DuPont Photovoltaic Encapsulants collaborated with Bürkle North America to develop a photovoltaics module lamination process on the Bürkle Ypsator multi-opening, 3-stage thin-film solar module laminating line using DuPont's PV5400 encapsulant.

October 5, 2011 -- DuPont Photovoltaic Encapsulants collaborated with Bürkle North America Inc., a wholly owned division of Bürkle GmbH, to develop a photovoltaics module lamination process on the Bürkle Ypsator multi-opening, 3-stage thin-film solar module laminating line. The Ypsator laminator can double typical glass/glass solar module production when optimized with DuPont's PV5400 Series encapsulant.

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Solar cell assemblers can manufacture up to 40 modules in 11 minutes with the combination of Ypsator 3-Step and DuPont PV5400 products in a 10-opening system, said Sven Kramer, Bürkle North American senior sales engineer. DuPont's ionomer-based encapsulant has faster de-airing time and better flow without a cure step in the two hot-press steps of lamination, Kramer explains. DuPont PV4500 laminated the solar modules faster than EVA, polyolefin sheet, and other alternatives tested. The Ypsator laminator uses a hydraulic hot pressing step.

The companies report more uniform module thickness and reduced edge pinch without using frames during lamination. In addition, the encapsulant from DuPont demonstrates resistance to moisture ingress and potential induced degradation (PID). PV manufacturers can eliminate edge sealing thanks to the encapsulant's moisture barrier, said Penny Perry, DuPont encapsulant marketing manager.

Bürkle provides photovoltaic lamination, coating and drying equipment for crystalline as well as thin-film photovoltaic cells. Learn more at http://www.buerkle-gmbh.de and http://www.burkleusa.com.

DuPont (NYSE:DD) is a materials supplier that makes encapsulants for solar module manufacturing. Visit photovoltaics.dupont.com.

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