How a PV recycling line is specified
A line specification is a set of answers, not a list of machines. Here are the inputs we ask for, why each one changes the equipment, and what a quota
01
The eight items
- 01
Module type and proportions
Framed single-glass, framed double-glass, frameless, thin film — and roughly what proportion of each. If you do not know yet, say so; it changes what we recommend for a first phase.
- 02
Module condition
Intact, or a meaningful share already cracked, broken or with bent and corroded frames. This is the single most common reason a rated through-put is not achieved.
- 03
Target through-put
Modules per hour or tonnes per hour, and your realistic shift pattern. If it is a campaign rather than a steady stream, say that too — the answer is different.
- 04
Output specification
Which fractions you intend to sell or store, and any acceptance criteria you know of. Even a partial answer changes the number of separation steps.
- 05
Site constraints
Hall dimensions and headroom, where modules arrive, where containers leave, available power and compressed air, and floor loading if you know it.
- 06
Labour model
How many operators you intend to put on the line and how many shifts you will run. This is what decides the automation level.
- 07
Growth plan
What you expect to add next — a station, a shift, a separation step — and roughly when. It is the cheapest thing to design in and the most expensive to retrofit.
- 08
Country and framework
Where the plant will operate and which regulatory framework applies. It rarely changes the machine and often changes the containment, recording and output requirements.
02
Photographs help more than specifications
A photograph of a typical module from your feedstock, showing the frame profile and the junction box position, answers several of the eight items at once. A photograph of the hall, showing where modules are delivered and where containers are taken out, answers most of item five.
If you are evaluating an existing line, a photograph or short description of the current bottleneck — what you are doing by hand, or where the process stops — is usually enough to identify which station should come first.
03
A form you can copy
Copy this into an email
Modules: [type] — approximately [x]% framed single-glass, [y]% double-glass, [z]% other.
Condition: [intact / approximately x% damaged / mixed].
Through-put: [modules or tonnes per hour], running [shifts] shifts, [steady / campaign].
Output: we intend to sell [fractions]; the buyer requires [criteria or unknown].
Site: hall [length × width × height], power [available], modules arrive [where], containers leave [where].
Labour: [n] operators per shift.
Next phase: we expect to add [station] in [timeframe].
Country: [country], framework [if known].
Send the eight items, however partial
Unknown is an acceptable answer. What slows an enquiry down is silence on the module mix and the output specification, because those two decide almost everything else.
FAQ
Questions
What is the minimum information needed for an equipment quote?
Module type, target through-put and the footprint available are enough to start a conversation. Adding the output specification and the condition of the feedstock is what turns the reply from a question into a configuration.
We have not decided the output specification yet. Can you still help?
Yes, and it is a normal starting point. In that case we usually work backwards: we ask who you expect to sell to, and derive the separation requirements from what those buyers typically accept.
Do you need a sample module?
For an initial configuration, no — a photograph showing the frame profile and junction box position is usually enough. A physical sample becomes useful later, when tooling and settings are being confirmed.
Is our information kept confidential?
Yes. Project information is used to answer your enquiry and prepare a quotation. We do not publish customer names, logos, sites or project details without written consent — the reference project we do publish is anonymised for exactly that reason.
Send us the module mix and the through-put
Tell us what arrives at your gate and what has to leave. The engineering team replies with the station configuration, the scope boundary and the information still missing before drawings start.
- Modules — framed single-glass, double-glass, frameless, thin film, mixed
- Condition — intact, or a meaningful share damaged or bent
- Through-put — modules per hour or t/h, and your shift pattern
- Output — which fractions you sell or store, and to what specification
Prefer to talk first? WhatsApp +86 182 0399 3035 or email [email protected].