Switzer - Bipolar & Cooling Plates
Switzer’s bipolar and cooling plates for hydrogen fuel cells offer superior electrical and heat conductivity to power a variety of applications including cars, UAVs, forklifts, auxiliary power units and more. Our chemical etching process is well-suited to form precise channels on one or both sides of the material to improve the flow of fluid and gas.
- Burr- and Stress-Free
- Low-Cost Tooling
- Optimized Channel Options
Built-In Efficiencies
When compared to stamping or forming manufacturing methods, our photochemical machining has efficiencies built into every step of the process to produce precise and complex metal bipolar and cooling plates with ease.
- Optimized Channel Options
- Channels on one side of the plate
- Symmetrical channels on both sides of the plate
- Asymmetrical channels on both sides of the plate
- Channel surfaces within US DOE’s roughness standards
- Tighter Radiuses
When channels are etched at the same time, we can better accommodate complex design patterns on thinner materials with tighter radiuses for better gas and fluid flow. - Burr- and Stress-Free
Photochemical machining does not utilize heat or force so parts remain smooth and free from stresses or burrs that can compromise stack bonding.
Switzer supports the entire lifecycle of your component. Whether you’re transitioning to metal bipolar and cooling plates or need help scaling your existing program, we are here to see you through the manufacturing process.
- Rapid Prototyping
Different prototype designs can be produced quickly to meet your internal timelines. - Low-Cost Tooling
Our low-cost tooling allows you to test multiple designs quickly and efficiently in order to help determine the optimized design for your fuel cell stack. - Fast Delivery
We can produce and deliver brand new bipolar and cooling plate designs within four weeks.
Our process is unmatched in precision. We will work with you to ensure your component allows your finished product to perform as needed. The first step is a finished component that meets the exact specifications of your design.
Learn more about our features
- Metal thickness: Up to 0.100”
- Channel depth: Up to 030” deep
- Channel width: Minimum of .006”
- Plate length and width: Up to 24” x 48”
- Linear dimension tolerances: +/-10% of channel depth