Making Energy Transition Sustainable at Solarge – Done Right with FabEagle®MES
MES for solar module factory with full traceability and equipment performance monitoring
Solarge makes the energy transition sustainable by bringing circular solar panels to the market in a fast and scalable way, going beyond the limits of conventional solar panels.
Solarge and Kontron AIS have completed the installation of an MES (Manufacturing Execution System) for 100 MW PV module production together with an established supplier of turnkey PV equipment. FabEagle®MES is used for this factory in Weert. It is one of the first production lines in the Netherlands to go live with a focus on a circular solar panel design. Compared to conventional panels, the front glass and aluminum framing are replaced by polymers to enable a 50 % lighter design with a 80 % lower carbon footprint.
The FabEagle®MES includes all functionalities to provide transparency, tracking and control of the production process to ensure quality, improve processes and save costs. Most of the relevant information is based on the data provided by the integrated shop floor equipment on a single product basis. To enable these features, the generic concepts of configurable production orders, work plans and material tracking capability were used together with features specific to solar module production, such as the support for the inspection and rework, grading and palletizing of modules.
Challenge
- Integration of FabEagle®MES in a turnkey line for solar modules with Solarge-specific customization
- Support for manual inspection and rework process steps
- Automation of module grading, sorting and packaging including ERP connectivity
Solution
- Implementation of OPC UA interfaces between MES and selected equipment
- Smart configurable work-stations with visualization of all required information
- Bi-directional interface to packaging automation and ERP system
Result
- Usage of all MES features for production control and quality assurance
- Integration of MES stations for module inspection and rework with traceability for defects and rework material
- Configurable packaging area and module-specific ERP feedback about grading and sorting
This is what Solarge's Process Engineer says about the collaboration
“FabEagle®MES has been instrumental in improving our KPIs and is seamlessly integrated with our ERP. Its state-ofthe- art features as well as Kontron AIS dedication to the project are highly appreciated by our team.”
Joey Portier, Process Engineer, Solarge Productions B. V.
