Tokyo, Japan - June 3, 2010
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the July 1 release of the WEBFREX3ES online thickness gauge. This gauge is used to control the quality of the coatings on the electrodes that are main components of lithium-ion batteries. In real time, WEBFREX3ES can measure the thickness of the materials deposited onto the foil bases of sheet-type electrodes during the electrode manufacturing process. The gauge's specifications are optimized for the electrode coating process.
WEBFREX3ES
Development Background
Modern lithium-ion batteries contain metal foil bases for the anode and cathode which are thinly and uniformly coated with electrode materials. Yokogawa's existing WEBFREX3 online thickness gauges for general films have been used to measure the coating weight of these electrode materials. However, as the performance of lithium-ion batteries improves and their production volumes increase, the specifications for measuring the thickness of electrode materials have changed. For example, thickness gauges must now operate faster than ever as electrode manufacturers strive to speed up production lines and improve production efficiency to meet growing demand.
To satisfy these requirements, we developed the WEBFREX3ES online thickness gauge. It is the ideal size for measuring electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries and has functions that give it the required measurement range and speed.
Product Features
- Three times faster scanning
The WEBFREX3ES uses a servo drive mechanism developed by Yokogawa that takes just three seconds to complete a one-way scan, three times the speed of our conventional models. - Precise measurement with improved positioning accuracy
In the coating process for electrode materials, multiple thickness gauges are often used to measure the thickness at the same position before coating, after front coating, and after back coating. This requires a synchronized measurement. The newly developed servo drive mechanism for the WEBFREX3ES makes this possible by dramatically increasing the accuracy by which the sensor's position is controlled, thereby ensuring consistent quality. - Newly designed frames
The new frames match the width of the electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. This allows the gauges to be installed directly on electrode material coating lines, wherever required, such as between coating machines.
Major Target Markets
Manufacturers of anode and cathode components for lithium-ion batteries
Applications
Quality control by measuring the coating weight of electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries
Thickness Gauges for Lithium-ion Batteries
Yokogawa first entered the thickness gauge market in 1971 with the release of a B/M system used to measure the thickness of paper. We then expanded to film applications and developed the requisite measurement technologies. In 1997, we entered the market for lithium-ion battery electrodes, and presently are number one in Japan and have a 50% share of the global market.
About Yokogawa
Yokogawa's global network of 25 manufacturing facilities and 80 companies spans 54 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$3 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,200 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit our web site at www.yokogawa.com