Bipolar plates

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We offer a market-leading bipolar plate manufacturing service, working in collaboration with leading sustainable energy providers developing fuel cells and electrolysers for mobility, power, heat and more.
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What are bipolar plates?

Bipolar plates are a key component of proton exchange membrane and solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers. They are machined with complex flow fields or channels that, when stacked, distribute gas and air, as well as conduct electrical current from one cell to the next.

Metallic bipolar plate manufacturing

Whilst stamping and hydroforming can be used to produce metallic bipolar plates, these processes can have limitations, such as compromising planarity (flatness) and introducing stresses and burrs.

Presswork tooling can also be slow, expensive and uneconomical to produce, especially during prototyping.

Chemical etching bipolar plates

Our chemical etching process removes metal simultaneously, meaning complex channels or flow fields can be etched on both sides of the plate at the same time without cost penalty.

Digital tooling, which is low-cost and quick to produce, can be adapted easily and inexpensively to optimise designs.

This versatility enables designers to vary the size and shape of channels and incorporate headers, collectors and port features without additional cost.

Burr-free, stress-free and flat

Unlike stamping and hydroforming, chemical etching imparts no mechanical stress or burring on the bipolar plate which can compromise stack bonding and performance.

Bipolar plate materials

Typically etched from 316 stainless steel, we also manufacture bipolar plates from a wide range of metals, including aluminium and titanium for lighter-weight and corrosion resistance.