UltraCell Opens Fuel Cell Production Facility

Fuel Cell Today

07 December 2005
Provider: Power Electronics Technology

UltraCell has opened a new manufacturing and corporate office facility that will enable the micro fuel cell company to convert from prototype manufacturing to volume production. The new site, located at Tri-Valley Technology Park, 399 Lindbergh Ave., Livermore, Calif., will use the latest in lean manufacturing practices.

"Our new facility is designed around the production line for UltraCell´s XX25 product. It incorporates unique features such as a clean room for fuel cell assembly, and a specially designed automated facility for fuel processor and stack testing. The facility also incorporates features to support automated production and lean manufacturing principles such as 5S and Six-Sigma, enabling us to deliver high quality at affordable cost," said James Kaschmitter, UltraCell CEO. "The move validates our commercial plans to bring UltraCell´s revolutionary reformed methanol fuel cell technology to the marketplace, as scheduled, in 2006."

According to Kaschmitter, UltraCell´s new headquarters will focus on enhancing quality, efficiency and delivery, while reducing costs through minimizing nonvalue-added activities in design, production, supply chain management and customer service.

Introduced as a prototype in August 2005, UltraCell´s new fuel cell power source for portable electronic devices has more than twice the energy density of lithium batteries when used for longer missions, but weighs just 40 oz in a unit about the size of a paperback novel. For more on the company´s technology, see "Micro Fuel Cell Developer Announces Technology Breakthrough and Defense Contract," PETech Times, Aug. 24, 2005, available online at powerelectronics.com/news/technology-breakthrough-contract/index.html.