Yokogawa to Release Energy Efficient OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 for Producing Battery Electrode Sheets

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has developed the OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 and will be releasing this online sheet thickness gauge as part of the OpreX Quality Control System family in January 2025.

Development background

Since the release of its first online thickness gauge for sheet manufacturing equipment in 1962, Yokogawa has established a strong track record in this market by developing and delivering ever new versions of these products, which are used in final processes on production lines to continuously measure and control thickness, weight, color, and other characteristics of sheet materials such as paper and film. Among these products is the WEBFREX3ES, which was developed for use in the production of electrode sheets for lithium ion and other battery types, and has been widely adopted by major battery manufacturers all over the world.
 
With the global shift towards the use of electric vehicles, demand for rechargeable batteries is growing rapidly. Concurrent with this trend, battery manufacturers have a growing need to reduce CO2 emissions from their production processes and to improve productivity in an ever-more price competitive marketplace.
The OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 was developed to meet these needs while retaining all the features found in the WEBFREX3ES.
 

Main features

1. Energy efficiency
The box-type frame adopted for use in the OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 reduces power consumption by over 50%, weighs 75% less, and reduces air consumption volume by 90% in comparison to the WEBFREX3ES. This reduces CO2 emissions on the battery production line and in the supply chain.
 
2. Overall optimization
The OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 utilizes the OpreX Collaborative Information Server as its centralized information management platform. This platform collects data from plant equipment and systems that are used in many different peripheral processes to ensure an even coating is applied to electrode sheets, which is an important determinant of rechargeable battery performance and quality. This increases production efficiency by linking with these peripheral processes, and enables a shift from the optimization of individual processes to the optimization of the production line as a whole.
 
3. Safe and secure quality monitoring
As with the WEBFREX3ES, the OpreX Battery Web Gauge ES-5 features a safe design to eliminate risks that can potentially cause fires in rechargeable batteries, by minimizing exposure to copper and other metal powder.

It features an industry-leading 3-second scanning speed for the 1,500 mm scan width, achieves high-density measurement of up to 1,600 points widthwise, and has a minimum 5 mm slit width resolution, thus enabling even more meticulous quality control. Thanks to the new sensor design and the use of a box-type frame with a safety cover over the sensor moving parts, the risk of contact is reduced during operations and maintenance, and the radiation controlled area is less than half that of the WEBFREX3ES, for greater safety in operation and maintenance.
 
Hiroshi Tanoguchi, a Yokogawa Electric Vice president and executive officer and head of the Yokogawa Products Headquarters, said,“Given the movement towards electric vehicles, we have developed this online thickness gauge for battery electrode sheets that uses the Collaborative Information Server as its system platform. Development was undertaken based on the system of systems approach in which a collection of independently operated and managed systems connect to form a larger system, and the result is a product that saves energy and enhances quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) for our customers. With the provision of solutions like this, Yokogawa is helping its customers improve profitability and achieve their ESG management aims.”

Applications

Online measurement of coating thicknesses in production lines for products such as battery electrodes and multilayer ceramic capacitors.