TOFD PROBES New HotSense™ time-of-flight diffrac- tion (TOFD) probes are now available for in-service detection and characterization of welds defects. They are available in single probes as well as the brand-new complete kit. Benefits of using the HotSense TOFD probes include high-temperature pre-inspections to opti- mize shutdowns, maximized productivity with reduced downtime and outages with on-stream inspection, and standard- ized data collection using commercial UT flaw detectors and scanners. IONIX ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES LTD. IONIXADVANCEDTECHNOLOGIES.CO.UK OPTICAL FIBER Armadillo SIA introduces the Optran® UV NSS Fiber, specially designed to provide excellent deep-UV (ultraviolet) solariza- tion resistance. The new optical fiber features a hermetic carbon layer, very low numerical aperture (NA) expansion, and superior optical stability while operating in the UVC spectral range and beyond, from 190 nm to 1200 nm. The high solarization-resistance fibers are a great solution for semiconductor technology, laser delivery systems, spectroscopy, medical technology, and diagnostics. The UV NSS optical fibers are available in any NA value from 0.12 to 0.30 and can be customized upon request. ARMADILLO SIA ARMADILLOSIA.COM DATA LOGGER CAS Dataloggers has released the Grant Instruments SQ16 and SQ16-plus data loggers with an updated SquirrelView software and the new SquirrelView mobile app. The Squirrel SQ range represents the next generation of data logging systems with powerful measurement performance, connectivity, and innovative software features. Building on the capabilities of the previous generations of Squirrel data loggers, the SQ16 data loggers provide universal analog input channels to measure current, voltage, resistance, and a host of parameters, including temperature, humidity, pressure, flow, wind speed, and concentration. Digital channels can automatically trigger or stop logging. GRANT INSTRUMENTS (CAMBRIDGE) LTD. GRANTINSTRUMENTS.COM SCANNER | NEWPRODUCTS | SHOWCASE FLAT PANEL DETECTORS Thanks to its portability and large active area of 36 × 43 cm (14.1 × 16.9 in.), the new DRC 3643 NDT flat panel detector is particularly well suited for corrosion and erosion inspec- tions on pipes. With a pixel pitch of 140 µm, the DRC 3643 NDT offers an optimal balance between fine resolution and good sensitivity for all popular NDT applications. It is suitable for both X-ray and gamma sources and for use with energies up to 350 kV. DÜRR NDT GMBH & CO. KG DUERR-NDT.COM With its compact and durable design, the new YXLON UX50 computed tomog- raphy system has been developed especially for the production envi- ronment, with a specific focus on the automotive and foundry industry. With an output of 450 kV, the UX50 is suitable for testing dense and large components and offers maximum flexibility attributed to the selectable equipment of both flat-panel and/or line detectors. Regardless of the application, extensive CT techniques and image enhancement tools ensure optimal results in 3D analyses. COMET YXLON YXLON.COMET.TECH 14 M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2

NDEOUTLOOK | SCANNER IN-LINE INSPECTION FOR EV BATTERY CELLS Background It is an understatement to say that elec- tric vehicles (EV) are a disruptive tech- nology. Automotive companies are rapidly altering their product lines to include EVs. General Motors plans to introduce 20 new EVs and invest US$35 billion globally in EVs and autonomous vehicles by 20251. Of course, lithium-ion batteries are not unique to EVs. These batteries permeate various industries from consumer electronics to aerospace, but the rise of EVs means that their prevalence will increase. Additionally, EV battery packs contain many cells and have much larger form factors than their consumer electronics counterparts. Manufacturing defect-free batteries is therefore especially imperative since there is a safety component. In today’s highly customized and fast-paced envi- ronment, we need real-time quality feedback since we cannot take years to perfect manufacturing processes on high-volume applications. We therefore must implement NDE methods in-line to ensure safe, defect-free, high-quality batteries. Up Until Now Huge advancements have been made in NDE technologies in recent years such as total focusing method (TFM), fast computed tomography (CT), EMATs (electromagnetic acoustic transducers), microwave testing, and terahertz imaging, not to mention the philosoph- ical shift encapsulated in the NDE 4.0 methodology. Most of this technological development has been driven by the aerospace, transportation, and structural industries. These are extremely important areas however, NDE research and technology specifically geared toward electric vehicle batteries is severely underrepresented. In fact, there are very few NDE technologies that can operate under the constraints imposed by the battery cell manufacturing line, which requires noncontact measurements of thin conductively coated materials at high line speeds. Individually, technologies exist that can meet these constraints. Air-coupled ultrasound, laser ultrasound, thermography, and eddy current satisfy the noncontact constraint. Acoustic microscopy can measure thicknesses of very thin materials. Eddy current is great for measuring insulating coating thicknesses on conductive materials. Many technologies satisfy the high- speed data acquisition constraint. It is the simultaneous combination of all these constraints that makes in-line NDE for EVs very challenging. There must there- fore be an NDE paradigm shift to keep pace and address these gaps in the technology. Outlook We will soon have access to the newly formed Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center2 at the General Motors Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. This center “will be capable of building large-format, prototype lithium-metal battery cells” and enable acceleration of new “production methods that can be quickly deployed at battery cell manu- facturing plants.”2 From an NDE research perspective, this facility will be extremely valuable for testing and validating various inspection techniques in an environment more relevant to production than the lab. The next few years will likely bring the most advances in NDE technology in three battery manufacturing areas: roll-to-roll processing, multilayer foil- to-tab welds, and fully assembled cell inspection. These three areas present the largest opportunity, and accordingly are where GM R&D is focusing the most NDE research efforts. The first—NDE for roll-to-roll processing—involves inspec- tion on bare or coated foils3, which are moved via rollers at speeds 50 m/s. The active material coatings are typically 50 to 100 μm thick conductive material on a ~10 μm thick metallic foil substrate (see photo). Depending on the point in the manufacturing process, NDE technolo- gies must characterize coating thickness or thickness uniformity, quantify coating porosity, and detect any defects at line speed. The second research area is NDE for assessing the electrical and structural integrity of multilayer foil-to-tab welds. These welds are extremely complex, as they are comprised of many foils, gener- ally laser or ultrasonically welded to the battery tab4–7. Future technologies will need to be capable of inspecting and detecting defects in these complex welds. The biggest opportunity to imple- ment these technologies will be immedi- ately after weld, since the weld eventually resides in the pouch and is inaccessible for a fully assembled cell. The reader may have noticed that the first two NDE applications are in-line rather than post-line manufacturing. One reason is that employing inspection techniques in-line allows for real-time NDE Outlook is a new column focusing on possibility thinking for NDT and NDE. Topics may include technology trends, research in progress, or calls to action. To contribute, please contact Associate Technical Editor Ripi Singh at ripi@inspiringnext.com. Example of roll-to-roll electrode manufacturing process. N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 15