Apparatus for manufacturing laminates and method for manufacturing laminates

Abstract

To manufacture a high-quality membrane electrode joint body while improving the production efficiency and reducing a device cost.SOLUTION: A coating / drying machine 1 of a manufacturing apparatus of a membrane electrode laminate joint body comprises: a suction belt b1; a coating roll 32 which supports the suction belt b1 and a band-like laminate base film f1 from the suction belt b1 side in the overlapped state; drive rolls 16a, 16b which are provided on the downstream side of the coating roll 32 and cooperate with the coating roll 32 to convey the suction belt b1 and the laminate base film f1 in the flow-down direction; a die head 31 which applies catalyst ink that becomes a catalyst layer to the laminate base film f1; a dry facility 4 which is provided on the downstream side of the coating roll 32 and dries the catalyst ink; and a suction facility 5 which makes the laminate base film f1 suctioned to the suction belt b1 in a section including a point where the catalyst ink is applied to the laminate base film f1 to a point where drying of the catalyst ink ends.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminate manufacturing apparatus and a laminate manufacturing method. [Background Art]

[0002] A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) having a pair of electrode catalyst layers (an anode and a cathode) on both sides of an electrolyte membrane, which is a fuel cell member, is typically produced by dispersing catalyst particles containing platinum (Pt) or the like in a solvent such as alcohol to obtain a catalyst ink, applying the catalyst ink onto the electrolyte membrane and drying the ink to form a catalyst layer. In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the electrolyte membrane has the property of absorbing moisture from the catalyst ink solvent and the atmosphere and swelling / shrinking, so wrinkles and cracks occur during the application and drying of the catalyst ink. Wrinkles and cracks lead to performance degradation of the fuel cell, and therefore need to be suppressed.

[0003] As a method for preventing the occurrence of wrinkles and cracks, when applying and drying the catalyst ink onto the electrolyte membrane, a support film is disposed on the side of the electrolyte membrane opposite to the surface coated with the catalyst ink, and during coating, the support film is adsorbed to a stage under a negative pressure of -40kPa or less, whereby deformation of the electrolyte membrane caused by swelling or shrinking during coating and drying can be suppressed. Here, the entire surfaces of the support film and the back side of the coated surface need to be sufficiently in close contact with each other. As a method for bringing the support film and the back side of the coated surface into sufficient close contact, bonding the support film and the back side of the coated surface is conceivable. However, bonding the catalyst layer and the support film causes damage to the catalyst layer. Therefore, when forming the catalyst layer on one side of the electrolyte membrane, it is possible to bond the support film and the back side of the coated surface, but when subsequently forming the catalyst layer on the other side, since the catalyst layer has already been formed on one side, it is impossible to bond the support film and the back side of the coated surface, that is, the surface on which the catalyst layer has been formed. In other words, suppression of deformation of the electrolyte membrane using the support film cannot be implemented.

[0004] In response to this, one possible method to suppress deformation of the electrolyte membrane is to perform the coating and drying processes while the surface of the electrolyte membrane with the catalyst layer is adsorbed and fixed across the entire transport path. For example, this can be solved by using a single-wafer badge system, where the electrolyte membrane is adsorbed and held on an adsorption plate, the catalyst ink is coated, and then dried to obtain the catalyst layer. However, in the single-wafer badge system, if the size of each electrolyte membrane is increased to improve productivity, the adsorption plate also needs to be enlarged, but this makes it difficult to ensure dimensional accuracy when achieving flatness through polishing, etc. Also, because it is integrated with the drying process, the dimensions of the drying mechanism also need to be increased, leading to a large size of equipment.

[0005] Furthermore, a roll-to-roll method has been proposed in which a catalyst layer is formed by coating an electrolyte membrane onto an adsorption roll with catalyst ink and then drying it (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6517402 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The manufacturing technology for membrane electrode assemblies described in Patent Document 1 involves equipping an adsorption roll with a drying device, and performing the application and drying of the catalyst ink while the coated surface of the catalyst ink passes through the adsorption roll. Since a certain amount of drying time is required to volatilize the solvent components of the catalyst ink coated on the electrolyte membrane, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the adsorption roll or reduce the transport speed in order to ensure sufficient drying time in the catalyst ink drying process.

[0008] However, increasing the diameter of the suction rolls would result in larger equipment, leading to increased equipment costs and limitations on installation location. Furthermore, reducing the conveying speed would decrease productivity.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a laminate manufacturing apparatus and a laminate manufacturing method that can prevent wrinkles and cracks from occurring in the catalyst layer, and produce high-quality film electrode assemblies while improving production efficiency and reducing equipment costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, according to one aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing apparatus for a laminate comprising a laminated substrate film containing an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer laminated on the laminated substrate film is provided, comprising: a strip-shaped adsorption belt having a plurality of through holes; a coating roll that supports the adsorption belt and the strip-shaped laminated substrate film in an overlapping state from the adsorption belt side; a drive roll provided downstream of the coating roll and cooperating with the coating roll to transport the adsorption belt and the laminated substrate film in an overlapping state in the downstream direction; a coating head that applies catalyst ink, which will be the catalyst layer, to the surface of the laminated substrate film opposite to the adsorption belt in the region that overlaps with the outer circumference of the coating roll via the adsorption belt; a drying facility provided downstream of the coating roll and for drying the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film; and an adsorption facility that adsorbs the laminated substrate film onto the adsorption belt in a section including at least from the point where the catalyst ink is applied to the laminated substrate film to the point where the drying of the catalyst ink is completed.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a laminate of a laminated substrate film and a catalyst layer is provided, comprising the steps of: applying a catalyst ink to a strip-shaped laminated substrate film containing an electrolyte membrane; and drying the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film, wherein the strip-shaped adsorption belt having a plurality of through holes and the laminated substrate film are stacked on top of each other, and are supported from the adsorption belt side by a coating roll and a drive roll cooperating with the coating roll, and the laminated substrate film is conveyed while adsorbed to the adsorption belt for at least a section including from the point where the catalyst ink is applied to the laminated substrate film to the point where the drying of the catalyst ink is completed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the laminate manufacturing apparatus and laminate manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to improve production efficiency and reduce equipment costs while providing a good laminate free from wrinkles, cracks, and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a membrane electrode assembly for fuel cells. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a coating and drying machine for a film electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mechanism for stirring catalyst ink. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the main components of a coating and drying machine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, etc., may differ from reality. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined by referring to the following explanation. Furthermore, it should be noted that there are parts where the relationships and ratios of dimensions differ between drawings.

[0015] Furthermore, the following embodiments illustrate apparatuses and methods for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention does not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc., of the components to those described below. The technical concept of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims described in the patent claims.

[0016] The apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly according to the present embodiment is applied to an apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell. Note that the apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly according to the present invention is not limited to that for membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells, and can also be applied to, for example, an apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for hydrogen-related electrodes.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell (hereinafter also simply referred to as a membrane electrode assembly) 101 includes an electrolyte membrane 102, an anode electrode catalyst layer (hereinafter simply referred to as a catalyst layer) 103 laminated on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 102 (the upper surface of the electrolyte membrane 102 in FIG. 1), and a cathode electrode catalyst layer (hereinafter simply referred to as a catalyst layer) 103 laminated on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane 102 (the lower surface of the electrolyte membrane 102 in FIG. 1).

[0018] The membrane electrode assembly 101 is formed by applying catalyst ink to be used as the catalyst layers 103 onto both surfaces of a laminated base material film f1, drying the catalyst ink, and then cutting the laminated base material film f1. [Structure of Manufacturing Apparatus]

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a coating dryer that applies and dries catalyst ink in an apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly, FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a mechanism for stirring catalyst ink, and FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a main part of the coating dryer.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the coating dryer 1 includes a protective film peeling unit 2, a coating unit 3, a drying facility 4, an adsorption facility 5, and a control unit 6 that controls each of these units. A belt-shaped laminated base material film f1 containing a polymer electrolyte membrane delivered from a base material supply roll 11 is superposed by a guide roll 11a with a belt-shaped adsorption belt b1 delivered from a belt supply roll 12. The surface of the adsorption belt b1 opposite to the laminated base material film f1 is supported and conveyed by a coating roll 32 described later and a plurality of conveying rolls 15. The laminated base material film f1 is wound onto a coated product take-up roll 13 via a drive roll 16a and a drive roll 16b cooperating with the coating roll 32, and the adsorption belt b1 is wound onto a belt take-up roll 14 via the drive roll 16a. The laminated base material film f1 and the adsorption belt b1 are conveyed at the same speed, and the laminated base material film f1 and the adsorption belt b1 are conveyed integrally at least during the period from the point where coating of the laminated base material film f1 by the coating unit 3 described later is started to the completion of drying in the drying facility 4.

[0021] The adsorption belt b1 is in the form of a belt having the same width as or a larger width than the laminated base material film f1, and is formed of a porous belt. The average pore diameter on the surface of the adsorption surface of the adsorption belt b1 is 0.5 µm or more and 1200 µm or less, preferably 0.5 µm or more and 10 µm or less, and the surface opening ratio is 10% or more and 85% or less. Further, since the adsorption belt b1 passes through the inside of the drying facility 4, it is necessary to have heat resistance. In the drying facility 4, the inside of the box body 41 is maintained at about 80°C as described later, and therefore the adsorption belt b1 preferably has heat resistance up to at least about 80°C, more preferably up to 100°C.

[0022] The material of the adsorption belt b1 is not particularly limited as long as it satisfies the conditions of an average pore diameter (0.5 µm or more and 1200 µm or less) and heat resistance (up to 100°C), and has a thickness tolerance within 20 µm, and examples thereof include metal, non-woven fabric, paper, and resin.

[0023] The protective film peeling section 2 is equipped with a peeling roll (peeling mechanism) 21. The laminated base material film f1 has a protective film (protective layer) f2 sandwiched between them and is wound onto the base material supply roll 11. The peeling roll 21 peels the protective film f2 from the strip-shaped laminated base material film f1 that is fed out from the base material supply roll 11, and the protective film f2 is wound onto the winding roll 22.

[0024] The coating unit 3 comprises a die head (coating head) 31 and a coating roll 32. The die head 31 is positioned to discharge catalyst ink from a direction perpendicular to the tangent line perpendicular to the outer surface of the coating roll 32 and to the rotation axis of the coating roll 32, and the gap between the catalyst ink discharge port and the coating roll 32 is set to a preset value. The catalyst ink is composed of, for example, a catalyst, carbon particles, a polymer electrolyte, a fibrous material, and a solvent.

[0025] The coating unit 3 may include, as shown in Figure 3, an ink container 302 for containing catalyst ink 301, a stirring unit 303 for stirring the catalyst ink 301 in the ink container 302, and a circulation unit 304 for circulating the catalyst ink 301 between the ink container 302 and the die head 31. Although not shown, a depressurization mechanism such as a depressurization chamber may be provided upstream of the slit of the die head 31.

[0026] The coating roll 32 has a cylindrical shape, and its axial length is equal to or greater than the maximum width of the laminated substrate film f1 and the adsorption belt b1.

[0027] The coating roll 32 is made of, for example, a porous material, and a suction hole (roll negative pressure chamber) 32a is provided at the center of the rotation axis of the coating roll 32. Negative pressure is applied to the suction hole 32a by suction from a suction device (e.g., an exhaust pump) not shown. Because the coating roll 32 is made of a porous material, when negative pressure is applied to the suction hole 32a, a predetermined value of negative pressure (pressure drawn from the surrounding atmosphere to the outer surface) acts uniformly on the outer surface of the coating roll 32 through the internal pores, and the laminated substrate film f1 is adsorbed through the adsorption belt b1 made of a porous belt.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the drying equipment 4 is located downstream of the coating roll 32 and comprises a conveying roll 15, a laminated substrate film f1 and an adsorption belt b1, an adsorption equipment 5 (described later), a box 41 that houses all of these components, and a heater 42 positioned on the ceiling of the box 41. The box 41 is positioned along the conveying path of the laminated substrate film f1, and the size of the box 41, the temperature and number of heaters 42 are set to values ​​that allow the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film f1 to dry sufficiently when the laminated substrate film f1 is conveyed at a constant speed. Note that the drying method is not limited to heaters 42; for example, hot air, infrared rays, etc., may be used for drying. It is sufficient to maintain the temperature inside the box 41 at around 80°C. In addition, openings (not shown) are formed on two opposing sides of the box 41, allowing the laminated substrate film f1 and the adsorption belt b1 to pass through the drying equipment 4 via these openings.

[0029] The suction equipment 5 comprises a plurality of box bodies (conveyor path negative pressure chambers) 51 provided between adjacent rolls among the coating roll 32, a plurality of conveying rolls 15, and drive rolls 16a. Through holes are formed in the upper surface of the box body 51, and the box body 51 is positioned so that its upper surface faces the suction belt b1. A suction device (e.g., an exhaust pump) not shown is connected to the suction holes 51a provided in the box body 51, and suction is applied to create negative pressure, causing the laminated substrate film f1 to be sucked in through the through holes in the upper surface of the box body 51 and the suction belt b1, resulting in the laminated substrate film f1 being adsorbed onto the suction belt b1. Furthermore, the box body 51 is formed such that, with the suction belt f1 and the laminated substrate film f1 positioned on its upper surface, the inside of the box body 51 has a negative pressure sufficient to adequately adsorb the laminated substrate film f1 onto the suction belt b1. In addition, the suction belt b1 is slidably positioned on the upper surface of the box body 51 so that the laminated substrate film f1 and the suction belt b1 can be moved at a constant speed.

[0030] Furthermore, at least the box 51 of the adsorption equipment 5, which is housed within the box 41 of the drying equipment 4, is made of a heat-resistant material.

[0031] The control unit 6 drives and controls each component, and also drives and controls the drive rolls 16a and 16b so that the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate film f1 are transported together. The control unit 6 also controls the temperature inside the box 41 in the drying equipment 4, which is used for coating catalyst ink by the die head 31, and controls the speed of various rolls. It also inputs inspection information from an inline inspection machine 4a located at the outlet side of the drying equipment 4, specifically before the suction between the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate film f1 is released. The inline inspection machine 4a is, for example, a CCD camera, and the control unit 6 performs defect inspection and measurement of basis weight based on the image information acquired by the inline inspection machine 4a. [Operation of manufacturing equipment]

[0032] The strip-shaped suction belt b1, fed out from the belt supply roll 12, is wound onto the belt winding roll 14 via the coating roll 32, multiple conveying rolls 15, and the drive roll 16a.

[0033] Meanwhile, the laminated substrate film f1 fed from the substrate supply roll 11 is fed to the coating roll 32 after the protective film f2 sandwiched between the laminated substrate film f1 is peeled off by the peeling roll 21, and then superimposed with the suction belt b1 by the guide roll 11a. The protective film f2 peeled off by the peeling roll 21 is then wound onto the winding roll 22.

[0034] Furthermore, the control unit 6 drives and controls each part, and also operates the suction equipment 5 to perform suction on the coating roll 32 and each box 51.

[0035] The laminated substrate film f1 and the adsorption belt b1 supplied to the coating roll 32 are coated with catalyst ink by the die head 31 on the side of the laminated substrate film f1 opposite to the adsorption belt b1, and then pass through the box 41 of the drying equipment 4. As the laminated substrate film f1 passes through the box 41, it is heated by the heater 42, causing the catalyst ink to dry and a catalyst layer to form. After the catalyst ink has dried, the laminated substrate film f1 and the adsorption belt b1 exit the box 41. The adsorption belt b1 is wound onto the belt winding roll 14 via the drive roll 16a, and the laminated substrate film f1 is wound onto the coated product winding roll 13 via the drive rolls 16a and 16b. The laminated substrate film f1 is wound onto the coated product winding roll 13 with the protective film f2 sandwiched between them.

[0036] Next, a catalyst ink is applied to the other side of a laminated substrate film f1 (hereinafter referred to as laminated substrate film f11), on which a catalyst layer is formed on one side.

[0037] The coated product winding roll 13 operates as a substrate supply roll 11, feeding out the laminated substrate film f11 from the coated product winding roll 13. At this time, the laminated substrate film f11 is fed out so that the surface on which the catalyst layer is formed is in contact with the adsorption belt b1.

[0038] As a result, the protective film f2 sandwiched between the laminated base film f11 is peeled off by the release roll 21, and the laminated base film f11 is fed to the coating roll 32, overlapping with the suction belt b1 by the guide roll 11a. Meanwhile, the protective film f21 is wound onto the winding roll 22. The laminated base film f11 and suction belt b1 supplied to the coating roll 32 are coated with catalyst ink by the die head 31 on the side of the laminated base film f11 opposite to the suction belt b1, then pass through the box body 41, where they are heated by the heater 42, and after the catalyst ink dries, they exit the box body 41. The suction belt b1 is then wound onto the belt winding roll 14 via the drive roll 16a, and the laminated base film f11 is wound onto the coated product winding roll 13 via the drive rolls 16a and 16b. The laminated substrate film f11 is wound onto the coated product winding roll 13 with the protective film f2 sandwiched between them. This results in a laminate, i.e., a membrane electrode assembly, in which catalyst layers are formed on both sides of the laminated substrate film f1 containing the polymer electrolyte membrane.

[0039] Here, the adsorption equipment 5 activates its adsorption mechanism, creating negative pressure inside the coating roll 32 and each box 51. As a result, in the coating roll 32, the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are drawn in via the adsorption belt b1 and adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1. Furthermore, in the box 51 section, the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are transported while adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1. Since the box 51 is provided between adjacent rolls among the transport rolls 15 and drive rolls 16a, from the moment the adsorption belt b1 contacts the outer circumference of the coating roll 32 until it reaches the drive roll 16a, that is, from at least the moment the catalyst ink is applied to the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 until drying by the drying equipment 4 is completed, the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are drawn in via the adsorption belt b1 and adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1. After reaching the drive roll 16a, since the box body 51 is not provided, the state in which the laminated base film f1 and f11 are adsorbed onto the suction belt b1 is released, the suction belt b1 is wound onto the belt winding roll 14, and the laminated base film f1 and f11 are wound onto the coated product winding roll 13 via the drive roll 16b.

[0040] As described above, during coating and drying, the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1 and transported while maintaining a constant shape, thus preventing wrinkles and cracks from occurring in the catalyst ink during coating and drying.

[0041] Furthermore, when applying catalyst ink to one side of a laminated substrate film and then applying catalyst ink to the other side of the laminated substrate film, the catalyst layer formed by the dried catalyst ink comes into contact with the adsorption belt b1. However, the catalyst layer is adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1 and is not bonded to it.

[0042] Therefore, the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 can be adsorbed onto the adsorption belt b1 without the catalyst layer being destroyed by the adhesive, suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles and cracks in the catalyst layer and enabling the manufacture of high-quality film electrode assemblies.

[0043] Furthermore, since a drying facility 4 is provided in the transport path downstream of the coating roll 32, and drying is performed by passing the materials through the drying facility 4, the coating roll 32 only needs to have a diameter sufficient to allow coating by the die head 31, and the drying facility 4 only needs to be able to accommodate at least the adsorption facility 5, the laminated substrate films f1, f11 and the adsorption belt b1. Therefore, compared to the case where the drying facility is provided on the coating roll 32, the overall size of the coating dryer 1 can be smaller and the equipment cost is lower.

[0044] Furthermore, since the catalyst layer can be manufactured using a roll-to-roll method, production efficiency can be improved, making it possible to achieve both the production of high-quality film electrode assemblies and improved production efficiency. [Variation] (1) Before the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are supplied to the coating roll 32, dust and dirt adhering to the adsorption belt b1 may be removed by a cleaner such as an adhesive roll. (2) In the above embodiment, the suction belt b1 is wound onto the belt winding roll 14, but the suction belt b1 may be configured to circulate between the coating roll 32 and the drive roll 16a.

[0045] Here, by configuring the adsorption belt b1 to be wound by a belt winding roll 14, as shown in Figure 2, the adsorption belt b1 wound by the belt winding roll 14 can be cleaned each time, and when a catalyst layer is newly formed on the laminated substrate film f1, it can always be transported with an adsorption belt b1 that is clean and free of dust and dirt. On the other hand, because the adsorption belt b1 is wound by a belt winding roll 14, it is necessary to replace the belt winding roll 14 or the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 when all of the adsorption belt b1 has been fed out from the belt supply roll 12 and when all of the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 have been fed out from the substrate supply roll 11. Therefore, it is necessary to operate the coating dryer 1 considering the remaining state of the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 and the remaining state of the adsorption belt b1.

[0046] In contrast, if the suction belt b1 is configured to circulate between the coating roll 32 and the drive roll 16a, there is no need to replace the suction belt b1, and therefore the coating dryer 1 does not need to be stopped until all of the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 have been fed out from the substrate supply roll 11. As a result, the coating dryer 1 only needs to be stopped when the substrate supply roll 11 is replaced, and since there is no need to consider the remaining state of the suction belt b1, the coating dryer 1 can be operated more efficiently. When circulating the suction belt b1, a cleaner such as an adhesive roll may be provided on the entry side of the coating roll 32 to remove dust and dirt adhering to the suction belt b1. (3) In the above embodiment, a case in which a box body 51 is provided between adjacent rolls among the coating roll 32, each conveying roll 15, and the drive roll 16a has been described, but the invention is not limited to this. The size of the box body 51 can be determined according to the suction capacity of the piping and suction device such as a pump, and for example, it is possible to house three conveying rolls in one box body 51, or to house from the outlet side of the coating roll 32 to the drive roll 16a in one box body 51. (4) In the above embodiment, a die head is used as the coating head, but it is not limited to a die head, and any method that can quantitatively coat a large area, such as a comma coater, inkjet, curtain coater, etc., can also be applied. (5) In the above embodiment, a drive roll 16a and a drive roll 16b are provided, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, a bridle roll may be provided instead of the drive roll 16b, and after passing through the drive roll 16a, the suction belt b1 may be wound up by the belt winding roll 14, and the laminated base material films f1 and f11 may be wound up by the coated product winding roll 13 via the bridle roll. The bridle roll prevents tension fluctuations from occurring during winding on the coated product winding roll 13 and prevents deformation of the laminated base material films f1 and f11 during winding.

[0047] When the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are driven by different drive rolls 16a and 16b, respectively, it is necessary to individually control the drive rolls 16a and 16b so that the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 are transported together. However, by transporting the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 with a single drive roll 16a, the transport speed control of the suction belt b1 and the laminated substrate films f1 and f11 can be made easier.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be made to forms other than those described above, as long as they do not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention, depending on the design and other factors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Coating and drying machine for manufacturing film electrode assemblies 2. Protective film peel-off area 3. Coating section 4 Drying equipment 5 Adsorption equipment 6 Control Unit 11 Substrate supply roll 11a Guide Roll 12 Belt feed rolls 13. Coated product winding roll 14 Belt winding roll 15 Conveyor Rolls 16a, 16b Drive Rolls 21. Release Roll 22 Reel roll 31 Die head 32 coating rolls b1 Suction belt f1, f11 Laminated Substrate Film

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate comprising a laminated substrate film containing an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer laminated on the laminated substrate film, A strip-shaped suction belt having multiple through holes, A coating roll supports the aforementioned suction belt and the strip-shaped laminated substrate film in an overlapping state from the suction belt side, A drive roll is provided downstream of the coating roll and, in cooperation with the coating roll, conveys the suction belt and the laminated substrate film in an overlapping state in the downstream direction. A coating head that applies the catalyst ink, which will form the catalyst layer, to the surface of the laminated substrate film opposite to the adsorption belt in the region that overlaps with the outer circumference of the coating roll via the adsorption belt, A drying facility is provided downstream of the coating roll for drying the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film, The system includes an adsorption device that adsorbs the laminated substrate film onto the adsorption belt in a section that includes at least the point from which the catalyst ink is applied to the laminated substrate film to the point from which the drying of the catalyst ink is completed, The drying apparatus has a box that covers the overlapping suction belts and the entire laminated substrate film and has openings formed on two opposing sides, and the drying of the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film is completed while the overlapping suction belts and the laminated substrate film pass through the openings inside the box. The apparatus for manufacturing laminates is characterized in that the adsorption belt is a porous belt, the average pore diameter of the adsorption surface of the adsorption belt is 0.5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, the surface opening ratio on the adsorption surface is 10% or more and 85% or less, the thickness tolerance is within 20 μm, and it has heat resistance that allows it to pass through the inside of the box at a temperature of 80°C.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction belt is fed from a belt supply roll, passes through the box in an overlapping state with the laminated substrate film, and is then wound up by a belt winding roll.

3. The adsorption equipment has through holes formed on the surface in contact with the adsorption belt, and a negative pressure chamber provided on the side of the adsorption belt opposite to the laminated substrate film, The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a suction device for maintaining a negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber.

4. The negative pressure chamber includes a roll negative pressure chamber provided in the coating roll, A conveying path negative pressure chamber is provided in the conveying path between the coating roll and the drive roll, The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 3, characterized by comprising the above.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 4, characterized in that the conveying path negative pressure chamber consists of a plurality of box bodies arranged along the conveying path.

6. A protective layer is laminated on the side of the laminated substrate film opposite to the adsorption belt. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a peeling mechanism for peeling off the protective layer upstream of the coating head.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a mechanism for stirring the contents of a container containing the catalyst ink; and a mechanism for circulating the catalyst ink between the container and the coating head.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the laminate is a laminate for a membrane electrode assembly.

9. A method for manufacturing a laminate of a laminated substrate film and a catalyst layer, comprising the steps of: applying a catalyst ink to a strip-shaped laminated substrate film containing an electrolyte membrane; and drying the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film, With a strip-shaped suction belt having multiple through holes and the laminated substrate film superimposed, the suction belt is supported from the suction belt side by a coating roll and a drive roll cooperating with the coating roll. The laminated substrate film is transported while being adsorbed onto the adsorption belt, in a section that includes at least the point from which the catalyst ink is applied to the laminated substrate film to the point from which the drying of the catalyst ink is completed. In the process of drying the catalyst ink, the catalyst ink applied to the laminated substrate film is dried while the absorbent belt and the laminated substrate film, in their overlapping state, are passed through a box that covers the entire laminated substrate film and has openings formed on two opposing sides. A method for manufacturing a laminate, characterized in that the adsorption belt is a porous belt, the average pore diameter of the adsorption surface of the adsorption belt is 0.5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, the surface opening ratio on the adsorption surface is 10% or more and 85% or less, the thickness tolerance is within 20 μm, and it has heat resistance that allows it to pass through the box at a temperature of 80°C.

10. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 9, characterized in that the suction belt is fed from a belt supply roll, passes through the box in an overlapping state with the laminated substrate film, and is then wound up by a belt winding roll.

11. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the laminate is a laminate for a membrane electrode assembly.

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