Faster Technological Iteration | Fully Automatic String Welders Drive Quality Improvement and Cost Reduction in PV Industry

Recently, as the photovoltaic (PV) industry undergoes in-depth transformation toward intelligence and high efficiency, fully automatic string welders — core equipment for module production — have completed a new round of technological upgrades. Featuring high-precision welding, low material loss and high productivity, the equipment is well-suited for the production of N-type cells and large-size silicon wafers. It helps the PV manufacturing sector improve product quality, boost efficiency and cut costs, injecting strong impetus from advanced equipment into the high-quality development of the new energy industry.

String welding is a critical procedure in PV module production, which directly determines the yield rate and power generation performance of cell modules. Traditional manual and semi-automatic string welding equipment suffer from insufficient precision, high wafer breakage rate and limited productivity. They can no longer meet the large-scale production demand for 210mm large-size thin silicon wafers, and have long restricted the capacity expansion of PV production lines. The new-generation fully automatic string welder integrates machine vision positioning, precision servo control and intelligent adaptive welding technologies, thoroughly breaking through the technical bottlenecks of conventional equipment.

Field test data from the industry shows that the upgraded model adopts a dual-track parallel production mode, with an hourly output of 2,400 to 2,700 pieces, representing a productivity increase of over 30% compared with traditional equipment. Equipped with an intelligent temperature control welding system, it enables welding accuracy at the micron level, effectively eliminating defective issues such as cold solder joints, missing welds and over-welding. The product yield rate remains above 99.5%, while the silicon wafer breakage rate is strictly controlled below 0.2%, greatly reducing production losses and rework costs for manufacturers.

Thanks to localized R&D advantages, domestic fully automatic string welders have realized independent and controllable core technologies, ending the technological monopoly of foreign products. Compatible with mainstream cell processes including PERC, BC and TOPCon, the equipment supports production of silicon wafers in all sizes. It is equipped with functions such as automatic layout, intelligent error correction and real-time data monitoring, and can be seamlessly connected to intelligent PV production lines to achieve unmanned and visualized management across the entire production process, significantly shortening the module manufacturing cycle.

At present, the automation level of PV manufacturing keeps rising, and the automation penetration rate of string welding has exceeded 90%. Fully automatic intelligent string welders have become standard equipment for PV enterprises to expand production and upgrade facilities. Industry insiders point out that competition in the PV sector has gradually shifted to equipment and technology competition. High-precision, intelligent and low-loss fully automatic string welding equipment serves as a key pillar for the PV industry to cut costs, improve efficiency and achieve large-scale development.

Going forward, alongside continuous technological innovation in the PV field, fully automatic string welders will be further upgraded for higher precision, faster speed and full-process compatibility. This will further strengthen the competitiveness of domestic PV equipment, and help China’s PV industry maintain its leading position in the global new energy market.