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AUTOMATION

example, junction box handling and assembly of n panels are good applications for this robot group. Stringing is a process that with its increasingly tight tolerances is unmanageable with manual labour. As wafers migrate to thicknesses of 150 micron and thinner, the propensity for damage is greatest when labour is applied. As wafer thicknesses decreases over time as forecasted, the thermal expansion of the silicon will also become an issue while soldering. So it’s going to become increasingly important to maintain yields in stringing by controlling and automating the soldering operations even in low cost labour markets through the use of mechanisms such as SCARA robots.

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Cartesian solutions have numerous applications within the PV industry. They can be applied to both small and large workspaces. Cartesians are typically called upon to serve applications where the substrate remains in the same plane. This is to say that if you were to pick a product off of a table or a conveyor it does not need to be flipped or change its configuration other than a rotation in the same plane as the table or conveyor (X-Y plane).

An example of a job using a small Cartesian might be dispensing sealing material on the flange of a junction box. The sorting and placement of solar cells in a large rectangular is also an optimal application for a Cartesian solution. Solar cell sorting into multiple stacks in a large work area and processes such as stringing up and lay up within a large cubic areas where robots are required to reach with good repeatability are optimum applications for Cartesian.

SCARA Robots

The next robot is the SCARA robot. SCARA stands for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm. It offers a cylindrical work envelope and this category of robot typically provides higher speeds for picking, placing & handling processes when compared to Cartesian and articulated robotic solutions. They also deliver greater repeatability by offering meaning positional capabilities that are superior in many cases than articulated arms. This class of robot is usually used for lighter small class of payloads in the sub 10 kilogram category for applications such as assembly, packaging and material handling.

Within solar manufacturing processes these robots are best suited for high speed and high repeatability handling of cells in smaller workspaces. Where the workspace is constrained sufficiently the SCARA is an excellent selection. For

Articulated Robots

Articulated robots comprise the third robot group. They have a spherical work envelope. These arms offer the greatest level of flexibility due to their articulation and increased numbers of degrees of freedom (DOF). This is the largest segment of robots available on the market and therefore offers a very wide range of solutions from tabletops to very large 1000 kilogram plus solutions. Articulated robots are frequently applied to process intensive applications where they can utilize their full articulation and dexterity for applications such as welding, painting, dispensing, loading, assembly and material handling.

Articulated robots are applied to a wide variety of solar applications. Examples include handling heavy silicon ingots which are also in an area where the robots might require industrial protection and handling wafer cassettes where the orientation of the carrier might differ from pick to place utilizing the full dexterity of the robot. Handling glass, sub assemblies and assemblies where the products are introduced to the cell in a different configuration than they are presented to the system again take advantage of an articulated arm’s flexibility. This is to say that articulated robots permit the optimum introduction of product into a cell which may be in a vertical orientation to maximize floor space while the assembly process is most efficient in a horizontal orientation. Edge trimming and module assembly where tool change and other processes considerations dictate the use of articulated arms is yet another use of this class of robots within the PV manufacturing process.

Delta/Parallel Robots

Parallel robots round out the fourth classification of robots. This kinematic solution provides a cylindrical work envelope and is most frequently

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