Since a number of years, Cell Impact has had a substantial activity in relation to the Japanese fuel cell market. This activity has been focused on developing a position for potential future flow plate production in Japan. In February 2023, a Cell Impact Forming demonstration line was installed in Japan in collaboration with F.C.C. Japan. During the test period, upwards 20 Japanese fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturers visited the Cell Impact Forming demonstration line.

“The interest generated has been great and has resulted in strengthened existing customer relations and several new prospects. The demonstration phase has now ended, and potential business opportunities will be evaluated toward a next step,” said Shigeru Nakagawa, Managing Director, Cell Impact Japan.

After the containers containing the forming unit had arrived on the demonstration site, it took only 12 days to start the forming of flow plates. With innovative Cell Impact Forming, it takes a fraction of the time to start production compared to conventional technology.

Building a Cell Impact Forming line takes half the lead time. The short lead time makes it possible to quickly add manufacturing capacity which enables the fuel cell builders to respond to demand. Cell Impact Forming has a small floor print and low height. Plates are formed without using oil or other lubrication, and no post water cleaning. In addition, a very low energy consumption is one of the factors resulting in a cost-effective production. Low investment and operating costs make the savings with Cell Impact Forming substantial compared to conventional technology.

A unique aspect of Cell Impact Forming is that the flow plates are shaped in one single stroke with very high precision, which is a key factor in achieving high quality which in turn contributes to the high performance of the flow plate. The precision in the forming process contributes to a long tool life and low costs. An earlier customer sponsored long-term test showed that the expected tool life is at least 2-MM strokes, which is perhaps four times as long as competing technologies. The high precision makes Cell Impact Forming suitable for forming pre-coated material and it contributes to achieving a quality that potentially can reduce the cost of post-coating.

“We are happy to have been able to carry out this demonstration activity together with F.C.C. in Japan and that the visitors were impressed by the performance, green aspects, and scalability of Cell Impact Forming. Cell Impact Forming enables fuel cell and electrolysis manufacturers to scale up their production in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way, which ultimately will contribute to diminishing carbon emissions. And all of this is possible to achieve now,” concluded Pär Teike, CEO of Cell Impact.