In 2009, I spent time in Denver helping PrimeStar set up a new solar panel factory. I was just one of many people working to create PrimeStar's first production facility. I was there to work on an application that controled a laser that was use to inscribe a serial number and a bar code into the glass of each panel. At that time, with backing from GE, PrimeStar looked like they were on to a good thing, but sadly, since then, PrimeStar has struggled to be profitable. Still, it was fun playing with lasers and a few stations down from where I was working they had a robot swinging huge panes of glass around. I kept thinking any minute I’d hear a huge crash of broken glass but I never did.

Prime Star

A Solar Pannel Test Factory in Denver

I used KepWare to talk to the PLC’s, a serial port to control a resistances tester and an ActiveX control, supplied by the laser’s manufacturer, to control the laser. The KepWare Server software worked very nicely and made collecting and supplying data to and from the Application, the PLC’s, and the other connected business systems the least of my concerns. The challenge was that it all had to be working in four days.

The laser inscription station and several other stations in the production line were designed and built by MAG Automation. I coordinated my work with the MAG engineers and the MAG program manager; an excellent fellow who was both a good program manager and a fine traveling companion.

Of course, keeping things safe was of the utmost importance. With a lot of asynchronous communications going on we had to make sure that under no circumstances could a failed or delayed communication lead to an unsafe condition. The MAG engineers set up the laser station’s PCL so that if my windows application ever stopped sending out a heartbeat signal the PCL would shut everything down and I, in turn, made sure that the windows application was sure that the PCL had everything in the right place before firing up the laser.
From Airport To PrimeStar

By the fourth day we had it humming away and I got a chance to look at all the other cool things being put together by the various vendors PrimeStar had assembled to build their factory. There were a lot of fun robots.

I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures inside the factory because they were working on perfecting their proprietary processes. A lot of these processes involve chemistry way beyond my comprehension, but perhaps not beyond yours, so I understand why no pictures. Take it from me; they’ve got some cool stuff.

PrimeStar has a lot of very smart people working very hard to create a best in class facility. I was very pleased to be able to make a small contribution to their efforts. My guess is they will be successful and we’ll be hearing the name PrimeStar a lot more in the future.