Against the backdrop of an accelerating global energy transition, hydrogen fuel cells, as an important carrier of clean energy, are ushering in unprecedented development opportunities. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA), as the core component of a fuel cell, directly affects the efficiency and lifespan of the entire cell system. Among these, the preparation process of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) carbon paper, particularly the curing and molding process, directly determines the porosity structure, conductivity, and mechanical strength of the GDL.
Four Core Pain Points and Solutions in GDL Carbon Paper Production
For manufacturers of GDL carbon paper for hydrogen fuel cells, the key to winning the market lies in whether they can produce high-performance carbon paper with excellent consistency in a stable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Traditional production equipment (such as flat presses and roll presses) poses numerous obstacles on the path to large-scale production.
Pain Point 1: Poor product consistency, low yield rate, and difficulty in mass delivery
Traditional Dilemma: Traditional flat presses are affected by the processing accuracy of the hot press plates and the thermal deformation of the plates after heating, resulting in a high deviation in the thickness uniformity of the cured carbon paper. Additionally, the intermittent pressing method only allows production of sheets of specific dimensions, making it impossible to provide customers with rolls of various sizes. Traditional roll pressing applies pressure through line contact, with the pressure decreasing from the center of the rollers toward the ends, causing the carbon paper to be tight in the middle and loose at the edges. This directly leads to uneven thickness and inconsistent pore distribution. Even within the same batch, or even the same sheet of carbon paper, performance can fluctuate, with yields hovering around 85% in the long term, posing a high risk for large-scale order delivery.
Mingke isostatic pressure solution: The isostatic technology achieves true ‘surface contact’ uniform pressure based on Pascal’s law of fluid mechanics. Similar to the hydrostatic pressure in the deep sea, it acts uniformly on every point of the carbon paper from all directions.
Results Effect:
- Thickness Consistency: Stabilize thickness tolerances from a dozen microns to within ±3μm.
- Pore Uniformity: Porosity can be consistently maintained at a high standard of 70% ±2%.
- Yield Improvement: Yield rate has increased from 85% to over 99%, enabling stable, large-scale, high-quality delivery.
Pain Point 2: Low production efficiency, prominent capacity bottlenecks, and high costs
Traditional Dilemma: Most high-quality lamination processes are ‘batch-based,’ like a home oven, baking one batch at a time. The production pace is slow, equipment is frequently turned on and off, energy consumption is high, labor dependency is strong, and the capacity ceiling is within easy reach.
Mingke Isostatic Solution: The double-belt isostatic press is essentially designed as a continuously operating ‘high-temperature, high-pressure tunnel.’ The substrate enters from one end, goes through a complete process of compaction, curing, and cooling, and is continuously output from the other end.
Solution Effects:
- Production Leap: Enables 24-hour continuous production, with speeds reaching 0.5-2.5 meters per minute, and an annual output of up to 1 million square meters per production line, increasing efficiency by more than five times.
- Cost Dilution: The continuous production scale effect significantly lowers depreciation, energy, and labor costs per square meter. Measurements have shown that overall production costs can be reduced by 30%.
- Labor Saving: High level of automation allows a 67% reduction in operators per shift.
Pain Point 3: Narrow process window, high trial-and-error debugging costs, and limited innovation
Traditional Dilemma: The performance of GDL carbon paper is extremely sensitive to temperature and pressure curves. Traditional equipment cannot control temperature precisely and has a single pressure curve, making it difficult to accurately replicate the laboratory’s optimal process. Want to try a new formula or new structure? The debugging cycle is long, the defect rate is high, and the cost of trial and error is daunting.
Mingke static pressure solution: Provides a highly flexible and precisely controllable process platform.
Solution Effects:
- Precise Temperature Control: Multi-zone independent temperature control with accuracy up to ±0.5℃, ensuring perfect resin curing.
- Adjustable Pressure: Pressure can be precisely set and maintained within the 0-12 bar range for ultimate uniformity.
- Process Resue: Once optimal parameters are found, they can be “locked” with one click in the system, achieving 100% process reproducibility and ensuring stable product performance.
- Empowering R&D: Nanjing Mingke currently has two double-belt isostatic press test machines, providing a reliable, production-level testing platform for the research and development of new materials and new structures, greatly reducing innovation barriers and risks. At the same time, for startups with limited initial capital and difficulty in purchasing equipment, small-batch contract manufacturing services ranging from one week to one month can be offered to improve carbon paper product delivery capabilities, help businesses run preliminary pilot production, reduce large upfront equipment investment, and reduce risks.
Pain Point 4: Phenolic resin curing glue overflow residue, high loss of release paper or release agent auxiliary materials.
Traditional Dilemma: After phenolic resin cures, it is difficult to separate from the press plate or steel belt. Traditional companies generally use release agents or release paper to achieve the demolding process, but high-quality release agents or release papers are expensive to purchase, and the high consumption during the production process increases the cost of carbon paper production, which is not conducive to competitive product pricing in the market.
Mingke Isostatic Solution: Mingke’s double steel belt isostatic press allows customers to choose chrome-plated press steel belts.
Solution Effect: Through internal tests conducted at Mingke Factory using chrome-plated steel belts on curing carbon paper, it was found that compared to traditional press steel belts, chrome-plated steel belts provide better resin curing and release performance. Excess glue residue is easier to remove, and when used with a mobile cleaning brush, the remaining glue on the steel belt surface can be easily eliminated, helping customers reduce costs on release agents and release paper. The chrome layer on the surface of the steel belt significantly improves the hardness and wear resistance of the belt. Additionally, the dense oxide film formed by the chrome layer on the steel belt surface effectively blocks the erosion of oxygen, water, and other corrosive elements, thereby extending the service life of the steel belt.
For users who have long relied on imported equipment, Nanjing Mingke, as a domestic company, offers a better solution:
- Domestic substitution: Break the import monopoly, with advantages in equipment purchasing and maintenance costs.
- Prompt service response: 24-hour technical support, engineers on-site within 48 hours, completely addressing the slow after-sales response and long spare parts cycles of imported equipment.
Actual application results: creating significant value for customers
After a well-known hydrogen fuel cell company adopted the Minke isostatic double steel belt press, it achieved remarkable results in the production of GDL carbon paper.
- Significant improvement in product yield: increased from 85% in traditional processes to over 99%.
- Notable enhancement in production efficiency: daily output capacity reaches 3,000 square meters.
- Reduced energy consumption: overall energy usage decreased by 35%.
Product Performance Optimization:
- Porosity Uniformity: 70% ± 2%
- In-plane Resistivity: < 5 mΩ·cm
- Through-plane Resistivity: < 8 mΩ·cm²
- Tensile Strength: > 20 MPa- Thickness Uniformity: ±3 μm
Complete service system and technical support
Nanjing Mingke Process Systems Co., Ltd. provides customers with comprehensive technical service support:
1. Process Development Support
A professional technical team assists customers in optimizing process parameters and adjusting equipment, ensuring that the equipment meets specific production process requirements.
2. Customized Equipment Services
Provide customized equipment services according to customers’ special needs, including special sizes, special configurations, etc.
3. Installation and Commissioning Services
An experienced engineering team provides on-site installation and commissioning services to ensure that equipment can be quickly put into production.
4. Technical Training
Offer complete operation and maintenance training to ensure customers can proficiently operate and maintain the equipment.
5. After-Sales Support
Establish a 24-hour rapid response mechanism to provide timely after-sales service and technical support, ensuring uninterrupted production.
The industry has broad application prospects.
The Mingke static isostatic double steel belt press is not only suitable for the production of GDL carbon papers for hydrogen fuel cells, but can also be widely applied in multiple fields:
- Fuel cells: GDL carbon paper, catalyst layer preparation;
- Solid-state batteries: electrode sheet compaction and molded;
- Composite materials: carbon fiber prepreg preparation;
- Specialty paper: high-density compaction and molding;
- New energy materials: preparation of various functional thin film materials.
Advantages of Mingke Double Steel Belt Isostatic Press:
Nanjing Mingke has spent ten years honing its technology and keeps investing in the research and development of double steel belt isostatic presses. They now have high-temperature presses that reach 400°C with pressure accuracy controlled within ±2%. Thanks to this tech expertise, Mingke is the best choice for carbon paper curing presses when you consider value for money and minimal risk. Nowadays, most domestic roll-to-roll carbon paper curing companies choose Nanjing Mingke as their partner.
Post time: Oct-09-2025