EuroWire September 2016

News Technology

New PV ribbon and tinning line

energy use and maintenance cost per kg of finished material. This combined allows the new PV ribbon line to claim the lowest cost of PV ribbon production overall, according to Plasmait. The new line can be equipped with specially designed wiping system for round wires for production of a new type round PV ribbons that have recently been introduced.

contamination of tin bath with flux, which makes a big difference in the cost of tin waste. Average annual savings in terms of tin waste alone is as high as €100,000 per line when compared to the traditional flux-based tinning process. This does not take into account the savings a PV ribbon producer yields from reduced scrap rates. The new line allows PV ribbon producers to reduce labour costs and scrap rates whilst improving production consistency and product quality. It also features low

The photovoltaic industry has been going through a rapid change over the last decade. In addition to growth, the industry has continued to witness relentless price pressures along the PV value chain. The same is the case in the PV ribbon industry. Only PV ribbon producers that kept consistent product quality whilst maintaining low cost base and efficient production process have remained competitive. Plasma-based annealing and tinning process represent an efficient PV ribbon production solution that will ensure consistent, top quality finished products at low cost. Plasmait from Austria has introduced a new PV ribbon annealing and tinning line designed for high output production. The new line features a maximum production speed of 210m/min. This allows the line to produce up to 250 tonnes of PV ribbon per annum in a typical production split between interconnect and bus bar ribbons. PV ribbon lines can produce a wide range of interconnect ribbons and bus bars in a typical size range of 0.8 to 8mm wide and 0.1 to 0.5mm thick. The ribbons are usually coated with 20 micron thick layer of solder with a coating thickness tolerance of ±3 microns. The new line can produce ribbons of various yield strength, typically with Rp0,2% between 50MPa and 90MPa. Copper ribbons are paid off from a 500kg spool with finished tinned PV ribbon being spooled onto 4-10kg spools in a continuous production. The single-head, precision layer winding spooler includes an accumulator to ensure uninterrupted production during spool changeovers on the takeup side. Some producers choose to equip the line with an automatic spool changeover unit that can be integrated with the takeup unit. Multiple lines can therefore be operated with a single operator, which reduces labour cost. The PV ribbon line can also be integrated with an in-line rolling mill to produce interconnect ribbons directly from round copper wire. A single- or double-stand rolling mill can be used for in-line operation subject to required size and tolerance of the finished ribbon. Unlike traditional tinning processes, plasma tinning lines operate without chemical cleaning and fluxing whilst rolling runs without cooling agents. This makes the whole production dry and environmentally friendly.

Plasmait GmbH – Austria Website : www.plasmait.com

Flux-free plasma tinning process avoids

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September 2016