Application of Photovoltaic Robots
At present, the manufacturing cost of photovoltaic panels is still very high, making the cost of solar power generation much higher than that of ordinary energy sources. The battery cells that actually undertake energy conversion are the core of the numerous units that make up monocrystalline silicon solar panels, which require a large amount of expensive materials, including high-grade silicon. The process of combining these battery cells into a complete solar panel that can withstand harsh usage conditions for many years not only requires extremely high standards, but also requires a large amount of manpower. To help reduce these costs, manufacturers are increasingly using robots to achieve automated operations as much as possible, including picking up battery cells and packaging finished battery panels for transportation, and so on.
Each solar panel is composed of many small photovoltaic cells, all of which are connected together through corresponding processes. If the battery cells that make up the solar panel are not properly placed and connected, it will have a significant impact on the efficiency of the panel. By using robots, it is ensured that the product can achieve the expected performance in outdoor use. Similarly, a single solar panel may be both large and heavy, making it difficult to manually transport. Equipped with a large 6-axis robot, it can significantly reduce the cost waste caused by damage and quickly recoup the investment in the robot.
The automation level of the solar energy industry is far ahead of other industries, and robots play an important role in it. Robots have advantages in both operational accuracy and repeatability, which can greatly improve the assembly quality of solar cells. At present, solar panels are still developing rapidly, but there are few unified standards. So, different solar panel series are constantly changing and even innovating to meet current needs. When changing specifications, it may be difficult or even difficult to modify traditional automation system hardware to adapt to such changes. However, if robot automation technology is adopted, it can adapt to different product specifications or structures by simply changing the program and, where possible, switching to new end effectors. Today's controllers and hardware technology make it increasingly easy to change programs and end effectors. The end effector is even more flexible, and the same actuator can be applied to multiple product types.
Domestic robot manufacturer Estun has developed the application of robots in the photovoltaic industry through continuous research on photovoltaic technology, and has a certain leading advantage internationally.
1. Layout of robot production line:
1.1. Glass grabbing, cleaning, and EVA placement
The robot is installed at the starting end of the production line, responsible for picking up glass from trays, followed by cleaning and drying of photovoltaic glass, and then laying transparent EVA film on the glass plate.
1.2. Layout of battery strings
Use robots to quickly and accurately place battery strings on glass. Due to the special requirements for robots in this application, Eston has developed a high inertia robot specifically designed for typesetting. This robot, combined with the Estun vision system, can efficiently arrange battery strings with an accuracy that meets international standards.
