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 three inputs
- The tonnage you will actually receive. Annual, plus how it is distributed across the year. A campaign project is not the same as a steady stream even when the annual total matches.
- The average module mass. Convert tonnage into module count, because machines are rated in modules per hour as often as in tonnes. Frame, glass build and module size all move this number.
- The shift pattern. Hours per day, days per week, and the realistic availability you expect. Sizing a plant for 24/7 when you will run one shift produces a machine that is idle two-thirds of the time.
02
The conversion, worked through
The calculation is straightforward once the inputs are in the same units. Take an annual tonnage, divide by the number of operating hours you actually intend to run, and you have the required tonnes per hour. Divide that by the average module mass and you have modules per hour. Compare that with the machine's rated cycle.
The useful part is what happens next. If the required rate is well below the rated rate, you do not need the fastest machine — you need the machine that best suits your feedstock and your labour model. If the required rate is close to or above the rated rate, either the shift pattern changes or the line needs parallel capacity. Both are legitimate answers; discovering the mismatch after the order is not.
03
Why the achieved rate is lower than the rated rate
| Factor | What it does to the rate | How to plan for it |
|---|---|---|
| Feedstock variability | Bent frames, mixed vintages and awkward presentation slow the cycle | Segregate batches; use the slower figure for the mixed case |
| Damaged modules | Manual handling and containment reduce infeed rate | Plan a separate handling path and a lower rate for it |
| Changeovers | Every module-type change costs time | Minimise changes per shift; know the changeover duration |
| Stoppages and clearing | Transfer points, container changes, extraction cleaning | Design access in; include an availability allowance |
| Operator availability | Breaks, shift changes, absence | Size against realistic operator hours, not theoretical ones |
| Downstream back-pressure | Full containers stop the line | Size output bays so containers change without stopping production |
04
Peak or average — decide explicitly
Campaign projects force a choice. Designing for the removal peak means the line is oversized for the rest of the year. Designing for the annual average means the campaign queues, and the material waits somewhere.
Whichever you choose, write down the fallback. The realistic options are storage sized for a defined period, a second shift during the campaign, or a partner arrangement to process the overflow. A plan that assumes the peak will simply resolve itself is the plan that produces the queue.
Send the three inputs
Tonnage and its distribution, average module mass, and your realistic shift pattern. We will tell you what line size that supports and where the peak goes.
FAQ
Questions
How many solar panels can a recycling line process per hour?
It depends on the line and the feedstock rather than on a universal figure. Our automatic frame removal machine runs one module per minute in its standard cycle, which the equipment brief states as 1 t/h. The plant's achieved rate across the whole sequence is lower than any single machine's rated rate, because it also includes handling, changeovers and stoppages.
How do I convert tonnes per year into a line size?
Divide the annual tonnage by the operating hours you realistically intend to run to get tonnes per hour, then divide by the average module mass to get modules per hour. Compare that with the machine's rated cycle. If the required rate is comfortably below the rated one, the constraint is feedstock and labour rather than machine speed.
What average module mass should I use?
Use the actual average of your feedstock. Module mass varies with size, frame and glass build, so a figure taken from a different market can be wrong enough to change the answer. If you are planning before you have feedstock, state the assumption explicitly so it can be revised.
Should I plan for one shift or three?
Plan for what you will operationally run, not for what the machine could theoretically do. Sizing against three shifts and then operating one is the most common way a plant ends up with capital that sits idle.
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
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