# US 11,897,241 B2 · Modular system for fabricating a laminate

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- Number: US 11,897,241 B2
- Document ID: US11897241B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/725,028
- Filed: 2022-04-20
- Published: 2023-10-26
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-20
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Wai Ping Gloria Tam; David F. Titmuss
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897241B2

## CPC

- B32B 37/02: characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
- B32B 37/10: characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
- B32B 37/0053: {Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers}
- B32B 37/20: involving the assembly of continuous webs only
- H01M 4/0435: {Rolling or calendering}
- H01M 4/0471: {involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis}
- H01M 4/1395: of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
- B32B 2309/02: Temperature
- B32B 2309/10: linear, e.g. length, distance, width
- B32B 2309/12: Pressure
- B32B 2309/72: For measuring or regulating, e.g. systems with feedback loops
- B32B 2311/00: Metals, their alloys or their compounds
- B32B 2457/10: Batteries
- H01M 4/382: {Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence)}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A lamination system is contemplated. The system may have a modular design configured to fabricate a laminate from an incoming material. The system may be configured to produce the laminate with an outer layer comprising the incoming material such that the resulting layer has a width greater than a width of the incoming material prior to lamination.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a laminate comprising:
unwinding a collector flow of a collector material from a collector spool;
unwinding a first lamination flow of a first material from a first lamination spool;
producing a first laminate by laminating the first material to the collector material with a first lamination roller positioned downstream of the collector spool, the first laminate including the first material and the collector material;
unwinding a second lamination flow of a second material from a second lamination spool;
producing a second laminate by laminating the second material to the collector material with a second lamination roller positioned downstream of the first lamination roller, the second laminate including the second material, the first material, and the collector material;
unwinding a third lamination flow of a third material from a third lamination spool;
producing a third laminate by laminating the third material to the collector material with a third lamination roller positioned downstream of the second lamination roller, the third laminate including the third material, the second material, the first material, and the collector material;
controlling the third lamination roller to apply a third pressure for laminating;
controlling the second lamination roller to apply a second pressure for laminating, the second pressure being less than the third pressure;
controlling the first lamination roller to apply a first pressure for laminating, the first pressure being less than the second pressure; and
determining the first, second, and third pressures as a function of a thickness desired for the third laminate, including setting of the third pressure to a value sufficient to spread the third laminate to the thickness and setting the first and second pressures to values insufficient to spread an entirety of either one of the first and second laminates to the thickness.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising producing the third laminate with the first material, the second material, and the third material on both sides of the collector material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising producing the third laminate with the first material, the second material, and the third material on one side of the collector material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
aligning the second material on the second laminate to be side-by-side and parallel with the first material; and
aligning the third material on the third laminate to be side-by-side and parallel with the second material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4 further comprising:
aligning the second material with a second edge positioning system (EPS), the second EPS being configured to adjust the second lamination spool in a cross direction (CD), wherein the CD is defined to be perpendicular to a machine direction (MD), the machine direction corresponding with an unrolling direction of the collector material from the collector spool to the third lamination spool; and
aligning the third material with a third EPS, the third EPS being configured to adjust the third lamination spool in the CD.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5 further comprising:
controlling the third lamination roller to apply a third heat for laminating;
controlling the second lamination roller to apply a second heat for laminating; and
controlling the first lamination roller to apply a first heat for laminating.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 further comprising aligning the second and third EPSs and determining the first, second, and third heats and pressures as a function of information received from one or more of a first inspection tool configured to inspect the first laminate, a second inspection tool configured to inspect the second laminate, and a third inspection tool configured to inspect the third laminate, the information identifying thickness, alignment, edge quality, and/or surface quality.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
unwinding a first interleaf from the first lamination flow using a first interleaf rewind positioned upstream of the first lamination roller;
unwinding a second interleaf from the second lamination flow using a second interleaf rewind positioned upstream of the second lamination roller; and
laminating a finished interleaf to the third laminate prior to rewinding into the laminate spool.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the collector material substantially comprises copper and the first, second, and third materials substantially comprise lithium foil.

### Claim 10

A lamination system with a modular design for fabricating a lithium metal anode to have a width at least three times as wide as a width of an incoming lithium foil, the lithium foil to be included as an integral part of the lithium metal anode, the system comprising:
a collector spool having a collector flow of a collector material;
a first lamination spool having a first lamination flow of the lithium foil;
a first lamination roller positioned downstream of the collector spool, the first lamination roller configured to produce a first laminate by laminating the first lamination flow to the collector material;
a second lamination spool having a second lamination flow of the lithium foil;
a second lamination roller positioned downstream of the first lamination roller, the second lamination roller configured to produce a second laminate by laminating the second lamination flow to the collector material;
a third lamination spool having a third lamination flow of the lithium foil;
a third lamination roller positioned downstream of the second lamination roller, the third lamination roller configured to produce a third laminate by laminating the third lamination flow to the collector material; and
a controller having a plurality of non-transitory instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium and executable with a processor for:
controlling the third lamination roller to apply a third pressure;
controlling the second lamination roller to apply a second pressure, the second pressure being less than the third pressure;
controlling the first lamination roller to apply a first pressure, the first pressure being less than the second pressure; and
determining the first, second, and third pressures as a function of a thickness desired for the third laminate, including setting of the third pressure to a value sufficient to spread the third laminate to the thickness and setting the first and second pressures to values insufficient to spread an entirety of either one of the first and second laminates to the thickness.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10 further comprising:
a first interleaf rewind positioned upstream of the first lamination roller, the first interleaf rewind configured to unwind a first interleaf from the first lamination flow;
a second interleaf rewind positioned upstream of the second lamination roller, the second interleaf rewind configured to unwind a second interleaf from the second lamination flow; and
a finished interleaf spool positioned upstream of a laminate spool, the finished interleaf spool having an interleaf lamination flow of an interleaf material, the interleaf spool configured to interlay the interleaf lamination flow with the third laminate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10 further comprising a positioning system configured to:
aligning the first, second, and third lamination flows such that the second lamination flow is laminated side-by-side and parallel to the first lamination flow and the third lamination flow is laminated side-by-side and parallel to the second lamination flow; and
to adjust heat and pressure provided by the first, second, and third rollers to limit over spreading of the lithium foil.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10 further comprising producing the third laminate with the lithium foil on both sides of the collector material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10 further comprising producing the third laminate with the lithium foil on one side of the collector material.

### Claim 15

A controller having a processor configured for executing a plurality of non-transitory instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the non-transitory instructions operable for controlling a lamination system to make a laminate by:
unwinding a collector flow of a collector material from a collector spool;
unwinding a first lamination flow of a first material from a first lamination spool;
producing a first laminate by laminating the first material to the collector material with a first lamination roller positioned downstream of the collector spool, the first laminate including the first material and the collector material;
unwinding a second lamination flow of a second material from a second lamination spool;
producing a second laminate by laminating the second material to the collector material with a second lamination roller positioned downstream of the first lamination roller, the second laminate including the second material, the first material, and the collector material;
unwinding a third lamination flow of a third material from a third lamination spool;
producing a third laminate by laminating the third material to the collector material with a third lamination roller positioned downstream of the second lamination roller, the third laminate including the third material, the second material, the first material, and the collector material;
controlling the third lamination roller to apply a third pressure;
controlling the second lamination roller to apply a second pressure, the second pressure being less than the third pressure;
controlling the first lamination roller to apply a first pressure, the first pressure being less than the second pressure; and
determining the first, second, and third pressures as a function of a thickness desired for the third laminate, including setting of the third pressure to a value sufficient to spread the third laminate to the thickness and setting the first and second pressures to values insufficient to spread an entirety of either one of the first and second laminates to the thickness.