Fuel cell manufacturing apparatus and fuel cell manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technology that enables efficient manufacturing of fuel cells.SOLUTION: A fuel cell manufacturing apparatus includes a first press mold and a second press mold that, together with the first press mold, sandwiches and presses a stack including a membrane electrode assembly, an adhesive, and a separator of the fuel cell, thereby bonding the membrane electrode assembly and the separator via an adhesive. At least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a first portion that applies pressure to the periphery of the power generation area of the fuel cell, and a second portion that applies pressure to the periphery of the manifold of the fuel cell.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus and a fuel cell manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] A method for manufacturing a fuel cell using a hot press device is known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-013753 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, press dies specially designed for fuel cells have been used in the press process, so when producing multiple types of fuel cells on a single production line, the press dies must be changed, making it impossible to efficiently produce multiple types of fuel cells. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus. The fuel cell manufacturing apparatus includes a first press mold and a second press mold that, together with the first press mold, sandwiches and presses a stack including a membrane electrode assembly, an adhesive, and a separator of the fuel cell, thereby bonding the membrane electrode assembly and the separator via the adhesive. At least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a first portion that applies pressure to a periphery of a power generation area of ​​the fuel cell and a second portion that applies pressure to a periphery of a manifold of the fuel cell. This type of fuel cell manufacturing apparatus allows the first and second press dies to pressurize the areas where adhesive is present that are common to multiple types of fuel cells, thereby reducing the frequency with which the first and second press dies need to be replaced and enabling efficient manufacturing of multiple types of fuel cells. (2) In the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus of the above aspect, the thickness of the first portion and the second portion may be greater than the thickness of a portion of the stack that has the power generation area. According to this type of fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, the power generation area can be prevented from being pressurized, thereby preventing damage to the power generation area due to pressurization. (3) In the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus of the above aspect, at least one of the first press mold and the second press mold may have a third portion that overlaps the power generation area, and may be configured so that the thickness of the third portion is changeable. According to this aspect of the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, the third portion can pressurize positions that cannot be pressurized by the first portion or the second portion, thereby reducing the number of positions where insufficient pressurization occurs. (4) In the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus of the above aspect, the first press die and the second press die may be used to temporarily assemble the membrane electrode assembly and the separator. According to this type of fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, temporary assembly can be carried out efficiently. (5) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a fuel cell, the method including the steps of: preparing a stack including a membrane electrode assembly, an adhesive, and a separator of the fuel cell; and sandwiching and pressing the stack between a first press mold and a second press mold to bond the membrane electrode assembly and the separator via the adhesive. At least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a first portion that applies pressure to a periphery of a power generation area of ​​the fuel cell and a second portion that applies pressure to a periphery of a manifold of the fuel cell. According to this fuel cell manufacturing method, the first press die and the second press die can pressurize the position where adhesive is present in common to multiple types of fuel cells, thereby reducing the frequency of replacing the first press die and the second press die, and enabling efficient manufacturing of multiple types of fuel cells. The present disclosure can be realized in various forms other than a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus and a fuel cell manufacturing method, for example, a press apparatus, a press method, or the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a fuel cell. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a press device. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a fuel cell. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a press die according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. Implementation: FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a fuel cell 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the fuel cell 10 is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. However, the fuel cell 10 may be a fuel cell other than a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. A single fuel cell 10 may be referred to as a single cell, and a stack of multiple single cells may be referred to as a stack. In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the term fuel cell refers to a single cell.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell 10 includes a membrane electrode assembly 20, a resin sheet 30, and two separators 40A and 40B. The fuel cell 10 generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between air supplied as a cathode gas and hydrogen supplied as an anode gas. In this embodiment, the fuel cell 10 is rectangular in plan view. Manifolds 11-13 and 16-18, through which anode gas, cathode gas, and coolant flow, are provided at both ends of the fuel cell 10 in the longitudinal direction LD. The membrane electrode assembly 20 is rectangular in plan view. The resin sheet 30 is rectangular in plan view and is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly 20. The inner periphery of the resin sheet 30 is bonded to the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly 20. The two separators 40A and 40B are disposed so as to sandwich the membrane electrode assembly 20 and the resin sheet 30. Each separator 40A and 40B is rectangular in plan view. Each of the separators 40A, 40B is joined to the resin sheet 30. The resin sheet 30 and each of the separators 40A, 40B are provided with through holes that form the manifolds 11-13, 16-18.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, the membrane electrode assembly 20 includes an electrolyte membrane 21, electrode catalyst layers 22A and 22B provided on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 21, and gas diffusion layers 23A and 23B provided on the electrode catalyst layers 22A and 22B, respectively. However, the membrane electrode assembly 20 does not necessarily include the gas diffusion layers 23A and 23B. The electrode catalyst layer 22A is a cathode electrode, and the electrode catalyst layer 22B is an anode electrode. The electrolyte membrane 21 is made of, for example, a fluororesin-based ion exchange membrane. The electrode catalyst layers 22A and 22B are made of, for example, a carbon support carrying a platinum catalyst. The gas diffusion layers 23A and 23B are made of, for example, carbon paper.

[0011] The inner periphery of the resin sheet 30 is bonded to the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly 20 by, for example, a photocurable adhesive. The resin sheet 30 includes a core layer 31 and adhesive layers 32A and 32B provided on both sides of the core layer 31. The core layer 31 is made of, for example, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). The adhesive layers 32A and 32B are made of, for example, a modified olefin-based hot-melt adhesive. The melting point of the core layer 31 is preferably higher than the melting points of the adhesive layers 32A and 32B. The tensile strength of the core layer 31 is preferably higher than the tensile strength of the adhesive layers 32A and 32B. The hardness of the core layer 31 is preferably higher than the hardness of the adhesive layers 32A and 32B.

[0012] The separators 40A, 40B are joined to the resin sheet 30 by adhesive layers 32A, 32B. The separators 40A, 40B are made of, for example, a titanium alloy. The separators 40A, 40B have recesses and protrusions formed thereon by, for example, press molding. The recesses and protrusions form a flow path for the cathode gas between the cathode-side separator 40A and the membrane electrode assembly 20, and the recesses and protrusions form a flow path for the anode gas between the anode-side separator 40B and the membrane electrode assembly 20.

[0013] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a press apparatus 100 in this embodiment. The press apparatus 100 corresponds to the "fuel cell manufacturing apparatus" in this disclosure. The press apparatus 100 is used to bond two separators 40A, 40B and a membrane electrode assembly 20 via adhesive layers 32A, 32B of a resin sheet 30. The press apparatus 100 includes a fixed platen 110, a movable platen 120, a guide unit 130, a drive unit 140, a first press die 150A, a second press die 150B, a first heater 160A, a second heater 160B, and a control unit 170.

[0014] The fixed platen 110 and the movable platen 120 are arranged to face each other. In this embodiment, the movable platen 120 is arranged above the fixed platen 110. However, the movable platen 120 may be arranged below the fixed platen 110. The movable platen 120 is configured to be movable up and down along a guide unit 130. The up and down position of the movable platen 120 is changed by a drive unit 140. The drive unit 140 is configured by an actuator such as an electric cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. Note that the position of the fixed platen 110 may not be fixed, and both the positions of the fixed platen 110 and the movable platen 120 may be changed by the drive unit 140.

[0015] The first press die 150A is attached to the movable platen 120, and the second press die 150B is attached to the fixed platen 110. The first press die 150A and the second press die 150B are arranged facing each other, with the first press die 150A attached to the movable platen 120 and the second press die 150B attached to the fixed platen 110. In this embodiment, the first press die 150A is configured so that the thickness of a portion of the first press die 150A is changeable, and the second press die 150B is configured so that the thickness of a portion of the second press die 150B is changeable. However, either the first press die 150A or the second press die 150B does not necessarily have to be changeable in thickness. The specific configurations of the first press die 150A and the second press die 150B will be described later. In the following description, when the first press die 150A and the second press die 150B are not particularly distinguished from each other, they may be simply referred to as press dies 150.

[0016] The first heater 160A is a heater that heats the first press die 150A, and is provided on at least one of the movable platen 120 and the first press die 150A. The second heater 160B is a heater that heats the second press die 150B, and is provided on at least one of the fixed platen 110 and the second press die 150B.

[0017] The control unit 170 controls the drive unit 140, the first heater 160A, and the second heater 160B. The control unit 170 is configured by a computer including a processor 171, a memory 172, an input / output interface 173, and an internal bus 174. The processor 171, the memory 172, and the input / output interface 173 are connected via the internal bus 174 to enable bidirectional communication. The drive unit 140, the first heater 160A, and the second heater 160B are connected to the input / output interface 173 via wired or wireless communication. The processor 171 executes a computer program PG pre-stored in the memory 172 to perform various functions, including a function of changing the position of the movable platen 120 by the drive unit 140, a function of heating the first press die 150A by the first heater 160A, and a function of heating the second press die 150B by the second heater 160B.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a press die 150 in this embodiment. The press die 150 is used to manufacture multiple types of fuel cells 10a, 10b. In the following description, the fuel cell 10a will be referred to as the first-type fuel cell 10a, and a fuel cell 10b of a type different from the first-type fuel cell 10a will be referred to as the second-type fuel cell 10b. In this embodiment, the length Lb of the second-type fuel cell 10b is the same as the length La of the first-type fuel cell 10a, but the width Wb of the second-type fuel cell 10b is narrower than the width Wb of the first-type fuel cell 10a. The components of the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b are the same as the components of the fuel cell 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] The press die 150 has two first portions 151A and 151B, two second portions 152A and 152B, a third portion 153, and a fourth portion 154. The two first portions 151A and 151B are arranged with a gap between them. The two second portions 152A and 152B are arranged with a gap between them so as to sandwich the two first portions 151A and 151B. The direction from one second portion 152A to the other second portion 152B is perpendicular to the direction from one first portion 151A to the other first portion 151B. The third portion 153 is arranged between the two first portions 151A and 151B and between the two second portions 152A and 152B. The fourth portion 154 is a portion excluding the first portions 151A and 151B, the second portions 152A and 152B, and the third portion 153. The thickness t1 of the first portions 151A and 151B and the thickness t2 of the second portions 152A and 152B are greater than the thickness t0 of the portion having the power generation area of ​​the fuel cells 10a and 10b. The power generation area is the area where the membrane electrode assembly 20 is arranged.

[0020] The third portion 153 is configured so that its thickness can be changed. In this embodiment, the thickness of the third portion 153 is changed by attaching and detaching an attachment to the press die body. In this embodiment, at least one of the attachment and the press die body is equipped with a magnet, and the attachment is fixed to the press die body by the magnetic force of the magnet. However, the attachment may be fixed to the press die body by, for example, a screw rather than by a magnet. If the separators 40A, 40B are made of a material that is attracted to a magnet, it is preferable that the attachment be fixed to the press die body by means other than a magnet. Attachment and detachment of the attachment may be performed manually by an operator, but is preferably automated by a robot arm or the like.

[0021] In this embodiment, the surfaces of the first portions 151A, 151B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b and the surfaces of the second portions 152A, 152B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b are located on the same plane. The surfaces of the first portions 151A, 151B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b and the surfaces of the second portions 152A, 152B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b protrude toward the fuel cells 10a, 10b beyond the surfaces of the third portion 153 facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b and the fourth portion 154 facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b when no attachment is attached. When no attachment is attached, the surfaces of the third portion 153 facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b and the surfaces of the fourth portion 154 facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b are located on the same plane. When the attachment is attached, the surface of the third part 153 facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b is located on the same plane as the surfaces of the first parts 151A, 151B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b and the surfaces of the second parts 152A, 152B facing the fuel cells 10a, 10b.

[0022] During the manufacture of the first-class fuel cell 10a, the two first portions 151A, 151B contact the periphery of the power generation area of ​​the first-class fuel cell 10a, and the two second portions 152A, 152B contact the periphery of the manifold of the first-class fuel cell 10a. The periphery of the power generation area refers to the area around the power generation area, in other words, the area around the membrane electrode assembly 20. The periphery of the manifold refers to the area around the manifolds 11-13, 16-18. During the manufacture of the first-class fuel cell 10a, the attachment is removed from the press mold main body, and the third portion 153 overlaps the first-class fuel cell 10a in a plan view, but does not contact the first-class fuel cell 10a.

[0023] During the manufacture of the second-type fuel cell 10b, one of the first portions 151A contacts the periphery of the power generation area of ​​the second-type fuel cell 10b, but the other first portion 151B does not contact the second-type fuel cell 10b. During the manufacture of the second-type fuel cell 10b, a portion of each of the second portions 152A, 152B contacts the periphery of the manifold of the second-type fuel cell 10b, but the remaining portion of each of the second portions 152A, 152B does not contact the second-type fuel cell 10b. During the manufacture of the second-type fuel cell 10b, an attachment is attached to the press mold main body, and the thickness of the third portion 153 during the manufacture of the second-type fuel cell 10b is greater than the thickness of the third portion 153 during the manufacture of the first-type fuel cell 10a, so that the third portion 153 contacts the periphery of the power generation area of ​​the second-type fuel cell 10b.

[0024] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a manufacturing method of a fuel cell 10 in this embodiment. The manufacturing method of the fuel cell 10 includes a temporary assembly step, a heating step, a first cooling step, and a second cooling step. Prior to the temporary assembly step, a laminate is prepared as a workpiece WK, in which a membrane electrode assembly 20 and a resin sheet 30 are arranged between two separators 40A, 40B. The membrane electrode assembly 20 and the resin sheet 30 are bonded together in advance. The temporary assembly step, heating step, first cooling step, and second cooling step are performed on the workpiece WK in this order, thereby manufacturing the fuel cell 10. Between each step, the workpiece WK is transported, for example, on a pallet.

[0025] In the temporary assembly process, the separators 40A, 40B are temporarily assembled to the membrane electrode assembly 20 and the resin sheet 30 by a heated press using the press apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, the workpiece WK is sandwiched between the first press die 150A and the second press die 150B, and the workpiece WK is heated while being pressurized, thereby adhering the separators 40A, 40B to the adhesive layers 32A, 32B of the resin sheet 30 and melting at least a portion of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B. In this embodiment, the temperatures of the first press die 150A and the second press die 150B in the temporary assembly process are higher than the melting points of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B. The melting points of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are approximately 160°C, and the temperatures of the first press die 150A and the second press die 150B in the temporary assembly process are maintained at approximately 200°C.

[0026] In the heating process, the workpiece WK is heated to raise the temperature of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B to or above the melting point of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B, thereby sufficiently melting the adhesive layers 32A, 32B. The method for heating the workpiece WK in the heating process is not particularly limited; for example, the workpiece WK may be heated using a heating furnace, or may be heated by irradiating the workpiece WK with electromagnetic waves such as microwaves. The heating process may be integrated with the temporary assembly process. In other words, the heating process may be performed using a press device 100.

[0027] In the first cooling step, the workpiece WK is cooled using a cooling press to develop the adhesive strength of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B. Specifically, the workpiece WK is clamped between the press dies for a predetermined time while maintaining the temperature of the cooling press die at a temperature around the crystallization temperature of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B to obtain the desired adhesive strength of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B and the desired thickness of the workpiece WK. In this embodiment, the crystallization temperature of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B is around 100°C, and the temperature of the press dies in the first cooling step is maintained at around 100°C. Note that in the first cooling step, a press device having the same basic configuration as the press device 100 shown in FIG. 3 but with a cooling function instead of a heating function can be used.

[0028] In the second cooling step, the workpiece WK is cooled by a cooling press to a temperature at which it can be touched by hand. Specifically, the temperature of the press mold for the cooling press is maintained at, for example, about 50 degrees Celsius, and the workpiece WK is clamped between the press molds for a predetermined time. Note that in the second cooling step, a press machine having the same basic configuration as the press apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3 but with a cooling function instead of a heating function can be used.

[0029] The press apparatus 100 of this embodiment described above allows the press die 150 to be used to manufacture both the first-class fuel cell 10a and the second-class fuel cell 10b without the need to replace the press die 150. Specifically, the position where the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are provided in common to both the first-class fuel cell 10a and the second-class fuel cell 10b can be pressed by one of the first portions 151A and both of the second portions 152A, 152B. However, in the prior art, the press die used for the heat press must be replaced when manufacturing the first-class fuel cell 10a and the second-class fuel cell 10b. This requires time to cool the press die, replace the press die, and heat the press die, resulting in the inability to efficiently manufacture the first-class fuel cell 10a and the second-class fuel cell 10b on a single production line. However, in this embodiment, the press die 150 can be used to manufacture both the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b without replacing the press die 150, which reduces the frequency of replacing the press die 150 and allows the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b to be manufactured efficiently on a single manufacturing line.

[0030] Furthermore, the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are not provided in the second-type fuel cell 10b, but the positions where the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are provided in the first-type fuel cell 10a can be pressurized by the other first part 151B. Furthermore, the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are not provided in the first-type fuel cell 10a, but the positions where the adhesive layers 32A, 32B are provided in the second-type fuel cell 10b can be pressurized by the third part 153, the thickness of which can be changed by attaching and detaching an attachment. Therefore, insufficient pressurization of the adhesive layers 32A, 32B can be prevented both during the manufacture of the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b.

[0031] B. Other Embodiments: (B1) Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a press die 150 in another embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the press die 150 is configured in a planar shape so that the second portions 152A, 152B cover the manifolds 11-13, 16-18 of the fuel cell 10. This allows for heating over a wide range. In contrast, in another embodiment, the press die 150 may be configured in a frame shape or a linear shape so that the second portions 152A, 152B do not cover the manifolds 11-13, 16-18, as shown in Fig. 6. Note that, in the above-described embodiment, the first portions 151A, 151B are configured in a linear shape, but in another embodiment, the first portions 151A, 151B may be configured in a planar shape.

[0032] (B2) In the above-described embodiment, the planar shape of the fuel cell 10 is rectangular. In contrast, in other embodiments, the planar shape of the fuel cell 10 is not limited to rectangular, and may be, for example, a polygon other than rectangular, or may be circular or oval. In this case, the planar shapes of the first portions 151A, 151B, second portions 152A, 152B, and third portion 153 of the press die 150 may correspond to the planar shape of the fuel cell 10.

[0033] (B3) In the above-described embodiment, the third portion 153 is configured to pressurize the peripheral portion of the power generation area of ​​the second-type fuel cell 10b. In contrast, in other embodiments, when the positions of the manifold peripheral portions differ between the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b, the third portion 153 may be configured to pressurize the manifold peripheral portion. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the manifold peripheral portions are located at both ends of the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b in the longitudinal direction LD. In contrast, in other embodiments, the manifold peripheral portions may be located at both ends of the first-type fuel cell 10a and the second-type fuel cell 10b in the transverse direction SD. In this case, the third portion 153 may be configured to pressurize the manifold peripheral portion of the second-type fuel cell 10b, rather than the peripheral portion of the power generation area of ​​the second-type fuel cell 10b.

[0034] (B4) In the above-described embodiment, the press die 150 is provided with a detachable attachment, and is configured so that the thickness of the third portion 153 can be changed by attaching and detaching the attachment. In contrast, in other embodiments, the press die 150 may be provided with a retractable attachment, and is configured so that the thickness of the third portion 153 can be changed by inserting and removing the attachment. Specifically, the press die 150 may be provided with a recess for storing the attachment, and the attachment may be configured to be movable up and down by an actuator driven under the control of the control unit 170. The control unit 170 may store the attachment in the recess of the press die 150 when manufacturing the first-class fuel cell 10a, and may cause the attachment to protrude from the recess of the press die 150 when manufacturing the second-class fuel cell 10b. In this case, the thickness of the third portion 153 can be changed more quickly than by attaching and detaching the attachment.

[0035] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10... fuel cell, 10a... first type fuel cell, 10b... second type fuel cell, 11 to 13, 16 to 18... manifold, 20... membrane electrode assembly, 21... electrolyte membrane, 22A, 22B... electrode catalyst layer, 23A, 23B... gas diffusion layer, 30... resin sheet, 31... core layer, 32A, 32B... adhesive layer, 40A, 40B... separator, 100... press device, 110... fixed platen, 120... possible Moving platen, 130... guide portion, 140... drive portion, 150A... first press die, 150B... second press die, 151A, 151B... first portion, 152A, 152B... second portion, 153... third portion, 154... fourth portion, 160A... first heater, 160B... second heater, 170... control portion, 171... processor, 172... memory, 173... input / output interface, 174... internal bus

Claims

1. A fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, A first press die; a second press mold that, together with the first press mold, sandwiches and presses a stack including a membrane electrode assembly, an adhesive, and a separator of the fuel cell, thereby bonding the membrane electrode assembly and the separator via the adhesive; Equipped with A fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, wherein at least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a first portion that applies pressure to the peripheral portion of a power generation area in the fuel cell, and a second portion that applies pressure to the peripheral portion of a manifold in the fuel cell.

2. 2. The fuel cell manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The thickness of the first portion and the second portion is greater than the thickness of a portion of the stack having the power generation area.

3. 3. The fuel cell manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, At least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a third portion that overlaps the power generation area, and the thickness of the third portion is configured to be changeable.

4. 2. The fuel cell manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The first press die and the second press die are used to temporarily assemble the membrane electrode assembly and the separator.

5. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, comprising: preparing a laminate including a membrane electrode assembly of the fuel cell, an adhesive, and a separator; a step of sandwiching and pressing the laminate between a first press die and a second press die to bond the membrane electrode assembly and the separator together via the adhesive; Including, A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, wherein at least one of the first press mold and the second press mold has a first portion that presses the peripheral portion of a power generation area in the fuel cell, and a second portion that presses the peripheral portion of a manifold in the fuel cell.

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