Manufacturing method for an electrode with a separator layer and manufacturing apparatus for an electrode with a separator layer
A manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a separator layer-coated electrode are provided capable of shortening the time required to cut out a separator layer-coated electrode with a laser beam. In a cutting process, a laser beam is irradiated to a laser irradiation target portion of a strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode from a front-side separator layer side to cut a strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode. Prior to the cutting process, a preheating process is conducted to preheat the front-side separator layer in the laser irradiation target portion.
1. A manufacturing method for an electrode with a separator layer, the method comprising cutting a strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode including: a strip-shaped current collecting member having a front surface and a back surface; a front-side electrode mixture layer laminated on the front surface of the current collecting member; and a front-side separator layer laminated on the front-side electrode mixture layer, the front-side separator layer containing thermoplastic resin particles, by irradiation of a laser beam to a laser irradiation target portion extending over a whole width of the strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode to produce a separator layer-coated electrode having a predetermined length,
wherein the cutting includes irradiating the laser beam to the laser irradiation target portion from a front-side separator layer side by use of a laser irradiating device to cut the strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode,
the method further comprises preheating the front-side separator layer in the laser irradiation target portion prior to the cutting,
the preheating includes heating the thermoplastic resin particles included in the front-side separator layer of the laser irradiation target portion by use of a preheating device to enhance a transmittance of the laser beam through the front-side separator layer of the laser irradiation target portion,
the preheating device is different from the laser irradiating device to be used in the cutting,
the cutting is performed directly next to the preheating, and
the cutting includes irradiating the laser beam to the laser irradiation target portion including the front-side separator layer with enhanced transmittance of the laser beam from the front-side separator layer side to cut the strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode.
2. The manufacturing method for the electrode with the separator layer according to claim 1 , wherein the strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode includes a back-side electrode mixture layer laminated on the back surface of the current collecting member and a back-side separator layer laminated on the back-side electrode mixture layer, the back-side separator layer containing thermoplastic resin particles.
3. The manufacturing method for the electrode with the separator layer according to claim 2 , wherein:
the cutting includes irradiating the laser beam to the laser irradiation target portion from both the front-side separator layer side and a back-side separator layer side to cut the strip-shaped separator layer-coated electrode,
the preheating includes preheating the front-side separator layer and the back-side separator layer in the laser irradiation target portion prior to the cutting, and
the preheating includes heating the thermoplastic resin particles included in the back-side separator layer of the laser irradiation target portion by use of the preheating device different from the laser irradiating device to enhance a transmittance of the laser beam through the back-side separator layer of the laser irradiation target portion.