Assembly Line Design for Industrialized Electrolyser Production

The electrolyser industry is under rapid development, where manufacturing companies seek opportunities to develop industrialized solutions for electrolyser production. However, electrolyser production implies major logistical challenges related to for instance product characteristics (expensive and fragile components, rare materials), the stack assembly process (precise alignment of cells and pressure), the supply chain (immature, limited supplier base, quality issues, delivery constraints), and the production equipment (immature). Designing a high efficiency electrolyser assembly line is thus a challenging task. This paper presents results of a study with the aim to assess design alternatives for electrolyser stack assembly with focus on logistics and flow efficiency. Design elements such as the number and locations of buffers and quality inspection are considered. A discrete-event simulation model is developed and tested based on scenarios reflecting situations related to for instance poor quality yield of incoming components and equipment downtime. Data from an empirical case involving the design of a new assembly line, are used to set up the model. Based on the findings from the simulations, recommendations for the design of industrialized electrolyser assembly lines are formulated. This study contributes with insight to critical aspects and guidance to design decisions for efficient electrolyser assembly lines. Moreover, it shows how simulation can support assessment of different design alternatives in the development of efficient stack assembly lines.