Metallic Bipolar Plate Production Through Additive Manufacturing: Contrasting MEX/M and PBF-LB/M Approaches

The corresponding paper investigates the production of metallic bipolar plates using MEX/M and PBF-LB/M additive manufacturing technologies. Six design variations were fabricated, and the geometric accuracy of both methods was evaluated using 3D scanning technology. To account for dimensional deviations, the shrinkage of MEX/M samples was measured and compensated in the digital models before the comparison. A comparative analysis was conducted based on 20 measurement points per sample, calculating mean values and standard deviations. The results indicate that PBF-LB/M is well-suited for manufacturing complex structures with intricate geometric details, while MEX/M provides a balanced trade-off between accuracy and production efficiency for simpler bipolar plate designs. Consequently, PBF-LB/M is recommended for prototyping and experimental validation of complex geometries, whereas MEX/M is more suitable for prototype production as a preparatory step for mass manufacturing via the MIM process.