Manufacturing systems and methods for optimized curing of structural adhesive materials of battery modules

A non-transient, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more system controllers of a manufacturing system for assembling a battery module, the battery module including a stack of battery cells and a battery module housing, the instructions, when executed, causing the one or more system controllers to perform operations comprising:

• commanding an automated cell press station to align the stack of battery cells with a reference datum on a workpiece carrier;
• commanding the automated cell press station to compress a stack length of the stack of battery cells to a predefined stack length to create a compressed stack of battery cells;
• commanding an automated adhesive injection machine to inject a heat-cured structural adhesive material (SAM) onto inboard surfaces of first and second side plates of a battery module housing of the battery module;
• commanding an automated side-plate positioning robot to position the first and second side plates with the heat-cured SAM against outboard surfaces of first and second lateral sides, respectively, of the compressed stack of battery cells;
• commanding a conductive heating system to heat the first and second side plates of the battery module for a monitored cure time to thereby cure the heat-cured SAM;
• commanding a cell thermal conditioning system to cool a bottom stack surface of the compressed stack of battery cells to thereby extract thermal energy from the battery cells contemporaneous with the heating the first and second side plates;
• and
• commanding the conductive heating system to discontinue the heating of the first and second side plates and the cell thermal conditioning system to discontinue the cooling of the bottom stack surface of the compressed stack of battery cells responsive to a determination that the monitored cure time equals or exceeds a predefined cure time.

A manufacturing system for assembling a battery module with a stack of battery cells and a battery module housing, the manufacturing system comprising:

• an automated cell press station;
• an automated side-plate positioning robot;
• an automated adhesive injection machine;
• a conductive heating system;
• a cell thermal conditioning system;
• and
• a system controller programmed to:
• command the automated cell press station to align the stack of battery cells with a reference datum on a workpiece carrier;
• command the automated cell press station to compress a stack length of the stack of battery cells to a predefined stack length;
• command the automated adhesive injection machine to apply a heat-cured structural adhesive material (SAM) onto first and second side plates of a battery module housing of the battery module;
• command the automated side-plate positioning robot to position the first and second side plates with the heat-cured SAM against first and second lateral sides, respectively, of the compressed stack of battery cells;
• command the conductive heating system to heat the first and second side plates of the battery module for a monitored cure time to thereby cure the heat-cured SAM;
• command the cell thermal conditioning system to cool a select stack surface of the compressed stack of battery cells to thereby extract thermal energy from the battery cells contemporaneous with heating the first and second side plates;
• and
• command the conductive heating system to discontinue the heating of the first and second side plates and the cell thermal conditioning system to discontinue the cooling of the select stack surface of the compressed stack of battery cells responsive to a determination that the monitored cure time equals or exceeds a predefined cure time.