Solar power technology continues advancing at a rapid rate in 2017. Popularity in solar power has increased drastically within the last couple of years due to breakthroughs in reducing the price per kwh in solar panels and solar power storage technology. One of the most notable breakthroughs came when Elon Musk, Chairman for SolarCity, announced a Solar Roof which turns any home into a solar-powered building where roof tiles are miniature solar panels.
To keep up with demand, the market needs more silicon panels for photovoltaic (PV) powered solar panels, which require special production technologies including wet station cleaning.
Wet Stations for Cleaning
In solar panel production, high levels of cleanliness are essential to avoid defective product. Maintaining water cleanliness is vital throughout the manufacturing process, and here wet stations play an important role.
A wet station, which can be manual, fully automated, or somewhere in between, is used for cleaning wafers in de-ionized water and can form part of an RCA cleaning operation. Details vary between manufacturers, but the underlying principle is that wafers are immersed in and rinsed by clean water. Maintaining adequate water flow through the station is essential for thorough cleaning, and that’s where it pays to use a quality flow monitor.
Maintaining Constant Flow
A flow monitor is a compact device that detects abnormal flow of fluid through piping. In the case of those made by ChemTec, such as the 125 Series or 125 Bypass models, a reed switch detects movement of a magnetically-suspended piston in response to changes in flow. If low or excess flow is detected the monitor sends a signal to trigger an alert or even shut down the system if necessary to prevent damage.
The ChemTec Solution
The 125 Series and 125 Bypass flow monitors help lower total cost of ownership in wet stations by providing reliable, trouble-free service. Intended for lower flow applications, models are available to work with rates up to 7.9 GPH and have a broad range of adjustability. These monitors are available in 316 grade stainless, brass, and Teflon®.
