G.D S.P.A.

An apparatus for building an electrochemical cell intended for battery production comprises a dispensing unit of a conductor element having a main body and a plurality of fins protruding from the main body, a coupling unit configured to couple the conductor element with at least another element to form an internal assembly of the electrochemical cell. The apparatus further comprises a folding unit configured to fold the fins increasing the inclination of the fins with respect to the main body while the conductor element is moved from the dispensing unit to the coupling unit. The folding unit comprises a deflector element configured to abut the fins, and a nozzle arranged at least partially upstream of the deflector element and configured to dispense a jet of air against the fins so that the fins are preliminarily folded before they abut the deflector element.

A Hipot test station for electrochemical cell assemblies. The test station comprises a press comprising a first plate and a second plate switchable between a test condition in which the first plate is moved towards the second plate to exert a compressive force on an electrochemical cell assembly and an idle condition in which the first plate is moved away from the second plate. The test station comprises a contacting assembly switchable between a contacting condition in which it is configured to electrically contact an electrochemical cell assembly and an idle condition in which it does not electrically contact said electrochemical cell assembly. The test station comprises a movement system configured to insert and remove an electrochemical cell assembly between the first and second plates, wherein the first plate can be moved towards and away from the second plate along a working direction contained in a horizontal plane.

A machine and method for forming an electrochemical cell, wherein a conveying apparatus is used in the machine and method comprising an idle roller having a geometric axis and an operating surface configured to be engaged at least partially by a strip element adapted to be dragged in a longitudinal direction thereof. The idle roller comprises a shell with a primary portion having a thickness that is substantially uniform along the geometric axis and not exceeding 1 mm. The shell can be coupled to at least one rotoidal joint member defining an axis of rotation and connecting the idle roller to a support structure. The conveying apparatus comprises a support device including two coupling portions configured to couple to the idle roller in a rotatable manner about the geometric axis, and at least one sensor device connected to one of said coupling portions and to the idle roller.

An apparatus for changing reels in electrochemical cell production, comprising: a frame; at least one mandrel supported by the frame and rotatable about an axis of rotation, the at least one mandrel comprising a shaft configured to accommodate a hollow core of a reel, the shaft comprising a loading end configured to thread the hollow core of the reel; an extraction system configured to translate at least the shaft in a longitudinal direction with respect to the axis of rotation, the shaft being movable between a working position and a loading/unloading position, the loading end being at a greater distance from the frame in the loading/unloading position than in the working position. A method for changing reels in electrochemical cell production. An electrochemical cell production method.

A plant including a workstation which includes a first robotic arm and gripping tools and a process for the automated handling of products within the plant. The process includes arranging the products randomly on a service plane of the workstation, acquiring an image of the products arranged on the service plane and obtaining, by processing the image, geometric characteristics of each of the products arranged on the service plane. For each of the products, the process also includes identifying, based on the respective geometric characteristics which have been obtained, a respective gripping tool among the gripping tools, associating the respective gripping tool with the first robotic arm, and moving the first robotic arm to grasp the product by the respective gripping tool, moving the grasped product from the service plane to an operating station of the plant and releasing the product in the operating station by the respective gripping tool.

A stacking apparatus ( 1 ) comprising a stacking station ( 26 ) configured to receive foil sheets ( 100 , 101 ); a first transfer device ( 10 ) for transferring first foil sheets ( 100 ) and a second transfer device ( 11 ) for transferring second foil sheets ( 101 ) movable alternately between a pick-up position and a release position; a feeder device ( 27 ) of a ribbon-like separator ( 102 ) towards the stacking station ( 26 ); a displacement device ( 29 ) fed by the feeder device ( 27 ) and comprising an accompanying device ( 30 ) movable between a first end position (P 1 ) and a second end position (P 2 ) and above the stacking station ( 26 ) when the second transfer device ( 11 ) moves from the release position to the pick-up position, and movable from the second end position (P 2 ) to the first end position (P 1 ) and above the stacking station ( 26 ) when the first transfer device ( 10 ) moves from the release position to the pick-up position. The displacement device ( 29 ) moves the accompanying device ( 30 ) between the first end position (P 1 ) and the second end position (P 2 ) and between the second end position (P 2 ) and the first end position (P 1 ) along a curved path (PC).

A system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes, includes first and second working stations for assembly/inspection operations on a first group of electronic cigarettes and disposed upstream and downstream of a first conveying path, respectively. Third and fourth working stations perform assembly/inspection operations on a second group of electronic cigarettes and are disposed upstream and downstream of a second conveying path, respectively. A single filling station receives the first group at a first loading zone and the second group at a second loading zone to fill the first group and the second group with a filling product; and releases the first group of filled electronic cigarettes at a first unloading zone and the second group of filled electronic cigarettes at a second unloading zone towards the second working station and towards the fourth working station, respectively.

Method and machine ( 1 ) for producing an article (A) comprising a folded sheet (F), the machine ( 1 ) comprising two support elements ( 4 ) that are movable and directly consecutive to each other, structured to hold the sheet (F) disposed on them; a first deposition system ( 11 ) for arranging the sheet (F) on the two support elements ( 4 ); a second deposition system ( 61 ) for arranging a base layer(S) in correspondence with the two support elements ( 4 ); a gluing material dispensing system ( 81 ); and a control unit ( 10 ) configured for: arranging the sheet (F) on holding onto the two support elements ( 4 ), reciprocally approaching the two support elements ( 4 ) for making on the sheet (F) a fold (P), bringing two terminally opposite folding lines (P 1 a , P 1 c ) of the fold (P) into mutual contact, applying gluing material onto the sheet (F), and coupling the base layer(S) to the sheet (F) for producing the article (A).

An apparatus ( 100 ) for making coils, preferably for electrochemical cells intended for battery production, comprises a feed unit ( 2 ) configured to feed at least a first strip-shaped article (N 1 ) intended to form a first coil (B 1 ) and a second strip-shaped article (N 2 ) intended to form a second coil (B 2 ), a winding unit ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of winding heads ( 10 ) including at least a first winding head ( 11 ) configured to wind the first strip-shaped article (N 1 ) and a second winding head ( 12 ) configured to wind the second strip-shaped article (N 2 ) and at least one movement device ( 3 ) of said winding heads ( 10 ) configured to move said first winding head ( 11 ) and said second winding head ( 12 ). Said first winding head ( 11 ) and said second winding head ( 12 ) define respective winding axes (X 1, X 2 ) substantially parallel to each other. Said winding unit ( 1 ) is configured so as to define a separation plane (P), said separation plane (P) being substantially perpendicular to said winding axes (X 1, X 2 ) and being positioned so that said first strip-shaped article (N 1 ) and said second strip-shaped article (N 2 ) are located one on one side and the other on the opposite side of said separation plane (P) at least at said first winding head ( 11 ) and said second winding head ( 12 ).

An apparatus for production of inner assemblies including a movable frame, movable between first and second positions, a coupling unit including a forming support mounted on the movable frame, the coupling unit to couple at least one web in an overlapping layers structure onto the forming support to form an inner assembly while the movable frame is moving between the first and second positions, an unloading mechanism to pick the inner assembly from the forming support while the movable frame is moving between the first and second positions, and to release the inner assembly in a predefined release area, spaced from the movable frame, the unloading mechanism including a gripping device to grab and hold the inner assembly and a moving device to move the gripping device substantially at the same speed and in the same direction as the movable frame while the gripping device grabs the inner assembly.