Automated and continuous production of microstructured metallic plates via cold embossing

Many critical issues need to be addressed when microstructured reactors are manufactured in large unit volumes. The most crucial of these are cost, ease of production and reliability. The lack of breakthrough manufacturing technology to provide high efficiency, low cost, high-precision plates is a hindrance to the early market implementation of systems requiring metallic microstructured plates. This contribution focuses on the development and optimisation of a combined embossing and bending tool for the quick and continuous manufacture of easily machined plates.