Luxinar, a laser technology leader since 1998, is co-exhibiting with new partner Iradion Laser at The Battery Show Europe. The companies are spotlighting their CO2, short pulse and ultrashort pulse lasers for the first time on stand 8-B65 from 3 to 5 June in Stuttgart, Germany.
The non-contact high-speed laser process reduces dust, chemicals, and production delays caused by traditional tools, resulting in unmatched productivity. Here, we highlight one of the many applications where lasers can improve battery production: laser notching and slitting of battery electrodes using a 120 W femtosecond laser in fast-burst mode.
Laser cutting is a versatile machining process crucial for several steps in lithium battery electrode manufacturing: at the slitting station to precisely divide the wide electrode coil (mother coil) into individual electrodes, in the separation (or notching) phase to achieve the final electrode shape.
Maintaining a clean clearance width - the precise width of the exposed middle layer (typically aluminium or copper foil) after cutting through the multi-layered electrode material - is a critical challenge in laser cutting lithium-ion battery electrodes. Conventional lasers struggle with this due to their longer pulse durations, creating a larger heat-affected zone (HAZ) around the cut, potentially damaging the separator or altering electrode material properties, ultimately impacting battery performance.
Femtosecond lasers offer a significant advantage by minimizing heat transfer during cutting. Ultrashort pulse (USP) durations of less than a picosecond produce cleaner cuts with minimal HAZ. The result is improved edge quality that reduces the risk of electrical shorts and enhances the overall quality of battery modules and packs. Furthermore, thanks to a proprietary 120 W femtosecond laser in fast-burst mode, high-speed electrode cutting is achievable while maintaining excellent edge quality. This innovative technique utilizes a 'burst' of USP pulses, delivering multiple pulses in rapid succession. This optimizes cutting speed without sacrificing the quality achieved with single-pulse processing.
"We're excited to display our range of lasers for battery applications again at The Battery Show Europe" stated Yannick Galais, Luxinar's Sales Director. "Our close cooperation with Iradion means we can offer our customers enhanced sales and service capabilities, with a wider choice of laser sources, applications and customer support."