Your daily dose of photovoltaic technology developments and solar news

Adding to its tally of over 8GW of firing furnaces shipped to customers worldwide, Despatch Industries has been tapped by SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) for the first shipment of its fast firing furnace, the UltraFlex, which features Microzone Technology. SERIS will use the furnace with its R&D manufacturing line.

Despatch Industries’ infrared firing furnace has received a patent, bringing the company’s patent portfolio to over 30, both domestic and international. The firing furnace, while used mainly for the solar cell manufacturing process, it can, says the company, be used in a variety of industries for heating/treating applications of any material that can benefit from controlled infrared radiation.

Process technology company Despatch Industries has received multiple orders for its metallization firing furnaces from three new China-based customers. The furnaces in question have accounted for 8GW of production capacity worldwide, according to the company, and remain popular among Chinese solar manufacturing companies despite the economic downturn.

Despatch Industries said that it has successfully installed and started up two pilot-scale solar manufacturing units at the facilities of an unnamed U.S.-based photovoltaics manufacturer. The installed equipment includes a pilot-scale integrated, in-line diffusion system and a 30-MW firing furnace.

Despatch Industries has booked a $5 million order for photovoltaic manufacturing equipment with an unnamed European solar-cell manufacturer. The deal is for multiple units of the process tool company's newest generation of multilane firing infrared furnaces.

On a recent US Clean Energy and Environment Trade Mission to India and China, Patrick Peyton (pictured), Chairman and CEO of Despatch Industries, spoke with leading Indian government officials in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai on the subject of clean technology business opportunities. The mission, which was led by U.S. Commerce Assistant Secretary David Bohigian and Carmine D’Aloisio, Minister-Counselor for Commercial Affairs, saw the participation of 19 industry delegates.

A multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer based in India has placed an order with Despatch Industries for its DCF3615 integrated, in-line diffusion unit to revamp their manufacturing process from batch to in-line production. This is Despatch Industries’ first sale of solar cell manufacturing equipment to India.

Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A. - November 2, 2009 - Patrick Peyton, Despatch's Chairman and CEO, will be a featured speaker at Thomas Weisel Partners Annual Alternative Energy and Natural Resources Conference. The conference will be held November 10 at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City. 

Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A. - October 30, 2009 - Despatch Industries, a leading technology and equipment provider for the solar industry, is releasing the results of a recent study the company conducted in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The study focused on optimizing in-line emitters to achieve higher efficiency solar cells. The Georgia Institute of Technology presented the results at the EU Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg, Germany.

Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A. - October 27, 2009 - Despatch Industries, a leading technology and equipment provider for the solar industry, announces the recent order of 120MW of production tools from a Chinese integrated solar cell and module manufacturer. The customer is purchasing four of Despatch's recently upgraded dryer and firing furnaces.

Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A. - October 27, 2009 - Despatch Industries, a leading technology and equipment provider for the solar industry, announces the recent sale of its industry-leading metallization firing furnace to a major Japanese solar cell manufacturing company. This is Despatch's first sale of solar equipment into Japan, a market that has historically favored walking beam technology.

Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A. - October 27, 2009 - Despatch Industries, a leading technology and equipment provider for the solar industry, is releasing the results of a study the company conducted on enabling thin wafers to become high efficiency silicon solar cells. The results were presented in a technical paper at the EU Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg, Germany.

Despatch's NEW UltraFlex^TM is a state-of-the-art drying and firing furnace designed to provide next generation capabilities in performance, profile flexibility and reduced cost of ownership. The new furnace features custom lamps and a furnace chamber design optimized for maximum absorption of energy into the cell. New Microzone^TM technology enables infinite profile flexibility capable of adapting to ever-changing production needs. And the included Thermal Oxidizer provides virtually maintenance free elimination of VOCs.

Despatch's VOC Thermal Oxidizer was designed to eliminate 99% of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from gasses exhausted during the drying step of solar cell manufacturing. The solar cell manufacturing process creates unwanted environmental pollutants which are by-products of the drying process, and contain the non metallic ingredients found in the paste material such as ethanol, Texanol^TM and terpineol.

Building off of our successful Rapid Thermal Shock product line, Despatch is now offering a new In-line Rapid Thermal Shock (IL-RTS) tool for solar cell manufacturers. This revolutionary tool features a simple, in-line process that applies a low temperature thermal spike to solar cells, eliminating the need for low-bow paste.

For highly efficient solar cells at the lowest possible cost, more solar manufacturers choose Despatch Firing Furnaces than any other brand. Despatch CF and CDF Series infrared furnaces are designed for high throughput, ease of maintenance and consistent process repeatability ensuring consistently high yields and superior product quality.

Despatch’s Integrated, In-line Diffusion System was designed to meet the advanced needs of today’s solar cell manufacturers. The DCF System offers manufacturers an in-line doper that features simultaneous top and bottom phosphorus coating, an infrared furnace design that provides tight temperature uniformity and a fully comprehensive software system.

Product Briefing Outline: Despatch Industries has launched their new, patent pending VOC Thermal Oxidizer.  This tool is designed and engineered to destroy over 99% of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from gasses exhausted during the drying of photovoltaic metallization pastes in solar cell manufacturing.  Despatch said that it had already sold 10 Oxidizer units to a leading European solar cell manufacturer.