Newport Corporation has introduced its SolaryX Edge, a laser edge deletion system for thin-film solar panel manufacturing. The edge laser processing system is an advanced solution for effective and efficient removal of all coatings on thin-film solar panels. The system is designed for low cost of ownership, and maximum reliability in 24/7 industrial environments.
The SolaryX Edge uses high power, pulsed lasers to remove amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium-telluride (CdTe), copper-indium-diselenide (CIS), or copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) coatings around the perimeter of thin-film solar panels. The optical design makes it a lower cost, higher throughput product than competitors, while also occupying a smaller footprint than competing systems. No consumables are required, unlike some other deletion methods such as sandblasting.
As the latest addition to Newport's broad portfolio of photovoltaic manufacturing and test solutions, it joins the SolaryX family of laser scribe tools, lasers for thin-film scribing and patterning, automated PV I-V test stations, and solar simulators. SolaryX Edge systems have already been shipped to customers in the US, and are currently operational in plants manufacturing thin-film solar panels.