EoW November 2013

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Technical article
November 2013 60
to the production parameters of
PlasmaPREPLATE tinning in Table 1.
In addition to production efficiency
plasma process offers a number of
product quality advantages when
compared to the traditional tinning
process:
• Superior and consistent product
quality is reflected in:
• Super soft wire with yield strength
down to 60 MPa on spool and
elongation over 30%
• Smooth consistent and shiny coating
with tighter thickness tolerance
• Dry, flux-free and chemical-free
tinning simplifies process control,
which translates into more consistent
product quality
• In-line laser coating thickness
measurement system can be justified
on a high-speed plasma line
• Computer enabled, in-line product
quality control with alarm and surface
fault database simplifies quality
control activities
• Computer assisted Production Recipe
Database is an essential tool for the
operator and product manager and an
integral part of production know-how
management
It is the stability of PlasmaPREPLATE
process, consistency of product quality,
low cost of operation as well as low scrap
rates and tin waste that have won the confi-
dence of many PV ribbon manufacturers
since 2007 when PlasmaPREPLATE tinning
process was first introduced to PV ribbon
production. n
The differences between the two
processes can be divided into the
differences related to production
efficiency and the differences in finished
product quality.
Despite higher capital investment,
PlasmaPREPLATE tinning process offers
a number of benefits that translate into
considerable long-term savings:
• Production speed of up to 150m/
min compared to 5m/min-60m/min
in a traditional process means fewer
tinning lines, smaller machinery
footprint and less manpower
• Process stability, increased production
uptime and less frequent spool
changeovers means less material
manipulation and less operator
involvement in PlasmaPREPLATE
tinning line
• Dry surface preparation with plasma
replaces acid cleaning, rinsing, drying,
fluxing, waste disposal, and water treat-
ment used in the traditional process
• Less tin waste due to flux-free
production
• Quick changeover between different
products and specifications
• Lower cost of production in terms of
power, manpower, cost of chemicals
and their manipulation as well as
maintenance
• In-line quality control in the
PlasmaPREPLATE tinning process
translates into consistent product
quality, less scrap and fewer returns
The key production parameters in
the traditional tinning are compared
Plasmait GmbH
Philipsstraße 27 / C3, 8403
Lebring
Austria
Tel: +43 3182 52 4751
Email:
Website:
▲ ▲ Figure 6: HMI with a touch-screen, user-friendly interface on PlasmaPREPLATE tinning line