solar panels recycling cases

How to Dismantle Solar Panels for Recycling in Chile

On 10th March 2024, we received factory visit customers from Chile, who inquired about how to dismantle solar panels for recycling. The client told us “In order to ensure the integrity of the photovoltaic panel aluminum frame disassembly and the quality of the glass, what equipment is most suitable?” Finally, the customer buy solar panel dismantling machines with two machines. The following are the specific details of communication in this case:

What machines are suitable for dismantling solar panels?

This customer from Chile wanted to know what machines are suitable for dismantling solar panels. For this, there are two equipment for your choice.

semi-automatic aluminum frame equipmentFully automatic frame removing equipment

Frame removal equipment

It can disassemble the aluminum frame of solar panels of any size. Compared with traditional manual disassembly, the frame removal machine can greatly improve the disassembly efficiency, saving time and labor costs.

Glass removing machine

glass removal equipment

It uses heating, vibration, pressure or other technical means to weaken the bonding layer between the glass and the back sheet (usually plastic or polyester material) of the photovoltaic panel, thereby separating the glass from other components. And the deglazing machine usually has multiple functions such as heating, precise temperature control, and pressure control to ensure that the glass is not broken during the disassembly process and to ensure efficient and safe disassembly.

How does disassembly accuracy affect the recycling rate of solar panels?

Disassembly accuracy is directly related to the material recovery rate. This Chilean customer wants to know whether the disassembly accuracy of the equipment can meet the recycling standards after selecting it. If the equipment has high disassembly accuracy and can effectively separate raw materials such as glass, aluminum frame, silicon wafers, etc. from the solar panels, the recovery rate will be greatly improved. From the perspective of the equipment, there are two aspects:

Ensure the integrity of the aluminum frame——frame removal machine

The higher the integrity of the aluminum frame, the higher the recycling rate. Therefore, the cutter of the frame dismantling machine needs to have high-precision cutting capabilities. Ensure that the edges of the aluminum frame are accurately cut during the dismantling process without causing unnecessary damage or breakage to the aluminum frame. To this end, the cutting system needs to be adjusted according to the size of the solar panel to avoid over-cutting or incomplete dismantling. In addition, the sharpness of the cutter directly affects the accuracy of the cutting and the integrity of the aluminum frame. Blunt cutters may result in incomplete cutting, deformation of the aluminum frame, or irregular cutting edges. Therefore, it is also crucial to keep the cutter sharp and maintain it regularly.

Temperature and pressure control——glass removing machine

Temperature control

The glass removing machine usually needs to be controlled between 350°C and 450°C. This temperature range allows the adhesive between the glass and the solar panel to soften, making it easier to separate the glass from the panel. So, if the temperature is not high enough, the adhesive will not soften completely. And the separation of the glass and silicon wafer will become difficult, increasing the difficulty and loss of disassembly. Then if the temperature is too high, it may cause excessive thermal expansion of the glass, even causing the glass to break, and may damage the performance of the silicon wafer, resulting in a lower recovery rate.

Pressure control

When operating, the glass removing equipment usually needs to control the pressure applied to the panel within the range of 10-15 MPa. This pressure is enough to effectively separate the glass and the panel, while not too violent to avoid breaking the glass or damaging the silicon wafer. So if the pressure is too high, the glass will break easily, especially at high temperatures, which may cause glass fragments and debris contamination, increasing the difficulty of the recycling process. But if the pressure is insufficient, the separation effect of the glass and the adhesive will be poor, and the disassembly process will become slow and incomplete, which will directly affect the disassembly efficiency and recycling rate.

solar panel disposal separation

After explaining to the American customer the relationship between disassembly accuracy and equipment, we told him that our equipment can achieve the disassembly effect he wants in the above manner.

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