R2R printing and coating machine for organic solar cells with (A) unwinder, (B) edge guide, (C) web cleaning, (D) corona treatment, (E) flexo printing unit, (F) slot-die station, (G) hot-air dryer, (H) rotary screen printing unit, (I) hot-air dryer, and (J) rewinder.
Photo Credit: Markus Hösel and his article on Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing at http://plasticphotovoltaics.org/lc/lc-fabrication/lc-r2r.html
Kodak has created high-skilled jobs within the New York Finger Lakes area by teaming up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is the largest laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, to increase competitiveness in roll-to-roll manufacturing.
Martin Keller, Associate Laboratory Director for Oak Ridge National Laboratory said, “Under this agreement, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Kodak’s Eastman Business Park or EPB will provide a seamless support system for the next generation of innovative technologies-from invention to evaluation to scale up to market-ready consumer product. Together, we aim to transform the way new materials and systems are developed and manufactured in the U.S.”
“The diverse capabilities of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, spanning a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines, will support accelerated development of the growing base of clean energy companies at Eastman Business Park,” said John McMullen, Kodak’s Chief Financial Officer.
According to the news release at www.kodak.com, Roll-to-roll technology provides a more efficient manufacturing process, resulting in lower costs and higher quality through the continuous operation of production lines for coated products. Applications currently underway at EBP and Oak Ridge include:
- Energy sector technologies such as batteries, capacitors, fuel cells and thin film solar cells.
- Energy-saving products such as window films and LED lighting.
- Flexible electronics such as sensors for touch screens.
In favor of the collaboration, Mayor of Rochester, N.Y. Lovely A. Warren said, “The newly announced agreement between Kodak and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will play a crucial role in our efforts to bring more jobs, safer neighborhoods and better schools to the city of Rochester.”
(For more on roll-to-roll manufacturing see the photo and the linked article)