Sunstrip's introduction of the sputtered surface constituted a worldwide break-through for aluminium absorbers in solar collectors. At Sunstrip, we started to develop our own sputter method as early as 1991. Five years later, the technique was patented and launched, and it has been used commercially since 1997.

Sputter technique means that the surface coating is produced with the help of a combination of strong negative current and inert gas in a vacuum chamber. In the chamber a metal releases atoms, which form a surface coating on the absorber. By adding oxygen at different flow rates, the oxidisation can be controlled to produce optimal surface properties.

Why sputtered?

Environmentally friendly manufacturing

The most important aspect is the positive effect on the environment. It is a big advantage to avoid working with acid baths, both for the environment and for those who work in the factory. For us at Sunstrip it goes without saying that the manufacturing of solar collector components must be as environmentally compatible as possible.

More flexible and efficient manufacturing process

The introduction of the sputter method has made the manufacturing process more efficient. Instead of cutting lengths which are then anodised, a whole roll of up to one thousand metres can be sputtered at the same time. The old process meant dipping the absorbers six times in a chemical bath. With the sputter technique, an unbroken coating is achieved, and the surface of the strip only requires coating once. In this way, Sunstrip has halved the manufacturing time.

The manufacturing units for sputtering are small and easy to move, which makes it easy to install more if volumes increase. In other words, it is easier to adapt production to demand, which gives our customers more reliable deliveries!