SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES successfully entered the expanding hydrogen market with the further development of suitable coating processes as well as the corresponding adaptation of its machine technology. Thanks to the company’s core competence in vacuum coating technology (PVD sputtering) efficient solutions for various applications, such as the production of bipolar plates, can be provided.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES works intensively with partners on the development and optimization of coatings for metallic bipolar plates used in fuel cells and electrolyzers. The modular inline sputtering system GENERIS  PVD from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES enables the variable deposition of different layer systems and offers the possibility to sputter bipolar plates in all common sizes with a flexible substrate carrier system. The dynamic inline vacuum PVD sputtering enables high-quality and cost-efficient production.

The modularly designed GENERIS PVD inline coating system can be used to deposit different coating systems. With its flexible substrate carrier system, the GENERIS PVD offers the possibility of coating bipolar plates in all common sizes. Dr. Stefan Rinck adds: “In cooperation with leading European institutes, we are working on optimizing the coating processes and results in the field of hydrogen technology. We are convinced that the use of green hydrogen makes ecological sense and that the market will grow at an above-average rate.”

Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, using only electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind or hydropower for the electrolysis. Regardless of the electrolysis technology chosen, the production of hydrogen in this case is CO2-free, as the electricity used comes 100% from renewable sources and is therefore CO2-neutral.

With the GENERIS PVD inline coating machine SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES makes a significant contribution to efficient and cost-effective hydrogen production.

Background Electrolysis 

Several electrolysis processes compete on the market with their respective advantages and disadvantages depending on the field of application: alkaline, PEM or high-temperature electrolysis. The first two processes use steel or titanium bipolar plates stacked together with a membrane and gas-conducting elements. High-temperature electrolysis is based on a ceramic solid membrane. A very promising process for hydrogen production for non-uniform operation, i.e., renewable energy sources, is PEM electrolysis (PEM: Proton Exchange Membrane). Due to the expected market for electrolyzers, inline cathode sputtering plants with their large throughput are ideally suited here for PEM as well as for alkaline electrolysis.

Different coating systems can be deposited with the modular GENERIS PVD inline coating system. With its flexible substrate carrier system, the GENERIS PVD offers the possibility of coating bipolar plates in all common sizes.