Sep 1 2005
Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it will expand production capacity for EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) film at its Iwata Plant in Iwata City, Shizuoka. This move is in response to growing demand for EVA film used as an adhesive film for solar modules. Bridgestone has earmarked approximately ¥1.2 billion for investment in the expansion work, which includes accessory equipment. The company plans to begin operating the new equipment and increasing production from the end of this year.
Photovoltaic power generation is becoming increasingly important from the perspective of environmental protection. This is because it is a clean energy system that does not release any waste emissions during the power generation process. In recent years, demand for solar modules has skyrocketed worldwide, and in line with this, demand for EVA film for use as an adhesive for solar modules has also grown dramatically.
Bridgestone currently produces EVA film at its Iwata Plant with one calendar machine that molds the substance between rolls to make the thin film. To meet rapidly rising demand of EVA film for solar module manufacturers on the back of growing demand for solar modules, Bridgestone decided to install another new calendar machine to boost production capacity more than twice as much. By doing so, the company expects to be able to increase production capacity to 800 - 1,000 tons a month.
EVA film is used as an adhesive to fasten the silicon cell (which converts the sun's rays to electricity) to the glass surface through heat-induced molecular binding. EVA film becomes transparent and colorless upon heating, while its waterproof nature makes it an ideal bonding agent for solar modules outdoors.
EVA film produced by Bridgestone is sold under the EVA SAFE brand. It is extremely durable with a high degree of hardness, making it easy to handle, which in turn contributes to increased productivity of solar modules manufacturers. It is widely acclaimed and trusted on account of its high performance and quality.
The installation of a second calendar machine will ensure the stable supply of Bridgestone EVA film to respective solar module manufacturers, thereby boosting the company's dependability and trustworthiness.
http://www.bridgestone.co.jp