VCbattery by VisiConsult is already today providing excellent 3D - inline solutions for the cell inspection. Together with diondo, we started the Battery-Attest project with the Fraunhofer-Einrichtung Forschungsfertigung Batteriezelle (FFB) and the Fraunhofer IMTE in 2023. Battery-Attest aims at the development of the next-level high-speed CT system for 3D inline quality assurance of battery cells and is funded by the German Federal Minstry of Education and Research as part of the federal initiative Battery 2020. The overall goal is to make battery cell production and recycling more sustainable. 

New types of X-ray sources use liquid metal to dissipate the heat from the so-called focal spot and can therefore achieve a much higher output than is normally possible with standard cooled Solid target X-ray tubes. Next-generation detector technologies enable X-ray signals to be read many times faster than the next best detectors available. This has recently made it possible to take a CT scan down to one second. Previously, several minutes was a realistic figure. This high acquisition speed of three-dimensional images is helpful to ensure the integration of a CT system directly into the production line of batteries, whose production cycle is also in the range of seconds. For application-oriented testing, the demonstrator will be integrated into the FFB sample line, and measurements will be taken during operation.

https://batterie-2020.de/english/

Excillum and VCbattery by VisiConsult have entered a partnership in 2023 to commercialize the next generation inline 3D CT inspection systems for electric vehicle battery production. Using the knowledge and solutions from VCbattery on robotics, imaging, and data management together with Excillum’s high end X-ray products, the joint solution will ensure new levels of performance, safety, and cost in EV battery cell production.

The key joint activity includes the launch of a demonstrator for high-speed 3D CT inline inspection of EV battery cells. Quality control is a critical part in EV battery cell production. This groundbreaking technology has the potential to revolutionize the way defects are detected and root-caused, making EV batteries safer and production more cost-effective. 

Excillum is the company behind the world’s brightest X-ray tube. The MetalJet is based on its unique metal-jet technology where the traditional solid anode of X-ray tubes is replaced with a jet of liquid metal. The Swedish company offers a growing range of the MetalJet and NanoTube X-ray sources.

The pilot system shows that with a full rotational CT scan of an EV battery cell in just one second, it’s possible to increase inspection throughput to tens of thousands of cells per inspection system per day. Thus, with our joint solution, EV battery cell manufacturers can not only significantly lower the cost per scan, but also collect more comprehensive quality control data. 

New game-changing inspection demonstrator for EV batteries - Excillum

VCbattery and Excillum join forces for high-speed 3D CT-Inline inspection to EV battery cell manufacturers