Industrial robots provide many advantages in manufacturing environments that require extreme precision, hygiene and repeatability, such as in the production of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for fuel cells. Stäubli has provided robots for what is said to be the world’s first fully automated production line for fuel cells, operated by Palcan Group in Cixi, China. MEAs present special challenges in mass production, since they are fabricated by stacking hundreds of very thin layers of expensive and fragile materials, but robots have helped to streamline the process. Robotic arms not only position coated carbon sheets to begin the stacking process, but also handle films that must be soaked in a strong acidic solution, which would pose hazards to workers. Stäubli’s robots not only can handle the extremely acidic environment, but also high humidity, without any corrosion. The company has also supplied robots for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, pharmaceuticals and many other products.
Stäubli TEC-Systems Robotics
Achema: Hall 3.1, Stand J72
