Production line for high volume addition of GDLs to make MEAs

With the move towards the decarbonisation of transport, the demand for fuel cells is growing exponentially as they can offer carbon-free power. In order to meet this demand, the production of fuel cell components such as Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) needs to be scaled-up urgently. MEAs are essential components of fuel cells. Their construction is complex and forms a bottleneck in the production process. In this project, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells and ATM will design a high-volume production line capable of attaching Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) to Catalyst Coated Membranes (CCMs) to form MEAs. The design of the line will allow it to produce a range of products, with this flexibility to supply multiple customers from the line further increasing efficiency. This line will be fully automated and include multiple quality control stations to ensure that only the highest quality product is released from the line, and the processes will be scalable, with the ultimate aim being for several of these lines to be installed to allow for the ever-increasing demand.