Why are AET OEM absorber plates the best in the world?

Originally founded in 1979, AET/THERMAFIN is American owned & operated by a group of solar energy professionals with a total of more than 100 years' experience in the field. The manufacturing firm has the distinction of producing the world's finest and most efficient solar absorber products.  Its reputation for excellence is based on its exclusive,  durable high frequency forge welding process and superior performance of its proprietary Crystal Clear™ solar selective coating.

Download "Absorber Plate Standards"

Bare Copper Solar Absorber Plate

Strength & Durability  Exclusive AET processes assure the world's finest welded and brazed joints.  Heat and pressure are the secrets to the exclusive AET forge welding process that is renowned for its high performance and durability. AET's collar drilling process is performed with a special collaring bit which results in the production of a highly durable & superior brazed joint.

Cross Section of Brazed Joint

Efficiency & Performance  Efficient solar energy absorbers begin with high thermal conductivity between the fin and tube.  The AET welding process actually makes the tube one with the fin and creates a joint at least two times wider than the thickness of the copper fin,  resulting in a clean, uninterrupted heat path unlike any other.

    Weld Cross Section

AET absorbers have no soldered or crimped seam joints to weaken or fail.  The forge welding actually strengthens the joint area,  unlike other welding processes,  such as ultrasonics,  which causes a weakening of the fin around the joint area.

AET uses the world's finest solar selective coating on their absorbers.  The revolutionary Crystal Clear™ coating was developed by AET as a collaborative effort working with Coating Industry Professionals from broad based backgrounds.  Crystal Clear™ is environmentally benign and boasts an emissivity of approximately 0.10 and absorptivity of approximately 0.95 !!!

Consistent Quality  Your valuable time shouldn't be consumed by quality problems.  Consistent high quality is a hallmark of the AET absorber production process.  The only of its kind on the Blue Planet,  the AET welder processes all-copper welded solar fin tube at 250 feet (76 m) per minute...each foot exactly the same high quality as the one before.  Pressure testing and quality inspection procedures further assure the finest solar absorber products available.  In addition,  AET is the only manufacturer that backs its fin tube with an exclusive,  unconditional 30 year warranty!

Ready Deliverability  Delays in delivery cost critical time and money.  With a total annual capacity of approximately 3 million meters of fin tube,  AET can produce enough product to supply the entire world market!  And if it's custom work you need,  call us,  we can deliver to most specifications.  Those are comforting thoughts when you need product quickly.

Photograph is of a fintube cross section (magnified 46 times) shows how the high frequency forge welding process provides complete and permanent bonding of fin to tube as evidenced by the grain growth across the joint.

Photograph at right shows end portion of actual fintube. Superimposed rectangle shows area of magnified photo above.

PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT, INSIST ON
AET/THERMAFIN ABSORBERS

Efficient solar energy collection starts with high thermal conductivity between fin and tube inside the solar collector. For lasting performance and durability, this fin-to-tube joint must be highly conductive and strong enough to endure the unrelenting torture of the sun’s rays - which can cause other types of joints to weaken, expand and pull apart. 

Will the solar system you're considering still heat yourwater
after 1 year?
...5 years?
...30 years?

The high frequency weld of our fintube joint insures high efficiency and unsurpassed strength. There are no solder or crimped-seam joints to weaken and fail.