On the Way to Series Production: Inspection of Bipolar Plates

How ZEISS metrology enables the industrial series production of fuel cells and electrolyzers

The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) is regarded as a driver of innovation in production technology research and development for hydrogen technology. It develops and tests processes for the production of bipolar plates with intricate structures in order to enable industrial series production of fuel cells and electrolyzers.

Bipolar plates are manufactured with high precision and tight tolerances. In order to be able to detect deviations in the production process at an early stage, they must be inspected with absolute accuracy. Fraunhofer IWU relies on measurement technology from ZEISS. In addition to microscopy solutions such as the ZEISS EVO, the ZEISS ARAMIS and ATOS optical systems as well as tactile measuring systems such as ZEISS PRISMO are used.

ZEISS ARAMIS: Effective characterization of bipolar plates

There are many challenges to overcome before hydrogen can become an emission-free energy source. This requires electrolyzers. They split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrical energy. The hydrogen obtained can either be used in the process industry as a sustainable energy source for CO2-neutral power generation in gas turbines or converted back into electrical energy using fuel cells.

Modern fuel cell stacks contain bipolar plates made of metallic materials with low material thicknesses of 50–100 µm. High-precision forming tools are required to produce the intricate structures required in the metallic bipolar layers. Fraunhofer IWU uses measurement technology from ZEISS to meet the high-quality requirements of the parts.

ZEISS ARAMIS, a high-resolution optical 3D measuring system for carrying out full-surface and point-based measurements, is used to check the bipolar plates and the associated tools. ZEISS ARAMIS enables the determination of characteristic values of the materials at different speeds, temperatures and rolling directions.

Maximum accuracy and detailed quality information

Once suitable materials have been selected, the tools need to be tested and further developed if necessary. ZEISS PRISMO and ATOS Q are used at Fraunhofer IWU to check the narrow tolerances.

The precise, tactile coordinate measuring system ZEISS PRISMO delivers reliable and reproducible results with maximum accuracy. The faster calibration and proven long-term stability of the concept ensure improved economic efficiency. The control panel makes it easy for the user to monitor and operate the system.

ATOS Q is a high-performance 3D scanner for complex measurement and inspection tasks. It quickly acquires full-field quality information at a high level of detail, thus creating the basis for effortlessly interpreting surface geometries. Its compact size and ease of use make it mobile and versatile.