Manufacturing Machine and Method for Manufacturing a Cylindrical Electrochemical Cell

Abstract

Manufacturing machine (9) and method for manufacturing a cylindrical electrochemical cell (2) consisting of a spiral winding of a composite material (8) comprising at least two conductor bands (4, 6) and at least two separator bands (5, 7) overlapping one another. They are provided: a plurality of winding heads (13), each of which supports a holding device (14) which is configured to grab an end of the composite material (8) and to rotate on itself around a first rotation axis (15) so as to obtain a spiral winding of the composite material (8); a drum (11) which supports the winding heads (13) and is rotatably mounted to rotate with a continuous law of motion about a second rotation axis (12) so as to move the winding heads (13) along a processing path (P2); a feeding unit (10) configured to feed the composite material (8) to the winding heads (13); and a cutting device (28) which is configured to cut the composite material (8) and thereby create a new free end of the composite material (8) while the composite material (8) is still being wound by a first winding head (13). A second winding head (13), which follows the first winding head (13) along the processing path (P2), is configured to grab the new free end of the composite material (8) and start the winding of the composite material (8) while first winding head (13) is still completing the winding of its own composite material (8).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.