Polymer-electrode membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology will need to progress from low-volume production to high-volume within the course of the next decade. To successfully achieve this transition, a fully-functional fuel cell automatic stack assembly robotic station is being developed. This document outlines both iterations of the robotic fuel cell assembly stations, other work to date, DFM and DFA lessons learned, and the anticipated future progression of automatic fuel cell stack assembly stations. Two individual robotic fuel cell assembly stations were constructed, including custom-built end effectors and parts feeders. The second station incorporated numerous improvements, including overlapping work envelopes, elimination of a shuttle cart, software synchronization, fewer axes, and a better end effector. Consequentially, the second workcell achieved a four-fold improvement in cycle time over the previous iteration. Future improvements will focus in part upon improving the reliability of the overall system. As the stack assembly workcell continues to improve, research will focus upon the ramifications and interplay of tolerances, stack failure modes, sealing, reliability, and the potential for component redesign specifically to optimize fuel cell manufacturing throughput.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2009 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference
October 4–7, 2009
West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Manufacturing Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4362-8
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Fuel Cell ASAP: Two Iterations of an Automated Stack Assembly Process and Ramifications for Fuel Cell Design-for-Manufacture Considerations
Christina Laskowski,
Christina Laskowski
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Search for other works by this author on:
Stephen Derby
Stephen Derby
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Search for other works by this author on:
Christina Laskowski
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Stephen Derby
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Paper No:
MSEC2009-84104, pp. 713-722; 10 pages
Published Online:
September 20, 2010
Citation
Laskowski, C, & Derby, S. "Fuel Cell ASAP: Two Iterations of an Automated Stack Assembly Process and Ramifications for Fuel Cell Design-for-Manufacture Considerations." Proceedings of the ASME 2009 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference. ASME 2009 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference, Volume 2. West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. October 4–7, 2009. pp. 713-722. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/MSEC2009-84104
Download citation file:
19
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Articles
The Effect of Mechanical Fatigue on the Lifetimes of Membrane Electrode Assemblies
J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol (August,2010)
Effect of Bridging Groups on Sulfonated Poly(imide-Siloxane) for Application in Proton Exchange Membrane
J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol (April,2010)
Modeling and Simulation of PEM Fuel Cells With CO Poisoning
J. Energy Resour. Technol (June,2003)
Related Chapters
Feedback-Aided Minimum Joint Motion
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution
Self-Motion Planning with ZIV Constraint
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution
Manipulability-Maximizing SMP Scheme
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution