[Exclusive] Sek, World's First High-Speed Inline X-ray CT Automatic Inspection System Delivered

Automatic Inspection Equipment Capable of 100% Inspection for Electric Vehicle and ESS Batteries
Battery Alignment, Layer Count Inspection... Applied to Production Line for the First Time Worldwide

Industrial X-ray company Sec has developed a high-speed inline X-ray CT automatic inspection system that conducts full inspections of medium and large batteries for electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS), and announced that it has signed a supply contract with a domestic electric vehicle battery manufacturer. Photo by Sec

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Industrial X-ray company Seck announced on the 29th that it has developed a high-speed inline X-ray CT automatic inspection system that performs full inspection of medium and large batteries for electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS), and has signed a manufacturing and supply contract with a domestic electric vehicle battery manufacturer.

The CT inspection device developed by Seck precisely measures the gap between the anode and cathode in the X-Y direction. It was introduced into the battery cell production line of a domestic customer and, after six months of verification, an additional supply contract was signed.

The inspection device checks the alignment status and the number of layers of electric vehicle batteries, and it is the world's first to be applied in an actual production line, achieving high-speed inspection with productivity reaching 10 to 30 ppm. Seck explained that the precision of the CT inspection device is at the highest level in the industry, significantly reducing the additional inspection costs required when using existing 2D inspection devices.

The electric vehicle battery manufacturing industry is adopting X-ray inspection devices to improve product stability and quality. However, existing 2D equipment and inspection methods had difficulty distinguishing electrodes and accurately identifying positions due to overlap, resulting in poor detection performance in terms of productivity and defect rates.

The high-speed inline X-ray CT automatic inspection equipment supplied by Seck to the battery manufacturer this time incorporates ▲ high-speed and high-precision imaging ▲ high-capacity data processing ▲ artificial intelligence (AI) interpretation technology. It automatically performs full inspection of the alignment of internal battery electrodes, inter-electrode distance, and layer counting. The company added that 3D CT inspection provides feedback on process improvement information in advance, effectively blocking defect leakage within the battery manufacturing process.

The dedicated X-ray tube applied this time features continuous beam generation technology for over 10,000 hours, reducing maintenance costs to one-fifth compared to existing 2D inspection devices.

Electric vehicle battery manufacturers in the United States and Europe are also promoting the introduction of CT inspection devices for cell inspection, and the utilization of CT inspection devices as global standard inspection tools for pouch and prismatic batteries is increasing. A Seck official stated that they are reviewing detailed specifications of the equipment with overseas battery manufacturers.

Kim Jonghyun, CEO of Seck, said, “Detecting micro defects and progressive defects to prevent accidents in advance is the core of X-ray inspection technology,” and added, “The high-speed inline X-ray CT inspection device will play an innovative role in improving the safety of electric vehicles and ESS and the quality of secondary batteries in the global market. We will contribute to the safe spread of electric vehicles through continuous development of CT-related technologies.”