| Planned automation of the inductive hot pressing of electrically conductive compound materials for the production of bipolar plates for the energy transition. |
State-of-the-art technology developments are an important prerequisite for achieving climate goals. The UltraPress research object is used for the production of graphite-based bipolar plates for NT-PEM fuel cells (low-temperature polymer electrolyte). With regard to the high cost and time savings, the manufacturing process is to be further developed and converted into a series production in the new follow-up project UltraPress2. Since its official launch in October 2021, it has received four years of funding from the programme of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy.
Direct partners belonging to the project consortium are Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH as project manager, Boyke Press Technology GmbH, Eisenhuth GmbH & Co. KG, Runkel Fertigteilbau GmbH and the Institute for Design and Production in Precision Engineering of the University of Stuttgart (IKFF) plus the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT) as well as associated companies such as MC-Bauchemie Müller GmbH & Co. KG and eldec Induction GmbH.
Caption: UltraPress2 tool setup with induction coil, cooling concept and steel boom with integrated flow field._(c) IKFF of the University of Stuttgart