Ultrasonic welding may become a turning point for solar technology

With the progress of new community, affordable housing, and guaranteed housing construction in recent years, the demand for solar water heaters (systems) in cities has once again surpassed that in rural areas, showing a vigorous vitality. After more than a decade of flourishing in rural areas, the solar thermal market is facing a return to urban areas. The urban solar thermal market has higher requirements for the integration of solar energy and buildings. As a result, flat plate solar collectors, with their ease of integration with buildings, flexibility in installation and design, and savings on public irradiation area, have gained strong favor in the urban solar thermal market. However, solar companies have primarily focused on profit-driven development over the past few decades, emphasizing the development and production of vacuum tube solar water heaters, which have a relatively low technical threshold and are popular in rural areas. Only a few companies have persisted in the research and development of flat plate solar technology. Therefore, many solar companies find themselves 'having the desire but lacking the ability' when facing the rapidly warming urban market. They want to expand into the urban market but are hindered by the technical barriers of flat plate solar technology, leading them to seek cooperation with flat plate solar companies or temporarily set up flat plate solar production lines. China's solar thermal utilization industry is at the forefront globally, but this is limited to vacuum tube solar water heaters. The cutting-edge technology of flat plate solar has long been monopolized by a few Western countries, which restricts the development of China's flat plate solar industry and makes it difficult to open up internationally. The heat collection performance of flat plate solar collectors is no longer an issue, but where does the difference lie between China's flat plate solar and that of foreign countries? A significant part of the difference lies in the welding and coating processes of flat plate solar collectors. In terms of welding technology, flat plate solar production faces challenges in the welding and splicing of the collectors themselves and the welding connection with heat transfer pipes. An excellent flat plate solar product must not only have outstanding heat collection performance but also effectively transfer heat to water through the heat transfer medium to realize its value. For many years, China's flat plate solar products have adopted traditional welding methods, which are not only inefficient but also energy-intensive, leading to significant waste of raw materials and energy, resulting in mostly substandard product quality, frequent failures, and high usage costs. Meanwhile, the core coating technology and advanced welding processes of flat plate solar are monopolized by a few Western countries such as the United States and Germany. China's flat plate solar companies lack the research capabilities to solve these technical challenges, which has been the reason for the inability of China's flat plate solar industry to achieve large-scale expansion for many years. On one hand, there is the wireless vitality brought by new urban construction, and on the other hand, there is the limited industrial breakthrough capability due to technical constraints. To seize opportunities for industrial upgrading and gain a competitive edge in the national and even international markets, the technical issues have become the biggest challenge at hand. Breaking barriers: 'Made in China' ultrasonic metal welding achieves mass production. It is well known that equipment upgrading is a key and important aspect that restricts the overall upgrading of the solar industry. In the face of numerous challenges in industry upgrading, the recent launch of a fully automatic whole plate ultrasonic metal rolling welding machine by Foshan Shunde Chuxin Electromechanical Co., Ltd., the only professional manufacturer of ultrasonic metal welding equipment in China, has attracted significant attention from the industry. Whole plate rolling welding: This new type of fully automatic whole plate ultrasonic metal rolling welding machine, independently developed and produced by Chuxin Electromechanical, is specifically applied to flat plate solar heat absorption plates. Its generator circuit adopts the world's most advanced PLL phase-locked loop frequency automatic tracking technology (used by AMTECH, STAPLA, TELSONIC, etc.), eliminating the need for frequency adjustment when changing molds and during operation. The output amplitude is continuously adjustable, allowing for the welding of copper and aluminum on the same device; its nominal power is 3.6KW, with an actual power capacity of 5.4KW, which is three times higher than the average power capacity of domestic peers under the same working conditions; it uses a unique transducer manufacturing process to ensure high-quality transducers. The 20kHz transducer can withstand loads of over 5kw, providing ample power capacity for welding solar heat absorption plates, maximizing stability; the welding head is made of high-quality alloy steel, with a lifespan and manufacturing precision comparable to similar products from Europe and the United States; the control system uses PLC programming control and touch screen control, featuring three basic control modes for welding energy, time, and height, with various quality control software to meet different needs; in addition, almost all processing surfaces undergo grinding and electroplating processes, ensuring high processing precision and a stable frame structure. Further understanding reveals that the first generation of ultrasonic metal welding equipment developed by Chuxin Electromechanical was launched as early as 2007, breaking the monopoly of Western countries on ultrasonic welding technology and achieving breakthroughs and practical applications of ultrasonic metal welding technology in China. However, at that time, ultrasonic metal wave welding technology was only applied in a few flat plate solar companies, such as Guangdong Wuxing Solar. With the vigorous development of the flat plate solar industry in recent years, the advantages of ultrasonic metal welding technology have attracted more companies' attention. The newly launched fully automatic whole plate ultrasonic metal rolling welding machine, developed by Chuxin Electromechanical, has achieved an upgrade from 'semi-mechanization' to 'full mechanization' based on the first generation of products. The equipment not only significantly improves production efficiency and saves labor costs but also reduces energy consumption, conserves raw materials, and produces high-quality products with fewer failures and lower usage costs. Experts from authoritative institutions indicate that this new type of ultrasonic metal welding technology can effectively solve the high cost issues in China's welding industry and greatly enhance the level of domestic ultrasonic metal welding technology, marking that China's independent research and development capabilities and product manufacturing capabilities in ultrasonic metal welding have entered the ranks of international leaders. Thus, the ultrasonic welding technology of flat plate solar, which has been monopolized by Western countries for many years, has been conquered through the independent research and development of domestic enterprises. As the only professional manufacturer of ultrasonic metal welding equipment in China, Chuxin Electromechanical has solved the technical challenges that have plagued China's flat plate solar industry for many years with its outstanding technological strength and research spirit, laying the foundation for the upgrading of China's flat plate solar industry.