Fixture pallet apparatus for automated assembly of fuel cell material layers

A transportable fixture apparatus for facilitating automatic assembly of a plurality of fuel cell layers, the plurality of fuel cell layers comprising at least a first fluid transport layer (first FTL), a second fluid transport layer (second FTL), and a membrane, the first FTL and the membrane defining a FTL/membrane sub-assembly, the fixture apparatus comprising:

• a first fixture comprising a substantially porous first region adapted to receive the FTL/membrane sub-assembly and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the first fixture and the FTL/membrane sub-assembly;
• a second fixture comprising a substantially porous second region adapted to receive the second FTL and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the second fixture and the second FTL;
• and
• a stop arrangement protruding from one or both of the first fixture and the second fixture and situated peripheral to the FTL/membrane sub-assembly and second FTL when the first fixture is in contact with the second fixture, the stop arrangement defining a cavity adapted to effect compression of the FTL/membrane sub-assembly and second FTL when the first fixture is brought into contact with the second fixture under pressure.

A transportable fixture apparatus for facilitating automatic assembly of a plurality of material layers comprising at least one substantially non-porous material layer and at least one substantially porous material layer, a first substantially porous material layer and a substantially non-porous material layer defining a sub-assembly, the fixture apparatus comprising:

• a first fixture comprising a substantially porous first region adapted to receive the sub-assembly and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the first fixture and the sub-assembly;
• a second fixture comprising a substantially porous second region adapted to receive a second substantially porous material layer (second layer) and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the second fixture and the second layer;
• and
• a stop arrangement protruding from one or both of the first fixture and the second fixture and situated peripheral to the sub-assembly and second layer when the first fixture is in contact with the second fixture, the stop arrangement defining a cavity adapted to effect compression of the sub-assembly and second layer when the first fixture is brought into contact with the second fixture under pressure.