AUTOMATION
Right Fit / Right Robot
Manufacturing is all about reliable profits with maximum profits regardless of the industry. In Solar manufacturing, choosing the correct automation tools for the specific need can be a key factor to achieving
manufacturing goals. Rush LaSelle of Adept Technology discusses
some of the factors in choosing the right robot for the right job.
12
T
he U.S. has set 2015 as a goal to reach grid parity (that point where solar electricity is equal to grid electricity) while other nations predict reaching it as soon as 2010. No matter your thoughts on regulatory involvement it is clear there will be a resurgence in investment, development and innovation within the PV manufacturing community throughout the world and it will largely be driven by technology. Finding the most effective tools and processes to gain more productivity and decrease costs within a set capital plan is paramount. While the significance of robot automation in the manufacturing of solar cells is obvious, which robot types, and kinematics fit each unique process may not. Which solar manufacturing areas offer the greatest return opportunities for robotic automation? Which robot type is best for a given solar application task and how does vision fit it? This article should act as a primer targeting these issues and discusses how the solar industry can best maximize factory throughput, drive down costs and improve efficiencies with robotic automation.
Robotic Automation’s Impact
Robots in the photovoltaic manufacturing process are important due to their ability to significantly reduce costs while continuing to increase their attractiveness compared to manual labour.. Richard Swanson, the CTO of SunPower Corporation a leading manufacturer of solar technology, framed automation’s impact in a very interesting light by discussing the economies of PV
manufacturing in terms of labour. He explained that to produce one gigawatt of solar power it requires 250 to 500 labourers to produce poly silicone, 250 to 500 labourers to process ingots, 3000 - 6000 people to manufacture the cells, 1500-3000 for the panel lamination & associated applications and 2500-5000 for the solar system integration. In total that’s 8000-16000 labourers required to produce 1 gigawatt of photovoltaic capacity. Therefore to produce 500 gigawatts of solar power per year that’s equates to roughly 4 million people who could be adding tremendously more value in other capacities. With more automation, inclusive of appropriately applied robotics, the solar industry can cut the labour to 1 million people realizing a 75% savings in direct labour costs alone. Given this magnitude it is critical robots receive ample consideration in line design.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue II 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104