Cell Joining Techniques

There are many cell joining techniques. When we say joining we mean external electrical cell joints to busbars, some of these will be specific to certain cell formats. Firstly though it is good practice to think about the properties and features of these joints:

  • electrical
    • low electrical resistance of the joint
    • low resistance maintained over lifetime
  • mechanical
    • appropriate pull strength
    • intermetallic and material corrosion resistance
    • vibration durability
    • low mechanical input to cell during joining process
  • thermal
    • low thermal resistance
    • low heat input into cell during joining process

The selection of the process will also be dependent on the design and layout of the cells and busbars.

Busbar to Cell Connectors

The busbar to cell connectors need to have:

  • low electrical resistance
  • mechanical integrity

For some applications they need to also have good thermal conductivity.

The joining options are:

  • Soldered
  • Welded
    • resistance weld
    • laser weld
      • atmosphere
      • vacuum
    • ultrasonic bonding
    • micro tig welding
    • electron beam welding
    • friction stir welding
  • Mechanical
    • bolted
    • sprung
    • micro-clinching

For each of these techniques it is important to understand how they work, the properties of the joints and examples of their application in battery cell to busbar assembly.

References

Note: we are always interested in posting articles from research teams and companies with a depth of knowledge in the subject. Please contact us if you would like to contribute to this section.

Leave a Comment


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.