Fabrication of aluminum bipolar plates with Archimedes' screw-shaped channels: a rubber pad forming process assessment

Bipolar plates are one of the most important components of polymer membrane fuel cells. In this manuscript, the rubber pad forming of aluminum bipolar plates with Archimedes' screw-shaped channels and draft angle of 90 $$^\circ$$ has been investigated. Hence, all possible combinations of the process parameters were determined and corresponding experimentations performed in order to investigate the effects of the rubber hardness, punch speed and the hydraulic press force. In this regard, three rubber pads including polyurethane, silicone and natural rubber were used. Channel depth and thinning percentage in the corner of the channel are measured and the effect of each parameter is analyzed. Based on the results, the maximum channel depth was achieved using a silicone pad with a hardness of 60 Shore A. Using a rubber pad with a very high and low hardness number, both, reduces the depth of channel. Furthermore, as the punch speed increases, the channel depth increases and the thinning percentage, as well.