The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) pressure distribution is an important factor that affects the performance of polymer membrane electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. However, the general rules for assembly parameters that affect the MEA pressure distribution are hardly reported. In this study, a robust design analysis based on response surface methodology (RSM) was performed on a simplified fuel cell stack in order to identify the effect of assembly parameters on the MEA pressure distribution. The assembly pressure and bolt position were considered as randomly varying parameters with given probabilistic property and acted as the design variables. The max normal stress and normal stress uniformity of the MEA were determined in terms of the probabilistic design variables. The reliability of the robust design has been verified by comparing the robust solution with the optimal solution and an arbitrary solution. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.