Tech Focus: Atmospheric Plasma Systems for the Pretreatment of Substrate Surfaces

Battery & Electrification INSIDER

Cleaning the top of cylindrical cells with Openair-Plasma enables reliable and long-lasting wire bonding. (Image: Plasmatreat GmbH)

Mobility-related changes mean that the need for high-performance batteries for EVs is rapidly increasing. Plasma pretreatment is the key technology for microfine cleaning, surface activation and nanocoating of practically all materials. When plasma, with its high energy level, comes into contact with materials, the surface properties of those materials change — for example, a hydrophobic surface may become hydrophilic. This can be used to great effect in the various stages of battery production.

Plasmatreat’s plasma technology is used for all kinds of batteries: prismatic, cylindrical, and pouch cells. The areas of application are extremely wide. For example, optimization of electrical insulation can be achieved via plasma cleaning prior to coating or the covering of individual cells with PET film. 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.

At the Battery Show this week, the company will bring various equipment and systems to demonstrate Openair-Plasma® surface treatment. It will show a Plasma Treatment Unit (PTU) with components that are transported via an XPlanar Mover from Beckhoff Automation. In the first step, the component to be treated is moved under a nozzle with the XPlanar where is cleaned or activated, depending on the material the surface is made of. In a subsequent step, a functional coating can be applied through another nozzle using the PlasmaPlus® process, for example to create a nanolayer with anti-corrosion protection.

“With the wide range of different nozzles and generators and the different handling systems we use for plasma treatment, we can offer our customers exactly the solution they need for their particular process and production environment,” said Hardev Grewal, President and CEO of Plasmatreat North America.

Plasmatreat’s plasma systems and system components for atmospheric plasma nozzle technology (Openair-Plasma) can be integrated into existing production lines and require only pressurized air and electricity for operation. In many cases, they represent an alternative that is less harmful to the environment. The Battery Show Booth 1344

For more information, visit www.plasmatreat.com .