Feintool and SITEC enter production partnership with Swedish coating specialist

Feintool and SITEC are commencing a production partnership with Swedish coating specialist Impact Coatings AB. This non-exclusive co-operation further strengthens the capability to provide customers with the entire process chain in the production of ready-to-install metallic bipolar plates and interconnects for fuel cells and electrolysers – from early development to high-volume production.

Manufacturers of metallic high-precision components for fuel cells and electrolysers are continuously enhancing processes to address the needs of the hydrogen industry. To strengthen the competitiveness of customers, Feintool and SITEC find partners that share the same spirit of driving innovation and cost advantages. With Impact Coatings AB, co-operation begins with a proven, reliable and globally present specialist to further evolve development and production capabilities.

Impact Coatings’ expertise lies in physical vapor deposition (PVD), a clean coating process for the
modification and enhancement of surface properties with minimal environmental impact. PVD and the
corresponding quality control complement the coating capability of Feintool and SITEC which is an integral production step to provide customers with ready-to-install bipolar plates and interconnects.

Fuel cells are electrochemical energy converters that generate electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. They
emit only water vapour. This is how fuel cells power electric vehicles and, for example, emergency power
generators. They offer a clean alternative to fossil fuels and thus contribute to a greener future. Electrolysers
use the same principle as fuel cells in reverse to store energy in hydrogen.

Metallic bipolar plates and interconnects constitute the cores of fuel cells and electrolysers. These high-precision components enable efficient gas flow, cooling and electrical connection at low production cost.
Several hundred plates are layered to form the fuel cell or electrolyser stack.