In the Groove

Daetwyler's LASERSTAR, introduced three years ago, works without a gliding shoe, shooting high-powered laserbeams into a zinc cylinder layer and evaporating the material to create a cell. Balzan reports one Daetwyler laser installation in the United States, and expects five worldwide by year's end. A basic installation, including peripheral plating and finishing equipment, costs $2.5 million to $3 million.