1-4. Steel belt and handling of solar modules

Handling of solar modules and various large panels can be done with
- wide steel belts or
- multi-lane conveyors, where some narrow belts are lined.

In any case stainless steel belts offer;
- very little particle
- heat resistance
- removal of static electricity
- corrosion resistance
- no elongation under the room temperature

Series 1. Solar power generation and steel belt
No. 4 Steel belt and handling of solar modules

1-3. Steel belt in tabber and stringer

Fluoroplastic-coated stringer belt

Tabber and stringer connect crystalline cells and make them a line. Later these lines are further connected and a module is formed.

Crystalline cells and electrically conductive lead are set and soldered in tabber and stringer, where steel belts are perforated for aligning cells by suction and also fluoroplastic-coated to get a line of cells removed smoothly after soldering. Steel belts withstand more than 200 degrees of Pb-free soldering.

Series 1. Solar power generation and steel belt

No. 3 Steel belt in tabber and stringer

1-2. Handling of silicon wafer and solar cells on steel belts

Silicon ingots are sliced down and wafers come out.Wafer thickness is generally 0.15mm or less. They are easily damaged if you just slightly bend them.

Handling of these wafers and solar cells is very delicate as it is in semiconductor production. But it must be cared till they are made modules including adding circuits and connecting cells.
Smooth and flat surface of steel belts is evaluated in this process. Sometimes perforated steel belts are employed to position wafers and cells precisely by suction.

Series 1. Solar power generation and steel belt
No 2. Handling of silicon wafer and solar cells on steel belts

Series 1. Solar power generation & steel belt

No. 1. Silicon ingot and bandsaw substrate

This series introduce how steel belts are used in solar power generation and photovoltaic generation.

Let us begin with mono- and multi- crystalline cells and modules, the most popular generation method in this field.

Solar cells are made from silicon. Silicon ingot is made in a kiln and then cut into some segments in a cutting machine. This cutting is done by diamond-electrode bandsaw and its substrate is a steel belt. Bandsaw of circumference 3230mm is driven very fast, about 21 meters per second, and makes 6 to 7 rotations per second. Steel belts are such tensile to withstand countless number of rapid rotations.

After this process each segment is further cut down into wafer.