Metal Separator Molding with Two-Stage Heating to Remove Wrinkles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal separators for fuel batteries are prone to wrinkling and distortion during press molding, leading to positional inaccuracies and deformation when layered with membrane electrode assemblies, making it difficult to achieve sufficient positional accuracy and prevent cell module deformation.
Innovation Solution
A device and method using a first and second die capable of moving towards and away from each other, with heating parts and a controller to press and heat a thin plate-shaped base material, forming channels while removing distortions by two-stage heating of the outer periphery to prevent residual wrinkles and distortions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If press molding is performed on thin plate-shaped base material to form channels, then the metal separator is manufactured with required shape, but wrinkles and distortions occur during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The base material is heated before press molding to increase its plasticity and reduce resistance to deformation. This preliminary thermal preparation allows the material to flow more evenly during channel formation, preventing wrinkles and distortions from occurring during the molding process
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature of the base material is changed from ambient to elevated levels during the molding process. This parameter change modifies the material's mechanical properties, making it more ductile and less prone to wrinkling and distortion when subjected to compressive forces during channel formation
2Productivity
If conventional press molding is used without heating, then the process is simple and fast, but residual distortions remain in the thickness direction of the base material
Solution Approach 1:
Heating is applied as a preliminary step before or during press molding to prepare the base material for deformation. This thermal preparation ensures that the material can be molded at high speed without developing residual distortions, maintaining both productivity and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter is introduced and maintained at elevated levels during the molding process. This parameter change enables the material to achieve sufficient plasticity for high-speed molding while eliminating residual distortions in the thickness direction, thereby maintaining positional accuracy
3Measurement precision
If the metal separator has residual distortion, then positioning over membrane electrode assembly becomes difficult, but removing distortions requires additional heating process
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is merged with the press molding operation, where heating elements are integrated into the molding apparatus. This combination allows thermal preparation and mechanical forming to occur simultaneously or in seamless sequence, eliminating the need for separate heating steps while achieving distortion-free positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
Heating is performed as a preliminary action integrated into the molding process setup, ensuring the base material is thermally prepared before or during channel formation. This preliminary thermal treatment prevents distortion development, enabling accurate positioning without requiring additional post-processing heating steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively removes distortions during press molding, ensuring accurate positioning of metal separators over membrane electrode assemblies and preventing cell module deformation by molding the metal separators without residual distortions.
Implementation Method 1
The heating part heats the thin plate-shaped base material
Implementation Method 2
The other heating part, which is provided to the processing part heats parts of the outer periphery of the area of the thin plate-shaped base material in which the channels are formed
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide a device and method for molding a metal separator whereby distortions created during press molding are removed and the metal separator can be molded without any residual distortions. [Solution] A device (100) for molding a metal separator (91) by press-molding a thin plate-shaped base material (90) by means of a channel-processing upper die (31) (first die) and a channel-processing lower die (32) (second die) capable of moving towards and away from each other, the device having a first heating part (10) (heating part) for heating the thin plate-shaped base material, a channel-processing part (30) (processing part) for pressing the thin plate-shaped base material heated by the first heating part using the first die and the second die to form channels (90c) through which a medium flows, and a controller (180) for controlling the operations of the first heating part and the channel-processing part.