09/17/2010 07:44:00 CEST
- Customers had a very high interest in our CIGS production technology
- Orders and declarations of intent obtained for technologies such as the OneStep Selective Emitter and Speedpicker
- Further orders expected due to positive responses at the trade fair
Reutlingen, September 17, 2010 – Manz Automation AG, one of the world’s leading technology providers for the photovoltaic and LCD industries, is very pleased with its results after the most important industry trade fair, the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (25th EU PVSEC) in Valencia.
Solar manufacturers were especially interested in, and provided positive feedback for, the CIGS production lines (CIGSfab) that were being presented to an expert audience for the first time since the licensing and cooperation contract with Würth Solar GmbH & Co. KG had been concluded in July 2010. Due to the positive customer response, the company has been confirmed in its focus on CIGS technology. The Managing Board expects to win its first customer before the end of this year.
Manz Automation AG’s OneStep Selective Emitter technology was also very well received. Selective emitter structures are created using a laser, which significantly increases conductivity between the silicon wafer and contact fingers. This technology increases the efficiency of crystalline solar cells by about 0.5 percent. A renowned Asian electronics group is one of the new customers for these process machines. The demand for Speedpicker technology was also very satisfying. Speedpicker technology enables a very high throughput of crystalline cells with the lowest breakage rates when loading and unloading process machines. This facilitates manufacturers to further reduce their production costs. More than 30 systems were sold to Asian customers.
Dieter Manz, Manz Automation AG CEO, was very pleased with the positive customer response: “I believe that we are on the right track. We have used the crisis year 2009 to thoroughly prepare us for the next surge of innovations. This is now paying off as we can prove our position as technology leader for the photovoltaics industry yet again.” The Managing Board is expecting further orders to be placed in weeks to come as an outcome of the positive momentum provided by the trade fair.
