Open Source Assistive Device for Cylindrical Cell Spot Welding

Abstract

The development of prototype electric vehicles requires the construction of custom battery pack geometries. For student teams, cylindrical cells often are the preferred option over pouch cells, enabling complex geometrical pack shapes. Spot welding the cells manually to the current collectors, as is commonly done by student teams on a tight budget, is an inefficient process that produces inconsistent welds and poses a risk of puncturing the cells. To address these challenges, an improved spot welding system will be designed to increase efficiency, improve weld consistency, and reduce the risk of cell damage.