Linton Crystal Technologies (LCT), headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., announced today it will produce semiconductor and solar manufacturing equipment in the United States. This is the first Inflation Reduction Act related announcement for producing solar machine tools in the United States. LCT plans to break ground in Q2 2023.
“We’ve been working on this plan for a while now and are looking forward to reshoring manufacturing to the United States,” said Todd Barnum, president and CEO of Linton Crystal Technologies. “As a U.S. company with Chinese ownership, Linton Technologies Group, the geopolitical issues have been difficult to navigate. Our company used to manufacture in Rochester and we’re eager to get back to the United States.”
Efforts are underway to secure a site as soon as possible, with future plans for expansion to accommodate international orders as necessary. Linton is also developing an international service team to support customers worldwide as the industry looks to grow and improve processes and efficiency.
The company will establish a manufacturing center to build and demonstrate the full line of equipment represented by Linton Technologies Group. This includes Czochralski (CZ) furnaces for monocrystalline silicon ingots, both semiconductor and solar grade, and the machines for producing solar ingots and wafers, including wire saws and polishing equipment. Linton will be the first company to return this technology to the United States.
Linton’s initial investment of $10M will be used to add a new facility, establish a demonstration line, and build 1-2 gigawatts of production capacity, all by the end of year one. This will grow the company’s workforce to more than 75 employees. Linton’s goal is to exceed 2008 employment numbers, when the company had nearly 200 employees, at its New York factory by the end of year two.
“I’m excited to break ground. This creates more opportunities for our employees, new employees and their families,” Barnum said. “The IRA and CHIPS Act have created the pathway for manufacturing investment to fulfill the need for U.S.-made products. We’re going to meet that demand and we have the expertise to scale rapidly.”
Linton Crystal Technologies has a long history of manufacturing innovation. The company originated in Rochester in 1952 as a wire saw manufacturer, Hamco, and through a series of purchases became Kayex, a manufacturer of CZ crystal pullers. Linton has been the exclusive owner of Kayex technology since 2013 (the IP resides with LCT in the United States). The company also continues to advance the design of the machines. It holds several patents, with others under application.
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— Solar Builder magazine
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