Driving EV innovation: How diondo and Comet X-ray are revolutionizing battery inspection
January 23, 2025
With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market, ensuring battery safety and quality has become more critical than ever. At Comet X-ray, we collaborate closely with our partners, like diondo, to tackle the toughest challenges in battery testing. Together, we develop innovative solutions that push the boundaries of non-destructive testing (NDT) technology and set new standards for the industry.
With the increased complexity of EV battery designs, ensuring product quality and safety is more challenging than ever. Even minor defects can pose serious risks, potentially leading to overheating, fires, or even explosions. This has made non-destructive testing (NDT) with X-ray technology a vital step in the manufacturing process.
With the recent developments, manufacturers are looking to inspect battery packs and entire modules. These are very dense and complex, which means X-ray sources with high power and high throughput are needed, while still providing the resolution to see the significant details.
Minifocus
MesoFocus
Image comparison of a screw in a battery module.
A partnership built on expertise
In response to these demands, diondo developed the d3, a cutting-edge inspection system integrating two of Comet X-ray's high-performance sources: the 450 kV High Power (HP) and the 450 kV MesoFocus (MF) X-ray tubes. This collaboration highlights how our tailored solutions empower partners to meet the evolving needs of industries such as EV battery manufacturing.
By combining diondo’s system expertise with Comet X-ray’s advanced technology, the resulting solution offers maximum flexibility and precision for at-line quality testing. Operators can seamlessly switch between radioscopy, micro-CT, and high-power CT, adapting to the requirements of different use cases and balancing speed with detail as needed.
Why two X-ray tubes in one system?
The dual-tube setup underscores the strengths of each X-ray source:
- High Power (HP): Ideal for short scanning times, enabling 24/7 inspections. Operators can quickly and continuously assess quality without disrupting production flow.
- MesoFocus (MF): Used for detailed inspections, providing high-resolution images to pinpoint and analyze faults for deeper insights.
This complementary combination not only boosts inspection capabilities but also minimizes production downtime, ensuring reliability and efficiency.
What are EV battery manufacturers looking for?
In today’s EV and automotive sectors, manufacturers require solutions that deliver both versatility and robustness. Systems like the d3 leveraging Comet X-ray technology are perfectly suited for dense battery packs and steel components, enabling thorough inspection at every stage – from research and development to high-speed production.
By integrating two closed X-ray sources, such systems provide enhanced reliability in harsh production environments. For example, battery packs can first undergo rapid scanning with the HP tube to identify issues like voids or poor cell connections. Any anomalies can then be inspected in greater detail with the MF tube, providing insights that help manufacturers refine their processes and improve yield.
«Using Comet’s sealed HP 11 and MesoFocus tubes, our systems combine top-tier resolution and speed, designed specifically for seamless integration on the production line.»
Benjamin Zengerling
Director of Sales at diondo
Preparing for the future of quality inspection
As structures get smaller and more complex, non-destructive testing at and in the production line becomes more important than ever. Manufacturers require fast quality inspection in multiple production steps to be able to detect faults early on and increase yield. X-ray systems must be fast and reliable, which means preventative maintenance is key.
Systems with two or even three X-ray sources don’t just benefit the EV battery market, but are suited for a number of industries like electronics and semiconductors. Especially research institutes can benefit from a system that additionally includes a microfocus X-ray tube for applications where even more resolution is needed.
At Comet X-ray, we remain committed to innovating the next generation of X-ray sources and components, ensuring our customers and partners stay ahead of the curve.
By partnering with companies like diondo, we combine our expertise to create solutions that don’t just meet today’s challenges – they anticipate tomorrow’s.
About diondo
diondo is a manufacturer and service provider for system and software solutions in CT-based materials testing and metrology. The company develops and manufactures Computed Tomography systems for industrial applications. As a service provider, the company offers its expertise and systems for the non-destructive, true-to-scale, internal and external inspection of any sample, to customers from a range of industries.
For all things batteries, diondo and VisiConsult are bundling their combined expertise under VC Battery, where they focus on inspection solutions for the whole value chain and lifecycle of the battery.
About MesoFocus
Combining excellent performance and high throughput, the MesoFocus modules are ideal for inline inspection and 24/7 operation without sacrificing image quality and resolution.
The MesoFocus modules reduce inspection times by up to 60% compared to standard open-microfocus modules.
Available in 225 and 450 kV.
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