Lithium-ion battery manufacturing at scale requires incredibly low levels of process and product variation. Because calender rolls compress and densify coated electrodes to tight tolerances, the precision of those rolls is the foundation of high-quality electrode manufacturing. Tight-tolerance calender grinding delivers the roll specifications necessary to meet these demands.

Recently, a lithium-ion battery manufacturer partnered with Precision Roll Grinders to grind their calender rolls to a 2.0-micron tolerance. We examined data from 100 km of cathode electrode material over a one-month period, taking cross-direction and machine-direction caliper thickness measurements every 2 km.

The results demonstrated true Six Sigma process capability:

• Extremely Low Variation: The caliper variation of the two distinct products remained exceptionally low, with standard deviations of only 0.63 and 0.68 microns.
• High Process Capability: The process performed at an impressive 2.0 and 1.9 Cpk for the respective products.

Through tight-tolerance calender roll grinding with Precision Roll Grinders, this customer successfully maintained strict electrode caliper specifications and achieved true Six Sigma capability at scale.

Ready to reduce variation in your calendering process? Contact your local Account Manager to discover how Precision Roll Grinders can help optimize your process.