Washington, DC –
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but when a single component fails, the entire system can be compromised, and sourcing a suitable replacement becomes a formidable challenge. This was the situation faced by the Military Services when a foreign adversary acquired the manufacturer of a critical fuel cell component for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). To address the supply chain gap, the Department of War Manufacturing Technology Program (DoW ManTech), in collaboration with LIFT – one of the DoW Manufacturing Innovation Institutes – and Northwest UAV, launched a pilot production line for fuel cell separator plates.
The separator plate pilot project has now completed at LIFT and is ready to transition to commercial production. To celebrate the project's success, a team from ManTech's Manufacturing Science Technology Program (MSTP), which originally funded the project, joined LIFT, May 13, at its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan,
MSTP Program Manager Justin McRoberts said, "Repairing or replacing critical components must never stand in the way of mission success for our warfighters. By partnering with industry and academia, and using the Manufacturing Innovation Institute model to translate DoW needs into industrial base applications, we are developing practical solutions to supply chain gaps and producing essential parts right here at home. The separator plate project exemplifies our commitment to ensuring our warfighters have all the tools they need to maintain their unmatched dominance on the battlefield."
McRoberts added that the separator plates are a critical component to the functionality of the lightweight hydrogen fuel cell, which was also supported by MSTP working with technical leads from the Naval Research Lab and Northwest UAV.
At present, there is no qualified U.S.-based manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell separator plates for Department of War requirements, and a large portion of Europe's manufacturing capacity is being bought by vendors in adversarial nations, leaving a severe supply chain gap. Establishing a domestic supplier significantly empowers the Joint Force to fulfill mission requirements, ensuring the security and ready availability of a critical UAS battery component.
Earlier this year, LIFT and its industry member, Northwest UAV, were honored with the DoW ManTech's Principal’s Award for the separator plate project, which resulted in a low cost, domestically produced energy storage device that enables additional mission capabilities, including longer flight times.
Potential uses for this groundbreaking achievement go beyond the initial scope of MSTP's effort to include components for small unit ground power, unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned surface vehicles and tactical vehicle auxiliary power units.