TÜV Rheinland certifies H.B. Fuller’s new solar back rail adhesive

ST. PAUL, USA: H.B. Fuller Co., a leading global adhesives provider, has leveraged its extensive formulating expertise and market knowledge to develop its new patent pending (material and process) PV-RH275 back rail adhesive for solar module manufacturing.

PV-RH275 recently passed the critical performance and long-term durability tests of the IEC 61646 standard. H.B. Fuller formulated this reactive hot melt adhesive specifically to meet the high performance and lean manufacturing needs of customers in the solar market.

TÜV Rheinland, a global provider of technical, safety and certification services, recently conducted the tests of PV-RH275 applied to a customary rectangular (SI_S4) sized module to determine if this new one-part reactive hot melt system meets the standards of IEC 61646.

The standards are the established criteria in the international solar industry for testing performance and durability in high heat and humidity conditions, as well as weight resistance in snow and wind. According to testing performed by TÜV, PV-RH275 fulfilled the mechanical load test requirements of the IEC 61646: 2008 (loads of 2,400 Pa and 5,400 Pa), following 1,000 hours of damp heat testing at 85 percent relative humidity and 85° C temperature.

“With these test results, the solar industry can be confident that our new reactive hot melt performs in a wide range of the environmental elements,” said Ralph Velazquez, business development manager for H.B. Fuller. “As our solar customers are moving more toward the use of adhesives for rail bonding, we focused on developing an innovative, high performance adhesive that would not only address their design needs but also advance their lean manufacturing initiatives.”

PV-RH275 is specially formulated for fast processing and curing. It bonds quickly after the adhesive-coated back rail is attached to the module. Within minutes, the solar module is ready to box and ship. Over time, the PV-RH275 bond strengthens, making it extremely durable during varying weather conditions of high heat and humidity, snow or wind.

In addition, PV-RH275 is a one-part reactive hot melt system that brings significant lean manufacturing advantages to the solar industry. Typical two-part fast cure materials require mixing and continue to cure when dispensing stops, which often requires purging and produces scrap.

As a one-part system, H.B. Fuller’s PV-RH275 requires no mixing which can save significant time on the front end and does not generate waste during processing because the valve can simply be shut off to stop dispensing.