Public Funding for Huxley Bertram Engineering Limited

The project will develop a new, rapid and non-destructive test instrument for predicting tablet efficacy and performance, based on direct measurements of tablet porosity using terahertz light. In so doing, we expect to contribute to manufacturing efficiency improvements in production of advanced solid dose medicines. Our technology will initially be marketed as a test which can work alongside existing methods (dissolution/disintegration and hardness testing) to improve tablet quality during the design process. The ultimate goal is to act as a real-time, in-line test and feedback mechanism as the industry moves towards Continuous Manufacturing.

The objective is for Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells to develop a high-speed continuous manufacturing process for sealed Catalyst Coated Membranes, the major component of fully integrated Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), which are the energy generators in a Fuel Cell. The process will operate at 20 linear metres per minute, more than x10 current capability and consistent with the production requirements of the other Fuel Cell components. Manufacturing costs will be substantially reduced costs compared to the current material-limited and non-integrated processes. A major challenge will be to place the costly sub-components only in the areas where they are functionally active, and to develop seal materials with adhesion and release properties consistent with the target process speed. Process to attach the Gas Diffusion Layer, another MEA component and quality control development are also involved. MEAs will be qualified by Intelligent Energy in their new platform aimed at powering mobile phone masts.

The demand for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) from a future automotive market is such that continuous manufacturing processes will be required. In such a process it would be advantageous to be able to produce fully integrated MEAs by attaching the gas diffusion layers (GDL) to the edge sealed catalyst coated membrane (CCM). This is currently completed off-line using slow manual-based methods. This project will identify and test methodologies for rapid, accurate placement and attachment of the GDLs to the CCMs. Following initial trials to identify the appropriate sealing materials and processes that can effect sealing in fractions of a second, a full manufacturing design study will be prepared that would be capable of accurately placing the GDL onto the CCM with similarly fast cycle times.