Simulation of hollow embossing rolling for full-scale bipolar plates

Hollow embossing rolling is a high-potential technology for the continuous production of metallic bipolar half plates (BPHP) for fuel cells and other plates for media distribution, enabling high-speed manufacturing. While finite element (FE) models for smaller BPHP samples have demonstrated significant accuracy and efficiency in predicting key process parameters, their application to full-scale BPHPs remains underexplored. This study focuses on extending a previously validated FE modeling approach to simulate the hollow embossing rolling of a full-scale BPHP using LS-DYNA R12.1. The investigation evaluates critical aspects of process behavior, including process parameters, wrinkling tendencies, thinning behavior, and the achievable cross sectional channel shapes. Additional simulations are performed to evaluate springback and resulting flatness deviations under clamped conditions. The results confirm that the modeling strategy effectively predicts the behavior of full-scale BPHPs during hollow embossing rolling. The process is feasible without cracking; however, geometry-induced wrinkling and flatness deviations remain a challenge, indicating the need for further optimization.