Cutting apparatus for membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly

A cutting apparatus for a membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly included in a fuel cell, the cutting apparatus comprising:

• an upper die;
• a lower die provided with a cutting blade configured to cut a workpiece through shearing by movement in a direction where the lower die moves closer relative to the upper die while the workpiece is interposed between the upper die and the lower die;
• and
• a workpiece holder configured to hold and retain the workpiece between the upper die and the workpiece holder by a relative movement of the lower die relative to the upper die,
• wherein
• the lower die includes a first outer lateral surface extending in the direction of the relative movement between the upper die and the lower die from the cutting blade,
• the workpiece holder includes a workpiece holding surface configured to hold the workpiece, an inner lateral surface extending from a first end of a first side of the workpiece holding surface, the first side facing the cutting blade, along the direction of the relative movement between the upper die and the lower die so as to face the first outer lateral surface of the lower die, and a second outer lateral surface extending from a second end of a second side of the workpiece holding surface, the second side further apart from the cutting blade than the first side, along the direction of the relative movement between the upper die and the lower die, and
• the workpiece holder is arranged such that a workpiece holding distance between the first outer lateral surface of the lower die and the second outer lateral surface of the workpiece holder is 5 times to 12 times a thickness of the workpiece.