How to Design a Lithium-ion Pouch Cell Lab Line?

Before designing a battery production line, we need to comprehensively consider multiple aspects including product, capacity, process, equipment, regulations, supply chain, cost, safety, environmental protection, quality control, plant layout, automation, data management, maintenance, human resources, project management and market, etc. We ensure that all factors that may affect the production line design are covered to help customers make a comprehensive and detailed plan.

Here, we give an example with a wider coverage: suppose the customer's demand is to design a lithium-ion pouch cell lab line that is compatible with different material systems, capacities, sizes and other parameters.

First, we need to figure out the specific needs of users. Customers may be doing academic research or developing new batteries in the enterprise, both of which require a flexible experimental platform for various tests and optimizations.

Second, the customer mentioned "compatibility with different material systems, capacity, size and other parameters", so this laboratory line must be highly adjustable and modular. It may be necessary to consider positive and negative electrodes of different materials, electrolytes, and different battery sizes. We need to ensure that every link in the design plan can easily change parameters, such as coating thickness and material ratio during electrode preparation, and size adjustment during assembly.

Third, we need to break down the main components of the battery laboratory line. Usually, the production of lithium-ion batteries includes steps such as electrode preparation, battery assembly, liquid injection, packaging, and formation testing. Each step requires modular design so that parameters can be adjusted. For example, in the electrode preparation stage, the die head of the coater needs to be replaceable to adapt to different slurries and coating thicknesses; the pressure of the roller press can be adjusted to control the electrode density.

Fourth, it is the compatibility of the material system. Customers may want to test different positive and negative electrode materials, such as ternary, lithium iron phosphate, silicon-carbon negative electrode, etc. Therefore, the battery laboratory line needs to be able to handle the slurry preparation of different materials, and may require multiple sets of mixing equipment, or mixing tanks that are easy to clean and replace. In terms of electrolyte, the filling system needs to be able to adapt to different formulas, and may also require an environment protected by inert gas.

Fifth, in terms of capacity design, the capacity of pouch cells is mainly determined by the electrode area and thickness. Therefore, the pouch cell laboratory line needs to be able to cut electrodes of different sizes and may be equipped with an adjustable cutter. At the same time, the choice of stacking or winding process will also affect the capacity, requiring modular assembly equipment to facilitate process switching.

Sixth, safety and flexibility are also important. The laboratory environment may require facilities such as explosion-proof and dry rooms, especially when handling battery electrolytes. In addition, the data acquisition system must be able to record various parameters for subsequent analysis, which is critical for studying the influencing factors in different directions.

Seventh, you may also need to consider the possibility of future upgrades, such as reserving interfaces for the integration of new technologies or increasing the degree of automation. Cost is also a factor. Customers may be in academic institutions with limited budgets, so equipment selection must take into account both performance and price.

Eighth, customers may not explicitly mention requirements such as the maintainability of the equipment, operator training, and compliance with relevant safety standards. These hidden issues also need to be considered in the design, such as whether the equipment is easy to clean, whether the module is easy to replace, and whether there is a detailed operating manual.

Finally, summarize the design points of each module to ensure that each step has parameter adjustability, material compatibility, and the overall process is efficient and flexible. At the same time, the application scenario part needs to cover different research directions, such as high energy density, fast charging, solid-state batteries, etc., to demonstrate the wide applicability of the laboratory line.

In summary, the following is a modular and customizable lithium-ion pouch cell laboratory line design framework, which is suitable for research scenarios with different material systems and capacity requirements:

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Overall design concept

1. Modular architecture: Each process is designed with independent modules to support rapid parameter adjustment and process switching.

2. Parameter open system: electrode size, material formula, and process parameters can all be digitally controlled.

3. Data traceability system: integrated process parameter-performance database, supporting AI analysis.

4. Safety protection level: explosion-proof drying room + glove box system (dew point≤-40℃).

Core process modules and technical parameters

1. Electrode preparation system

Slurry mixing unit:

Dual planetary mixer (0.5-10L capacity interchangeable tank)

Temperature control range: -20℃~80℃(suitable for water-based/oil-based solvents)

Vacuum:≤1kPa (optional atmosphere protection)

Coating unit:

Interchangeable die head coater (width 50-200mm adjustable)

Wet film thickness: 50-500μm (accuracy±2μm)

Drying temperature: room temperature-150℃(gradient temperature control)

Calendering unit:

Servo pressure control (0-10T adjustable)

Surface density control accuracy:±0.5mg/cm²

Support hot pressing (room temperature-120℃)

2. Battery assembly system

Electrode processing:

Laser cutting machine (programmable design of battery tab shape)

Electrode sheet size: 30×30mm to 200×200mm

Stacking/winding unit:

Modular switching design (supports Z-type stacking/winding)

Alignment accuracy:±0.1mm

Vacuum adsorption platform (anti-wrinkle)

Packaging system:

Pulse heat sealer (adjustable temperature 200-300℃)

Packaging pressure: 0.1-1MPa

Supported Aluminum laminated film thickness: 80-150μm

3. Liquid injection & formation system

Electrolyte treatment:

Vacuum filling machine (liquid injection volume 0.5-10ml accuracy±1%)

Support liquid/gel electrolyte

Inert gas protection (O₂≤1ppm)

Formation equipment:

Multi-channel test system (0.005C-5C adjustable)

Pressure fixture: 0-50kg adjustable

Expansion monitoring (laser thickness measurement accuracy±1μm)

Key technical innovations

1. Material compatibility design:

Positive electrode compatibility: NCM/NCA/LFP/lithium-rich manganese-based, etc.

Negative electrode compatibility: graphite/silicon carbon/metal lithium, etc.

Electrolyte compatibility: liquid/solid electrolyte (maximum withstand voltage 5V)

2. Capacity adjustment scheme:

Achieve 0.5-50Ah capacity coverage by adjusting the electrode size (50-200mm), the number of stacking layers (5-50 layers), and the surface density (5-20mg/cm²).

3. Fast process switching:

Coating die replacement time≤15min

Stacking/winding mode switching time≤30min

Material system switching cleaning process≤2h

Data monitoring system

Typical research applications

1. High energy density system:

Match: NCM811 + silicon carbon negative electrode

Design parameters: surface density 18mg/cm², compaction density 3.4g/cm³

2. Fast charging system research:

Thin electrode design: 80μm coating thickness

Porous current collector application

3. Solid-state battery development:

Integrated hot pressing composite module (pressure 10MPa, temperature 80℃)

Specialized processing unit for sulfide/oxide electrolyte

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The lithium-ion pouch cell laboratory line solution can achieve a smooth transition from basic research to the pilot line by adding or removing modules. The recommended initial investment is approximately RMB *** (excluding clean workshops), and the configuration modules can be selected according to specific research needs.

TOB NEW ENERGY is committed to creating precisely matched battery solutions and services for global customers. Based on the independently developed intelligent battery management system, our technical team provides customers with customized solutions covering multiple technical routes such as lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, and solid-state batteries through 3D modeling, operating condition simulation, and failure mode analysis.