Most people who need odd-shaped photovoltaics either live with rectangular modules or scribe cells by hand and hope for the best. Travis Howse took a different route, using an 80-watt laser tube to cut monocrystalline silicon cells into custom polygon shapes. The stated goal is a circular array inside a machined aluminium and glass enclosure for a long-lasting electronic device.
The cutting happened in an enclosed machine with a honeycomb bed, labeled VEVOR. Settings were six passes at 70 percent power, and every cell was cut from the back side. The cut lines follow the fine grid pattern on the front, since crossing that grid risks diagonal cracking at 45 degrees along the crystal grain. The method is score first, then snap by hand: localized heat contracts the backing into a slight V-shaped bend that steers the break. A scored wafer reportedly came apart neatly with fingers alone.
Details worth noting: the pieces show a blue front with silver grid fingers and busbar segments over a white backing, and a small commercial module sat on the bench as a comparison. The plan calls for a circular cutter to slice a circle into six strips, soldered into an array targeting 3 volts open circuit.
Two things remain open. It is not confirmed whether lapping the cut edges on a diamond file would clear the heat affected zone; the maker worried about shorting a cell and had lapping lined up as a contingency. There is also a speed discrepancy: the written description gives 50mm/s while the narration says 50 mm/min. A wiki work log update was promised but had not yet appeared.
Project by Travis Howse. Watch it on their YouTube channel: