Fuel Cell Metal Separator Molding Without Residual Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal separators for fuel cells often experience wrinkling and distortion during press molding, leading to improper formation of channels, which hinders the creation of designed channel cross-sectional shapes.
Innovation Solution
A molding device with a first die and a second die capable of moving towards and away from each other, featuring protruding portions for localized pressing and tensioning, along with a controller to manage the process, ensuring the formation of stretched and bent portions without residual distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If press molding is used to form thin plate-shaped substrates, then the substrate can be shaped into prescribed irregular shapes, but wrinkling and distortions occur during the molding process
Solution Approach 1:
The die is divided into multiple protruding portions that apply localized pressing forces to different regions of the substrate. This segmentation allows controlled deformation in specific areas while maintaining stability in other regions, preventing unwanted wrinkling and distortions during the molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the die surface are designed with different properties - protruding portions for localized pressing, tensioning portions for applying tensile stress, and smooth regions for guiding deformation. This local differentiation enables precise control over the molding process, achieving the prescribed shape while minimizing defects.
2Productivity
If conventional press molding is used, then the substrate can be formed efficiently, but residual distortion remains after molding, preventing proper channel formation
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-molded into an intermediate shape with predetermined irregularities before final molding. This preliminary action prepares the substrate by creating controlled deformation patterns that facilitate the final shaping process while reducing residual distortions, allowing efficient production of precisely formed channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding process uses dynamic control of the pressing and tensioning portions, which can move independently to apply forces at different stages. This dynamic approach allows the substrate to be progressively deformed through controlled intermediate states, eliminating residual distortion while maintaining high productivity.
3Weight of moving object
If the substrate is made thin to reduce weight and improve performance, then fuel cell efficiency increases, but the substrate becomes more prone to wrinkling and distortion during molding
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning portions apply counteracting tensile forces to regions of the thin substrate that are prone to wrinkling during pressing. This counterweight effect compensates for the substrate's thinness and susceptibility to deformation, enabling successful molding of thin substrates without wrinkling or distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding process dynamically adjusts pressing force, tensioning force, and deformation rate parameters to match the substrate's thin characteristics. By optimizing these parameters, the process achieves successful molding of thin substrates while preventing wrinkling and distortion, maintaining both light weight and manufacturing precision.
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
Enables the molding of thin plate-shaped substrates without residual distortion, allowing for the formation of channels with designed cross-sectional shapes, ensuring consistent cooling water flow and preventing uneven cooling performance in fuel cells.
Implementation Method 1
leading edges for forming stretched portions stretched by localized pressing of the pre-molded article
Implementation Method 2
side edges for inducing deflection of sections that are continuous with the stretched portions, and forming bent portions
Implementation Method 3
The tensioning portions tension and stretch the bent portions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
[Problem] To provide a molding device and a method for molding a thin plate-shaped substrate, with which it is possible to mold a thin plate-shaped substrate without residual distortion. [Solution] A lower die 10 (first die) and an upper die 20 (second die) are disposed so as to be capable of moving towards and away from each other. Protruding portions 20a are disposed on the upper die so as to protrude towards the lower die, and are provided with leading edges for forming stretched portions 200a stretched by localized pressing of a pre-molded article 200, and side edges for inducing deflection of sections that are continuous with the stretched portions, and forming bent portions 200b in spaces 10s formed in relation to the lower die. Tensioning portions 30 tension and stretch the bent portions. A controller 40 controls the operation of the lower die or the upper die, and the tensioning portions. The bent portions are tensioned and stretched by the tensioning portions while the stretched portions of the pre-molded article are still pressed by the lower die and the protruding portions of the upper die, imparting the shape of the protruding portions to the pre-molded article along the side edges of the protruding portions. The prescribed irregular shape of the pre-molded article is an irregular shape such that bent portions will be formed.