Tape becomes more useful when it’s double-sided.

Tape becomes more useful when it’s double-sided.

Double-sided tapes are hailed for their strength and versatility, making them be used in various applications.

The solar industry is one such industry that is continuing to witness the increased use of these kinds of tapes. Generally, there is a significant shift towards green energy, with solar being one of the best options available currently.

Though many technicalities go into the manufacturing of solar panels, this industry also uses adhesive tapes, with double-sided tapes being one of the preferred solutions.

Before you start wondering how tapes fit in in the manufacture of solar panels, read below to learn about some of the applications of double-sided tapes in solar panel production.

Solar frame bonding

The solar frame is one significant key component of a solar panel. It is upon the frame that the boards are laid. Think of it as the foundation of the entire panel.

Foam tapes, especially Tesa tapes, have been proven to be just the right solutions for solar frame bonding. Tape is available for different solar systems. They have been designed to make it easy for manufacturers to speed up the production process without compromising the quality and the safety of the panels.

To choose the right tape for solar frame bonding, however, you must have clarity on the module design so that you go for the most cost-efficient solutions.

Back rail and stiffener bonding

Suppose you know the configuration of a typical solar panel or a minimal understanding of how a solar panel is designed. You understand that the back rail is one of the weakest links and where most damages to the panel usually occur.

For most solar panels, the back rails are typically bonded to a mounting system, a glass cover, solar thermal modules, or photovoltaic modules, among others. For the longevity of the panels, those bonds need to be strong and durable.

Most importantly, they must be resistant to weather elements since solar panels are usually placed outdoors where they are subjected to varying weather conditions.

Double-sided adhesive tapes feature just the right build and properties to guarantee the durability, versatility, and performance desired of the back rail and stiffener bonding in solar panels.

Cell fixation and alignment

A typical solar panel comprises multiple photovoltaic cells that have been strung and connected. During the panels’ production, the solar cells and strings must be appropriately aligned together before they are connected.

Double-sided tapes are handy for such applications. They make the lay-up and lamination process a breeze since they help ensure that all the solar cells are kept in place, and none moves until the process is over.

The features of the Tesa ACX tapes that make this possible include thin and transparent adhesive solutions, durability and resistance to UV rays, and high-temperature resistance.

Junction box cable fixation

Once the manufacture of a solar panel is complete, the panels have to be transported to distribution centers, where they will then further be distributed to the end consumers.

With the panels’ sensitive nature, they must be adequately secured so that they are not damaged in any way during transportation.

A panel will always have loose cables on the backside of the PV module. These cables pose a significant risk if they are not adequately secured during transportation or shipment.

Adhesives tapes come in handy in securing such cables, especially the junction box cable, whose tampering within any way may lead to compromised product quality and a significant installation risk.

These tapes are ideal for such an application because of their high immediate adhesion and the fact that they are easy to remove once the shipment is over. You are assured of safe shipping, easy installation, and assurance of undamaged and clean back sheet with them.

Bus bar mounting and insulation

In typical thin-film photovoltaic modules, the bus is located directly across the active cell area. Careful mounting of these bars is key to the proper manufacturer of the solar panels.

Whereas there are glue options that you can use for the mounting, if you are also thinking about insulating them, you will be better at using a suitable tape such as double-sided tapes.

The preferred tape type for the mounting and insulation are those with PET backing.

These mainly help achieve two functions: they are used for insulation and the ribbon fixation to the coated glass. With them, you get increased production as well as increased efficiency.

Some of the tape’s notable features that make them ideal for these applications include thin construction, high dielectric strength, low-temperature resistance, and a low number of volatile components.

Temporary hole masking

The production of modules usually requires a tape for holding the ribbons down and temporarily covering the slit back sheet to allow for a smooth lamination process.

This is necessary to prevent the laminator from getting contaminated and make it easy for fast and efficient assembly.

For such applications, the tape of choice should have high adhesive properties, high-temperature resistance, and easy removal. Tesa tapes have come with all these features and are ideal for temporary hole masking during the production process.

The other notable applications for adhesive tapes include ribbon blackout, where the tape is used to cover the visible charge collectors, and the bus bars for improving the design of the module design.

The tapes can also be used for electrical conductive charge collection, which leads to a lean manufacturing process for the thin-film solar modules.

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