Joining device and joining method involving acquistion of a parameter relating to expansion or contraction

Abstract

There is provided a technique that readily performs positioning of a joining member relative to a strip member during conveyance. A joining devicejoins a gas diffusion layerwith a first catalyst electrode layerof a strip bodywhich is a continuous strip member of a membrane electrode assembly, while conveying the strip body. A controllerof the joining deviceobtains a detection time tbased on a detection signal of a catalyst layer detectorwhen a front endof a second catalyst electrode layerplaced on the strip bodypasses through a detection point DP. The controllersubsequently obtains a joining position reach time tbased on the detection time twhen the gas diffusion layerreaches a press point PP of joining rollers. The controllerstarts conveying the gas diffusion layerby means of a transfer at a conveying start time tthat is obtained based on the joining position reach time tand a specified speed pattern of the transfer