CD) across the sheet of material wherein the first sensor measures first properties from first interrogations spots on the sheet of material.

16 . The method of claim 13 further comprising measuring a second physical property of the sheet of material along the MD to generate a second measurement profile that is recorded wherein measurements of the second physical property are synchronized with the tracing codes from the database so that different portions of the second measurement profile are associated with one or more accompanying tracing codes.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein measuring the second physical property uses a second sensor that is mounted on a second scanner, which is located downstream of the first sensor, and that traverses back and forth along the CD across the sheet of material, wherein the second sensor measures the second properties from second interrogations spots on the sheet of material, wherein operation of the second scanner is synchronized using the tracing codes from the database so that the second interrogation spots match the first interrogation spots.

18 . The method of claim 13 comprising identifying a position of a reference marker and initiate measuring the physical property using the identified position of the reference marker to synchronize movement of the sheet of material with the measurement.

18 . The method of

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Hughes Michael
• Thalore Sudhir

Classifications

• G01N21/89

  in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles (G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/16

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01M4/26

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0404

  Machines for assembling batteries · CPC title