SURFACE TREATMENT

Howar Equipment and Plasmait are introducing Plasma Preplate Tinning Line to the North American market at the Atlanta Interwire Exhibition in May 2011. Plasma Preplate tinning process can be used for production of tinned copper conductors such as solar ribbon. Since its introduction in 2007 Plasma Preplate process became the process of choice for the leaders in the PV ribbon industry in Europe and increasing in Asia. Solar ribbon is fast becoming of interest also in America due to the increasing interest for solar energy in the US and Canada.
Solar ribbon (also called PV ribbon) is an essential component in every mainstream solar panel. It is soldered directly onto a solar cell to collect electrical current generated in the cell. PV ribbon is tinned copper ribbon between 1mm – 6mm wide and 0.08mm – 0.5mm thick with a 10 – 30 micron thick tin coat.
PV ribbon is required to retain high degree of conductivity throughout the life-time of a solar panel – typically 20 – 25 year. Its solder contact with the cell must withstand outdoor weather conditions that mean constant fluctuation of temperature and humidity.
PV ribbon therefore commonly requires a high degree of softness with YS (Rp 0.2% < 90MPa and elongation > 25%). Good solder coating is necessary to ensure long-term corrosion protection and durable solder joint. PV ribbon also requires camber less than 0.3% and low dimensional tolerances. The quality of wire handling equipment is therefore essential.
Plasma Preplate process has been rapidly adopted by the PV ribbon industry since its introduction in 2007. Its multiple rollouts by the leaders in the industry were due to its superiority compared to the conventional tinning process. Plasma Preplate process main advantage is in the quality of the finished product. The process allows a production of a ribbon with a high degree of softness and tin coat quality. Plasma Preplate line runs at up to five times the speed of conventional line whilst performing annealing and cleaning inline with tinning in a single run. Such high output line requires considerably less manpower to operate then the conventional tinning line. The plasma production is also environment and operator friendly without fluxing and chemical treatments.
Companies interested in testing their own material on Plasma Preplate tinning line are welcome to contact Howar Equipment to discuss a trial.
Plasmait is a supplier of heat and surface treatment solutions for wire, cable, tube, strip and ribbon industry. Plasmait’s solutions are based on a patented plasma treatment process that offers great advances in production efficiency, surface quality and process control and ecology. Plasmait provides heat and surface treatment solutions as individual machines or as turn-key production line deployments. The company’s head office and its production facility are located in Lebring, Austria. Next to it is a development and trial facility, which is used for process development and client trials.
by Igor Rogelj

Name:*

 

E-Mail:*

(Ihre E-Mail wird nicht veröffentlicht)

 

Kommentar:*

 

 

Absenden