Introducing Inline Process and Product Analysis for the Lean Cell Finalization in Lithium-Ion Battery Production

Within the final steps of lithium-ion battery production, the electrolyte wetting, and formation are decisive for long and safe battery operation. In addition to the extensive process times of these production steps, the throughput times are extended to ensure that the required product quality is reached. This paper presents a conceptual smart production system that pursues lean production by linking multiple process steps, thus decreasing the transportation and idle times. Cell quality can be determined in real-time by using innovative measuring techniques as inline detection methods for the process and product state. Furthermore, a cyber-physical system that analyzes the battery quality and controls the process flow for each cell individually is presented.