MANUFACTURING METHOD AND SHAPING METHOD OF PASSAGE FORMING MATERIAL, PASSAGE FORMING MATERIAL OF METAL SEPARATOR FOR FUEL CELL, AND FORMING DIE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a passage forming material for a fuel cell separator which ensures good gas supply and sufficient mechanical strength. SOLUTION: First, a preforming material is fabricated by forming many striped concave portions 12 and striped convex portions 13 alternately on an expanded metal 14 as gas flow passages. Next, two adjacent convex portions 13 on the preforming material are bound, while the preforming material is fixed to a forming die 100 with a groove bottom on the concave portion 12 present between two convex portions 13 placed into a non-binding state. Then, two convex portions 13 bounded by the forming die 100 are separated by embedding an upper die cam driver between a left-side upper die punch 210 and a right-side upper die punch 220, and by embedding a lower die cam driver between a left-side lower die punch 310 and a right-side lower die punch 320. This allows for enlargement of the opening area of a through-hole which is formed at a groove bottom on the concave portion 12 present between two convex portions 13. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT