VisiConsult receives ERDF funding for development of innovative CT solutions for in-line inspection of battery cells
06/08/2024
VisiConsult X-ray Systems & Solutions, with its VCbattery arm, has received a grant of €1.1 million (approximately £930,000) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) from the state government of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, for its cutting-edge project ‘Battery Inspection Portfolio Inline’ (BIP Inline). The BIP Inline project aims to develop X-ray-based computed tomography (CT) systems and solutions that enable the non-destructive testing (NDT) of typical battery cell types directly within line production at the end of assembly.
Cell assembly comprises all process steps for the production of a battery cell, from the anode and cathode foils from electrode production to the (partial) sealing of the battery cell housing. In-line inspection systems are already in use for the first, optically exposed steps, for example optical image recognition.
Quality control after assembly and before finalisation is problematic, namely when the anode and cathode material, often together with the electrolytes, is in the closed housing. To date, there has been no precise and fast NDT solution for this, as optical methods are not effective here. The system-integrated CT in-line inspection portfolio from VCbattery by VisiConsult will therefore close a critical gap in the battery cell production process.
Specifically, the BIP Inline funding project aims to systematically further develop the VCbattery by VisiConsult system portfolio in terms of inspection speeds, new defect detection requirements and new additional multi-modal inspection approaches. This will enable maximum application benefits to be achieved for the battery industry and its entire value chain, ie for battery cells, modules and systems as well as for research and development (R&D), production, second use and recycling.
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| Presentation of the ‘BIP Inline’ project at VisiConsult headquarters. From left: Claus Ruhe Madsen, Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Employment, Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein; Dr Hinrich Habeck, Managing Director (Wirtschaftsförderung und Technologietransfer Schleswig-Holstein GmbH (WTSH)); and Bernhard Mürkens, Head of VCbattery (a business division of VisiConsult GmbH) Image courtesy of Leevke Draack |
The VCbattery systems are suitable for all cell types, ie cylindrical, pouched and prismatic. Today, VCbattery’s second generation of CT in-line cell inspection systems can already be used to inspect certain regions in pouched and prismatic cells extremely quickly during line production. With the current third generation of systems, entire cylindrical cells can already be inspected 50 times faster than with other solutions. This makes these systems ideal for process control with the associated increase in yield rate.
Bernhard Mürkens, Head of VCbattery by VisiConsult, commented: “Substantial process improvements made possible by the use of our CT in-line technologies can also contribute to massive cost savings in the design of a factory in order to achieve production targets. The reduction in the scrap rate also brings substantial cost savings in the manufacturing costs per cell. Last but not least, it is also about sustainability, ie the longest possible battery lifecycle, which should be achieved early on through quality inspection at all key milestones in the production process. Our CT in-line technology is predestined for this.”
Lennart Schulenburg, CEO and Co-Shareholder of VisiConsult, said: “Battery manufacturers must already consider which technologies are available to them in their production processes when planning their production facilities. We are therefore extremely pleased that the state government of Schleswig-Holstein recognises the urgency of ramping up cell production and is also supporting key technologies for quality testing in parallel with initiatives to locate production facilities.”
