September 17, 2024

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Elgin

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Plasmatreat Showcases Next-Generation Plasma Solutions for EV Batteries at The Battery Show North America 2024

Revolutionizing Surface Treatment for EV Battery Performance and Reliability

DETROIT, MI — Plasmatreat, the global leader in atmospheric plasma systems, is set to unveil its latest advancements at The Battery Show North America, held at Huntington Place in Detroit, MI, from October 7-10, 2024. As pioneers in developing and manufacturing atmospheric plasma technology, Plasmatreat continues to revolutionize industries through enhanced surface treatment solutions. At Booth 2911, attendees can explore firsthand the transformative potential of plasma technology in battery cell manufacturing and surface pretreatment applications.

Collaborative Innovations in EV Battery Industry Challenges

Plasmatreat partners closely with essential stakeholders in the electric vehicle (EV) battery industry to address critical challenges and barriers. For example, electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturers remain concerned about corrosion, especially in performance, safety, and longevity. Corrosion can affect various components within the battery system such as:

• Electrodes: The electrodes (anode and cathode) within the battery are typically made of metals or metal oxides. Corrosion of these materials can lead to degradation of electrode performance, reducing the overall efficiency and capacity of the battery.
• Current Collectors: These are usually made of metals like copper or aluminum, which can corrode under certain conditions. Corrosion of current collectors can increase electrical resistance, leading to decreased efficiency and potential safety issues.
• Enclosures and Connections: Battery enclosures and the connections between different battery cells or modules are typically made of metals or alloys. Corrosion in these areas can compromise structural integrity, electrical conductivity, and overall safety of the battery pack.

Plasmatreat addresses the pervasive challenge of corrosion with its innovative PlasmaPlus^® AntiCorr^® coating solution. Designed to selectively safeguard metals from corrosion, this advanced technology offers a reliable and effective defense against environmental and operational factors that threaten component integrity and longevity.

Plasmatreat Enhances Battery Manufacturing with Advanced Surface Treatment Technologies

Adhesives offer several advantages over traditional metal fasteners and welding in battery manufacturing. They contribute to weight reduction in battery packs, crucial for extending electric vehicle range and enhancing energy efficiency. Adhesives also streamline assembly processes, reducing production time and labor costs while maintaining precision.

Plasmatreat specializes in surface treatment technologies that enhance adhesion and performance in adhesive bonding processes, particularly beneficial in battery manufacturing. This process effectively removes contaminants such as oils, dust, and oxides while generating reactive sites on surfaces, ensuring optimal bonding strength.

By modifying surface chemistry, Plasmatreat’s Openair-Plasma^® technology enhances the surface energy of substrates, facilitating better wetting and spreading of adhesives for improved initial tack and overall adhesion performance. Their technology supports bonding between a wide range of materials used in batteries, including metals, composites, and plastics, enabling versatile adhesive applications across different components like electrodes and housing materials. Integrated into automated production lines, plasma treatment enhances process efficiency by reducing cycle times compared to traditional methods like chemical priming or mechanical abrasion. The controlled and uniform treatment by Plasmatreat ensures consistent bonding quality and reliability, aiding manufacturers in achieving higher yield rates and meeting stringent performance requirements for battery packs.

In cell-to-cell bonding (adhesion of individual cells to the battery module) plasma treatment activates the cell surfaces after the application of the coating or the film covering, thereby improving adhesion and increasing thermal conductivity. The adhesiveness of structural bonding in a battery module, e.g. of the side walls, can be increased through plasma treatment of the components. Plasma technology is also used for cleaning battery terminals before contact (wire bonding) and coating the overall housing of the battery module for active corrosion protection or treatment of power electronics before applying the protective coating (conformal coating).

Innovative Plasma Technology Showcased for Battery Applications

At the upcoming battery trade show in Detroit, Michigan, Plasmatreat will showcase cutting-edge plasma technology tailored for battery applications. They will highlight their Plasma Treatment Unit (PTU), integrated with Beckhoff Automation’s XPlanar Mover system, to demonstrate advanced surface treatments. Utilizing various nozzles and generators, the PTU effectively cleans and activates component surfaces, preparing them

for functional coatings like the PlasmaPlus^® nanolayer, which offers superior anti-corrosion protection. "Our versatile equipment and handling systems enable us to deliver customized solutions that precisely meet our customers' process and production requirements," explains Hardev Grewal, President and CEO of Plasmatreat North America.

Systems and components that can integrate well, are highly reproducible and less harmful to the environment.

Plasmatreat’s Openair-Plasma^® systems and system components can be integrated into existing production lines and require only pressurized air and electricity for operation. They represent an alternative that is less harmful to the environment. In battery manufacturing, for example, they replace solvent-containing processes in adhesion or aggressive chemical processes that are used to protect against corrosion, such as galvanization. Supplemented by the high-tech plasma control unit (PCU) and innovative add-on modules for monitoring and diagnosing all process parameters, Plasmatreat offers its customers seamless process controlling, consistently high quality and precise reproducibility of applications.

In conclusion, Plasmatreat’s technology is used by leading EV battery manufacturers worldwide. "We have gained extensive experience in battery production over the last decade and know the critical points. With our knowledge, we support our customers with the various requirements that arise in the respective process steps - contributing to better battery performance, leaner manufacturing processes and lower costs," explains Hardev Grewal.

More information is available at: www.plasmatreat-na.com