This week the Bystronic glass Technology Center Bystronic Lenhardt deliveres a horizontal Thermo Plastic Applicator (TPA) which is the first machine of its kind for the application of high-viscous butyl on semiconductor thin-film aubstrates.
The german company Centrotherm Photovoltaics iinstalles this machine which is used for high-precision butyl application at the edge of substrate glasses prior to the lamination process. The butyl effictively protects the semiconductor against humidity.
With the market launch of the horizontal operating TPA, Bystronic Lenhardt GmbH presents the first machine of this type that is capable of working in 24-hour operation without any interruption. Two high-performance pumps ensure that the viscous sealing material is always available. Whereas use of the conventional butyl sealant stripes from a reel is permanently linked with production interruptions when the material needs to be changed. The dosing pumps of the TPA apply the material accurately to a tenth of a millimetre.
The technology of Bystronic Lenhardt is based on decade-long experience in the design of machines for the production of insulating glass, where thermo-plastic material is applied as spacer between the glass plates. In the solar power industry, horizontal machines as well as vertical designs are used for sealing all types of semiconductors - cadmium-telluride (CaTe), copper-indium-diselenide (CIS), copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS), microcrystalline silicon or amorphous silicon (aSi). The machine can be included at the planning stages for newly designed plants, but can also be integrated into existing systems.