Automated production rate 80%, annual production capacity exceeded 10 million
April 29th, as the pioneer of the solar thermal industry, "the world's first solar tube automated production line completed and innovations release ceremony” was held in Tsinghua Solar Beijing production base. The attendees are Kang Kejun (vice-president of Tsinghua University), Guo Hong (director of Zhongguancun Science Park), Zhou Yunfan (vice-director of Changping district), Langa ( South Africa ambassador in China), Rong Yonglin (chairman of Tsringhua Holding Company), Luo Zhentao (director of Solar Thermal Application Committee, China Rural Energy Industry Association), Yin Zhiqiang (principal scientist, board member of Tsringhua Solar) and so on Production automation upgrade as a gift for Tsinghua University Centenary。
Behind Tsinghua Solar continuous product research and development, we can find that the production line automation upgrade not only broke the frozen period of 30 years of production technology research and development of solar thermal industry, but also completed the upgrade from large-scale production to industrialization production. Kang Kejun, vice-president of Tsinghua University, said Tsinghua Solar gave the production automation upgrade as a gift for Tsinghua University Centenary under the direction of the speech of President Hu Jintao on the celebration of Tsinghua University Centenary.
"In recent years, Tsinghua Solar have developed large capacity dual-chamber multi-target magnetron sputtering machines tube automatic sealing machines, glass heat pipe condensation side automatic docking machines, glass heat pipe working fluid automatic pouring machines, automatic degassing production equipment and so on. Based on these machines, Tsinghua Solar developed the world's first tube automated production lines." Yin Zhiqiang, the godfather of the solar thermal industry in China, described the technology of the new production line in details at the ceremony.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony
Wu Zhenyi, the president of Tsinghua Solar, said the new production line overcame many difficulties in glass processing industry, magnetron sputtering film preparation as well as obtaining vacuums and maintaining technologies. It not only ensures the quality of product, but also saves manual labor and material resources, which is a fundamental change in the tube production from semi-automatic even manually to the fully automated. Tsinghua Solar first introduced the automation productivity to the solar thermal industry. 80% automation productivity ensures consistency of product quality and makes the solar tube output to annual capacity of ten million.
After the ceremony, guests visited the production line under the guidance of Wu Zhenyi. The produce process, such as cleaning, coating, sealing, filling and baking etc., is completely broke away from traditional production technologies. The guests sometimes stopped and asked the details of the production and technological innovation, especially for South African ambassador Langa. As is known, solar energy cooperation has become an important area of China and South Africa to strengthen cooperation. For solar industry in China, Tsinghua Solar has the ability to take up technology exchange task.
Visiting the production line
Before the ceremony, Luo Zhentao has visited the production line. Then at the “Tsinghua Solar industry and technology development symposia”, he said, Tsinghua Solar gave the direction of the solar water heater industry from development to industrialization. Hand workshops and semi-automated production technology from the early development of the industry has lasted to present, but large-scale production is not equal to the industrial production. The solar water heater production technology in China has not been made revolutionary changes for 30 years. Therefore, Tsinghua Solar first broke the development limitation to the production technology and industry research.
Experts in the symposia
The journalists in solar media said, the traditional economic models relying on the human cost advantage should be changed. It will hinder the industry development for depending on the workers with skills. The new production line of solar tube in Tsinghua Solar provided a new way for industrial transformation and development
The experts said if the product is the core competing power in solar thermal industry, then the production line will be the core lifetime of the industry. Based on the upgrade, Tsinghua Solar promoted the Chinese solar thermal industry from large scale production into industrial production. Because of the misleading of price war, workshop brand and concept speculation, the market development of solar water heaters loss rationality gradually. Tsinghua Solar production and technological innovation established new barriers for the industry to competition. The companies will be discarded if they cannot keep up with pace of production and technology upgrade. (Source: http://www.thsolar.com)
