Prediktor is a Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) company with its HQ in Norway and subsidiaries in Singapore, Germany and China. Prediktor is partnering with the PV industry to optimise manufacturing processes and reduce the cost of solar power. The Prediktor Solar Manufacturing Execution System helps realise a plant’s full potential, based on in-depth solar industry experience. During the last eight years Prediktor has installed a substantial base of MES solutions to major PV industry players, such as REC, Elkem Solar, Norsun and Q-cells.
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Leaders in the PV industry have recognised that the installation and use of a plant- wide real-time information system is vital to stay profitable and ahead of the competition on the road to grid parity. An MES system collects data in real-time, stores the data in a structured way and delivers information which enables the optimisation of production activities from order launch to finished goods. According to MESA, the goal of an MES solution is to improve execution throughput by five to 15 per cent.
Why MES in the PV industry
The PV industry has experienced tremendous growth recently, driven by a seemingly unlimited demand for PV installations. The financial crisis has slowed this process down however and some solar cells/modules inventory build-ups are being experienced. This has decreased production as well as the construction of new production sites. Nevertheless, even through the hard times, the best manufacturers will survive and prosper with the right provision and planning.
Large-scale production operations cannot run reliably without a sound information system. PV manufacturing is highly technical in nature, new plants are built and ramped up quickly, and the speed of technology development means people need information support now, more than ever.
