Fuel Cell Production from entry-level Machines to fully automated Solutions
OPTIMA is your Partner for Fuel Cell Manufacturing
We make it easier for you to switch from clocked, piece-based production to continuous processes with higher outputs based on innovative machine solutions for the entire value chain – from the roll to the finished stack. With almost 100 years of expertise in packaging machine construction, Optima can offer suitable machine solutions for individual processes as well as comprehensive turnkey concepts. Our goal is to support you on the route to successful development and production of fuel cells in a collaborative, solution-oriented manner. Our vision: To become the leading provider of comprehensive solutions for fuel cell production and contribute to more environmentally friendly mobility.
- Complete value chain from the roll to the finished stack
- Many years of experience in continuous, modular, flexible production processes
- Successful technology transfer from the packaging industry
- Automated turnkey solutions
From the Roll to the finished Stack
All Process Steps from one Source
Our years of experience give us the know-how to support you right from the first process step, the cutting of the unwound gas diffusion layers (GDLs), with proven machine technology. That’s because the dimensions of the elements that make up an MEA are similar to those in large wound dressings, which Optima has been producing for many years.
A fast, continuous process based on the roll-to-piece principle means you will benefit from high cutting accuracy, clinical grade hygiene and peak levels of performance. Air purification measures reduce dust pollution. You can cut new outlines quickly and easily simply by changing the cutting plate.
An important component of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), is the electrolyte membrane with a catalyst layer on both the anode and cathode side – the catalyst coated membrane (CCM). We also support you in assembling the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) and the CCMs.
Proven machine technology guarantees that valuable raw materials are handled with care and that the individual layers are combined to form the finished MEA. The precision required here is ensured by robotics.
Our systems also handle stacking MEAs into a finished fuel cell stack for you. This way, we are minimizing the barriers to entry – making it easier for you begin large-scale production.
Automated manufacturing of fuel cell stacks is a difficult challenge – but our decades of expertise in stacking paper hygiene products has given us the tools to provide that solution. Optima's high-speed stacking solutions facilitate a continuous process with a high output – several parts per second.
Your Benefits
Automation: so you can Manufacture even more efficiently
The growth in the fuel cell sector demands for production machines to have a modular structure and scalable processes.
Reduced production costs
- through optimization of materials
- A high output as a result of continuous processes
- High levels of automation and system efficiency (e.g. OEE)
Compliance with tight tolerances:
- High process safety as a result of inline QA
- High product quality by manufacturing under clean room conditions
Low starting investment:
- with modular, expandable machine design
At the Heart of the Fuel Cell
Read our current Technical Article on the Issue
Would you like to learn more? Read our technical article, "At the Heart of the Fuel Cell”. You will explore Optima's development process, the synergy effects and skills that have contributed to our solutions – and, above all, discover why Optima is the right partner for your fuel cell manufacturing. If you have any further questions, our expert Werner Volk will be happy to answer them.
