ParAlign Service Identifies Misalignment Across 100+ Rolls in 3 Hours for An EV Battery Manufacturer

Summary

Fluke Reliability helped a leading European EV battery manufacturer measure and verify roll alignment on two newly installed anode and cathode production lines thanks to the ParAlign Roll Alignment Service. Technicians carried out fast, accurate corrections and helped make sure the lines were production-ready for their customer, a global automaker headquartered in Europe.

Key Takeaways

• 220+ rolls measured in 6 hours: ParAlign’s rapid, non-line of sight measurement process enabled full assessment of two complex EV battery production lines.
• Measurement Precision better than 0.05 mm/m: Teams could verify and maintain tight alignment tolerances (+/- 0.10 mm/m to 0.20 mm/m depending of the rolls) throughout the correction process, supporting defect-free coating and lamination.
• 6-day alignment turnaround: The ParAlign Service team completed measurement and adjustments with the correction team in just a little less than a week.

Background

A leading European EV battery manufacturer had recently installed two new production lines — one for anode coating, and another for cathode. These lines were intended to produce high-quality electrode foil for use in electric vehicle batteries.

Each line supported a different half of the battery cell structure, with the cathode line producing positively charged layers and the anode line producing the negative. Layer registration between these materials is key to maintaining uniform coating, accurate tension control and exact layer registration, which are important for long-term battery performance.

As the ParAlign Service Technician at the appointment noted, the pressure was especially high: the end product was destined for a global automaker known for stringent quality standards, so “everything had to be perfect.” In such high-speed, roll-to-roll environments, even minor misalignments in the machines can introduce serious production risks, including uneven electrode coatings, skewed or folded separators, tab misplacement or tearing, and internal cell shorts.

These issues often remain hidden until late-stage quality checks or post-assembly testing, by which point teams have already sunk considerable labor and material costs into production. Verifying alignment at the earliest stages of production is the best — and often only — way to mitigate the risk of critical battery failures down the line.

Before starting production, the manufacturer brought in the ParAlign Roll Alignment Service team to verify and document the alignment of all critical rolls across both lines. The rollers in each section of the machine had been pre-aligned at the factory, but after installation, the different parts of the machine needed to be aligned with each other on site.

Challenges

Achieving precise roll alignment across both the anode and cathode machines presented several technical hurdles.

The customer required extremely tight tolerances: +/- 0.10 mm/m or 0.20 mm/m (depending of the rolls) from reference roll— which demanded a level of precision that could not be met through visual inspection or manual adjustment alone. This tolerance is significantly tighter than those encountered in traditional web-based industries such as paper or film, where thresholds of about 0.30 mm/m or more are common. The foil material is extremely thin — so even minor roll misalignment can lead to visible defects like wrinkles, scratches, or web breaks.  “You have to be able to adjust to within 0.10 mm/m or 0.20 mm/m depending on the rolls,” the ParAlign Service technician noted. “Otherwise, the material can be damaged as it moves through the machine.”

Because each correction had to be confirmed within strict tolerances, the measurement process had to support immediate, repeatable feedback for every roll — enabling technicians to confirm the accuracy of the alignment as work progressed. And since machine alignment was one of the final steps before production could begin, it was important that the process be completed as efficiently and accurately as possible.

Implementation

Although structurally similar, the two newly installed machines were located in different areas of the facility and had to be aligned as separate systems. Each contained more than 25 critical rolls that required verification before production could begin.

Because the rolls were compact (approximately one meter in length) and readily accessible, the ParAlign team completed the full measurement process of 1 line in under 3 hours. This speed was made possible by the unique capabilities of the ParAlign device. Unlike optical methods that require a clear line of sight and frequent setup changes, ParAlign uses inertial sensor technology to capture alignment data while moving quickly from roll to roll — even in complex or enclosed layouts.

To maximize precision, technicians selected a single reference roll at the start of each scan. The ParAlign team took all measurements relative to this roll, creating a consistent angular baseline across the system. This method allows for highly accurate comparisons between rolls and helps avoid cumulative error, particularly in systems composed of multiple modular sections.

Results

The ParAlign Service enabled the manufacturer to bring both new battery production lines into operation with confidence in their mechanical setup.

The iterative alignment process, supported by rapid remeasurement, allowed the customer to complete corrections efficiently, without delays or rework. As a result, they could start production on both the anode and cathode lines, with traceable alignment data available for internal validation and accountability.

Beyond immediate quality concerns, misalignment can accelerate mechanical wear. “When the machine isn’t aligned properly, you reduce the working life of bearings and other structural components.”  Aside from meeting immediate production goals, the service also established a reliable alignment baseline for future maintenance cycles, helping the facility build long-term process stability into its EV battery operations.