Collector Production

KUKA Solar Thermal Collector Production

The manufacture of solar thermal collectors places high demands not only on the process but also on the production sequence, which must be ergonomic and cost-effective.
KUKA’s solutions for the production of thermal collectors include laser welding the serpentined tubing onto absorber plates, handling glass, framing, welding or gluing.

Based on more than 25 years’ experience in designing and building equipment for laser and gluing/sealing applications, we can provide solutions for your products, custom-made to meet your requirements, ranging from simple robotic cells to integrated turnkey systems.

KS Solarthermal Lasertec

Laser welding system for solar-thermal panels

KS Solarthermal Lasertec has been specially developed by KUKA for welding tubes onto the absorber surface of solar-thermal panels. Our 25 years of experience in robot-guided laser welding have resulted in optimum process reliability and maximum system availability and flexibility.
The modular structure of KS Solarthermal Lasertec makes it possible to respond in a highly flexible manner to the workpiece requirements of our customers. Combined in a single cell with our service-proven standard components and workpiece-specific clamping fixtures, it is the optimum solution for an innovative and reliable process.

Technical data

Example of a fully automated manufacturing cell

Features

• Pre-centering and fine centering of the tubes
• Different tube diameters possible
• Automatic focal point adjustment for different pulse control
• Process not dependent on the direction of welding
• Integrated object extraction
• Controlled, low-hysteresis contact force
• Adjusting device for set-up and maintenance work