The cutting of sensitive foil stacks used in the electrodes of Li-ion battery cells is an operation that is performed millions of times a year to support high volume electric battery production. For electric battery manufacturers, it is critical to produce high-quality cuts on electrode foils quickly, repeatably, and with good edge quality.
Laser cutting, also known as laser slitting, is a zero maintenance, non-contact process that is not limited to only straight edges like knife cutting and is not susceptible to quality degradations due to die punching tool wear. In addition to eliminating time-consuming tooling replacement, laser cutting produces excellent and repeatable electrode foil edges faster than any other foil cutting method.
Contact an E-Mobility expert to learn more about how IPG laser solutions can optimize your electrode foil cutting applications.
High Speed, High Quality Foil Cutting
Thin foil cutting edge-quality is a function of speed, which is in turn a function of power. Cutting-related defects, including heat affected zone and burr formation, reduce as cutting speed increases.
IPG offers the industry’s highest power, high pulse rate nanosecond lasers that provide the fastest foil cutting and notching. As a result, manufacturers benefit from the shortest cycle times and highest foil cut quality.
Process Repeatability for Complex Foil Shapes
Laser cutting is not limited to straight-line cuts like other foil cutting methods, allowing for the creation of more complex electrode foil shapes. As a non-contact process, cutting edge quality is not susceptible to degradation due to tool wear, enabling Li-ion cell manufacturers to cut electrode foils with unmatched repeatability.
IPG lasers can be synchronized with beam delivery heads to adjust to different foil material requirements in real time, allowing for continuous high-speed cutting over transitions in the foil stack.
Continuous Wave Lasers
Single-Mode / Multi-Mode
Single-Mode up to 3 kW
Typical Applications:
- Foil Cutting
- Foil Notching
Nanosecond Pulse Lasers
Single-Mode / Multi-Mode
Average Power Levels up to 1 kW
Typical Applications:
- High-Speed Foil Cutting
- High-Speed Electrode Cutting
Picosecond Pulse Lasers
Average Power Levels up to 200 W
Extremely High Peak Powers up to 10 MW
Typical Applications:
- Heat-Sensitive Foil Cutting
- Complex Electrode Cutting
IPG partners with E-Mobility manufacturers throughout the entire production process from research and development to full-scale manufacturing.
Whether you want to demonstrate feasibility with laser-processed parts or just want to bounce design and implementation ideas off a laser cutting specialist, don’t hesitate to contact us. Even better, visit one of our 32 regional Application Development Labs to see how IPG can optimize your foil cutting applications.
