PV MODULE PRODUCTION SUPERVISION

COMPONENTS/SUPPLY-CHAIN-RELATED NON-CONFORMITIES

PROCESS-RELATED NON-CONFORMITIES

COMPONENTS/SUPPLY-CHAIN-RELATED NON-CONFORMITIES

More than a third of our inspection projects reveal at least one non-conformity related to sub-components and/or supply chain.

Among these non-conformities, we saw, this past month, junction box sealant not aligning with BOM requirements, mismatch between the labels found on the outside box, and the label found on the inner packaging for several components, such as EVA, back-sheets, and cells (raising question marks about supply chain security), lack of information available for frame sealant (no production date, no batch information), etc.

To ensure a quality sourcing, we recommend specifying the BOM(s) of the PV modules in the purchase agreement and verifying that the correct materials are used, at every shift. To protect buyers, STS provides supply chain audits, including traceability audits, and conducts in-factory production supervision, including BOM control for every shift of production.

PROCESS-RELATED NON-CONFORMITIES

Production Supervision is best suited to capture non-conformities related to processes. For instance, we have seen this month issues with gaps in the frame due to misalignment during the assembly process after a framing equipment maintenance. Unfortunately this misalignment was not identified by the factory operator. Gaps in frames may expose very sharp edges potentially creating safety issues for installers on project sites.