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Actuator provides precise temperature control

A PBC Linear product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 11, 2009

A PLA ball-screw driven linear actuator from PBC Linear is being utilised by a US company in a furnace damper that controls temperature during the silicon ingot production process.

The company manufactures silicon ingots from solar furnaces, and the ingots are used in the production of electricity-generating solar panels for cleaner and renewable energy.

To create a solar panel, silicon ore needs to be fused in a furnace similar to how glass is made from sand.

These furnaces require a multitude of precision components to work in harmony for the successful creation of silicon ingots.

The ingots are then sliced into thin sheets for the fabrication of the solar panels.

If this process is upset, production time and cost would increase as these furnaces are heated to thousands of degrees and take days to cool down for servicing.

PBC Linear's PLA actuator was installed to control the furnace's heat damper during the process cycle.

The damper provides precise temperature control during the process.

To control the critical lifting and positioning of the damper, the manufacturer required a linear system that was low cost, precise and reliable in order to compete on an international level.

The PLA ball-screw driven linear actuator was the answer.

The PLA features a Simultaneous Integral Milling Operation (SIMO) machined profile that mills out tight, consistent tolerances on all sides of the system to ensure repeatable guidance at no added cost.

The PLA is also equipped with Integral V Technology (IVT) to provide enhanced precision guidance of the actuator's V-rollers.

Since implementation, the actuator has been running successfully, aiding in the production of solar panels and helping jumpstart the renewable energy industry.

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