|
|
|
|
|
DEK PVP1200
DESCRIPTION
The metallization of silicon wafer substrates used in the manufacture of crystalline silicon solar cells is a critical connectivity process. Screen printing is the optimum process to deliver metallization; it is the process of choice for all progressive solar cell producers. Building on DEK’s extensive experience in this field, the PVP1200 platform is an important breakthrough for the photovoltaic metallization process, delivering maximum accuracy and repeatability for the manufacture of quality c-Si solar cells.
All the key features of the PVP1200 that provide its clear competitive edge come from its innovative design. Though the screen printing process capability draws on DEK’s 40 years of expertise, including that gained when the company’s primary focus was on the development of thick film hybrid manufacturing equipment, the PVP1200 design is new from the ground up.
The product is exceptionally compact, and significantly smaller than competitive equipment. This is an increasingly critical consideration in factory floor real estate utilization. The design is modular, allowing for fast and easy scalability to meet changing market demands. It delivers a throughput of 1200 solar cells per hour yet maintains a six-sigma process capability at a resolution of just ±12.5 microns for maximum repeatability and exceptionally high levels of accuracy. These capabilities are further extended by advanced handling characteristics and high-speed machine vision which optimise both yield and cost-of-ownership.
INNOVATIVE ASPECT
With the high demand for raw silicon, producers are sawing the material into thinner slices to achieve more substrates per silicon ingot. Silicon substrates of 150 microns thickness are now common and these are very brittle – leading to issues of breakages which, in turn, cause wastage and reduced yield.
The PVP1200 answers the industry’s demand for meticulous handling characteristics from the process line with handling and support mechanisms suitable for wafer thicknesses from 1mm down to 120 micron. Inside the PVP1200, much engineering development resource has been focused on the handling of the delicate and expensive silicon wafers that form the substrate for crystalline silicon solar cells.
The handing characteristics of the PVP1200 are paramount in minimizing breakages during metallization to maximize yield and cost-of-ownership. The substrate transport mechanisms never grip the fragile cell by its edges, nor exert more force on the cell than its own mass, even during flipping, buffering and unloading into cassettes. DEK also provides high-speed machine vision capabilities to ensure perfect alignment from the very first wafer.
In addition, while other metallization systems are typically very large, the PVP1200’s small size means the printing process operates at approximately waist height, which offers clear visibility and easy print area access to operators through the domed and hinged Plexiglas top covers. Achieving 6-sigma process capability at a resolution of ±12.5 microns, the PVP1200 commands the very best performance and industry specifications from one of the most compact footprints available today.
Equipment footprint is a critical issue with manufacturers as it relates directly to cost of ownership. Maximising factory floorspace utilisation contributes to return on investment, and manufacturers want to avoid the costs of building new premises just to increase productivity. These needs demand a new generation of compact metallization solutions designed to be modular and scalable – so that they can grow quickly and easily with escalating market demand – yet exceptionally compact to take up minimum space. The DEK PVP1200 meets these new demands head on, delivering the ideal metallization solution for today’s industry needs.
BENEFITS
One key benefit of the DEK PVP1200’s design is that it allows DEK to deploy its acclaimed lean manufacturing strategy in the equipment’s production. This permits lead times on the delivery of PVP1200 systems to customers measured in weeks, rather than the many months the industry is used to with competitive metallization systems. With the industry sector experiencing rapid growth, the ability of manufacturers to ramp up to productivity fast is another important metric in cost-of-ownership.
Lead times are further enhanced by the innovative platform design which enables DEK to evolve the metallization line in response to market requirements. True modularity and conformity to SMEMA electro-mechanical process equipment compatibility standards extends this responsiveness even further. Inherent flexibility means that manufacturers can reconfigure their line to suit process or factory requirements, quickly adding in handling or conveying components.
Plus, having delivered screen printing solutions for advanced technology applications for over 40 years, DEK’s extensive global logistics and applications support network offers leading-edge resources from process and service support through to 24/7 spare parts availability. Worldwide technical centres in China, Germany, the UK and USA put hundreds of highly trained product and process specialists within close reach of DEK Solar customers ensuring that the PVP1200 is optimized for ongoing ROI at all times.
