Israel: What a feeling – welding hydrogen fuel cells

Manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells requires welding extremely thin bipolar plates at high speed and with perfect tightness. Existing laser welding processes are slow and prone to defects such as humping and spatter. To overcome this bottleneck and accelerate the adoption of clean hydrogen energy in transport, stationary power and industrial sectors, Israeli company, Civan Advanced Technologies, is pioneering new welding techniques.

In the Eureka project HighWelPol, Civan Advanced Technologies partnered with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology and Smart Move to develop a groundbreaking laser welding system. The system employs real-time dynamic beam modulation and process monitoring, with an interface that synchronises beam shape with scanning path vectors. The result: thin foils can be reliably and flawlessly welded at unprecedented speeds, dramatically improving productivity and quality.

Eureka made it possible for us to join forces with world-class German partners, share risks and reach market-ready results much faster. Without this support, developing and testing such an advanced laser welding process across borders would have been impossible.

Haim Touitou – Head of Engineering at Civan Advanced Technologies

The project combined Israeli laser expertise with German research and engineering capabilities: Civan Advanced Technologies led laser source development and system integration; Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology guided process development, produced clamp fixtures and advised on monitoring; and Smart Move supplied scanner components and created the real-time interface. Because travel was restricted at the time, Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology built sub-modules in Germany whilst Civan Advanced Technologies carried out live high-speed weld tests from its Jerusalem lab, transforming a complex laser setup into an intercontinental “virtual laboratory”.

Eureka and the Israel Innovation Authority de-risked this ambitious venture by aligning funding, evaluation procedures and intellectual property agreements. The framework facilitated open knowledge exchange, coordination on milestones and collaboration between the partners despite travel restrictions.

The project has enabled Civan Advanced Technologies to enter and expand in the fast-growing hydrogen fuel cell market, boosting its revenue potential. The welding laser, scanner and monitoring system has strengthened the Israeli company’s global competitiveness, created skilled jobs and supported the adoption of cleaner energy technologies that reduce environmental impact. Beyond fuel cells, the platform unlocks opportunities for high-speed welding of battery cells and complex alloys, giving Civan Advanced Technologies another potential revenue stream.

In addition to the development of a scalable, highspeed, defect-free welding process for hydrogen fuel-cell components, the HighWelPol project has strengthened industrial ties between Germany and Israel and contributed to future job creation. Civan Advanced Technologies is now demonstrating that producing high-quality hydrogen fuel cells can make green hydrogen more affordable and available, supporting a seamless transition to clean energy that benefits both society and the climate.