Fluid Dispensing Systems for Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Production

How to Increase the Production and Performance of EV Batteries

Batteries and battery management systems are the heart of the electric vehicle. These components define the performance, safety, and driving range of more than 3 million* electric vehicles on the road worldwide.

As electric vehicle and battery manufacturers continue to look for ways to increase the efficiency and speed of their production processes, many turn to Nordson EFD for precision fluid dispensing solutions. EFD jet valves, dispense valves, and automated dispensing systems help manufacturers produce high-performance, defect-free batteries at faster production speeds by applying precise amounts of assembly fluids within tight deposit size and positional tolerances.

This blog post will focus on which EV battery applications are most reliant on EFD’s fluid dispensing technology, and why.

Battery Cell Dispensing Applications

Several types of dispensing solutions are used to produce the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells and hydrogen fuel cells used to power electric vehicles.

Application #1. Adhering anode, separator, and cathode layers

Fluids Used:

• UV-cure adhesives
• Epoxies



Application Requirements:

Small, precise amounts of material must be applied to attach more than 100 thin electrode layers in the production of cylindrical and prismatic Li-ion batteries. The application requires a very fast dispense time between one and four seconds per dot of material applied between the anode, separator, and cathode layers of each battery cell.

 

Dispensing Solutions:

• PICO® Pµlse™ jetting systems
• GV Series gantry dispensing robots


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The PICO Pµlse jetting system provides the most control at the high speeds required by this dispensing application. It jets fluid deposits as small as 0.5 nL at up to 1000Hz (deposits per second) continuously. Since it does not require Z-axis movement, the PICO Pµlse can jet extremely accurate, repeatable deposits over uneven surfaces.

 

The GV Series gantry dispensing robot features specialized DispenseMotion™ dispensing software and a CCD or pencil camera for a vision-guided programming experience that vastly simplifies setup and programming of simple to complex dispensing patterns. It’s ideal for conveyor-fed assembly required by Li-ion and hydrogen fuel cell electric car battery production.

 

Application #2. Electrolyte filling

Fluids Used:

Electrolytes

 

Application Requirements:

Must be able to withstand the corrosive properties of the electrolyte and dispense accurate, repeatable amounts of material to transport the positive lithium ions between the cathode and anode layers.

 

Dispensing Solution:

702 Series mini-diaphragm valves

The 702V-A valve features an acetal copolymer fluid body ideal for dispensing corrosive materials such as electrolytes, anaerobics, UV-cure adhesives, and certain cyanoacrylates. Its unique design prevents trapped air and bubbles from affecting the quality and performance of battery cells. The valve also features a quick, clean cutoff that eliminates dripping between shots.


Application #3. Sealing to prevent short-cuts

Fluids Used:

UV-cure adhesives

 

Application Requirements:

Accurate, repeatable amounts of UV-cure adhesive are required to seal the top of cylindrical and prismatic battery cells to prevent short-cuts.

 

Dispensing Solutions:

PICO Pµlse jetting systems

The PICO Pµlse jetting system provides the speed and accuracy needed to keep up with the throughput and quality assurance requirements of this application.

Battery Module Dispensing Applications

Nordson EFD’s 752V Series diaphragm valve accurately dispenses various adhesives to glue components together in battery module assemblies for electric cars. The 752V valve delivers fine flow control when dispensing low- to medium-viscosity fluids. Its open/close stroke is adjustable from 0.13 mm to 0.64 mm (0.005" to 0.025") — producing a very fast response and positive shutoff.

When used with the GV Series gantry dispensing robot, this fluid dispensing system provides the precise, repeatable amounts of fluid and positional accuracy required to increase production throughput and final part quality of battery module assemblies.

Battery Management Board Dispensing Applications

Within the battery management board of EV battery packs, Nordson EFD valves dispense extremely precise amounts of solder paste, UV-cure adhesives, and other assembly fluids.

EFD’s Liquidyn® P-Jet SolderPlus® jet valve jets solder pastes with great precision and repeatability over even and uneven work surfaces at high speeds.

The xQR41 MicroDot™ needle valve dispenses micro-deposits of assembly fluids as small as 150 µm (0.15 mm) (0.006”) in diameter. It also features a QR (Quick Release) clasp that reduces maintenance downtime to a minute and a half.

As always, an experienced fluid dispensing application specialist can help you find the best possible dispensing solution for your EV battery application. Don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] for more information.

*According to recent statistics from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Muge Deniz Meiller

Muge Deniz Meiller is a Global Market Development Manager at Nordson EFD. She concentrates on solidifying and growing relevant opportunities for EFD in the electric vehicle and life sciences industries, particularly the EV battery and medical diagnostics market. Muge has more than 13 years of product and market management experience. She joined Nordson EFD in 2018.