Högskolan i Skövde

This report includes development of an already designed solar water heater. The product shall be constructed in a way that it will suit a manufacturing line in Kampala, Uganda. To find the most suitable design for each area a research was carried out which included study visits, interviews and background reading. It provided the following results:

Regarding the attachment of in- and outgoing pipes from the water tank many methods were taken into consideration and it was found that the best and most suitable way for this case is to weld the fittings using a weld robot.

Regarding the fitting of the acrylic, a suitable solution is to make a flange when vacuum forming the plastic casing to further support the design. This could also be used to waterproof the case by using a sealing material. A suggestion of using pre-molded PU-foam is also presented.

Regarding the ability to open the case for maintenance, two solutions were recommended. Either the use of spire clips or having the clips integrated into the casing.

Regarding the calculation of material usage when deep drawing the tank and collector, it is possible to do a reasonably accurate assumption. The complicated design in this product makes the estimation less accurate. It is recommended that test draws are done and often the machine producer has more precise numbers.

Regarding the coloring of the collector; chemical coloration is not possible on a galvanized surface. The method used is painting, either with powder coating or with wet paint.