Joyce Zhang

The Influence of a Belt Furnace on the Brazing Process

“Brazing” refers to a process that joins metals together. By using a braze alloy or filler metal to unite individual pieces, a strong metallurgical bond is created without melting or changing the essential structure of the original materials. With proper technique, the connection between the metals is often stronger than the actual metals themselves, which ensures the longevity of the bond. While brazing is one of the oldest processes for joining metals, technological progress has opened the door for brazing other materials such as ceramic or glass together. Brazing is considered to be essential to many industries, including automotive, aircraft, aerospace, electrical, and more. Many brazing processes are done in a belt furnace. This article discusses the brazing process in detail, with a focus on brazing done in a belt furnace.

Ultrasonic Belt Cleaning

Ultrasonic belt cleaners are labor-saving appliances, which collect particles that come off of the furnace belt so that these contaminants can be safely drained away. Ultrasonic cleaners combine ultrasound technology with a sanitizing solvent, which thoroughly scours the furnace belt to remove all traces of contamination. Ultrasonic technology is very important for furnace belt maintenance, as it can deliver incredibly precise and efficient cleaning capabilities. Preserving the cleanliness of a furnace belt is vital when it comes to prolonging the lifespan of a furnace, and ultrasonic cleaning has proven to be the best solution to long-term furnace belt care.

Understanding the Influence of Belt Furnace and Firing Parameters on Efficiency of Thin-Film CIGS Solar Cells

Thin-film photovoltaic is a promising path for achieving higher efficiencies at lower costs. With advancements in materials and processing technologies, thin-film photovoltaic has been gaining significant importance in solar cell technology. Betwixt the various thin-film technologies, CIGS solar cells have been reported as being the most efficient. Currently, extensive efforts are underway for improving the efficiency of CIGS solar cells while considerably increasing its production volume. This exertion will explain the processing of CIGS solar cells and the importance of the firing process. In addition, the study will shine light on an ideal belt furnace for selenization of CIGS solar cells.

Manufacturing Solar Cells: Assembly and Packaging

Solar cells grew out of the 1839 discovery of the photovoltaic effect by French physicist A. E. Becquerel. However, it was not until 1883 that the first solar cell was built by Charles Fritts, who coated the semiconductor selenium with an extremely thin layer of gold to form the junctions. The device was only about 1% efficient. Subsequently Russian physicist Aleksandr Stoletov built the first solar cell based on the outer photoelectric effect (discovered by Heinrich Hertz earlier in 1887). Albert Einstein explained the photoelectric effect in 1905 for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Today’s solar cells can be described as the coexistence of three different generations: crystalline silicon, thin film, and dye sensitized. Along with the development of solar cells, there has also been a parallel development of solar cell manufacturing technologies. Assembly and packaging engineers have played a significant role in developing these manufacturing techniques, creating incredible potentials in every generation of the solar business.

Understanding the Influence of Belt Furnace and Firing Parameters on Efficiency of Silicon Solar Cells

Silicon solar cells are one of the most widely used and highly efficient photovoltaics. With growing competition from second- and third-generation photovoltaics and decreasing module prices, there is an increasing demand for improving the efficiency and decreasing the cost of the silicon solar. Screen printed metallization which is one of the most widely used contact formation methods has been reported to have significant impact in determining the solar cell efficiency. This effort will summarize the important screen printing and firing process parameters and their influence on the efficiency of the silicon solar cell. Finally, an ideal furnace will be presented for metallization firing of the screen printed silicon solar cell.

The Influence of Belt Furnace on Post Mold Cure Process

Post mold cure (PMC) is one of the most significant processes in electrical industry. This process exposes part of a mold to elevated temperatures in order to speed up the curing process and to maximize some of the material’s physical properties. The PMC process will expedite the cross-linking process and properly align the polymer’s molecules to make a stronger part with better high-temperature characteristics. Traditionally, PMC is done in a batch process. This article discusses in detail how PMC is implemented in a belt furnace in a continuous process.

Furnace Temperature and Atmosphere Influences on Producing Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO 4 ) Powders for Lithium-Ion Batteries

New technologies for creating efficient low-cost lithium-ion batteries are currently being developed for large-scale manufacturing. Many methods are researched to show the benefits of using lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as cathode material over other Li-ion-based substances such as lithium manganese or lithium cobalt. Solid state synthesis, coprecipitation, and sol-gel are such techniques being used to fabricate LiFePO4 powders. A major flaw found in these powders is its electrical conductivity being only around 10−9 S/cm compared with that of lithium cobalt (around 10−3 S/cm). By creating smaller-sized particles, carbon coating, and adjusting of temperature/atmospheric conditions, improved electrochemical performance can be achieved. This paper will give an overview of furnace firing parameters and methods of LiFePO4 production.

An Introduction to Glass-to-Metal Seals

Glass-to-metal seals are an imperative step in the construction of vacuum tubes, electric discharge tubes, incandescent light bulbs, glass encapsulated semiconductor diodes, reed switches, pressure-tight glass windows in metal cases, and metal or ceramic packages of electronic components. Their impressive properties, reliability, and ease of fabrication make glass-to-metal seals a favorite among numerous companies in various industries.

Understanding the Influence of Belt Furnace and Sintering Parameters on Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells are the most cost-effective, third-generation solar technology available today. DSSC technology, invented in 1991 by Michael Gratzel and Brian O’Regan, has recently attracted more interest because of its low material cost, ease of production, and high conversion efficiency compared to other thin-film solar cell technologies. Nonetheless, due to technical constraints, the maximum efficiency is only half the efficiency of crystalline silicon-based solar cells. In an effort to replace the solar technologies we currently use, improving the efficiency of DSSC technology is critical for widespread adoption. The process parameters have a significant impact on determining the efficiency of the solar cell, as well as the materials being applied. This paper will attempt to summarize the influence of material selection, the sintering process, and belt furnace parameters on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Influence of Firing Temperature and Atmospheric Conditions on Processing of Direct Bond Copper (DBC)

Direct bond copper (DBC), also called the gas-metal eutectic bonding method, is an important substrate material commonly used for thermal and electrical management in power modules. Developed almost 40 years ago by General Electric, there is wide use of this structure when there is a need of a substrate with high current-carrying and high thermal conductive abilities. The components of DBC are a ceramic (usually aluminum oxide (Al2O3) also called alumina) and a bond piece of copper on one or both sides. This copper is strongly bond to the alumina giving strong adhesion and combining benefits from both materials. This paper will give a summary of DBC technology and will discuss the role that furnace temperature and atmosphere perform during processing.