Wafer maker bites a S/w slice

TORONTO: Eyelit Inc., a manufacturing software provider for visibility, control, and coordination of manufacturing operations in the electronics, semiconductor, and photovoltaic industries, announced that Deutsche Solar AG, the wafer-manufacturing subsidiary of SolarWorld AG, has selected Eyelit’s MES Software Suite to support PV wafer production ramp in its new 500-MW facility in Freiberg, Germany.

As a press release puts, Eyelit and its partner SYSTEMA GmbH were selected to provide a scalable solution for the management of factory assets and production, along with material traceability and visibility from raw silicon through wafer processing, including ingot and brick production areas. Deutsche Solar will utilize SYSTEMA's expertise for factory automation, direct tool connectivity, and local support in Germany.

“We wanted a solution that could handle our production volumes, as well as provide a flexible data model for the collection of automated tool information. In addition, we were looking for a modular system to which we could easily add features, such as SPC and equipment management without time-consuming customizations. It was also important for us to have a local integrator with the capabilities that SYSTEMA has. We’ve worked with and reviewed other solutions and concluded that Eyelit is the best solution for our new wafer plant,” said Jan Tonndorf, Head of IT at Deutsche Solar AG.

“SYSTEMA GmbH enjoys a very strong working relationship with Eyelit, and we are looking forward to providing Deutsche Solar with a highly integrated manufacturing system solution for its new wafer factory in Freiberg. Our business domain expertise and proven system solutions for the semiconductor and PV industries, coupled with Eyelit’s solar industry leading MES, will be a key differentiator for our customers’ objective to drive down manufacturing costs, without compromising flexibility and speed. SYSTEMA GmbH continues with its commitment to the PV industry and expansion of its PV market share,” said Manfred Austen, SYSTEMA's Chief Executive Officer.

"The solar market is maturing quickly. We have several customers that are building new solar plants, each with 500-MW (peak) production. Solar companies are now moving beyond limited solutions that only provide automation and data collection. They understand and seek to realize the benefits of more fully featured, scalable factory solutions that provide advantages beyond product traceability. We are thrilled to now include a well-known company such as Deutsche Solar in our growing list of customers,” stated Dan Estrada, Eyelit’s Vice-President of Sales and Business Development.