Recently, Lead Intelligent Equipment (hereafter referred to as LEAD), a global leader in intelligent manufacturing solutions for the new energy industry, announced the successful delivery of its self-developed next-generation BC stringer to a leading global solar cell manufacturer.
The equipment will be deployed on the customer’s pilot production line for full-screen BC modules, marking another significant recognition of LEAD’s capabilities in BC module manufacturing equipment by a top-tier industry player. Through its commitment to advanced manufacturing, LEAD is accelerating the commercialization of full-screen BC technology and working closely with customers to unlock new opportunities in the high-efficiency photovoltaic market, laying a solid foundation for deeper strategic cooperation.
Market Demand Drives Technological Innovation
BC Modules Enter the Full-Screen Era
As the photovoltaic industry steadily transitions from rapid capacity expansion to high-quality development, competition is shifting from a price-driven model to one centered on value creation. High power output, superior aesthetics, enhanced reliability, and lower energy losses have emerged as key market requirements.
Against this backdrop, full-screen BC modules have become one of the industry’s most promising technology pathways. Featuring an all-black, busbar-free appearance and a completely unobstructed front surface, they align closely with evolving market expectations for both performance and design.
Compared with conventional modules, full-screen BC modules offer several distinct advantages. By relocating all electrodes to the rear side and concealing interconnection structures, the design eliminates front-side shading losses and maximizes light-receiving area, delivering an efficiency improvement of approximately 0.5% to 1%.
In addition, full-screen BC modules demonstrate superior low-light performance and shading tolerance. They can maintain higher energy yields under challenging conditions such as dawn and dusk, overcast weather, mountainous terrain, and offshore installations. From an application perspective, their seamless all-black design makes them particularly well suited for residential rooftops, commercial and industrial buildings, and Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) projects. Under the same installation area, they can generate more electricity than conventional TOPCon modules.
Recognizing the strong market potential and technical advantages of full-screen BC technology, the leading global solar cell manufacturer involved in this project strategically entered the segment by leveraging its own technological strengths. Through the construction of a dedicated pilot line, the company aims to complete technology validation and production ramp-up, further reinforcing its leadership position in the global solar market.
With cumulative shipments exceeding 30 GW in BC stringing equipment and extensive process expertise, LEAD has become a key equipment supplier supporting the customer’s full-screen BC capacity expansion strategy. The newly delivered BC stringer will provide comprehensive technical support for both pilot-line development and future large-scale mass production.
Advanced Equipment Enabling Mass Production
Five Key Advantages Redefining Process Standards
The newly delivered BC stringer developed by LEAD is a high-precision interconnection solution specifically designed for back-contact solar cells with no front-side busbars. Integrating six core process modules—including automatic loading, rear-side alignment, rear-side interconnection, stress-free soldering, string inspection, and orderly unloading—the equipment is engineered to meet the mass-production requirements of full-screen BC modules characterized by zero front-side shading, premium aesthetics, high power output, and low energy loss.
Its five key advantages are setting new benchmarks for BC module manufacturing:
Maximized Active Area Utilization
Through the precise arrangement of busbars and interconnection ribbons, the system enables concealed busbar integration, maximizing module active-area utilization while enhancing overall appearance. At the same time, it effectively mitigates the risk of microcracks during the lamination process, contributing to higher module power output and improved long-term reliability.
Enhanced Energy Generation Efficiency
Combining virtual-coordinate positioning, center-gripping technology, and high-precision visual alignment, the equipment enables accurate negative-gap cell stringing. This increases module power density and unlocks greater energy-generation potential.
Optimized for the Thin-Wafer Trend
LEAD’s proprietary low-temperature lamination welding process effectively eliminates cell warpage caused by thermal stress, maintaining a cell breakage rate below 0.1%. The solution is ideally suited for ultra-thin BC cells and aligns with the industry’s ongoing transition toward thinner wafer technologies.
Reliable and Cost-Effective Manufacturing Solution
The equipment is fully compatible with XBC and 0BB (Zero Busbar) architectures, significantly reducing the consumption of silver paste, solder paste, and other consumables. Supported by low-temperature alloy soldering technology, it delivers enhanced process compatibility and reliability, providing a mature manufacturing solution for next-generation XBC + 0BB applications.
Flexible Compatibility Across Multiple Processes
The system supports both low-temperature adhesive-lamination alloy interconnection and conventional high-temperature soldering processes. Manufacturers can switch flexibly between process modes according to production requirements, enabling diverse production and R&D scenarios while enhancing overall manufacturing flexibility.
Breakthrough Performance Metrics
Setting a New Benchmark for Mass Production
In terms of technical performance, LEAD’s next-generation BC stringer achieves major breakthroughs across three critical indicators:
Broad Compatibility
The equipment supports full-size solar cells ranging from 182 × 182 mm to 230 × 230 mm and accommodates 5BB to 50BB cell designs, providing exceptional flexibility for different cell technologies and production requirements.
High Yield
With a cell breakage rate of ≤0.1% and a dispensing defect rate of ≤0.03%, both significantly below industry averages, the equipment ensures stable product quality and manufacturing consistency.
High Throughput
Based on a 72-cell module configuration, a single machine can achieve a production capacity of up to 10,800 cells per hour, fully supporting large-scale manufacturing and rapid production ramp-up.
The successful delivery of this next-generation BC stringer represents another milestone in the close collaboration between LEAD and its customer. Through sustained investment in independent innovation, LEAD has established a comprehensive photovoltaic equipment portfolio covering all major technology pathways, including BC, TOPCon, HJT, and perovskite technologies.
Today, LEAD’s photovoltaic manufacturing solutions are deployed in more than 20 countries and regions worldwide, helping customers accelerate efficiency improvements and industrial upgrades through advanced intelligent manufacturing equipment.
Looking ahead, LEAD will continue to deepen its expertise in photovoltaic intelligent manufacturing. Leveraging its extensive R&D capabilities and process know-how, the company will further optimize BC module mass-production solutions, work alongside global customers to overcome manufacturing bottlenecks, and deliver more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective intelligent equipment solutions. Together with industry partners, LEAD remains committed to accelerating the transition toward a zero-carbon future.
