JP6527813B2 - Coating apparatus, manufacturing apparatus and measuring method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating apparatus for coating material on the surface of a long strip-like substrate, a manufacturing apparatus for a membrane / catalyst layer assembly including the coating apparatus, and the coating apparatus, the distance from the discharge port to the adsorption surface The present invention relates to a measuring method for measuring the amount of change of

BACKGROUND In recent years, fuel cells have attracted attention as driving power sources for automobiles and mobile phones. A fuel cell is a power generation system that produces electric power by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen (H ₂ ) contained in fuel and oxygen (O ₂ ) in air. Fuel cells are characterized by high power generation efficiency and low environmental impact compared to other cells.

  There are several types of fuel cells, depending on the electrolyte used. One of them is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) using an ion exchange membrane (electrolyte membrane) as an electrolyte. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell is expected to be applicable to automobiles and portable devices because it can operate at room temperature and can be reduced in size and weight.

  A polymer electrolyte fuel cell generally has a structure in which a plurality of cells are stacked. One cell is configured by sandwiching both sides of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA: Membrane-Electrode-Assembly) with a pair of separators. The membrane / electrode assembly further comprises a gas diffusion layer disposed on both sides of a membrane / catalyst layer assembly (CCM: Catalyst-coated membrane) having a catalyst layer formed on both sides of a thin film of electrolyte (polymer electrolyte membrane) It is. A pair of electrode layers are comprised by the catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer which were arrange | positioned on both sides on both sides of a polymer electrolyte membrane. One of the pair of electrode layers is an anode electrode, and the other is a cathode electrode. When the anode electrode is in contact with a fuel gas containing hydrogen and the cathode electrode is in contact with air, an electrochemical reaction produces electric power.

  The membrane / catalyst layer assembly described above typically applies a catalyst ink (electrode paste) in which catalyst particles containing platinum (Pt) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol on the surface of the electrolyte membrane, and It is made by drying the catalyst ink. The conventional membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing technology is described, for example, in Patent Document 1.

JP, 2013-161557, A

  In the membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing apparatus, the catalyst ink is discharged onto the surface of the electrolyte membrane by discharging the catalyst ink from the nozzles while holding the electrolyte membrane on the outer peripheral surface (adsorption surface) of the roller having a plurality of adsorption holes. Apply At this time, when the distance (gap) from the discharge port of the nozzle to the adsorption surface changes due to expansion / contraction of the roller due to temperature change, external vibration, etc., the application state of the catalyst ink also changes. For this reason, in order to apply the catalyst ink uniformly on the surface of the electrolyte membrane, it is preferable to measure the gap constantly and to perform feedback control of the position of the nozzle so that the gap becomes constant.

  However, the suction surface of the roller is curved and has a large number of suction holes. For this reason, in a reflection type sensor such as a laser displacement meter, it is difficult to accurately reflect the laser light irradiated to the adsorption surface, and a measurement error is likely to occur. On the other hand, when the measuring element is brought into contact with the adsorption surface to measure the change of the gap, the adsorption surface may be damaged by the sliding of the adsorption surface and the measuring element. If the adsorption surface is damaged, the retention of the electrolyte membrane may be reduced, or an error may occur in the measurement result of the gap.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a coating apparatus for applying a material to the surface of a long strip-like base material, from the discharge port to the suction surface without damaging the suction surface of the backup roller. It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology capable of measuring the amount of change in distance of

  In order to solve the above-mentioned subject, the 1st invention of this application is a coating device which applies material to the surface of a long beltlike substrate, and the substrate is directly or other sheets on a cylindrical adsorption side. A backup roller for holding, a rotational drive unit for rotating the backup roller around its axis, a nozzle having a discharge port for discharging material toward the substrate held by the backup roller, and the discharge port; According to the measurement result of the measuring unit, an advancing and retracting mechanism for advancing and retracting in a first direction parallel to the direction of discharge of the material, a measuring unit for measuring the amount of change of the distance in the first direction from the ejection port to the suction surface Based on the control unit for controlling the advancing and retracting mechanism, and a cylindrical measurement surface that rotates with the suction surface, and among the suction surface and the measurement surface, a plurality of suctions only on the suction surface A hole is provided Measuring unit has a measuring element that contacts the surface to be measured.

  A second invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of the first invention, further comprising a protective film wound around a part of the suction surface, and the surface of the protective film is the surface to be measured.

  A third invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of the second invention, wherein the thickness of the protective film and the thickness of the substrate are substantially the same.

  A fourth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of any one of the first invention to the third invention, wherein the suction surface has a holding area for holding a substrate, and the measurement surface is the above-mentioned In the second direction parallel to the axis, the holding area is provided at a different position.

  A fifth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of the fourth invention, wherein a pair of the to-be-measured surfaces is provided on both sides of the holding region in the second direction, and the measuring unit is a pair of the to-be-measured surfaces And a pair of the measuring elements in contact with the

  A sixth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first invention to the fifth invention, wherein the measurement unit has a measurement unit main body stationary relative to the nozzle, The measuring element advances and retracts with respect to the measuring unit main body.

  A seventh invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of the sixth invention, wherein the measuring element advances and retracts in the first direction with respect to the measurement unit main body.

  An eighth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of any one of the first invention to the fifth invention, wherein the measurement unit has a measurement unit main body fixed at a position not moving with the nozzle, The measuring element advances and retracts with respect to the measuring unit main body.

  A ninth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of any one of the first invention to the eighth invention, wherein the measuring element is directed to the axis of the backup roller.

  A tenth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first invention to the ninth invention, wherein the measuring element is a measurement roller which can rotate around an axis parallel to the axis of the backup roller. And the measurement roller contacts the surface to be measured.

  An eleventh invention of the present application is the coating apparatus of any one of the first invention to the tenth invention, wherein the measurement unit has an air cylinder for pressing the measurement element against the measurement surface.

  A twelfth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first invention to the ninth invention, further comprising a heating unit for heating the substrate held by the backup roller.

  The thirteenth invention of the present application is a manufacturing apparatus of a membrane-catalyst layer assembly in which a catalyst layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte membrane, and the coating apparatus of any one of the first invention to the twelfth invention, and The coating apparatus includes an introduction unit for introducing a substrate including a layer of an electrolyte membrane, and a recovery unit for recovering the substrate from the coating apparatus, and the nozzle is directed to the substrate held by the backup roller. And discharge the catalyst material.

  According to a fourteenth invention of the present application, a material is applied to the surface of a substrate by discharging the material from a discharge port while holding the substrate directly or through another sheet on the cylindrical suction surface of a rotating backup roller. A coating method comprising: measuring a change in a distance from the discharge port to the suction surface, the method comprising: a) bringing a probe into contact with a cylindrical measurement surface rotating with the suction surface; And b) calculating the amount of change in the distance from the discharge port to the suction surface based on the displacement of the measuring element, and among the suction surface and the surface to be measured, only the suction surface. , A plurality of suction holes are provided.

  According to the first to fourteenth inventions of the present application, it is possible to measure the amount of change in the distance from the discharge port to the suction surface without damaging the suction surface of the backup roller.

  In particular, according to the seventh invention of the present application, the advancing and retracting direction of the nozzle by the advancing and retracting mechanism and the advancing and retracting direction of the probe in the measurement unit become parallel to each other. For this reason, there is no problem that the movement axis of the measuring element is shifted due to the advancement and withdrawal of the nozzle. Therefore, the amount of change in the distance from the discharge port to the suction surface can be measured more accurately by using the measuring element.

  In particular, according to the ninth invention of the present application, it is possible to more accurately measure the displacement of the attraction surface when the backup roller expands or contracts about the axis.

  In particular, according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, sliding of the measuring element with respect to the surface to be measured can be suppressed. Thereby, damage to the surface to be measured and the measuring element can be suppressed.

  In particular, according to the eleventh invention of the present application, the contact state of the probe with respect to the surface to be measured can be kept excellent.

  In particular, according to the twelfth invention of the present application, the backup roller is also heated together with the base material by the heating unit. Therefore, it is particularly important to suppress the change in the gap due to the thermal expansion or contraction of the backup roller.

It is the figure which showed the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of a membrane * catalyst layer assembly. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a peeling roller. It is an enlarged view of the lamination roller vicinity. It is the block diagram which showed the connection of a control part and each part. It is the figure which looked at the backup roller and the application part from one side of the axial center direction of the backup roller. It is the figure which looked at the backup roller and the application part from the back side of the nozzle. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a measuring element. It is the flowchart which showed the flow of the operation | movement at the time of apply | coating a catalyst ink on the surface of an electrolyte membrane, maintaining a gap | interval in a manufacturing apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the backup roller and application part which concern on a modification from one side of the axial center direction of a backup roller.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Configuration of manufacturing equipment>
FIG. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The production apparatus 1 is an apparatus for producing a membrane-catalyst layer assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell by forming a catalyst layer to be an electrode on the surface of an electrolyte membrane which is a long strip-like base material. . As shown in FIG. 1, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes an introduction and separation unit 10, a backup roller 20, a coating unit 30, a drying furnace 40, a collection unit 50, a surface cooling unit 60 and control. A section 70 is provided.

  In the present embodiment, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the membrane / catalyst layer assembly, a portion constituted by the backup roller 20, the coating unit 30, and the drying furnace 40 is an example of the “coating device” in the present invention.

  The introducing and peeling portion 10 is a portion for introducing the laminated base material 90 constituted by two layers of the support film 91 and the electrolyte membrane 92 onto the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 and peeling the support film 91 from the electrolyte membrane 92. .

  For example, a fluorine-based or hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membrane is used as the electrolyte membrane 92. Specific examples of the electrolyte membrane 92 include a polymer electrolyte membrane containing perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid (for example, Nafion (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont of the United States, Flemion (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., manufactured by Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd.) Aciplex (registered trademark), Goreselect (registered trademark) manufactured by Gore. The film thickness of the electrolyte membrane 92 is, for example, 5 μm to 30 μm. The electrolyte membrane 92 swells due to atmospheric moisture, but shrinks when the humidity becomes low. That is, the electrolyte membrane 92 has the property of being easily deformed according to the humidity in the air.

  The support film 91 is a film for suppressing the deformation of the electrolyte membrane 92. As a material of the support film 91, a resin having mechanical strength higher than that of the electrolyte membrane 92 and excellent in shape retention function is used. As a specific example of the support film 91, a film of PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) can be mentioned. The film thickness of the support film 91 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the introductory peeling part 10 has the peeling roller 11, the introductory part 12, and the discharge part 13. As shown in FIG.

  The peeling roller 11 is a roller that rotates about an axis extending horizontally. The peeling roller 11 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface formed of an elastic body. The outer circumferential surface of the peeling roller 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the backup roller 20 described later face each other with a gap through which the laminated base material 90 passes. Further, the peeling roller 11 is pressurized toward the backup roller 20 by an air cylinder (not shown).

  The introduction unit 12 has a substrate unwinding roller 121 and a first detection roller 122. The substrate unwinding roller 121 and the first detection roller 122 are both arranged in parallel with the peeling roller 11. The laminated base material 90 before being supplied is wound around the base material unwinding roller 121. The substrate unwinding roller 121 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the substrate unwinding roller 121 rotates, the laminated substrate 90 is unwound from the substrate unwinding roller 121.

  The laminated base material 90 drawn out from the base material unwinding roller 121 changes its direction by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first detection roller 122, and is conveyed to the peeling roller 11 side. The first detection roller 122 detects the tension applied to the laminated base material 90 at the introduction unit 12 by measuring the load received from the laminated base material 90 with a load cell. The control unit 70 described later controls the number of rotations of the substrate unwinding roller 121 so that the tension of the laminated substrate 90 detected by the first detection roller 122 becomes a preset value.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the peeling roller 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the laminated base material 90 which has passed the first detection roller 122 is introduced into the gap between the peeling roller 11 and the backup roller 20. At this time, the support film 91 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the peeling roller 11, and the electrolyte film 92 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20. The laminated base material 90 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 by the pressure received from the peeling roller 11. The electrolyte film 92 is adsorbed on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 by a negative pressure generated in suction holes of the backup roller 20 described later.

  In the present embodiment, a layer of the catalyst material 9 a is formed in advance on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 fed out from the base material delivery roller 121. Therefore, the electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 together with the layer of the catalyst material 9a. The layer of the catalyst material 9a is an apparatus different from the manufacturing apparatus 1 and transports the laminated base material 90 composed of two layers of the support film 91 and the electrolyte membrane 92 as it is while using the roll-to-roll method. It is formed by intermittently applying a catalyst ink to the surface of the film 92 and drying the applied catalyst ink.

  The discharge unit 13 has a film winding roller 131 and a second detection roller 132. The film winding roller 131 and the second detection roller 132 are both arranged in parallel to the peeling roller 11. The support film 91 which has passed between the peeling roller 11 and the backup roller 20 is separated from the backup roller 20 and conveyed in the direction of the second detection roller 132. Thereby, the support film 91 is peeled from the electrolyte membrane 92. The peeled supporting film 91 changes its direction by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second detection roller 132, and is conveyed to the film winding roller 131 side.

  The film winding roller 131 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). Thus, the support film 91 is wound around the film winding roller 131. The second detection roller 132 detects the tension applied to the support film 91 at the discharge unit 13 by measuring the load received from the support film 91 with the load cell. The control unit 70 described later controls the number of rotations of the film winding roller 131 so that the tension of the support film 91 detected by the second detection roller 132 becomes a preset value.

  The backup roller 20 is a roller that rotates while attracting and holding the electrolyte film 92. The backup roller 20 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface larger in diameter than the peeling roller 11. The outer peripheral surface is a suction surface 21 having a plurality of suction holes. The diameter of the backup roller 20 is, for example, 400 mm to 1600 mm. As indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1, the backup roller 20 is connected to a rotation drive unit 22 having a drive source such as a motor. When the rotation drive unit 22 is operated, the backup roller 20 rotates around an axis extending horizontally (that is, parallel to the peeling roller 11). The rotation direction of the backup roller 20 and the rotation direction of the peeling roller 11 are opposite to each other.

As a material of the backup roller 20, for example, a porous material such as porous carbon or porous ceramics is used. Specific examples of porous ceramics include sintered bodies of alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) or silicon carbide (SiC). The pore diameter of the porous backup roller 20 is, for example, 5 μm or less, and the porosity is, for example, 15% to 50%.

  At the end face of the backup roller 20, a suction port 23 is provided. The suction port 23 is connected to a suction mechanism (for example, an exhaust pump) not shown. When the suction mechanism is operated, a negative pressure is generated at the suction port 23 of the backup roller 20. Then, negative pressure is generated also in the plurality of suction holes provided on the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 through the pores in the backup roller 20. The electrolyte film 92 is conveyed in an arc by the rotation of the backup roller 20 while being held by suction on the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 by the negative pressure.

  Further, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1, a plurality of water cooling pipes 24 are provided inside the backup roller 20. Cooling water whose temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature is supplied to the water cooling pipe 24 from a water supply mechanism (not shown). At the time of operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1, the heat of the backup roller 20 is absorbed by the cooling water which is the heat medium. Thereby, the backup roller 20 is cooled. The cooling water that has absorbed heat is discharged to the drainage mechanism outside the figure.

  The application unit 30 is a mechanism for applying a catalyst ink, which is a material, to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 transported by the backup roller 20. For the catalyst ink, an electrode paste in which particles containing a catalyst material (for example, platinum (Pt)) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol is used. As shown in FIG. 1, the application unit 30 has a nozzle 31. The nozzle 31 is provided downstream of the peeling roller 11 in the transport direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the backup roller 20. The nozzle 31 has a discharge port 311 facing the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20. The discharge port 311 is a slit-like opening extending horizontally along the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20.

  The nozzle 31 is connected to the catalyst ink supply source 33 via a supply pipe 32. Further, an on-off valve 34 is interposed on the path of the supply pipe 32. Therefore, when the on-off valve 34 is opened, the catalyst ink is supplied from the catalyst ink supply source 33 to the nozzle 31 through the supply pipe 32. Then, the catalyst ink is discharged from the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 toward the electrolyte film 92. As a result, the catalyst ink is applied to the outer surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 held by the backup roller 20.

  In the present embodiment, the catalyst ink is intermittently discharged from the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 by opening and closing the on-off valve 34 at a constant cycle. As a result, the catalyst ink is intermittently applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 at a constant interval in the transport direction. However, the on-off valve 34 may be opened continuously, and the catalyst ink may be applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 without a break in the transport direction.

  As the catalyst material in the catalyst ink, a material that causes a fuel cell reaction at the anode or cathode of the polymer fuel cell is used. Specifically, platinum (Pt), a platinum alloy, a platinum compound or the like can be used as a catalyst material. Examples of platinum alloys include, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe) and the like. An alloy of metal and platinum can be mentioned. In general, platinum is used as a catalyst material for the cathode, and a platinum alloy is used as a catalyst material for the anode. The catalyst ink discharged from the nozzle 31 may be for the cathode or the anode. However, the catalyst materials 9a and 9b formed on the front and back of the electrolyte membrane 92 are catalyst materials of opposite polarities to each other.

  The drying furnace 40 is a part for drying the catalyst ink applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The drying furnace 40 of the present embodiment is disposed downstream of the coating unit 30 in the transport direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the backup roller 20. Further, the drying furnace 40 is provided in an arc shape along the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20. The drying furnace 40 blows a heated gas (hot air) toward the electrolyte membrane 92 held by the backup roller 20. Then, the electrolyte film 92 and the catalyst ink applied to the surface thereof are heated, and the solvent in the catalyst ink is vaporized. Thereby, the catalyst ink is dried, and a layer of the catalyst material 9 b is formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92.

  The recovery unit 50 is a portion for attaching the strip cover film 93 to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 on which the layer of the catalyst material 9 b is formed, and recovering the obtained membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94. The recovery unit 50 is disposed downstream of the drying furnace 40 in the transport direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the backup roller 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the recovery unit 50 includes a laminating roller 51, a film supply unit 52, and a bonded body winding unit 53.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the laminating roller 51. As shown in FIG. The laminating roller 51 is a roller that rotates about an axis extending horizontally. The laminating roller 51 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface whose diameter is smaller than that of the backup roller 20. The outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 face each other with a gap through which the electrolyte membrane 92 and the cover film 93 pass. The laminating roller 51 is pressurized toward the backup roller 20 by an air cylinder (not shown).

  As a material of the laminating roller 51, for example, a metal having high thermal conductivity is used. In addition, inside the laminating roller 51, a heater 511 that generates heat by energization is provided. For the heater 511, for example, a sheathed heater can be used. When the heater 511 is energized, the heat generated from the heater 511 regulates the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 to a predetermined temperature higher than the environmental temperature. The temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 is measured using a temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer, and based on the measurement result, the output of the heater 511 is set so that the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 has a constant temperature. May be controlled.

  Return to FIG. The film supply unit 52 has a film unwinding roller 521 and a third detection roller 522. The film unwinding roller 521 and the third detection roller 522 are both arranged in parallel with the laminating roller 51. The cover film 93 before being supplied is wound around the film unwinding roller 521. The film unwinding roller 521 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the film unwinding roller 521 rotates, the cover film 93 is unwound from the film unwinding roller 521.

  For the material of the cover film 93, a resin having mechanical strength higher than that of the electrolyte membrane 92 and excellent in shape retention function is used. Specific examples of the cover film 93 include films of PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The cover film 93 may be the same as the support film 91. Also, the support film 91 wound up by the film winding roller 131 may be fed out from the film unwinding roller 521 as the cover film 93.

  The fed out cover film 93 changes its direction by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the third detection roller 522, and is conveyed to the laminating roller 51 side. The third detection roller 522 detects the tension applied to the cover film 93 in the film supply unit 52 by measuring the load received from the cover film 93 with the load cell. The control unit 70 described later controls the number of rotations of the film unwinding roller 521 so that the tension of the cover film 93 detected by the third detection roller 522 becomes a preset value.

  The cover film 93 that has passed through the third detection roller 522 is introduced between the electrolyte film 92 adsorbed and held on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 and the laminating roller 51. At this time, the cover film 93 is pressed against the electrolyte membrane 92 by the pressure from the laminating roller 51 and is heated by the heat of the laminating roller 51. As a result, the cover film 93 is attached to the outer surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The catalyst material 9 b formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is sandwiched between the electrolyte membrane 92 and the cover film 93. Thus, a membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 composed of the electrolyte membrane 92, the catalyst materials 9a and 9b, and the cover film 93 is formed.

  The joined body winding unit 53 includes a joined body winding roller 531 and a fourth detection roller 532. Both the bonded body winding roller 531 and the fourth detection roller 532 are disposed in parallel with the laminating roller 51. The membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 which has passed between the backup roller 20 and the laminating roller 51 is transported in the direction of the fourth detection roller 532 apart from the backup roller 20. Then, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 changes its direction by coming into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fourth detection roller 532, and is transported to the side of the assembly winding roller 531.

  The joined body take-up roller 531 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). Thereby, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 is wound around the bonded body winding roller 531. The fourth detection roller 532 detects the tension applied to the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 in the assembly winding portion 53 by measuring the load received from the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 with a load cell. The control unit 70 described later controls the number of rotations of the assembly winding roller 531 so that the tension of the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 detected by the fourth detection roller 532 becomes a preset value.

  The surface cooling unit 60 is a mechanism for cooling the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20. The surface cooling unit 60 is disposed at a position on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20 opposite to a region not holding the electrolyte membrane 92 between the collection unit 50 and the introductory peeling unit 10. The surface cooling unit 60 sprays, for example, clean dry air having a temperature (for example, about 5 ° C.) lower than the environmental temperature on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20. The backup roller 20 heated by the drying furnace 40 and the laminating roller 51 is cooled by receiving the clean dry air.

  As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the laminated base material 90 is fed out from the base material delivery roller 121, the support film 91 is peeled off from the electrolyte membrane 92, the catalyst ink is applied to the electrolyte membrane 92, and dried. The steps of drying by the furnace 40 and attachment of the cover film 93 to the electrolyte membrane 92 are sequentially performed. Thereby, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 used for the electrode of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is manufactured. The electrolyte membrane 92 is always held by the support film 91, the backup roller 20 or the cover film 93. Thereby, deformation such as swelling and contraction of the electrolyte membrane 92 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 is suppressed.

  The control unit 70 is means for controlling the operation of each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 70 and each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 70 is configured by a computer having an arithmetic processing unit 71 such as a CPU, a memory 72 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 73 such as a hard disk drive. In the storage unit 73, a computer program P for executing a manufacturing process of the membrane-catalyst layer assembly is installed.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 70 controls the motor of the substrate unwinding roller 121, the load cell of the first detection roller 122, the motor of the film winding roller 131, the load cell of the second detection roller 132, and the backup. Rotation drive unit 22 for roller 20, suction mechanism for backup roller 20, water supply mechanism for backup roller 20, open / close valve 34, drying oven 40, heater 511, motor for film unwinding roller 521, load cell for third detection roller 522, bonding The motor of the body winding roller 531, the load cell of the fourth detection roller 532 and the surface cooling unit 60 are communicably connected. The control unit 70 is also communicably connected to a servomotor 361 described later, an air pressure source of the measurement unit 37, and a displacement sensor 375.

  The control unit 70 temporarily reads the computer program P and data stored in the storage unit 73 into the memory 72, and the arithmetic processing unit 71 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program P to obtain the above-described units. Control the operation. Thereby, the manufacturing process of the membrane / catalyst layer assembly in the manufacturing apparatus 1 proceeds.

<2. About the advancing and retreating mechanism and the measurement part>
The manufacturing apparatus 1 has a mechanism for keeping the distance from the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 to the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 substantially constant. The mechanism will be described below. FIG. 5 is a view of the backup roller 20 and the application section 30 as viewed from one side of the backup roller 20 in the axial direction. FIG. 6 is a view of the backup roller 20 and the application section 30 as viewed from the back side of the nozzle 31. As shown in FIG.

  The coating unit 30 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 has a moving table 35 for supporting the nozzle 31. The nozzle 31 is fixed to the upper surface of the movable table 35 disposed horizontally. The discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 vertically faces the cylindrical suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the discharge direction of the catalyst ink from the nozzles 31 will be referred to as “first direction”. Further, a direction parallel to the axis of the backup roller 20 is referred to as a “second direction”.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the application unit 30 of the present embodiment has a pair of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 and a pair of measuring units 37.

  The advancing and retracting mechanism 36 is a mechanism for advancing and retracting the moving table 35 and the nozzle 31 in the first direction. The pair of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 are disposed in the vicinity of both ends in the second direction of the lower surface of the movable table 35. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the pair of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 has a servomotor 361 as a driving source, a guide rail 362, and a ball screw 363. The guide rail 362 is provided on the upper surface of the base portion 360 fixedly installed to the floor surface of the factory and extends in the first direction. The movable table 35 is installed to be movable back and forth in the first direction along the guide rails 362. The ball screw 363 is disposed above the guide rail 362. The ball screw 363 extends in the first direction in parallel with the guide rail 362. A nut provided on the lower surface of the movable table 35 is assembled to the ball screw 363.

  When the servomotor 361 is driven by the drive signal from the control unit 70, the ball screw 363 is rotated. Thereby, the movable table 35 and the nozzle 31 move in the first direction along the guide rail 362. Further, when the nozzle 31 moves in the first direction, the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 approaches or separates from the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 in the first direction. That is, the distance in the first direction from the discharge port 311 to the suction surface 21 (hereinafter, referred to as "gap G") changes.

  In the present embodiment, the servomotors 361 of the pair of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 can be driven independently of each other. For this reason, the gap G can be individually adjusted in the vicinity of both ends of the nozzle 31 in the second direction. However, the pair of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 may always operate simultaneously. Also, the number of advancing and retracting mechanisms 36 may be one, or three or more.

  The measuring unit 37 is a mechanism for measuring the amount of change of the gap G. The pair of measurement units 37 is disposed in the vicinity of both ends in the second direction of the upper surface of the movable table 35. As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of measurement units 37 each include a support member 371, a measurement unit main body 372, a rod 373, a measurement element 374, and a displacement sensor 375. The support member 371 extends upward from the top surface of the movable table 35. The measurement unit main body 372 is fixed in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the support member 371. Therefore, the measurement unit main body 372 is disposed at a position where it is stationary relative to the nozzle 31.

  The rod 373 is a columnar member extending in the first direction from the measurement unit main body 372 toward the backup roller 20 side. The probe 374 is provided at the tip of the rod 373. In the present embodiment, an air cylinder is used for the measurement unit main body 372 and the rod 373. The rod 373 and the probe 374 advance and retract in the first direction in response to the air pressure supplied to the measurement unit main body 372 from an air pressure source not shown.

  The displacement sensor 375 is a measuring device that detects the amount of displacement of the rod 373 and the probe 374. When the position of the rod 373 and the probe 374 in the first direction changes, the displacement sensor 375 measures the amount of displacement, and outputs a signal indicating the measurement result to the control unit 70.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 has a holding area 211 for holding the electrolyte film 92 and a pair of measurement areas 212 provided on both sides of the holding area 211 in the second direction. A protective film 80 is wound around the entire circumference of each of the pair of measurement areas 212. For the protective film 80, for example, a non-porous resin film such as polyimide is used. The thickness of the protective film 80 is preferably substantially the same as the thickness of the electrolyte membrane 92. For example, the thickness of the protective film 80 is preferably 1/2 or more and 2 or less times the thickness of the electrolyte membrane 92.

  At the time of measurement of the gap G, the probe 374 contacts the surface of the protective film 80. That is, in the present embodiment, the surface of the protective film 80 is a cylindrical measurement surface 81. As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 6, a plurality of suction holes 25 are provided on the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20, but no suction holes are provided on the measurement surface 81.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the measuring element 374. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the tracing stylus 374 of the present embodiment has a measurement roller 376 rotatable about an axis extending in the second direction. At the time of measurement of the gap G, the measurement roller 376 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the backup roller 20 while being in contact with the surface to be measured 81. Thereby, the sliding of the probe 374 with respect to the measurement surface 81 is suppressed. Therefore, the gap G can be measured while suppressing damage to the measuring element 374 and the measurement surface 81.

<3. About the operation at the time of gap measurement>
Subsequently, the operation of applying catalyst ink to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 while maintaining the gap G constant in the manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that among the operations in steps S1 to S9 in FIG. 8, at least the operations after step S2 are realized by causing the control unit 70 to operate each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1 based on the computer program P.

  In the manufacturing apparatus 1, when manufacturing a membrane / catalyst layer assembly, first, the protective film 80 is wound around the measurement area 212 of the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 (step S1). The winding operation of the protective film 80 may be performed automatically by the manufacturing apparatus 1 based on a command from the control unit 70, or may be performed by a worker. Moreover, the winding operation of the protective film 80 may be carried out in advance before starting the production of the membrane-catalyst layer assembly.

  Next, the control unit 70 operates the suction mechanism of the backup roller 20 (step S2). As a result, negative pressure is generated in the plurality of suction holes 25 provided on the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20. At this time, the plurality of suction holes 25 provided in the measurement area 212 of the suction surface 21 are blocked by the protective film 80. For this reason, the negative pressure generated in the plurality of suction holes 25 in the holding area 211 is higher than that in the case without the protective film 80.

  Next, the control unit 70 operates the advancing and retracting mechanism 36 to arrange the nozzle 31 at a preset position (step S3). Thus, the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 and the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 face each other in the first direction with the gap G interposed therebetween. Subsequently, the control unit 70 causes the rod 373 to protrude toward the backup roller 20 by supplying the air pressure to the measurement unit main body 372. Then, the gauge head 374 contacts the measurement surface 81 of the protective film 80 (step S4). Thereafter, the probe 374 is continuously pressed against the measurement surface 81 by air pressure. Thereby, the contact state of the probe 374 with the surface to be measured 81 can be maintained well.

  Subsequently, the control unit 70 starts the rotation of each roller in the manufacturing apparatus 1. Then, the electrolyte film 92 is introduced to the surface of the backup roller 20 (step S5). The introduced electrolyte membrane 92 rotates with the suction surface 21 while being held by the negative pressure of the plurality of suction holes 25 in the holding region 211 of the suction surface 21. Further, the surface to be measured 81 of the protective film 80 also rotates with the suction surface 21.

  Thereafter, the control unit 70 opens the on-off valve 34. Then, the catalyst ink is discharged from the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31 toward the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. Thereby, the coating process of the catalyst ink on the electrolyte membrane 92 is started (step S6).

  When the gap G between the discharge port 311 and the suction surface 21 changes due to expansion / contraction of the backup roller 20 due to temperature change, external vibration, etc., the position of the probe 374 in the first direction relative to the measurement portion main body 372 changes. Do. Then, the displacement sensor 375 measures the amount of displacement, and outputs a signal indicating the measurement result to the control unit 70 (step S7). The control unit 70 calculates the change amount of the gap G based on the obtained measurement result (step S8).

  Then, the control unit 70 performs feedback control of the servomotor 361 of the advancing and retracting mechanism 36 so as to reduce the calculated change amount of the gap G (step S9). Thereby, the position of the nozzle 31 in the first direction is adjusted. For example, when the gap G decreases, the nozzle 31 is moved away from the backup roller 20. Also, when the gap G increases, the nozzle 31 is moved in the direction approaching the backup roller 20.

  Thereby, the change of the gap G is suppressed. That is, the distance in the first direction from the discharge port 311 to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is kept substantially constant. As a result, the coated state of the catalyst ink on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 can be maintained constant. That is, on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92, a layer of the catalyst material 9b can be formed with a constant film thickness.

  As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the protective film 80 is wound around the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20, and the measuring element 374 is brought into contact with the surface of the protective film 80. Thereby, the amount of change of the gap G can be measured without damaging the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the adsorption force due to the damage of the adsorption surface 21 and the occurrence of the measurement error of the gap G.

  In particular, in the structure of the present embodiment, the nozzle 31 and the measurement unit main body 372 are fixed on the common moving table 35. Therefore, when the position of the nozzle 31 changes, the position of the measurement unit main body 372 is also displaced along with the nozzle 31. Therefore, without measuring the displacement amount of the nozzle 31 and the displacement amount of the suction surface 21 separately, the change amount of the gap G corresponding to the difference between these displacement amounts can be measured by one measuring unit 37.

  Further, in the structure of the present embodiment, the advancing and retracting direction of the nozzle 31 by the advancing and retracting mechanism 36 and the advancing and retracting direction of the tracing stylus 374 in the measurement unit 37 are both in the first direction. That is, the nozzle 31 and the tracing stylus 374 move in parallel with each other. In this way, the movement axis of the probe 374 does not shift depending on the position of the nozzle 31. Therefore, the amount of change in the gap G can be measured more accurately using the measuring element 374.

  Moreover, in the structure of this embodiment, the drying furnace 40 which becomes a heating part is provided along the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20. As shown in FIG. The drying furnace 40 heats the electrolyte membrane 92 held by the backup roller 20 and also heats the backup roller 20. Therefore, as described above, suppressing the change of the gap G due to the thermal expansion or contraction of the backup roller 20 is particularly important in the structure of the present embodiment.

<4. Modified example>
As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention was described, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a view of the backup roller 20 and the application unit 30 according to one modification as viewed from one side in the axial direction of the backup roller 20. In the example of FIG. 9, the measurement unit 37 includes a first measurement unit 37A that measures the displacement amount of the suction surface 21 and a second measurement unit 37B that measures the displacement amount of the nozzle 31. Both the measurement unit main body 372 of the first measurement unit 37A and the measurement unit main body 372B of the second measurement unit 37B are fixed at a stationary position with respect to the floor surface of the factory by a support member (not shown). There is. Therefore, even when the nozzle 31 moves, the positions of the two measurement unit main bodies 372A and 372B do not change.

  The tracing stylus 374A of the first measurement unit 37A contacts the measurement surface 81 of the protective film 80 wound around the backup roller 20. When the backup roller 20 expands or contracts due to a temperature change, the position of the tracing stylus 374A changes in accordance with the displacement of the measurement surface 81. The displacement sensor 375A of the first measurement unit 37A measures the amount of displacement, and outputs a signal indicating the measurement result to the control unit 70.

  On the other hand, the tracing stylus 374B of the second measurement unit 37B contacts the rear end surface of the nozzle 31 in the first direction. When the position of the nozzle 31 in the first direction changes, the position of the tracing stylus 374B changes accordingly. The displacement sensor 375B of the second measurement unit 37B measures the amount of displacement, and transmits a signal indicating the measurement result to the control unit 70.

  The control unit 70 calculates the change amount of the gap G based on the difference between the displacement amount obtained from the first measurement unit 37A and the displacement amount obtained from the second measurement unit 37B. That is, in the example of FIG. 9, the first measurement unit 37A and the second measurement unit 37B constitute a measurement unit 37 that measures the amount of change of the gap G. The control unit 70 controls the servomotor 361 of the advancing and retracting mechanism 36 so that the amount of change of the measured gap G becomes small.

  In particular, in the example of FIG. 9, the tracing stylus 374A of the first measurement unit 37A is directed to the axis of the backup roller 20. That is, the tracing stylus 374A advances and retracts in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the backup roller 20. In this way, when the backup roller 20 expands or contracts about the axis, the displacement amount of the suction surface 21 can be measured more accurately.

  In the structure of the embodiment described above, the tracing stylus 374 of the measurement unit 37 may be disposed to be directed to the axis of the backup roller 20. For example, the position of the measurement unit 37 may be changed to a position slightly lower than the states shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the probe 374 may be disposed at the same height as the discharge port 311 of the nozzle 31. Then, the tracing stylus 374 can be advanced and retracted in the direction parallel to the advancing and retracting direction of the nozzle 31 and toward the axial center of the backup roller 20.

  In the above embodiment, the backup roller 20 holds the electrolyte membrane 92 by bringing the electrolyte membrane 92 into direct contact with the suction surface 21. However, the backup roller 20 may hold the electrolyte membrane 92 on the suction surface 21 via another sheet. For example, when the electrolyte membrane 92 is introduced into the backup roller 20, a porous sheet may be introduced together with the electrolyte membrane 92, and the electrolyte membrane 92 may be adsorbed and held on the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 together with the sheet.

  In the above embodiment, the nozzle 31 is advanced and retracted in the first direction by the advancing and retracting mechanism 36 using the guide rail 362 and the ball screw 363. However, the mechanism for advancing and retracting the nozzle 31 may not necessarily be the mechanism using the guide rail 362 and the ball screw 363. For example, the position of the nozzle 31 may be advanced or retracted by a mechanism using a conveyance belt or a mechanism using a linear motor.

  In the above embodiment, the protective film 80 is wound around the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20, and the surface of the protective film 80 is used as the measurement surface 81. However, the measurement surface 81 may be provided by another method. For example, by covering only the measurement region 212 of the suction surface 21 of the backup roller 20 with the coating material, a measurement surface without the suction holes 25 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the backup roller 20.

  In addition, the central portion and both end portions in the second direction of the backup roller 20 may be formed of separate members, and only the central portion may be a porous member. And the outer peripheral surface of the member which comprises an both-ends part is good also as a measuring surface. In that case, it is preferable that the thermal expansion coefficient of the member which comprises a center part and the thermal expansion coefficient of the member which comprises both ends are substantially identical. In addition, the backup roller 20 may be formed of a single cylindrical member, and only the central portion of the backup roller 20 in the second direction may be subjected to the porosifying treatment.

  In the above embodiment, the pair of measurement surfaces 81 is provided on both sides of the holding area 211 of the backup roller 20. However, the measurement surface 81 may be provided only on one side of the holding area 211. The surface to be measured 81 may be provided at a position in the second direction different from the holding area 211.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the catalyst material 9b is formed on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 in which the layer of the catalyst material 9a is formed on one surface in advance has been described. However, the production apparatus of the present invention may form a catalyst material for an electrolyte membrane in which a layer of the catalyst material is not formed on any of the front and back surfaces.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the catalyst ink is applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane has been described. However, the coating apparatus of the present invention may apply a material other than the catalyst ink to a long strip-like base material other than the electrolyte membrane.

  The detailed configurations of the coating apparatus and the manufacturing apparatus may be different from those in the drawings of the present application. In addition, each element appearing in the above-described embodiment and modification may be combined appropriately as long as no contradiction occurs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 manufacturing apparatus 9a, 9b catalyst material 10 introduction | transduction peeling part 20 backup roller 21 adsorption | suction surface 22 rotation drive part 25 adsorption | suction hole 30 application part 31 nozzle 35 moving table 36 advancing / retracting mechanism 37 measurement part 37A 1st measurement part 37B 2nd measurement part 40 Drying furnace 50 Collection unit 60 Surface cooling unit 70 Control unit 80 Protective film 81 Measurement surface 92 Electrolyte film 211 Holding area 212 Measurement area 311 Discharge port 361 Servo motor 362 Guide rail 363 Ball screw 372, 372A, 372B Measurement section main body 374, 374A, 374B probe 375, 375A, 375B displacement sensor 376 measuring roller G gap

Claims (14)

An application apparatus for applying a material to the surface of a long strip-like substrate,
A backup roller that holds the substrate directly on the cylindrical suction surface or through another sheet,
A rotary drive for rotating the backup roller around its axis;
A nozzle having a discharge port for discharging a material toward the base material held by the backup roller;
An advancing and retracting mechanism for advancing and retracting the discharge port in a first direction parallel to the direction of discharge of the material;
A measurement unit configured to measure a change amount of the distance in the first direction from the discharge port to the suction surface;
A control unit that controls the advancing and retracting mechanism based on the measurement result of the measuring unit;
A cylindrical measurement surface that rotates with the suction surface;
Equipped with
Among the suction surface and the measurement surface, a plurality of suction holes are provided only in the suction surface,
The said measurement part is a coating device which has a measuring element which contacts the said to-be-measured surface. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
It further has a protective film wound around a portion of the suction surface,
The coating device whose surface of the said protective film is the said to-be-measured surface. The coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
The coating device whose thickness of the said protective film and the thickness of a base material are substantially identical. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The suction surface has a holding area for holding a substrate,
The application apparatus, wherein the measurement surface is provided at a position different from the holding area in a second direction parallel to the axis. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
A pair of the measured surfaces is provided on both sides of the holding area in the second direction,
The said measurement part is a coating device which has a pair of said measuring element which contacts a pair of said to-be-measured surface. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
The measurement unit is
It has a measuring section main body which stands still relatively to the nozzle,
The application device in which the measuring element advances and retracts with respect to the measuring unit main body. The coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
The application device, wherein the measuring element advances and retracts in the first direction with respect to the measurement unit main body. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
The measurement unit is
It has a measuring part main body fixed to the position which does not move with the nozzle,
The application device in which the measuring element advances and retracts with respect to the measuring unit main body. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein
The application device in which the measuring element is directed to the axis of the backup roller. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein
The probe has a measurement roller rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the backup roller,
The coating apparatus in which the said measurement roller contacts the said to-be-measured surface. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein
The measurement unit is
The coating device which has an air cylinder which presses the said measuring element on the said to-be-measured surface. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein
The coating device further comprising a heating unit configured to heat the substrate held by the backup roller. An apparatus for producing a membrane / catalyst layer assembly in which a catalyst layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte membrane,
An application device according to any one of claims 1 to 12;
An introduction unit for introducing a base material including a layer of an electrolyte membrane into the coating apparatus;
A recovery unit for recovering the substrate from the coating device;
Equipped with
The manufacturing apparatus wherein the nozzle discharges a catalyst material toward a substrate held by the backup roller. An apparatus for applying a material to the surface of a substrate by discharging the material from a discharge port while holding the substrate directly or through another sheet on the cylindrical suction surface of a rotating backup roller. A measuring method for measuring the amount of change in distance from an outlet to the adsorption surface,
a) bringing a measuring element into contact with a cylindrical measurement surface rotating with the suction surface;
b) calculating the amount of change in the distance from the discharge port to the suction surface based on the displacement of the measuring element;
Have
The measuring method by which several adsorption holes are provided only in the said adsorption | suction surface among the said adsorption | suction surface and the said to-be-measured surface.

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