Solar manufacturing equipment provider Mondragon Assembly has acquired a 60% stake in Chinese lamination equipment maker QHD Visual Automation Equipment.
The acquisition, which Mondragon said caps seven years of collaboration between the two companies, coincides with the patenting of a new multistack laminator machine, dubbed Pad-Press, which has been co-developed by the duo.
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Mondragon added that the deal would strengthen its own position in the solar market while also bringing what it described as the “most innovative laminator machine in the market” into its product portfolio.
The machine uses a membrane-free solution to laminate PV modules, reducing both operating costs of the manufacturing line and downtime. While valid for any type of module, Mondragon and Visual said the tool had been specifically designed for use in glass-glass module manufacturing, in line with current market trends.
Iñaki Madina, solar business director at Mondragon, said the deal formed part of the company’s strategy to be “proactive” in forging new alliances that would “strengthen our competitive advantage over the competitors”.
“This new milestone is a step forward for Visual as well, as this new alliance will give us the opportunity to continue working together to both develop new solutions and take our products global, as well as to respond to new challenges and applications that will undoubtedly arise in the future,” Visual’s CEO added.
