Battery Weld Inspection Solutions

Take Battery Performance to the Next Level

MoviTHERM’s battery weld inspection system is an out-of-the-box solution for in-line monitoring of battery electrode and cell welding processes. Leveraging infrared camera technology, the battery weld inspection system provides fast and reliable non-contact measurements to maintain proper temperatures across the entire welded surface, resulting in a high-quality, low-resistant connection.

Battery Weld Inspection Solutions

Take Battery Performance to the Next Level

MoviTHERM’s battery weld inspection system is an out-of-the-box solution for in-line monitoring of battery electrode and cell welding processes. Leveraging infrared camera technology, the battery weld inspection system provides fast and reliable non-contact measurements to maintain proper temperatures across the entire welded surface, resulting in a high-quality, low-resistant connection.

Optimize Performance

Ensure Safety

Protect Brand Reputation

battery weld inspection equipment

Ensure High-Quality Battery Welds

If you’re involved in the production or utilization of batteries, this is the place to discover how active thermography can revolutionize your operations. Our advanced technology harnesses the power of thermal imaging to optimize battery life and performance by guaranteeing high-quality welds. Our system ensures the utmost reliability, safety, and efficiency in your battery-related endeavors..

Using Active Thermography for Quality Inspection

Active thermography offers superior effectiveness for battery weld defect detection compared to passive thermography. While both methods utilize infrared imaging, active thermography deliberately introduces external energy to stimulate thermal responses.

The controlled excitation generates significant thermal contrasts between the defect and the surrounding material. Active thermography enhances the detection sensitivity, making it more proficient at identifying subtle defects that may be challenging to detect with other inspection methods.

Type of Defects That Can Be Detected

Cold welds occur when there is inadequate heat during welding, resulting in poor fusion between the components. These weak connections can lead to increased resistance, reduced current flow, and diminished battery performance.

Weld cracks are visible fractures or fissures in the weld joint. They can occur due to excessive heat, improper cooling, or material inconsistencies. Detecting weld cracks early on helps prevent potential battery failure or safety hazards.

Incomplete penetration happens when the weld does not fully penetrate the joint, leaving voids or gaps. This defect can result in reduced mechanical strength, compromising the structural integrity of the battery.

Excessive penetration occurs when the weld penetrates too deeply into the base material, potentially causing damage to internal components or compromising the battery’s overall performance and lifespan.

Weld splatter refers to the undesirable expulsion of molten metal particles during welding. It can lead to short circuits, increased resistance, and potential electrical malfunctions within the battery.

Benefits of Infrared Battery Weld Inspection

Infrared imaging allows for non-destructive testing of battery welds, ensuring high-quality and reliable connections without compromising the battery’s integrity.

By identifying and addressing weld defects, infrared inspection minimizes the risk of battery failure, electrical malfunctions, or safety hazards caused by faulty welds.

High-quality welds achieved through infrared imaging optimize the battery’s electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, improving overall performance and longevity.

With the ability to swiftly detect and address weld defects, infrared inspection streamlines production processes, reducing scrap and rework, and maximizing operational efficiency.

Early defect detection and prevention through infrared imaging help minimize the risk of expensive battery failures, warranty claims, and product recalls, resulting in significant cost savings for manufacturers and users.

Infrared inspection provides valuable data and visual evidence of weld quality, empowering companies to make informed decisions, implement process improvements, and optimize their battery manufacturing or usage protocols.

Ensure High-Quality Battery Welds

If you’re involved in the production or utilization of batteries, this is the place to discover how active thermography can revolutionize your operations. Our advanced technology harnesses the power of thermal imaging to optimize battery life and performance by guaranteeing high-quality welds. Our system ensures the utmost reliability, safety, and efficiency in your battery-related endeavors.

Battery weld inspection using thermal imaging

Type of Defects That Can Be Detected

Cold welds occur when there is inadequate heat during welding, resulting in poor fusion between the components. These weak connections can lead to increased resistance, reduced current flow, and diminished battery performance.

Weld cracks are visible fractures or fissures in the weld joint. They can occur due to excessive heat, improper cooling, or material inconsistencies. Detecting weld cracks early on helps prevent potential battery failure or safety hazards.

Incomplete penetration happens when the weld does not fully penetrate the joint, leaving voids or gaps. This defect can result in reduced mechanical strength, compromising the structural integrity of the battery.

Excessive penetration occurs when the weld penetrates too deeply into the base material, potentially causing damage to internal components or compromising the battery’s overall performance and lifespan.

Weld splatter refers to the undesirable expulsion of molten metal particles during welding. It can lead to short circuits, increased resistance, and potential electrical malfunctions within the battery.

Benefits of Infrared Battery Weld Inspection

Infrared imaging allows for non-destructive testing of battery welds, ensuring high-quality and reliable connections without compromising the battery’s integrity.

By identifying and addressing weld defects, infrared inspection minimizes the risk of battery failure, electrical malfunctions, or safety hazards caused by faulty welds.

High-quality welds achieved through infrared imaging optimize the battery’s electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, improving overall performance and longevity.

With the ability to swiftly detect and address weld defects, infrared inspection streamlines production processes, reducing scrap and rework, and maximizing operational efficiency.

Early defect detection and prevention through infrared imaging help minimize the risk of expensive battery failures, warranty claims, and product recalls, resulting in significant cost savings for manufacturers and users.

Infrared inspection provides valuable data and visual evidence of weld quality, empowering companies to make informed decisions, implement process improvements, and optimize their battery manufacturing or usage protocols.

How does the system work?

BWI uses Active Lock-in Thermography (LiT) which consists of applying a periodic electrical signal to the battery and monitoring the resultant temperature variation with a synchronized thermal camera. The electrical signal is applied by an external power supply or the source load during the end-of-line load test. A computer captures multiple IR images and applies a processing algorithm to produce a surface map identifying localized hotspots. LiT produces images with greater resolution and temperature distribution over passive IR thermography.

Active vs. Passive Thermography

Active thermography offers several advantages over passive thermography for battery weld quality inspection. Here are the key advantages of active thermography:

  • Increased Sensitivity: Active thermography can produce up to a 100 times improvement in sensitivity for improved defect and thermal variation sensing. This enables the detection of subtle defects providing more accurate and detailed detection.
  • Defect Localization: Active thermography provides better localization of defects and severity overcoming thermal bleed due to conduction within the test sample.

  • Reduced Reflection Interference: Active Lock-in thermography is less influenced by emissivity allowing for reliable inspection of reflective materials.

  • Defect Detection and Quality Control: Active thermography facilitates the earliest identification of defects, ensuring high-quality battery production and reducing the risk of potential failures or safety hazards. 

Supported Infrared Cameras

Teledyne FLIR® A6781 Teledyne FLIR® A8581 Teledyne FLIR® X8581
Resolution 640 x 512 1280 x 1024 336 x 256 / 640 x 512
Full Frame Rate Programmable; 0.0015 Hz to 125 Hz (GigE), 60 Hz (CXP) Programmable; 0.0015 Hz to ~45 Hz Programmable: ~0.5 Hz to 181 Hz
Standard Temperature Range -20°C to 350°C (-4°F to 662°F) -20°C to 350°C (-4°F to 662°F) -20°C to 350°C (-4°F to 662°F)
Optional Temperature Range 45°C to 600°C (113°F to 1112°F) (ND1)
250°C to 2000°C (482°F to 3632°F) (ND2)
500°C to 3000°C (932°F to 5432°F) (ND3)		 45°C to 600°C (113°F to 1112°F) (ND1)
250°C to 2000°C (482°F to 3632°F) (ND2)
500°C to 3000°C (932°F to 5432°F) (ND3)		 45°C to 600°C (113°F to 1112°F) (ND1)
250°C to 2000°C (482°F to 3632°F) (ND2)
500°C to 3000°C (932°F to 5432°F) (ND3)
Accuracy ≤100°C (≤212°F), ±2°C (±3.6°F) accuracy (±1°C/1.8°F typical); >100°C ±2% of reading (±1% typical) ≤100°C: ±2°C (±1°C typical), >100°C: ±2% of reading (±1% typical) ≤100°C: ±2°C (±1°C typical), >100°C: ±2% of reading (±1% typical)
Sensitivity ≤20 mK (typical) ≤30 mK (typical) ≤30 mK (typical)

*Specifications are subject to change without notice. 6/2023

Ready to ensure the integrity of your battery welds?

Schedule a call today to explore the benefits of thermal imaging for assessing battery weld quality.

battery weld inspection using thermal imaging

Helpful Resources

Battery weld inspection using thermal imaging

Battery Inspection Using Active Thermography

We discuss how active thermography and non-destructive testing can be used for battery inspection at various stages of the manufacturing process.

graphic explaining how infrared non destructive testing works

How does infrared non destructive testing work?

Learn how infrared non-destructive testing works and the multiple types of excitation sources that can be used for active thermography.

flash thermography of propeller blades

How is a flash thermography measurement performed?

Flash thermography is considered an active thermography inspection method. Learn how it is used in non-destructive testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

<p>The best way to determine this is to speak with a MoviTHERM sales engineer. You can <a href=”https://calendly.com/eric_hughes_movitherm/30_minutes”>schedule a consultation here.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yes. Our system does not require inspection during the actual welding process. It uses external excitation to induce thermal differences in the weld.</p>

<p>Spot, seam, tab, busbar, and terminal weld types can be inspected with active thermography.</p>

<p>Absolutely! We recommend hiring MoviTHERM for the commissioning and training phase of the system deployment. Nobody knows our systems better than we. We design and build them! Additionally, you gain access to thermography experts to ensure you achieve the best return on investment.</p>

<p>Yes, the system can be integrated into a production process for automated inspection. The system can be synchronized with other equipment and machinery in the production line. It can communicate with the plant’s PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or other control devices to transfer status messages, PASS/FAIL results, or trigger actions based on inspection outcomes.</p>