1. Industry Background and Core Requirements
The explosive growth of the global new energy vehicle and energy storage markets has driven the annual production capacity of lithium-ion batteries to exceed 800GWh (according to SNE Research data). To meet the mandatory requirements for battery traceability set by international standards such as UL/IEC, traditional inkjet coding and mechanical engraving have gradually been phased out due to issues like easy detachment and material damage. Laser marking technology has become an industry standard thanks to the following advantages:
Permanent Marking: By vaporizing surface materials to form micro-holes at the 0.01mm level, it withstands high temperatures (>500°C) and acid/base corrosion.
Zero Contact Processing: Prevents deformation or contamination of battery metal/polymer materials during marking.
Smart Traceability Support: Can directly read QR codes and Data Matrix codes, increasing single code information capacity by 50 times.
2. Typical Application Scenarios and Technical Analysis
- Precision Marking of Cell Electrodes
Technical Challenges: Aluminum/copper foil thickness is only 6-20μm; traditional mechanical pressure can easily cause electrode breakage.
Solution: Use a 10W fiber laser with a pulse width ≤20ns to achieve QR code marking with a line width of 10μm.
Case Data: After implementation by a top 10 battery company, the electrode defect rate dropped from 0.12% to 0.03%. - Anti-counterfeiting Traceability of Battery Casing
Process Requirements: Engrave 12×12mm QR codes on aluminum alloy/stainless steel casings, meeting IP67 protection ratings.
Technological Breakthrough: UV laser (355nm) cold processing technology, depth control ±5μm, scanning rate increased to 99.8%.
Industry Standards: Compliant with GB/T 34014-2017 “Automotive Power Battery Coding Rules”. - Permanent Identification of PCBA Circuit Boards
Pain Point Analysis: Traditional silk-screened ink blurs easily in high temperature/high humidity environments, leading to after-sales liability disputes.
Innovative Process: CO2 laser (10.6μm wavelength) engraves UL certification marks on FR-4 substrates, character depth 0.1mm.
Test Data: Clarity remains unchanged after 1000 hours in an 85°C/85%RH environment. - Module-level Full-process Traceability System
System Architecture: Laser marking workstation integrated with MES, supporting three-level traceability from individual cells to modules to PACK.
Key Technologies:
Dynamic visual positioning (accuracy ±0.05mm)
Anti-reflective surface AI recognition algorithm
High-speed coding capability of 30 cells per second
Benefit Comparison: After implementation in a certain energy storage project, product recall costs were reduced by 72%.
3. Technical Selection and Equipment Parameter Recommendations
Configuration schemes recommended for different production stages:
Application Recommended Laser Type Wavelength Power Range Marking Speed
Metal Casing Marking Fiber Laser 1064nm 30-50W 1200mm/s
Polymer Material Marking UV Laser 355nm 3-5W 800mm/s
Electrode Micro-hole Marking Green Light Laser 532nm 10-15W 1500mm/s
Note: Actual parameters need to be customized based on material thickness, production line rhythm, etc.
4. Future Trends and Innovation Directions
Composite Processing Technology: Integrated cleaning→marking→inspection workstation reduces cycle time by 40%.
AI Quality Monitoring: Real-time defect detection (scratches, missing marks, etc.) accuracy reaches 99.5% based on deep learning.
Green Manufacturing Upgrade: Compared to inkjet coding, a single device reduces VOC emissions by 2.3 tons annually.
Conclusion
As a core enabling technology for the new energy industry, laser marking is reshaping quality standards and traceability systems in battery manufacturing. Synmark Laser, with 18 years of industry experience, provides customized solutions from standalone equipment to whole-factory traceability systems, serving leading enterprises such as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) and BYD.
To obtain a personalized technical solution, Email: info@synmarklaser.com
