The key to the fuel cell
Bobingen, December 5, 2024 – Under the name Bumble-Bi® provides the Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH Milling tools that make the machining of stamping tools for the production of bipolar plates more economical. The successful series production of bipolar plate stacks depends on these stamping tools, which must have burr-free surfaces with a flatness of <20 μm. The new tool family includes high-feed roughing tools as well as ball and torus tools for roughing and finishing. The Bumble-Bi®-Tools enable machining strategies with very high cutting pressure.
"Fuel cell technology is one of the keys to sustainable mobility. High manufacturing costs have so far been one of the obstacles to widespread series application. We saw the opportunity to make a contribution to more efficient production in the area of mold making," explains Christel Hufschmied, managing director of the Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH. “The new tool series Bumble-Bi® with significantly increased tool life and improved feed parameters is the result of extensive research and development work. This was achieved not least by an optimized transition from the tool cutting edge to the tool neck."
paths for the reaction gases
The bipolar plate is the heart of every fuel cell. It also functions as a structural support plate and forms the poles of the fuel cell. The anode plate carries H2, the cathode plate O2The bipolar plate ensures an even distribution of the reaction gases and guides them into the reaction zone via flow profiles on both sides. The requirements for embossing tools to produce these profiles are immense. For the materials used as bipolar plates - metal, graphite and composite - dimensional accuracy and surface quality must be maintained at very high cycle times.
