Application of Dry Screw Vacuum Pumps in Lithium Battery Production

The production of lithium batteries is a complex and meticulous process that involves several critical stages, including the mixing and coating of electrodes, winding and liquid injection, as well as packaging and testing of the finished products. In these stages, dry screw vacuum pumps play an indispensable role. With over 16 years of industry experience, Xiamen Taixing Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd. is dedicated to providing efficient and reliable vacuum solutions for lithium battery manufacturers.

Overview of Lithium Battery Production Process

Front-End Production Stage

In the front-end production of lithium batteries, the manufacturing of electrodes directly impacts the core performance of the battery. Key equipment in this stage includes vacuum mixers, coating machines, and roller presses. The preparation of electrode materials is crucial, with mixing being the first step. Using a vacuum mixer, positive and negative electrode materials are evenly mixed with solvents to create a slurry. This process lays the foundation for subsequent coating and winding, ensuring overall battery quality.

Mid-Stage Production

During the winding and liquid injection phase, vacuum technology is employed to create a low-pressure environment, ensuring the airtightness of the battery and preventing any bubbles or impurities from affecting performance.

Back-End Production Stage

In the packaging and inspection stage, strict testing is required to ensure the integrity and performance of each battery, confirming compliance with quality standards.

Application of Vacuum Technology in Lithium Battery Production

Vacuum Degassing of Electrode Material Slurry

In the mixing and preparation phase of electrode materials, the slurry must undergo vacuum degassing to remove bubbles and volatile organic solvents generated during mixing. This process typically occurs in a vacuum mixer, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the slurry. Specifically:

1. Mixed Gas Treatment: During the degassing of the slurry, the pumped gas mixture contains moisture and organic solvents (such as NMP), which can corrode copper. Therefore, it is essential to choose a dry screw vacuum pump with strong specific medium handling capabilities.
2. Fine Particle Filtration: Particles typically range from 0.1 to 10 microns in diameter, but existing vacuum pump filters can only capture particles larger than approximately 2 microns. In contrast, oil-sealed vacuum pumps may require frequent oil changes, while liquid ring vacuum pumps struggle to maintain sufficient vacuum levels (usually only -85 kPa), falling short of the actual requirement of -95 kPa.
3. Advantages of Dry Screw Vacuum Pumps: Dry screw vacuum pumps excel in this process, outperforming claw dry vacuum pumps and multi-stage roots vacuum pumps. A single screw vacuum pump can meet the vacuum needs of the equipment, simplifying the configuration compared to using roots pumps for enhanced pressure and speed. Additionally, separate configurations for the vacuum pumps for positive and negative electrodes ensure production efficiency.

By effectively removing bubbles, dry screw vacuum pumps prevent defects in electrode materials during the subsequent coating process, ensuring battery performance and longevity, while reducing rework risks and saving production costs and time.

Vacuum Environment in the Coating Process

Maintaining a stable vacuum environment during the electrode coating process is crucial for ensuring uniformity. Vacuum technology effectively prevents impurities from the air from entering the coating, ensuring consistent battery performance. Coating materials applied in a vacuum environment are more uniform, increasing the energy density and cycle life of the batteries, significantly reducing bubbles and impurities in the coating, thereby enhancing yield and lowering overall production costs.

Equipment Maintenance and Operational Stability

In the winding and liquid injection phase of battery production, vacuum technology helps prevent the formation of bubbles and ensures smooth liquid injection. The efficiency of dry screw vacuum pumps makes this process smoother, avoiding potential failures associated with traditional equipment. A stable vacuum environment allows the production line to run more smoothly, reducing equipment failures and downtime.

Vacuum Testing in Finished Product Packaging

In the packaging stage of finished batteries, vacuum technology is used to test the airtightness of the battery, ensuring safety during transportation and storage. Effective airtightness testing minimizes the risks of leakage and short circuits, ensuring user safety.

Suitable Customer Groups

Dry screw vacuum pumps are well-suited for the following customer groups:

• Lithium Battery Manufacturers: Seeking efficient, low-maintenance vacuum solutions to enhance production capacity and product quality.
• Vacuum Equipment Manufacturers: Looking for stable and reliable vacuum pumps to meet growing market demands.
• PVD Coating Equipment Suppliers: Companies needing high-precision coating in a vacuum environment.
• Distributors and Wholesalers: Suppliers looking to expand their product lines with competitive vacuum equipment.

Taixing's Competitive Advantages

1. Rich R&D Experience: Taixing has evolved from a small R&D team to a comprehensive enterprise with independent R&D capabilities, continuously innovating to keep our product technology at the forefront of the industry. Our dry screw vacuum pumps are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of lithium battery production, ensuring efficiency and stability in the manufacturing process.
2. Flexible Supply Chain Management: We possess strong supply chain management capabilities that allow us to flexibly respond to diverse customer needs. Our minimum order quantity (MOQ) policy enables small and medium enterprises to conveniently procure products, reducing production costs.
3. Strict Quality Control System: Taixing implements comprehensive quality control to ensure that each vacuum pump meets high standards. We are committed to sustainable development principles during production, focusing on social responsibility to provide reliable products to our customers.

Conclusion

In lithium battery production, dry screw vacuum pumps are essential due to their efficiency, environmental benefits, and low maintenance requirements. Choosing Xiamen Taixing Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd. as your vacuum equipment supplier will provide you with tailored solutions, helping your lithium battery production achieve higher standards. With our professional service and high-quality products, we ensure that your production process is efficient, smooth, and reliable.