ZBT Opens New Fuel Cell Test and Manufacturing Facility

In Duisburg / Germany the R&D institute ZBT recently has opened its new technical centre for production technologies and application tests.

Fuel cell stacks and systems can only be manufactured with high reproducibility by automated, highly precise manufacturing processes. The complete process cycle from incoming components, material inspection, automated flexible manufacturing up to quality control and documentation is necessary. The new technical centre for Test-, Application- and Assembly (TAZ) at ZBT is projected as forum for the development and trial run of production technologies as one focus.

Second focus is the test of components and fuel cells systems under simulated environments. The approval and certification of fuel cell products is necessary but complex, companies need knowledge and technical infrastructure for realising the different tests. ZBT now offers both, testing facilities and support in the certification process together with certified bodies.

The state of North-Rhine-Westfalia and the European Union invested about 6 Mio € for the new building and technical installations. Including the existing building which was opened in 2003 ZBT now has about 1.000 m2 laboratory areas for R&D e.g. in the field of fuel cell development and fuel processing. For the development and demonstration of production technologies 660 m2 have been equipped with most modern machine technologies. Another 500 m2 will be used for the application oriented testing of components and systems.

Source: Fuel Cell Today