TITLE OF INVENTION
ASSEMBLY LINE SYSTEM FOR STACK-TYPE BATTERY MODULE
5
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-
0007561 filed on January 19, 2021 in the Republic of Korea, the disclosures of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
10 The present disclosure relates to an assembly line system of a battery module, and
more particularly, to an assembly line system of a stacked battery module in which a
plurality of cell module assemblies are stacked.
BACKGROUND ART
15 A secondary battery refers to a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike
a primary battery that cannot be recharged, and the secondary battery is being used as a
power source for an energy storage system (ESS), an electric vehicle (EVs) or a hybrid
electric vehicle (HEV) as well as a small high-tech electronic device such as a mobile
phone, a PDA, and a notebook computer.
20 Currently, one secondary battery (cell) is not able to give sufficient output to drive
an electric vehicle. In order to apply a secondary battery as an energy source for an
electric vehicle, for example, a battery module in which a plurality of lithium-ion battery
cells are connected in series and/or in parallel should be configured, and generally, a
3
battery pack is configured to include a BMS (Battery Management System), a cooling
system, a BDU (Battery Disconnection Unit), an electric wiring cable, and the like for
connecting the battery modules in series and maintaining them functionally.
Meanwhile, in the case of a conventional layout of a facility for mass production
of battery modules, it is designed in a logistics 5 structure in which logistics flows in one
direction from the input of basic components to the discharge of a final battery module.
Recently, as a new battery module, the applicant has developed a stacked battery
module in which a first cell module assembly is manufactured and reversed to change the
top and bottom thereof and a second cell module assembly of the same structure is stacked
10 thereon. However, since the conventional assembly line facility of the battery module has
a structure in which logistics flows in one direction, in order to apply the conventional
assembly line facility for manufacturing the new stacked battery module, as shown in FIG.
1, two facilities with the same concept are required, compared to the existing one.
Accordingly, the development of a new battery module assembly line system more suitable
15 for manufacturing the new stacked battery module is required.
DISCLOSURE
Technical Problem
The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and
20 therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing an assembly line system for a
stacked battery module, which may efficiently operate the space by reducing redundant
facility investment and reducing the length and area of an equipment layout in building the
assembly line of a stacked battery module.
4
The technical object to be solved by the present disclosure is not limited to the
above, and other objects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled
in the art from the following disclosure.
5 Technical Solution
In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an assembly line system
of a stacked battery module, comprising: a first facility line configured to assemble a cell
housing and accommodate battery cells in the cell housing; a second facility line
configured to assemble an electric connection component and a voltage sensing
10 component; and a third facility line configured to connect the battery cells to each other in
series and in parallel and to inspect functional abnormality thereof, wherein the first
facility line, the second facility line and the third facility line are arranged to circulate in
order based on a predetermined origin, and a first-layer cell module assembly assembled at
a first circulation is reversed to change the top and bottom thereof so that a second-layer
15 cell module assembly is assembled on the first-layer cell module assembly at a second
circulation.
The first facility line, the second facility line and the third facility line may be
arranged in a circulation structure of a ‘’ shape.
The first facility line may be arranged along a first direction, and the first facility
20 line may include: a heatsink preprocessing unit located at the predetermined origin and
configured to receive a heatsink to perform plasma treatment on a surface of the heatsink; a
bottom frame assembling unit configured to attach a bottom frame to one surface of the
heatsink; a cell inserting unit configured to insert battery cells into cell insert holes
5
provided in the bottom frame; and a top frame assembling unit configured to cover the
battery cells and assemble a top frame to be coupled with the bottom frame.
The bottom frame assembling unit may include a bar code laser marking machine
for marking a bar code on the bottom frame.
The first facility line may include a 5 plasma surface treatment machine for
preprocessing surfaces of the heatsink, the bottom frame, the battery cell and the top frame
with plasma.
The second facility line may be connected to the first facility line, and the second
facility line may include: a component assembling unit arranged along the first direction
10 and configured to attach a plurality of bus bars and a sensing cable to the top frame; a jig
fastening unit arranged along the first direction in succession to the component assembling
unit and configured to mount a press jig to a temporary-assembled cell module assembly
immediately after passing through the component assembling unit; a carrying unit
configured to carry the temporary-assembled cell module assembly to which the press jig
15 is mounted in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a curing chamber unit
arranged along a third direction opposite to the first direction at a location spaced apart
from the jig fastening unit in the second direction by a predetermined interval and
configured to cure an adhesive applied to the temporary-assembled cell module assembly;
a jig dismantling unit configured to dismantle the press jig from the temporary-assembled
20 cell module assembly that has passed through the curing chamber unit; and a vision
inspection unit configured to inspect an appearance of the temporary-assembled cell
module assembly from which the press jig is dismantled.
The curing chamber unit may be provided in plural, and the plurality of curing
6
chamber units may be arranged side by side along the third direction.
An infrared ray may be irradiated into the curing chamber unit so that the curing
chamber unit maintains an internal temperature of 45C to 65C.
The second facility line may further include a jig retrieving line arranged in a
direction different from the vision inspection 5 unit with respect to the jig dismantling unit
and configured to carry out the press jig separated from the jig dismantling unit.
The third facility line may be connected to the second facility line, and the third
facility line may include: a wire bonding unit arranged along the third direction and
configured to bond the battery cells and the plurality of bus bars in a predetermined pattern
10 onto the top frame using a wire; an OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) test unit configured to
inspect an abnormality by inspecting an appearance of the wire bonding and measuring an
OCV; a top cover assembling unit configured to attach a top cover onto the wire-bonded
top frame; and an interchanging unit configured to selectively carry the cell module
assembly to which the top cover is attached from the top cover assembling unit to the
15 heatsink preprocessing unit of the first facility line.
The wire bonding unit may be provided in plural, and the plurality of wire bonding
units may be arranged side by side along the third direction.
The interchanging unit may include a rollover machine for reversing the first-layer
cell module assembly to change the top and bottom thereof, and a transfer machine for
20 transferring the first-layer cell module assembly to the heatsink preprocessing unit.
The interchanging unit may include a bar code reader for reading a bar code
marked in advance on the bottom frame.
The assembly line system of a battery module may further comprise a fourth
7
facility line disposed to be connected to the third facility line and not to be connected to the
first facility line and configured to inspect performance of the stacked battery module and
package the stacked battery module.
In the first facility line, a unique bar code that stores layer number information
may be marked in advance on the cell housing, and the first facility 5 line, the second facility
line and the third facility line may be provided to identify the first-layer cell module
assembly and the second-layer cell module assembly by reading the bar code.
Advantageous Effects
10 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an
assembly line system for a stacked battery module, which may efficiently operate the space
by reducing redundant facility investment and reducing the length and area of an
equipment layout in building the assembly line of a stacked battery module.
In particular, since the assembly line system according to the present disclosure
15 includes facility lines arranged in a circulation structure of a ‘’ shape, the assembly
process efficiency is excellent when cell module assemblies of the same structure are
implemented in multiple layers.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
20 FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional assembly line system of
a stacked battery module.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a stacked battery
module that may be manufactured using an assembly line system according to an
8
embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the assembly line system according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a first facility line of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a process diagram of 5 the cell module assembly performed in the first
facility line of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a second facility line of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a process diagram of the cell module assembly performed in the second
facility line of FIG. 6.
10 FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing a third facility line of FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 is a process diagram of the cell module assembly performed in the third
facility line of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing a fourth facility line of FIG. 3.
FIG. 11 is a process diagram of the cell module assembly performed in the fourth
15 facility line of FIG. 10.
BEST MODE
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to the description, it should be
20 understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be
construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the
meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the
basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best
9
explanation.
Therefore, the description proposed herein is just a preferable example for the
purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should
be understood that other equivalents and modifications could be made thereto without
departing from the scope of the disclosure. 5 In addition, since the embodiment of the
present disclosure is provided to more fully explain the present disclosure to those skilled
in the art, the shape and size of components in the drawings may be exaggerated, omitted
or schematically illustrated for a clearer description. Therefore, the size or proportion of
each component does not fully reflect the actual size or proportion.
10 FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a stacked battery
module that may be manufactured using an assembly line system according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the
assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
15 may be applied to manufacture a stacked battery module, namely a stacked battery module
including two cell module assemblies vertically symmetrical to each other based on a
heatsink 20, as shown in FIG. 2.
Before explaining the assembly line system according to the present disclosure, the
configuration of the stacked battery module will be briefly explained. Each cell module
20 assembly 10A, 10B of the stacked battery module includes a plate-shaped heatsink 20
having a flow path formed therein so that a coolant flows therethrough, a bottom frame 40
bonded to one surface of the heatsink 20, battery cells 30 interposed in cell insert holes 41
of the bottom frame 40, a top frame 50 for covering the battery cells 30 and coupled with
10
the bottom frame 40, bus bars 61, 62 for electrically connecting the battery cells 30, a
sensing cable 70 for voltage or temperature sensing, and a top cover 80 for covering the
top frame 50.
In the stacked battery module, the first-layer cell module assembly 10A and the
second-layer cell module assembly 5 10B share one heatsink 20 and include other
components individually. In addition, a bracket 90 is a component attached to both side
surfaces of the stacked battery module, and may be used to fix the stacked battery module
to a structure inside a battery pack.
The assembly line system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
10 includes a first facility line 100, a second facility line 200, and a third facility line 300.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first facility line 100, the second facility line 200, and the
third facility line 300 are arranged to circulate in order based on a predetermined origin.
The first facility line 100, the second facility line 200, and the third facility line
300 are preferably arranged in a circulation structure of approximately a ‘’ shape, when
15 viewed from above. The circulation structure of a ‘’ shape minimizes the waste of space
for facility construction and makes it easy to secure the movement of workers. However,
depending on the circumstances of the environment where the assembly line system is to
be built, the ‘ circulation structure of a ‘’ shape may be changed into a circulation
structure of, for example, a ‘△’, ‘○’ or ‘◇’ shape.
20 As will be described later in detail, if the first facility line 100, the second facility
line 200, and the third facility line 300 are operated one time in order, the first-layer cell
module assembly 10A may be completed, and if they are operated twice, the second-layer
cell module assembly 10B may be completed on the first-layer cell module assembly 10A.
11
In other words, the first-layer cell module assembly 10A is assembled by one circulation
along the first facility line 100, the second facility line 200 and the third facility line 300,
and then, if the second circulation is performed in a state where the first-layer cell module
assembly 10A is reversed such that the heatsink 20 is located at the top, the second-layer
cell module assembly 10B having the same 5 structure may be assembled and stacked on the
first-layer cell module assembly 10A.
Hereinafter, the first facility line 100 to the third facility line 300 will be described
in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9 along with FIG. 3.
First, the first facility line 100 is configured to perform the process of assembling a
10 cell housing and accommodating the battery cells 30 in the cell housing. Here, the battery
cell 30 refers to a cylindrical battery cell 30. The cylindrical battery cell 30 refers to a
secondary battery in which an electrolyte and an electrode assembly are put in a cylindrical
battery can and a top open end of the battery can is sealed with a top cap. The cylindrical
battery cell 30 may be replaced with a rectangular battery cell 30 having a rectangular
15 parallelepiped shape.
As shown in FIG. 4, the first facility line 100 may be arranged along a first
direction (-X-axis direction) and include a heatsink preprocessing unit 110, a bottom frame
assembling unit 120, a cell inserting unit 130, and a top frame assembling unit 140.
Logistics of the first facility line 100 may be moved by a conveyor. Each process
20 may be performed while each cell module assembly mounted on a pallet P moves along the
conveyor.
The heatsink preprocessing unit 110 corresponds to the origin for product
assembly, and includes a plasma surface treatment machine.
12
Heatsinks 20 may be loaded on a deck truck C1 and fed to the heatsink
preprocessing unit 110. A worker takes out the heatsinks 20 one by one from the deck
truck C1, performs a leak test using an air-gun, and places the heatsink 20 with no
abnormalities on the pallet P.
Then, the heatsink 20 moves in the first direction 5 so that a surface thereof may be
preprocessed with plasma at a place where the plasma surface treatment machine is located.
If the surface of the heatsink 20 is reformed with plasma, the bonding force may be
improved.
Since the heatsink 20 is made of metal with high thermal conductivity and the
10 bottom frame 40 is made of plastic resin, long-term bonding stability may be deteriorated
when they are bonded using an adhesive. To compensate for this, after performing the
surface preprocessing process with plasma, the heatsink 20 and the bottom frame 40 are
bonded to reinforce the bonding force. For example, various materials such as
polypropylene (PP), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyoxymethylene (POM) cannot
15 be bonded or is poorly bonded without plasma surface treatment. Therefore, when
bonding the heatsink 20, the bottom frame 40, the top frame 50, or the like to each other, it
is recommended to preprocess the bonding surface with plasma.
The bottom frame assembling unit 120 may include a plasma surface treatment
machine, a bar code laser marking machine, a glue applicator, and a workbench.
20 If the heatsink 20 is moved to the bottom frame assembling unit 120, an adhesive
is applied to the surface thereof, and the bottom frame 40 is placed on the heatsink 20 as
shown in FIG. 5(a). The adhesive may be applied to the heatsink 20 automatically using
a glue applicator (not shown).
13
The bottom frame 40 may be loaded on a deck truck C2 in a pre-fabricated state
like the above-mentioned heatsink 20 and put into the bottom frame assembling unit 120.
Each bottom frame 40 may be surface-treated with plasma, and a bar code may be marked
on a side surface thereof. In the bar code, information about the production history
including layer number 5 information of the cell module assembly including the
corresponding bottom frame 40 may be stored. Thereafter, in each process, it is possible
to identify the first-layer cell module assembly 10A and the second-layer cell module
assembly 10B by reading the bar code so that the height of the process facilities may be
adjusted and the operation may be automatically performed.
10 The worker places the bottom frame 40 surface-treated with plasma and having a
marked bar code on the heatsink 20 prepared on the workbench and bonds the bottom
frame 40 to the heatsink 20. By bonding the heatsink 20 and the bottom frame 40 in this
way, a part of the cell housing is completed. The completed part of the cell housing
moves to the cell inserting unit 130. In this embodiment, a worker assembles the heatsink
15 20 and the bottom frame 40, but an automated robot may replace the worker.
The cell inserting unit 130 may be configured to include a cell supply/discharge
machine 131, a cell pickup equipment 132, and a plasma surface treatment machine 133.
The bottom frame 40 has a cell insert hole 41 into which the battery cell 30 may be
inserted. In the cell inserting unit 130, as shown in (b) of FIG. 5, the process of inserting
20 the battery cell 30 into the cell insert hole 41 of the bottom frame 40 is performed.
The battery cells 30 are supplied to and discharged from the cell inserting unit 130
through the cell supply/discharge machine 131. Before assembling the battery cells 30 to
the bottom frame 40, the grading work of measuring an open circuit voltage of each battery
14
cell 30 and classifying them by grade may be preceded. After the grading work, the
defective battery cells 30 may be discharged separately, and good battery cells 30 may be
be inserted into the bottom frame 40 by the cell pickup equipment 132.
The bottom surface of the battery cell 30 is bonded to the adhesion surface to the
heatsink 20 through the cell insert 5 hole 41 of the bottom frame 40. At this time, in order
to strengthen the bonding force between the bottom surface of the battery cell 30 and the
heatsink 20, the bottom surface of the battery cell 30 may be treated with plasma before
inserting the battery cell 30 into the cell insert hole 41. In addition, a process of applying
an adhesive to an upper periphery of the side surface of the battery cell 30 to bond the
10 battery cells 30 to each other may also be added.
In this embodiment, in order to reduce the tact time, the cell supply/discharge
machine 131, the cell pickup equipment 132, and the plasma surface treatment machine
133 are provided in two sets. For example, among 100 battery cells 30, the cell insertion
operation is performed for 50 battery cells by using the first set of facilities, and the cell
15 insertion operation is performed for the remaining 50 battery cells by using the second set
of facilities. If the cell insertion operation is completed, the process proceeds to the next
step for attaching the top frame 50.
The top frame assembling unit 140 may be configured to include a frame input
machine 141, a plasma surface treatment machine 142, and a transfer machine 143. In the
20 top frame assembling unit 140, a process of separating and discharging defective
assembled products through the assembly and vision inspection of the top frame 50 may be
performed.
Like the bottom frame 40, the top frame 50 may be pre-fabricated and loaded on a
15
deck truck (not shown) and supplied to the frame input machine 141. The top frame 50
moves in a second direction (+Y-axis direction) in the frame input machine 141, and after
the upper and lower surfaces thereof are treated with plasma, an adhesive may be applied
thereto, and the top frame 50 may be attached to the upper portion of the bottom frame 40.
In the state of being assembled up to this point, 5 the appearance of the product is
inspected, and by using the transfer machine 143, defective products are discharged out of
the assembly line, and only good products are moved to the second facility line 200.
Referring to FIG. 6, the second facility line 200 is connected to the first facility
line 100, and includes a component assembling unit 210, a jig fastening unit 220, a
10 carrying unit 230, a curing chamber unit 240, a jig dismantling unit 250, a vision
inspection unit 270 and a jig retrieving line 260. In the second facility line 200, the
logistics are moved by a conveyor and a transfer machine.
The component assembling unit 210 is connected to the top frame assembling unit
140 of the first facility line 100 and is arranged in the first direction (-X-axis direction).
15 In the component assembling unit 210, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 7, the sub bus bar
61, the main bus bar 62 and the sensing cable 70 may be attached to the upper surface of
the top frame 50.
In this embodiment, the worker attaches the sub bus bar 61 loaded on the deck
truck (not shown) to the top frame 50, but the component assembling work may also be
20 replaced with an automated robot.
For reference, when configuring a battery module using cylindrical battery cells 30,
the cylindrical battery cells 30 of one bank (parallel bundle) are arranged side by side in a
line, and a straight sub bus bar 61 is disposed between one bank and another adjacent bank.
16
In addition, a top cap (corresponding to a positive electrode) of each cylindrical battery cell
30 belonging to one bank is wire-bonded to the sub bus bar 61, and a top end
(corresponding to a negative electrode) of the battery can of each cylindrical battery
belonging to another bank is wire-bonded to the sub bus bar 61 to connect two banks in
series. There are two main bus bars 62, and two main bus 5 bars 62 are arranged at both
outermost sides according to the arrangement direction of the sub bus bars 61 one by one,
and function as a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the cell
module assembly. The sensing cable 70 is a component for sensing the voltage of each
bank and transmitting it to a BMS, and the sensing cable 70 may be implemented as a
10 flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a harness cable.
Hereinafter, a product assembled up to components such as the sub bus bar 61 will
be referred to as a temporary-assembled cell module assembly for convenience. The
temporary-assembled cell module assembly may be regarded as a product immediately
after assembling up to the component assembling unit 210.
15 The jig fastening unit 220 is arranged in the first direction (-X-axis direction) in
succession to the component assembling unit 210. In the jig fastening unit 220, as shown
in (c) of FIG. 7, a press jig J1 may be mounted to the temporary-assembled cell module
assembly. The press jig J1 presses the temporary-assembled cell module assembly
mounted on the pallet P to prevent lifting of the bonding area and enable the components to
20 be tightly bonded and fixed to each other.
The press jig J1 is supplied to the jig fastening unit 220 by a deck truck (not
shown), and the worker mounts the press jig J1 to the temporary-assembled cell module
assembly. Of course, the corresponding work may also be replaced by an automated
17
robot.
The carrying unit 230 is arranged in the second direction (+Y-axis direction) and
includes at least one transfer machine 231. In the carrying unit 230, the temporaryassembled
cell module assembly to which the press jig J1 is mounted may be transferred to
5 the curing chamber unit 240.
Though not shown in detail for the sake of convenience in the drawings, the curing
chamber unit 240 may include a chamber installed on the conveyor and a curing machine
(not shown) provided inside the chamber. The curing chamber unit 240 may be provided
at a location spaced apart from the jig fastening unit 220 by a predetermined distance in the
10 second direction (+Y-axis direction), and may be arranged along a third direction (+X-axis
direction) opposite to the first direction .
The temporary-assembled cell module assembly may be inserted into the chamber
of the curing chamber unit 240 and moved along the third direction. The curing machine
provided inside the chamber may be configured to maintain the temperature inside the
15 chamber at 45°C to 65°C and irradiate an infrared ray. As the temporary-assembled cell
module assembly passes through the curing chamber unit 240, the adhesive component of
the adhesive interface may be cured quickly with high quality.
In this embodiment, there are two curing chamber units 240, and the two curing
chamber units 240 are arranged side by side along the third direction. However, three or
20 more curing chamber units 240 may also be provided in consideration of working speed,
production yield, facility investment cost, or the like.
The jig dismantling unit 250 may be configured to include a transfer machine 251
and a jig dismantling machine 252. The temporary-assembled cell module assembly that
18
has passed through the curing chamber unit 240 may be loaded onto a jig dismantling
workbench by the transfer machine 251 and separated from the press jig J1 by the jig
dismantling machine 252.
The separated press jig J1 may be moved to the jig retrieving line 260 and
discharged to the outside of the assembly line. The 5 jig retrieving line 260 is arranged in a
direction different from the vision inspection unit 270 with respect to the jig dismantling
unit 250. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the jig retrieving line 260 may be
implemented as a conveyor that extends in the first direction (-X-axis direction) and then
extends in a fourth direction (-Y-axis direction). Here, the jig retrieving line 260 may be
10 provided at a level lower than the conveyor of the first facility line 100 so as to pass under
the first facility line 100 without interfering with the first facility line 100.
The vision inspection unit 270 may be arranged in the third direction (+X-axis
direction) in succession to the jig dismantling unit 250 and may be configured to include a
vision inspection machine 271, a transfer machine 272 and a laser cleaning equipment 273.
15 The vision inspection unit 270 may inspect the appearance of the temporaryassembled
cell module assembly to discharge defective products using the transfer
machine 272 and to wipe out adhesive and other foreign substances from the surface of a
normal product using the laser cleaning equipment 273.
The temporary-assembled cell module assembly cleaned in the vision inspection
20 unit 270 may be moved to the third facility line 300.
As shown in FIG. 8, the third facility line 300 may include a wire bonding unit 310,
an OCV test unit 320, a top cover assembling unit 330, and an interchanging unit 340.
The main logistics of the third facility line 300 is moved by the conveyor, and the
19
secondary logistics is moved by the transfer machine.
The wire bonding unit 310 is connected to the vision inspection unit 270 of the
second facility line 200 and is arranged along the third direction (+X-axis direction). The
wire bonding unit 310 of this embodiment is configured in two lines, and the wire bonding
units 310 are side by side along the third direction, and 5 respectively have two wire welding
machines 311a to 311d.
That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the wire bonding unit 310 includes a first wire
bonding unit 310 and a second wire bonding unit 310 at a location spaced apart by a
predetermined distance in the second direction from the first wire bonding unit 310, and
10 the logistics are transferred between the first wire bonding unit 310 and the second wire
bonding unit 310 by transfer machines 312, 313.
As described above, in the cell module assemblies 10A, 10B according to this
embodiment, for example, the top cap (corresponding to the positive electrode) of each
cylindrical battery cell 30 belonging to one bank is connected to a predetermined one15
strand sub bus bar 61 with a wire, and the top end of the battery can (corresponding to the
negative electrode) of each cylindrical battery belonging to another bank is connected to
the same sub bus bar 61 with a wire, so that two banks are connected in series.
In the wire bonding unit 310, one end of the wire (not shown) is fused to the top
end of the battery cell 30 to make the above electrical connection structure, and the other
20 end of the wire is fused to the sub bus bar 61 or the main bus bar 62.
As shown in FIG. 8, the first and second wire bonding units 310 respectively
include two wire welding machines 311a to 311d. For example, the first wire welding
machine 311a of the first wire bonding unit 310 performs half of the wire bonding work for
20
the temporary-assembled cell module assembly, and the second wire welding machine
311b performs the remaining wire bonding work.
The OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) test unit 320 may include a thermal imaging
camera (not shown), a test device capable of measuring an open circuit voltage or
insulation resistance of the cell 5 module assembly (not shown), and a transfer machine 321.
The thermal imaging camera is used to check abnormality of the wire bonding area
first, and a defective product is immediately discharged from the assembly line to the
outside using the transfer machine. After the inspection of the thermal imaging camera,
insulation resistance and open circuit voltage are measured, and products outside the
10 normal range are discharged from the assembly line. The product that has passed the
OCV test unit 320 moves in the third direction and is positioned at the top cover
assembling unit 330.
As shown in (b) of FIG. 9, the top cover assembling unit 330 may assemble the top
cover 80 on the top of the top frame 50 in order to prevent the wire bonding area from
15 being exposed. The top cover 80 may be supplied to the top cover assembling unit 330
by a deck truck (not shown). In this embodiment, the worker mounts the top cover 80 to
the top frame 50, but the corresponding work may also be replaced by an automated robot.
If the top cover 80 is completely assembled as above, one cell module assembly
10A is completed. The cell module assembly 10A completed as above is moved to the
20 interchanging unit 340 along the third direction (+X-axis direction), and the interchanging
unit 340 may be selectively transferred to one of the first facility line 100 and the fourth
facility line 400, explained later.
The interchanging unit 340 may be configured to include a bar code reader (not
21
shown), a rollover machine 341, and a transfer machine 342.
The bar code reader reads a bar code marked in advance on the bottom frame 40 to
identify whether the cell module assembly is the first-layer cell module assembly 10A or
the second-layer cell module assembly 10B. If only the first-layer cell module assembly
10A is identified, the rollover machine 341 reverses 5 the cell module assembly 10A as
shown in (c) of FIG. 9 and transfer it to the heatsink preprocessing unit 110 of the first
facility line 100 using the transfer machine 342. After that, the operation of the first
facility line 100 to the third facility line 300is repeated, and when the second-layer cell
module assembly 10B reaches the interchanging unit 340 again, as shown in (d) of FIG. 9,
10 the second-layer cell module assembly 10B is stacked on the first-layer cell module
assembly 10A to make a stacked battery module with a multi-layer structure.
When the interchanging unit 340 reads the bar code, if a stacked battery module
with a multi-layer structure is identified, the rollover machine 341 and the transfer machine
342 do not work, and the stacked battery module is moved to the fourth facility line 400,
15 explained later, along the third direction.
Meanwhile, the assembly line system of the stacked battery module according to
this embodiment further includes a fourth facility line 400 configured to mount the side
bracket 90 to the cell module assemblies 10A, 10B assembled in a multi-layer structure
and perform a final inspection before shipment.
20 Referring to FIG. 10 along with FIG. 3, the fourth facility line 400 may include a
side bracket assembling unit 410, a curing unit 420, a final inspection unit 430, and a
packaging unit 440.
The side bracket assembling unit 410 is connected to the interchanging unit 340 of
22
the third facility line 300 and arranged in the third direction (+X-axis direction). In the
side bracket assembling unit 410, as shown in FIG. 11, the plate-shaped side bracket 90 is
attached to both side surfaces of the stacked two cell module assemblies. (Hereinafter,
the two stacked cell module assemblies will be referred to as a stacked battery module.)
The side bracket assembling unit 410 5 may include a plasma surface treatment
machine 411 and an adhesive applicator 412. After performing surface-treatment with
plasma on the side bracket 90 and both side surfaces of the stacked battery module, they
are bonded. In addition, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, in order to strengthen the bonding
force, a bracket fixing jig J2 is mounted to the side surface of the stacked battery module,
10 and the stacked battery module is moved to the curing unit 420. For reference, the side
bracket 90 and the bracket fixing jig J2 are supplied using a deck truck (not shown), and
the worker performs the corresponding work.
The curing unit 420 is a facility for curing the adhesive so that the side bracket 90
can be bonded well. Although not shown in detail for convenience of the drawing, the
15 curing unit 420 may be implemented in the form of a chamber having a tunnel structure.
In addition, inside the chamber, a curing machine that may manage temperature and
irradiate infrared ray may be provided.
The final inspection unit 430 is connected to the curing unit 420. The bracket
fixing jig J2 may be separated from the final inspection unit 430 and discharged to the
20 outside. After disassembling the bracket fixing jig J2, the worker conducts a leak check
test by injecting air into an inlet or outlet of the heatsink 20 and checking leak, and also the
worker performs a performance test to check whether the input/output of each battery cell
30 and the operation of the entire system meet the requirements by applying power and
23
load to the stacked battery module.
For example, the leak check test and the module performance test may be
performed using a module EOL performance tester and a leak tester. During the final
inspection, defective products are discharged out of the assembly line, and only good
products ar 5 e moved to the packaging unit 440 to be packaged and shipped.
As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is
possible to provide an assembly line system for a stacked battery module, which may
efficiently operate the space by reducing redundant facility investment and reducing the
length and area of an equipment layout in building the assembly line of a stacked battery
10 module. In particular, since the assembly line system according to the present disclosure
includes the first to third facility lines 300 arranged in a circulation structure of a ‘’ shape,
cell module assemblies of the same structure may be easily implemented in multiple layers.
The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be
understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred
15 embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes
and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled
in the art from this detailed description.
Meanwhile, when the terms indicating up, down, left, right, front and rear
directions are used in the specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these
20 merely represent relative locations for convenience in explanation and may vary based on a
location of an observer or an object to be observed.
Reference Signs
24
100: first facility line 110: heatsink preprocessing unit
120: bottom frame assembling unit 130: cell inserting unit
140: top frame assembling unit 200: second facility line
210: component assembling unit 220: jig fastening unit
5 230: carrying unit 240: curing chamber unit
250: jig dismantling unit 260: jig retrieving line
270: vision inspection unit 300: third facility line
310: wire bonding unit 320: OCV test unit
330: top cover assembling unit 340: interchanging unit
10 400: fourth facility line 410: side bracket assembling unit
420: curing unit 430: final inspection unit
440: packaging unit.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An assembly line system of a battery module, which is used for
manufacturing a stacked battery module in which two or more cell module assemblies are
5 stacked, the assembly line system comprising:
a first facility line configured to assemble a cell housing and accommodate battery
cells in the cell housing; a second facility line configured to assemble an electric
connection component and a voltage sensing component; and a third facility line
configured to connect the battery cells to each other in series and in parallel and to inspect
10 functional abnormality thereof,
wherein the first facility line, the second facility line and the third facility line are
arranged to circulate in order based on a predetermined origin, and
a first-layer cell module assembly assembled at a first circulation is reversed to
change the top and bottom thereof so that a second-layer cell module assembly is
15 assembled on the first-layer cell module assembly at a second circulation.
2. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the first facility line, the second facility line and the third facility line are
arranged in a circulation structure of a rectangular shape.
20
3. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the first facility line is arranged along a first direction, and
wherein the first facility line includes:
26
a heatsink preprocessing unit located at the predetermined origin and configured to
receive a heatsink to perform plasma treatment on a surface of the heatsink;
a bottom frame assembling unit configured to attach a bottom frame to one surface
of the heatsink;
a cell inserting unit configured to insert battery cells 5 into cell insert holes provided
in the bottom frame; and
a top frame assembling unit configured to cover the battery cells and assemble a
top frame to be coupled with the bottom frame.
10 4. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 3,
wherein the bottom frame assembling unit includes a bar code laser marking
machine for marking a bar code on the bottom frame.
5. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 3,
15 wherein the first facility line includes a plasma surface treatment machine for
preprocessing surfaces of the heatsink, the bottom frame, the battery cell and the top frame
with plasma.
6. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 3,
20 wherein the second facility line is connected to the first facility line, and
wherein the second facility line includes:
a component assembling unit arranged along the first direction and configured to
attach a plurality of bus bars and a sensing cable to the top frame;
27
a jig fastening unit arranged along the first direction in succession to the
component assembling unit and configured to mount a press jig to a temporary-assembled
cell module assembly immediately after passing through the component assembling unit;
a carrying unit configured to carry the temporary-assembled cell module assembly
to which the press jig is mou 5 nted in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
a curing chamber unit arranged along a third direction opposite to the first
direction at a location spaced apart from the jig fastening unit in the second direction by a
predetermined interval and configured to cure an adhesive applied to the temporaryassembled
cell module assembly;
10 a jig dismantling unit configured to dismantle the press jig from the temporaryassembled
cell module assembly that has passed through the curing chamber unit; and
a vision inspection unit configured to inspect an appearance of the temporaryassembled
cell module assembly from which the press jig is dismantled.
15 7. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 6,
wherein the curing chamber unit is provided in plural, and the plurality of curing
chamber units are arranged side by side along the third direction.
8 The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 6,
20 wherein an infrared ray is irradiated into the curing chamber unit so that the curing
chamber unit maintains an internal temperature of 45C to 65C.
9. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 6,
28
wherein the second facility line further includes a jig retrieving line arranged in a
direction different from the vision inspection unit with respect to the jig dismantling unit
and configured to carry out the press jig separated from the jig dismantling unit.
10. The assembly line 5 system of a battery module according to claim 6,
wherein the third facility line is connected to the second facility line, and
wherein the third facility line includes:
a wire bonding unit arranged along the third direction and configured to bond the
battery cells and the plurality of bus bars in a predetermined pattern onto the top frame
10 using a wire;
an OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) test unit configured to inspect an abnormality by
inspecting an appearance of the wire bonding and measuring an OCV;
a top cover assembling unit configured to attach a top cover onto the wire-bonded
top frame; and
15 an interchanging unit configured to selectively carry the cell module assembly to
which the top cover is attached from the top cover assembling unit to the heatsink
preprocessing unit of the first facility line.
11. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 10,
20 wherein the wire bonding unit is provided in plural, and the plurality of wire
bonding units are arranged side by side along the third direction.
12. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 10,
29
wherein the interchanging unit includes a rollover machine for reversing the firstlayer
cell module assembly to change the top and bottom thereof, and a transfer machine
for transferring the first-layer cell module assembly to the heatsink preprocessing unit.
13. The 5 assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 10,
wherein the interchanging unit includes a bar code reader for reading a bar code
marked in advance on the bottom frame.
14. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 10, further
10 comprising:
a fourth facility line disposed to be connected to the third facility line and not to be
connected to the first facility line and configured to inspect performance of the stacked
battery module and package the stacked battery module.
15 15. The assembly line system of a battery module according to claim 1,
wherein in the first facility line, a unique bar code that stores layer number
information is marked in advance on the cell housing, and
wherein the first facility line, the second facility line and the third facility line are
provided to identify the first-layer cell module assembly and the second-layer cell module
20 assembly by reading the bar code.