New approach avoids pitfalls that plague solar electric
PISMO BEACH, Calif., May 7, 2012 — When most people hear the words “solar energy,” they think of expensive power towers or under-performing photovoltaic panels. California-based LightManufacturing LLC offers manufacturers a new way to use solar energy to mold plastic products sustainably and cheaply.
http://www.lightmanufacturingllc.com
Each year manufacturers “rotomold” more than 3.6 billion pounds of plastic into large consumer and industrial products such as water tanks, road barriers, boats, and toys. Traditional rotomolding requires massive, expensive machinery, and large natural gas heated ovens. The process emits more than two billion pounds of greenhouse pollution annually. Energy to fire the ovens contributes up to 30% of the total cost to make rotomolded products.
In contrast, LightManufacturing’s solar rotomolding (SRMâ„¢) systems use the sun’s heat to make the same products at significantly reduced costs — and with zero carbon emissions. In the patent-pending new approach, specially designed heliostats (sun-tracking mirrors) aim sunlight at low-cost molding armatures. Small SRM factories can be placed close to customers, creating additional savings by reducing transport costs. SRM systems operate entirely “off-grid,” requiring no outside electricity or fuel.
LightManufacturing CEO Karl von Kries came up with the idea for solar thermal rotational molding while working with a traditional rotomolding factory in New England.
“I was out in the plant with these machines,” von Kries said, “and it struck me as an inherently wasteful process. I thought, ‘Why couldn’t we do this with solar heat?'”
After years of research and development, von Kries founded the company in 2009 to make solar thermal rotational molding a reality. Today, LightManufacturing has a working test facility in California that makes plastic parts for customers.
The company also developed a new type of low-cost heliostat, which replaces expensive glass mirrors with thin reflective plastic stretched flat like the head of a drum. The firm anticipates shipping ready-to-use solar rotational molding systems and heliostats to customers by August 2012.
“I can’t think of another process like it. When’s the last time you heard of a solar solution that’s cheap to buy and operate, solves environmental problems, doesn’t depend on subsidies, and makes the market more competitive?” von Kries said.
For those worried plastic products can’t be “green,” LightManufacturing notes that its systems mold recycled plastic and sustainable bio-plastics just as well as oil-based plastics.
The firm sees rotational molding as just the beginning. LightManufacturing plans to bring solar thermal-powered technology to other industrial manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, blow molding, agricultural applications, and more.
“We’re in the very early days of applying solar thermal energy to industry — and the potential is huge,” von Kries said.
For more information about LightManufacturing and solar thermal rotational molding, visit
http://www.lightmanufacturingllc.com/video/.
Photo 1: Solar molding in action
https://www.lightmanufacturingsystems.com/wp-content/gallery/hq-images/target_molding-copy.jpg
Photo 2: LightManufacturing heliostats in grassy field
https://www.lightmanufacturingsystems.com/wp-content/gallery/hq-images/grass_and_heliostat_array.jpg
Media Contact:
Amy Blasco
(805) 242-6503
[email protected]
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We’ve posted two new videos showing the H1 heliostat.
See the videos on the video page (click here).
First video shows 15 H1 heliostats moving from ‘safe’ position to a target, moving to another target, then back, and so on – demonstrating repeatable positioning and the advantages of wireless remote control.
The second new video shows startup / limit-switch finding routines from the front and back of a pair of H1 heliostats, giving a great illustration of the mechanicals of the H1. 
LightManufacturing is pleased to offer the commercial-grade H1 
