As part of its plans to begin production of its thin film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar modules later in 2008, HelioVolt has selected Eyelit’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software suite for its 20MW facility.
“We reviewed 12 MES vendors and selected Eyelit because of Eyelit’s flexibility, speed of implementation and integrations capabilities. Eyelit’s experience, knowledge and understanding of Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel manufacturing was also an advantage. I’ve worked with other MES solutions in the market today and know from first hand experience the complexities involved with each implementation. As the project continues to progress, my opinion of Eyelit’s solution has only improved.” said David Greer, Director of IT for HelioVolt.
“Unfortunately, the legacy MES solutions in the market today continue to paint an inaccurate picture because of their limitations,” noted Dan Estrada, VP of Sales and Business Development at Eyelit. “By leveraging modern technology and using sound implementation methodology, Eyelit has changed the traditional product and deployment model.”
The Eyelit solution includes complete tracking of serialized PV glass panels, completed solar panels, associated consumables, raw material and inventory management, and tool tracking. Eyelit’s Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) FactoryConnect middleware will provide XML-based connectivity for factory automation, OPC layer communications and tool interfaces, as well as RFID interfaces.