The advantages of using an adhesive to connect solar cells are evident: due to the lower process temperatures of below 180°C, manufacturing is lower cost and less of a strain on the material used. Similarly, using adhesives produces more flexible interconnections compared to soldering, so there is less tension in the cells – thus reducing the risk of crack formation or breakage.

The lower temperatures necessary for this are particularly advantageous for the production of temperature-sensitive heterojunction modules. Within the scope of the KleVer project, in which heterojunction modules were successfully produced with a stringer and adhesive unit, 320 watts were achieved with a standard-sized module of 60 cells.

With KleVer, the project partners managed to bring the adhesive technology to market maturity. They demonstrated that it is possible to connect solar cells using electrically conductive adhesives at a throughput of 1600 cells per hour. The cycle time for the cell interconnection depends on the hardening speed of the adhesive materials used – but, in the trials, it was under 2.3 seconds. The reliability of the adhesive connection was tested and confirmed in a climate chamber. Already teamtechnik has received the first orders for stringers using this adhesive technology.