Rehm Thermal Systems presents an advanced new series of drying systems and firing systems for solar cell metallization at EU PVSEC in Valencia, September 6-9, 2010. These Systems offer a range of advanced process features and thermal control that enable PV manufacturers to move their processes to an entirely new level of efficiency and yield.

EU PVSEC 2010 in Valencia - Rehm Thermal Systems shows Solar Equipment for Metallization Lines Rehm Thermal Systems presents an advanced new series of drying systems and firing systems for solar cell metallization at EU PVSEC in Valencia, September 6-9, 2010. These Systems offer a range of advanced process features and thermal control that enable PV manufacturers to move their processes to an entirely new level of efficiency and yield.

Solardryer RDS 2100 and RDS 3000
The drying process consists of a combination of five IR zones and one central convection zone, offering temperature profiling that can be adjusted for both precision and flexibility. These horizontal throughput systems guarantee a safe transport through the oven either via mesh belt or with pin chain up to 3 lanes. In the mesh belt systems, the conveyor of the heating zone can be separated from that of the cooling zone. Consequently, no latent heat is carried into the cooling area which offers a higher cooling gradient and a shorter oven. And at belt speeds up to 6m/minute, the RDS Series provides high throughputs of up to 5700 wph.

The new systems are also available with Rehm's Condensate Residue Management System, a process that controls the buildup of unwanted paste solvent and vehicle residue in the process chamber and extends the maintenance intervals. The entire process chamber of the RDS Series drying systems is designed to be readily accessible for maintenance purposes. The oven opens from the front and comprises removable sheets that can be easily removed for cleaning, significantly reducing the maintenance time and effort.

RFS and RFS-D Fast Firing Systems
Just launched following exhaustive testing by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute ISE, the new Rehm RFS Fast Firing Furnace 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.

The new 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.

Kind regards
Caron Laptalis