Ball energy storage welding

What is ultrasonic welding?

Ultrasonic welding is commonly used for the joining of the internal electrode battery materials, which are usually constructed of thin foils of aluminum and copper. The remaining joining requirements – including the connections inside the can, and external terminal tab connections – are well suited to resistance, microTIG, and laser welding.

Do weld tabs require heat input control?

Welding tabs or terminal connections to buss bars generally does not require as much penetration of heat input control as the tab to terminal welds. The materials, material thickness and combination of materials determine the best welding technique.

What is laser welding & how does it work?

Laser welding enables joining of many materials and material combinations, can weld thick parts, and has no limitation on proximity of weld spots. There are two types of laser that provide solutions for battery applications: pulsed Nd:YAG and fiber. Both of these lasers offer different joining characteristics that can be selected as appropriate.

What materials can be welded with laser welding?

For tab and buss bar joining, laser welding offers a high degree of flexibility, welding both thin and thick tab materials, and materials such as copper, aluminum, steel and nickel as well as dissimilar material combinations. Two example welds are shown in Figure 4.

What are the important aspects of Tab welding?

From a welding perspective, the important aspects of tab welding are the thickness and material of both the tab and the terminal. Resistance welding is extremely well suited to welding nickel tab material up to 0.015-inch thickness, and nickel or steel clad copper tab material to around 0.012-inch thickness to a wide variety of terminal materials.

Can You weld aluminum cans with laser welding?

As laser welding is an extremely efficient joining process, the heat input into the battery is minimized. Figure 1 shows a few examples of seam welding of aluminum cans, including a weld cross section, and ball and plug sealing application examples.