Deutsche Solar selects Eyelit, partner Systema to provide MES support for 500MW PV wafer plant ramp

Deutsche Solar has chosen Eyelit’s manufacturing execution software suite to support its photovoltaic wafer production ramp at its new 500MW facility in Freiburg, Germany. Eyelit and its partner, Systema, were selected to provide a scalable MES 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 use 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,” said Jan Tonndorf, head of IT at Deutsche Solar (a unit of SolarWorld). “In addition, we were looking for a modular system to which we could easily add features, such as SPC [statistical process control] and equipment management without time-consuming customizations.

“It was also important for us to have a local integrator with the capabilities that Systema has,” he continued. “We’ve worked with and reviewed other solutions and concluded that Eyelit is the best solution for our new wafer plant.”

Systema CEO Manfred Austen said that his company “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.”

“We have several customers that are building new solar plants, each with 500MW (peak) production,” noted Dan Estrada, Eyelit’s VP of sales and business development. “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.”