The team at Rehm Thermal Systems are preparing to showcase the company’s best-in-class capabilities for solar cell metallization at Photon Expo being held from April 27th- 29th in Stuttgart, Germany. Photon 2010 will highlight the thermal specialist’s recently updated line of fast-firing systems and drying ovens in Hall 4, Stand G39
Following exhaustive testing by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute ISE, the Rehm RFS Fast Firing Furnace was launched last year and extends the company’s decades of high performance thermal engineering and manufacturing experience further into the world of PV manufacturing. A complete lineup of thermal solutions for metallization now includes the RFS Firing System and RFS-D combination Drying and Firing System in addition to the model RDS series dryers. All feature industry leading low energy consumption and a compact footprint that optimizes factory space while minimizing expense.
Rehm’s Europe’s Sales Vice President, Martin Meyer, explains: “”The Rehm brand name might not be widely recognized among PV cell manfacturers, but we have over 200 curing and drying systems in production in factories worldwide. 2010 celebrates our twentieth anniversary with a history of advanced thermal engineering. Now our best-in-class process philosophy has been applied to PV metallization. Our technology and experienced global support network offer significant pportunities for solar cell manufacturers to move to the next level of yield and efficiency.”
Rehm Fast Fire Systems feature a host of innovative design features that enable new levels of metallization process performance, including:
- Very high throughput rates (e.g. transport speeds up to 6m/minute and multiple lanes) maximize productivity – vital to satisfy an escalating world demand.
- Flexible transport systems that enable single, dual and triple lane handling of wafers
- An Integrated residue management system that maintains an exceptionally clean process chamber and extends maintenance intervals.
- Superlative profile control and process monitoring including reference products for baseline profiling.
- Rehm Visu2 software including traceability tools, remote diagnostics and an extensive product library.
- Unique gas management improves thermal transfer efficiency without using supplemental heaters. This reduces energy consumption and increases system insulation; all contributing to improved COO.
- Separate heating and cooling zone transports, which improve the cooling gradient and shorten the necessary cooling zone length
