Abstract: A vision inspection system for laser welds includes a scanning station to support a workpiece including one or more laser welds. A vision sensing assembly includes a top surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a light source, and a sensor. The light source illuminates the workpiece while the sensor generates an image of the one or more laser welds of the workpiece. A shield is arranged around the top surface and the side surfaces of the vision sensing assembly. The bottom surface of the vision sensing assembly is arranged above a lower edge of the shield by a first predetermined distance.

Abstract: A system including a busbar having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a terminal including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, two or more welds applied to one of the top surface of the terminal or the bottom surface of the busbar, the two or more welds extending to a height between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm and being configured to maintain a gap of between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm in the subsequent welding area between the bottom surface of the busbar and the top surface of the terminal when the bottom surface of the busbar is mated with the top surface of the terminal, and one or more welds applied to the busbar and the terminal to secure the busbar to the terminal.

Abstract: Presented are smart manufacturing systems for optimized curing of adhesives for battery assemblies, methods for making/using such systems, and memory-stored instructions for automating operation of such systems. A method of assembling a battery module includes aligning a stack of battery cells on a workpiece carrier and compressing the cell stack to a predefined length. Module housing side plates are positioned on opposing lateral sides of the compressed cell stack and a heat-cured structural adhesive material (SAM) is injected between the side plates and the lateral sides of the cell stack. A conductive heating system heats the module housing side plates to cure the SAM. While heating the side plates, a cell thermal conditioning system cools a select surface of the compressed cell stack. Upon determining that a monitored cure time reaches a predefined cure time, the system discontinues heating of the side plates and cooling of the battery cells.

Abstract: A vision inspection system for laser welds includes a scanning station to support a workpiece including one or more laser welds. A vision sensing assembly includes a top surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a light source, and a sensor. The light source illuminates the workpiece while the sensor generates an image of the one or more laser welds of the workpiece. A shield is arranged around the top surface and the side surfaces of the vision sensing assembly. The bottom surface of the vision sensing assembly is arranged above a lower edge of the shield by a first predetermined distance.