66 January/February 2024 | E-Mobility Engineering Getting inside a battery to check its integrity or to trace a fault in a non-destructive manner is technologically challenging, as Peter Donaldson explains Battery sleuthing Mass producing large capacity lithium-ion batteries to meet the anticipated demand for EVs while ensuring that they are as safe, dependable and long-lived as possible is driving the need for faster, more thorough and more reliable inspection systems. Such inspection technologies must keep pace with volume manufacturing processes without missing any defects that could cause embarrassing, expensive or even lifethreatening problems during a service life that could extend over decades. Some idea of the scale of the developing challenge can be gleaned from market forecasts that predict that the global EV fleet will grow to between 240 million and 380 million by 2030, roughly an order of magnitude more than the 26 million reported to exist in 2022, notes an expert from a global supplier of X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonic industrial inspection systems. “Ensuring a high-speed yet meticulous industrial inspection is crucial not only for meeting demand but also for minimising the risk of quality escapes,” this expert adds. “Given the potential catastrophic consequences on both health and finances, there is an imperative to enhance inspection processes to detect and rectify any deviations promptly.” Inspection from inception Right at the beginning, raw materials are inspected to ensure the quality and integrity of components before they are integrated into the manufacturing process. During cell manufacture, inspection technologies are used to assess the quality of individual cells, identify defects, and ensure uniformity in production. At the module assembly stage, inspection systems are used to check that components are properly connected and aligned for optimal performance. And in pack assembly, inspection technologies are crucial in ensuring the integrity of the overall structure, the proper arrangement of cells, and the overall safety and quality of the complete pack. The manufacturing process finishes with end-of-line testing, which encompasses both functional checks and a final comprehensive inspection aimed at guaranteeing that each battery meets the required quality standards before reaching the customer. The most common manufacturing Speedscan HD, a fully automated high speed inline CT system for production process control and optimization, supports microCT inspections for up to 100% of production volume (Image courtesy of Baker Hughes Waygate Technologies)
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