Page 38 LEADERS IN
MICRO DISPENSING TECHNOLOGY
SMALL REPEATABLE VOLUMES ARE A CHALLENGE, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN CREATING THEM AS LONG AS WE HAVE.
G
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custom-designed and installed into the HelioVolt plant to interface with the facility’s robots and automated production equipment. A multitude of custom devices and mechanisms
December, 2014 Solar Thin-Film CIGS Plant
sired orientation. The LAR device then lowers the CIGS panel to the conveyor surface where it is conveyed in its new orientation. Lift-and-transfer (LAT) devices installed in the material handling sys-
TO DO IT WELL, WE PROVIDE THREE THINGS: REE THINGS
Dispensing Expertise in a variety of microelectronic packaging applications.
Feasibility Testing & Process Verification based on years of product engineering, material flow testing and software control.
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Our Micro Dispensing product line is proven and trusted by manufacturers in semiconductor, electronics assembly, medical device and electro-mechanical assembly the world over.
DL Technology
216 River Street, Haverhill, MA 01832 P: 978.374.6451 | F: 978.372.4889
info@dltechnology.com
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Robot arm picks up and moves assembly in highly automated production line.
were incorporated throughout the system to stop, buffer, transfer, ro- tate, and raise and lower the 4 x 2- foot panels. The conveying system utilizes
an open roller and roller-shaft sur- face design that was incorporated throughout the facility. This allows devices to easily be positioned from underneath, making for a very clean design and the ability to move the CIGS panels without interference. Product stops, product positioning clamps and photo eye sensors were all mounted below the roller surface and came up underneath the rollers to access the panels. Lift-and-rotate (LAR) devices
are used to change the orientation of the panels on the conveyors. The LAR devices rest just below the roller surfaces until activated. The CIGS panel is conveyed to a product stop, which positions it over the LAR de- vice. The LAR, activated by a sensor, then lifts the panel above the roller surface before rotating it to the de-
tem are used to provide a smooth and accurate CIGS panel transfer at a 90- degree angle to the original transport direction. The LAT mechanism is mounted
within the conveyor frame and con- sists of two or more mini-belt convey- ors that reside below the roller sur- face when deactivated. Upon activa- tion, the LAT device lifts the product above the conveyor surface and trans- ports it 90° in either direction to a pre- determined point. Lift-and-transfer devices can transport panels very pre- cisely to multiple conveyor lanes based on HelioVolt’s panel/order iden- tification tracking system. HelioVolt’s conveying system is
also equipped with Slip-Torque® tech- nology which provides low line pres- sure throughout the continuous-mo- tion accumulation conveyors. This al- lows for precise product placement and virtually eliminates CIGS panel damage by creating low back pres- sure. Should the line need to slow or stop, the conveyors can continue to take panels from the upstream line for a specified period of time instead of stopping the line. A low-pressure ac- cumulation buffer absorbs irregulari- ties in the production flow, and pro- vides a smooth, even flow on the line. Slip-Torque utilizes individual-
ly-powered rotating roller shafts and loose-fit rollers, which become the conveyor surface, powered by a con- tinuous chain to control the drive force. The size and weight of the pan- els determine the driving force and roller selection. When the CIGS pan- els stop on the surface of the convey- or, the segmented rollers beneath the cells also stop. “A critical factor in the selection
of the material handling system was based on total cost of ownership,” Prater says. “The Shuttleworth sys- tem represents an excellent long- term process solution to the produc- tion throughput challenges encoun- tered in our plant.” Contact: HelioVolt Corporation,
6301 E. Stassney Lane, Bldg 8, Austin, TX 78744-3055 % 512-767-6000 E-mail:
jprater@HelioVolt.com Web:
www.HelioVolt.com or Shuttleworth, 10 Commercial Road, Huntington, IN 46750 % 260-356-8500 E-mail:
inc@shuttleworth.com Web:
www.shuttleworth.com r
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