William J Bader

US Patent:

8309218, Nov 13, 2012

Filed:

Aug 27, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/198998

Inventors:

Scott Alan Ripley - River Falls WI, US
Donald Ivan Hirsch - Cottage Grove MN, US
William Frederic Bader - Oakdale MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

B32B 7/12
H01M 4/38

US Classification:

428352, 428344, 428356, 428355 RA, 429483, 429485, 429487

Abstract:

Components for the manufacture of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are provided, as well as apparatus and automatable methods for their manufacture by rotary die cutting and by lamination of various layers to form membrane electrode assemblies. A method and apparatus for performing the method are provided comprising die-cutting webs of catalyst decal materials or electrode materials to make first and second workpieces at first and second rotary die stations; holding the die-cut workpieces by action of sub-ambient air pressure to an endless perforated belt of first and second vacuum conveyors, typically before they are fully cut from the first and second webs; transporting first and second workpieces to opposing sides of a membrane in a laminating station; concurrently feeding the first and second workpieces into the laminating nip adjacent to the membrane, and laminating the first and second workpieces to the membrane.

US Patent:

8480838, Jul 9, 2013

Filed:

Sep 13, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/614744

Inventors:

Scott Alan Ripley - River Falls WI, US
Donald Ivan Hirsch - Cottage Grove MN, US
William Frederic Bader - Oakdale MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

B29C 37/00
B32B 37/00
B32B 38/04

US Classification:

156263, 156265, 156285, 156303

Abstract:

Components for the manufacture of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are provided, as well as apparatus and automatable methods for their manufacture by rotary die cutting and by lamination of various layers to form membrane electrode assemblies. A method and apparatus for performing the method are provided comprising die-cutting webs of catalyst decal materials or electrode materials to make first and second workpieces at first and second rotary die stations; holding the die-cut workpieces by action of sub-ambient air pressure to an endless perforated belt of first and second vacuum conveyors, typically before they are fully cut from the first and second webs; transporting first and second workpieces to opposing sides of a membrane in a laminating station; concurrently feeding the first and second workpieces into the laminating nip adjacent to the membrane, and laminating the first and second workpieces to the membrane.

US Patent:

20030191021, Oct 9, 2003

Filed:

Apr 3, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/115523

Inventors:

Scott Ripley - River Falls WI, US
Donald Hirsch - Cottage Grove MN, US
William Bader - Oakdale MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company

International Classification:

B01J023/00

US Classification:

502/439000

Abstract:

Components for the manufacture of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are provided, as well as apparatus and automatable methods for their manufacture by rotary die cutting and by lamination of various layers to form membrane electrode assemblies. A method and apparatus for performing the method are provided for making a membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of providing a web of polymer electrolyte membrane material and a laminating station, where the web of polymer electrolyte membrane material is drawn between a pair of laminating rollers in the laminating station which form a laminating nip; die-cutting a first and second web of catalyst decal materials or electrode materials to make first and second workpieces at first and second rotary die stations; which typically have a shape other than a four-sided parallelogram; holding the die-cut workpieces by action of sub-ambient air pressure to an endless perforated belt of first and second vacuum conveyors, typically before they are fully cut from the first and second webs; transporting first and second workpieces to opposing sides of the membrane in the laminating station; concurrently feeding the first and second workpieces into the laminating nip adjacent to the membrane, typically before they are fully released by the first and second vacuum conveyors; and laminating the first and second workpieces to the membrane, advantageously in accurate registration.