The anode-cathode overhang in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is a crucial safety criterion. 

The Battery Analysis Module in VGSTUDIO MAX helps manufacturers and researchers measure and design anode-cathode overhangs that balance electrode utilization, current distribution, cycling stability, and safety considerations. By carefully controlling and optimizing the overhang, it is possible to improve the efficiency, capacity, cycling stability, and overall performance of LIBs.

Foreign particles can make their way into a battery in many stages of production. The porosity/inclusion analysis in VGSTUDIO MAX allows you detect these particles and quantify their size and position to decide whether they are critical or not.

Delamination reduces the capacity and lifetime of the cell. Volume Graphics software can detect and visualize delamination not only during manufacturing, but also in later maintenance if delamination occurs after multiple charging cycles.

During prismatic cell production, porosity resulting from the welding may cause dangerous leaks and reduce battery function. The porosity/inclusion analysis in VGSTUDIO MAX will help you decide whether a pore is a reason for concern. By leveraging this analysis, manufacturers can identify and address porosity issues, ensuring the integrity and optimal performance of the batteries.

CT scanning in combination with VGSTUDIO MAX empowers manufacturers to develop strategies for prolonging a battery's life, ensuring its efficiency, and improving its reliability for various applications. The nondestructive evaluation of electrode degradation, active material loss, and changes in structural integrity helps our understanding of how the battery's performance may degrade over time.

Moreover, new battery concepts, like solid-state batteries, may require an entirely new microstructure design, which means the analysis methods must be flexible as well. With VGSTUDIO MAX, you have an array of analyses that you can incorporate in easy-to-use workflows.

Inspect parts visually by navigating through your data sets in 3D and perpendicular slices simultaneously. And the best part about it: All of this is possible with our free myVGL Viewer, which allows you to view any analysis results generated with VGSTUDIO MAX. The results can be immediately accessed via predefined bookmarks.

Battery cell manufacturers strive for high throughput while maintaining the highest possible quality and yield. To ensure battery quality, a series of electric tests are usually conducted as part of a systematic validation test protocol at the end of the production line.

However, these tests, while confirming the overall functionality, do not adequately assess the internal integrity of the batteries. It is crucial to identify any potential defects and make various measurements during the production phases to prevent accelerated degradation and reduced battery lifespan throughout their operating lifecycle. Ultimately, the inline measurements obtained at each stage of the battery manufacturing process can be collected to support quality assurance.

By providing real-time insights into the stability of the production process, this data allows can help engineers make informed decisions and take necessary actions to ensure the quality and efficiency of battery production.

Safety and reliability are crucial factors when determining a battery’s suitability for second life applications. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) combined with CT scanning and VGSTUDIO MAX is an invaluable tool for this. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the internal structure and integrity of the batteries and identify and characterize various defects, such as internal short circuits, electrolyte leakage, and electrode degradation. Learn more about a battery's active materials, electrode thickness, and overall cell uniformity, which assists in evaluating the remaining capacity and performance potential of the battery.

This approach also promotes sustainability by extending the lifecycle of batteries, reducing waste, and maximizing their value in energy storage systems and electric vehicle powertrains, among other applications.

If you’re directly involved in the engineering or quality process, be sure to visit our Battery Analysis Module page for a more technical look at our software and machine learning capabilities.  

Unlock the power of 3D data analysis with our software. Start your FREE 4-week evaluation for VGSTUDIO, VGSTUDIO MAX, and VGMETROLOGY. Discover the difference Volume Graphics can make for your business today!