Solar Panel Assembly Using Tacking Pads for Pressureless Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar panel construction methods require complex and costly fixtures for aligning and securing subassemblies during adhesive curing, leading to increased manufacturing costs, labor, and potential misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of tacking pads to adhere and align solar panel subassemblies, eliminating the need for external compressive pressure during adhesive curing, and allowing for a pressureless assembly process that simplifies the construction method by maintaining subassembly alignment with a secondary adhesive force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fixtures and external compressive pressure are used to align and secure subassemblies during adhesive curing, then alignment precision and bond line thickness control are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex external fixture system and compressive pressure equipment from the adhesive curing process. Instead, alignment features are integrated directly into the substrate and circuit board structures, allowing self-alignment without external equipment. This extracts the unnecessary complexity while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate and circuit board are designed with built-in alignment features that enable them to self-align during assembly. The alignment features on the substrate correspond to matching features on the circuit board, creating a self-aligning system that eliminates the need for external fixtures and complex positioning mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional fixtures and external compressive pressure are used during adhesive curing, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing time and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the time-consuming setup, positioning, and removal operations associated with external fixtures. By integrating alignment features directly into the components, the process removes multiple manual steps and reduces cycle time, thereby improving manufacturing throughput while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-aligning features enable rapid assembly without manual positioning or fixture setup. Components automatically align when brought together, eliminating the time required for operator intervention and fixture manipulation, thus increasing manufacturing efficiency and productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If glass fillers are added to adhesive to control bond line thickness, then thickness control is improved, but adhesive complexity and potential misalignment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes glass fillers and other thickness-controlling additives from the adhesive formulation. Instead of modifying the adhesive composition, thickness control is achieved through the geometric design of the alignment features, which physically constrain the bond line thickness without requiring complex adhesive formulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features act as intermediaries that mediate the bonding process by establishing precise spacing between the substrate and circuit board. These features serve as physical spacers that control bond line thickness, replacing the need for filler materials and simplifying the adhesive composition to a basic polymer formulation.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If excess adhesive is removed before full cure, then adhesive overflow and contamination are reduced, but manufacturing time and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the step of removing excess adhesive by designing the alignment features to precisely control adhesive distribution. The features act as barriers that contain the adhesive within the desired bond line, preventing overflow without requiring manual cleanup operations, thus maintaining productivity while eliminating contamination risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features automatically regulate adhesive flow and distribution during assembly. The geometric constraints of the features cause the adhesive to self-limit its spread, preventing overflow without operator intervention. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for post-application cleanup and maintains manufacturing efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces manufacturing costs, decreases rework, and shortens the curing time of solar panels, improving manufacturing efficiency and output by eliminating the need for custom fixtures and manual alignment processes.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive layer positioned between the first solar panel subassembly and the second solar panel subassembly, and adhered to the first surface of the first solar panel subassembly and the second surface of the second solar panel subassembly with a second adhesive force
Implementation Method 2
The at least one tacking pad can be a pressure-sensitive tacking pad, and can include a polymer carrier positioned between two layers of an acrylic adhesive
Implementation Method 3
The adhesive can include a silicone elastomer that has a working time of from 30 minutes to 4 hours, and can extend across from 40% to 90% of the first surface after the placing of the second surface in physical contact with the at least one tacking pad
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a solar panel can include attaching one or more tacking pads to one or both of a first surface of a first solar panel subassembly and a second surface of a second solar panel subassembly. The method further includes dispensing an adhesive onto at least one of the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are placed in contact with the one or more tacking pads, thereby tacking the first and second solar panel subassemblies together, during which the first and second surfaces contact the adhesive, thereby decreasing a thickness and increasing a surface area of the adhesive. Subsequently, the adhesive is cured. The tacking pad(s) maintain fixed alignment of the solar panel subassemblies during curing of the adhesive, and establish a bond line of the adhesive.