Flexible component deburring and edge finding method, system, deburring method, and component preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses a method, system, method, and manufacturing method for flexible components, belonging to the technical field of flexible component processing. It is applied to flexible component laminates with encapsulated electrical connections, and includes the following steps: S1: Irradiating the flexible component laminate with an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to induce photoluminescence in the cell array; S2: Acquiring the photoluminescence image formed after the cell array is excited using an image acquisition module; S3: Processing the photoluminescence image to identify the boundary between the photoluminescent and non-photoluminescent areas to determine the edge of the cell array. This application solves the technical problem of inaccurate and unreliable edge positioning of cell arrays in low-contrast or special front panel structures, achieving high-precision, non-contact edge positioning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible component processing, and in particular to a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, system, edge trimming method and component preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Against the backdrop of the photovoltaic industry's continued expansion into diversified application scenarios, flexible photovoltaic modules, with their lightweight and bendable characteristics, have demonstrated significant advantages in areas where traditional glass modules are difficult to apply, such as building-integrated photovoltaics, portable devices, and curved roofs. Due to their lightweight and bendable properties, the lamination process of flexible modules differs significantly from that of traditional glass modules. This process typically uses polymers as encapsulation materials to integrally laminate and encapsulate the solar cells, internal connecting circuits, and their electrical connection points (such as lead-out ports), forming a homogeneous laminate. Subsequently, the edges of the laminate are processed through edge trimming and shaping to remove excess encapsulation material, and openings are made at electrical connection locations to complete the junction box installation, ultimately producing the finished flexible module. High-precision edge positioning and cutting are key processes to ensure the appearance quality, electrical safety, and subsequent assembly accuracy of the flexible module.

[0003] Currently, the industry mainly uses lasers or vibratory cutters to edge-trimme flexible components. The core process involves two main stages: edge location and cutting. First, the edges of the cell array are identified, and then the laminate is precisely cut according to the preset boundary dimensions. In the edge location stage, camera vision recognition technology is mainly relied upon to achieve edge location by capturing the color difference between the cell and the encapsulation material.

[0004] When the color contrast between the solar cell and the encapsulation material is high, positioning is relatively easy. However, in low-contrast scenarios (such as black solar cells with black encapsulation material) or with special front panel designs (concave-convex structures, matte materials), the color and texture differences between the solar cell and the encapsulation material are extremely subtle, and it is difficult to use physical contact with the internal circuitry to assist in positioning. This leads to a significant reduction in the positioning accuracy of traditional visual recognition methods that rely on surface color contrast, which seriously affects the accuracy of edge recognition of flexible components. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the technical problem of inaccurate and unreliable edge positioning of solar cell arrays in low-contrast or special front panel structures, and to achieve high-precision, non-contact edge positioning, this application provides a flexible module edge trimming and edge finding method, system, trimming method, and module fabrication method.

[0006] This application provides a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, system, edge trimming method, and component fabrication method, adopting the following technical solution: A flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method is applied to a flexible component laminate with encapsulated electrical connections, comprising the following steps: S1: Irradiating the flexible component laminate with an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to cause the cell array to produce photoluminescence; S2: Acquiring the light-emitting image formed after the cell array is excited by an image acquisition module; S3: Processing the light-emitting image to identify the boundary between the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area to determine the edge of the cell array.

[0007] By employing the above technical solution, a specific wavelength excitation light source is used to irradiate the encapsulated flexible component laminate, exciting the internal solar cell array to produce photoluminescence. Subsequently, the luminescent image is acquired and processed. Based on the inherent high-contrast optical signal boundary between the luminescent area of ​​the solar cell and the non-luminescent encapsulation material area, the physical edge of the solar cell array is determined. This fundamentally eliminates the dependence of traditional visual methods on the color and texture contrast of the solar cell and encapsulation material surfaces. It solves the technical problem of inaccurate and unreliable edge positioning of the solar cell array in low-contrast or special front panel structure scenarios, enabling high-precision, non-contact edge positioning and providing a reliable benchmark for subsequent precise edge trimming.

[0008] This application also provides a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, which adopts the following technical solution: applied to a flexible component laminate with encapsulated electrical connections, including the following steps: S1: using an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to irradiate at least two local target areas of the flexible component laminate, causing the cell array in each local target area to produce photoluminescence, and the local target area corresponds to the area where the key feature points of the cell array are located; S2: acquiring the light emission images formed after each local target area is excited through an image acquisition module; S3: processing each light emission image, identifying the boundary between the light emission area and the non-light emission area, and determining the coordinates of the key feature points based on the boundary; S4: using the coordinates of the key feature points as a reference, determining the edge positioning reference of the cell array.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the area requiring excitation and imaging is reduced from the entire component to a local target area containing at least two key feature points of the cell array. Through directional excitation and image acquisition of these tiny areas, the coordinates of the key points can be obtained quickly and accurately. Combined with the known design dimensions of the flexible module laminate, the edge positioning reference of the entire cell array can be calculated and determined. This method helps reduce the amount of image data to be processed, improves processing speed, and lowers the power requirements of the excitation light source. It optimizes efficiency and cost while ensuring edge-finding accuracy, making it more suitable for large-scale continuous production.

[0010] Optionally, in step S1, the emission wavelength of the excitation light source is between 808 nm and 980 nm.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the energy of photons in this band is significantly higher than the band gap of crystalline silicon (1.1eV), which can be effectively absorbed by the solar cell array and excited to produce strong fluorescence. At the same time, this band has a sufficient spectral interval with the peak wavelength of fluorescence emitted by the solar cell array after excitation (about 1100nm), which is convenient for subsequent separation by optical filtering. This ensures that the image acquisition module can obtain a luminescent image with extremely high contrast that contains only effective fluorescence signals, laying the foundation for accurate edge recognition.

[0012] Optionally, in step S2, the image acquisition module is equipped with a filter, which is a bandpass filter. The bandpass filter is used to transmit the photoluminescence band generated by the excitation of the battery cell array and to block the reflected light of the excitation light source band.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the fluorescence signal generated by the excited cell array is spectrally separated from the reflected light of the excitation source. The filter accurately transmits the fluorescence band while blocking the excitation light band, thereby eliminating most of the strong reflected light interference from the component surface during imaging. This ensures that the acquired image contains only the fluorescence signal emitted by the cell array, thus greatly improving the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast between the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, i.e., between the cell array and the encapsulation material. This provides a clearer and more reliable input for subsequent image processing steps, ultimately enabling high-precision edge recognition.

[0014] Optionally, when the flexible component laminate uses an opaque backplate, the excitation light source in step S1 illuminates the flexible component laminate from the front side, and the image acquisition module in step S2 acquires the luminescent image from the front side of the flexible component laminate.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, limiting excitation and acquisition to the front side of the flexible component laminate, it is beneficial to ensure that the excitation light can penetrate the front panel material to reach the cell array to excite fluorescence, and that the fluorescence signal emitted by the cell array can penetrate back to the same front panel and be effectively captured by the image acquisition module. This fully guarantees the effectiveness and high reliability of the photoluminescence edge-finding method in black back panel scenarios.

[0016] Optionally, the key feature points are at least two corner points of the battery cell array, and the at least two corner points are two adjacent corner points or two diagonally opposite corner points.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, when selecting the corner points of the solar cell array as feature points, the locations are clear and the features are significant. Through analysis of the local luminescence images of the corner points, the coordinates required to determine the rectangular outline can be obtained directly and accurately, and the calculation logic is simple. The line connecting two adjacent / diagonal corner points can directly determine the actual position and direction of the edge. Combined with the known component dimensions, a minimal yet sufficient dataset is provided for reconstructing the entire outline. The above method avoids unnecessary global imaging. Only a few target points need to be excited and identified with high precision to efficiently and reliably establish the spatial positioning reference of the entire solar cell array, significantly reducing the data acquisition and processing load.

[0018] This application also provides a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system, which adopts the following technical solution: including an excitation light source module for generating and irradiating light of a specific wavelength; an image acquisition module for capturing luminescent images; and an image processing and control module, which is communicatively connected to the image acquisition module for processing the luminescent images, identifying the edges of the cell array, and generating a processing path; wherein the excitation light source module is integrated with the image acquisition module and faces the surface of the cell array of the flexible component laminate to be processed.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the integrated excitation light source module and image acquisition module work together on the surface of the flexible component to complete the physical signal conversion functions of exciting the solar cell array to emit light and acquiring the emitted light images. The image processing and control module analyzes the acquired emitted light images, automatically identifies the edges of the solar cell array and generates subsequent processing paths, thus forming a complete, non-contact edge positioning system. This provides a reliable hardware platform for the stable and automatic execution of high-precision edge finding tasks on the production line.

[0020] Optionally, the excitation light source module includes a semiconductor laser and an area array lens, wherein the area array lens is used to convert the laser beam output by the semiconductor laser into a uniform area spot.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the area array lens can homogenize the laser beam into a uniform area light spot, thereby ensuring that the battery cell array in the irradiation area is uniformly excited, avoiding the difference in fluorescence signal caused by uneven light intensity, thus obtaining a light-emitting image with consistent contrast and clear boundaries, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of subsequent edge recognition.

[0022] This application also provides a method for edge trimming of flexible components, which adopts the following technical solution: including the following steps: S1: Determine the edge positioning reference of the battery cell array according to the above-mentioned flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method; S2: Based on the coordinates of the key feature points and combined with the preset edge trimming width parameters, generate the edge trimming processing path of the flexible component laminate through coordinate offset calculation; S3: Control the edge trimming equipment to perform edge processing according to the edge trimming processing path to remove excess encapsulation material.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, this method directly and seamlessly converts the high-precision photoluminescence edge finding results into a precise processing path, realizing a seamless connection between non-contact optical positioning and high-precision physical processing. This helps to ensure that the edge contour and the edge of the battery cell array maintain a precise and preset distance, improves processing accuracy, and ensures product processing consistency.

[0024] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a flexible module, using the following technical solution: S1, providing a flexible module laminate, wherein the internal electrical connections of the flexible module laminate are completely encapsulated; S2, using the above-mentioned edge-trimming method for flexible modules to perform edge processing on the flexible module laminate to remove excess encapsulation material; S3, opening a window at a predetermined position on the back plate of the edge-processed flexible module laminate to expose the internal electrical leads; S4, installing a junction box on the electrical leads to complete the photovoltaic module encapsulation.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, after the internal circuitry of the flexible component laminate is fully encapsulated, the edges are shaped based on the photoluminescence principle, establishing a precise physical reference for subsequent processes. This not only helps ensure the accuracy of the contour for removing excess encapsulation material but also provides a reliable positioning basis for exposing electrical leads through backplane windows. This ensures precise alignment of the window position, junction box installation, and the actual edges of the cell array, solving the problem of accumulated processing errors caused by inaccurate edge finding in traditional manufacturing. This improves the structural consistency, reliability, and production efficiency of the final product.

[0026] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. Based on the inherent high-contrast optical signal boundary between the light-emitting area of ​​the solar cell array and the non-light-emitting encapsulation material area, the physical edge of the solar cell array is determined. This solves the technical problem of inaccurate and unreliable edge positioning of the solar cell array in low-contrast or special front panel structure scenarios. It can achieve high-precision, non-contact edge positioning, providing a reliable benchmark for subsequent precise edge trimming.

[0027] 2. It can eliminate most of the strong reflected light interference from the component surface during imaging, and ensure that the acquired image contains only the fluorescence signal emitted by the cell array. This greatly improves the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast between the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, providing clearer and more reliable input for subsequent image processing steps, and facilitating the final realization of high-precision edge recognition.

[0028] 3. Reducing the area to be excited and imaged from the entire component to the local target area where at least two key feature points of the cell array are located helps to reduce the amount of image data to be processed, improve processing speed, and reduce the power requirements of the excitation light source. While ensuring edge finding accuracy, it optimizes efficiency and cost, making it more suitable for large-scale continuous production. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process steps of Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process steps of Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the baseline rectangular outline in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process steps of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system in the embodiments of this application.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps of the edge trimming method for the flexible component in the embodiments of this application.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps for fabricating the flexible component in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Semiconductor laser; 11. Area array lens; 2. Infrared camera; 21. Filter. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-7 This application will be described in further detail.

[0038] This application discloses a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, system, edge trimming method, and component preparation method. Example 1

[0039] Reference Figure 1This application discloses a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, which is applied to a flexible component laminate with encapsulated electrical connections, and includes the following steps: S1: excitation of light emission, using an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to irradiate the flexible component laminate, so that the cell array produces photoluminescence.

[0040] The emission wavelength of the excitation source is between 808nm and 980nm, which is the preferred excitation band in the field of photoluminescence detection of crystalline silicon solar cells.

[0041] In this embodiment, a semiconductor laser with an emission wavelength of 808nm is preferred as the excitation source. The fabrication technology of semiconductor lasers such as 808nm gallium aluminum arsenide (AlGaAs) is mature and cost-effective. At a wavelength of 808nm, silicon material has an extremely high absorption coefficient, and light energy can be fully absorbed in a thin layer on the surface of the solar cell array, efficiently generating electron-hole pairs, thereby exciting a photoluminescence signal with significant intensity. The peak value of photoluminescence (fluorescence) emitted by the solar cell array after excitation is about 1100nm. The spectral separation between the 808nm excitation light and the 1100nm emission light is large enough to facilitate the acquisition of a clear image with extremely high contrast in the image acquisition module.

[0042] As a specific implementation of the wavelength range endpoint of the present invention, when the excitation light source emission wavelength is selected as 980nm, this wavelength is also in the high-efficiency absorption band of silicon material. The photon energy can fully excite the solar cell array to generate photoluminescence signal. There is no significant difference in excitation efficiency and fluorescence signal intensity compared with the 808nm wavelength. Moreover, it has sufficient spectral separation with the 1100nm fluorescence band of the solar cell array. It can be effectively separated by a filter. The corresponding semiconductor laser technology is mature and the power output is stable, which can achieve the same edge-finding positioning effect as the 808nm wavelength.

[0043] Furthermore, due to the manufacturing tolerances of semiconductor lasers, the center wavelength has conventional process deviations, while adjacent wavelengths have equivalent technical effects. For example, the 808nm excitation light source preferred in this application can actually fluctuate between 798nm and 818nm due to process tolerances. This range has no significant difference in excitation efficiency and fluorescence intensity from 808nm, and can achieve the same edge-finding and positioning effect.

[0044] To ensure uniform illumination, the semiconductor laser is equipped with an area array lens. The laser beam output from the laser is converted into a uniform area spot after passing through the area array lens and illuminates the surface of the flexible component laminate.

[0045] S2: Signal acquisition and filtering, acquiring the luminous image formed after the battery cell array is excited through the image acquisition module.

[0046] The image acquisition module is selected as an infrared camera with a spectral response range of at least 1000nm to 1250nm. In this embodiment, an infrared camera of model MV-GM150IR is specifically selected to acquire fluorescence images emitted by the excited solar cell array from the front side of the flexible component laminate. The spectral response range of this infrared camera covers 850nm to 1250nm, and it can effectively capture fluorescence signals near 1100nm.

[0047] In addition, a bandpass filter is installed in front of the infrared camera lens. This bandpass filter transmits the photoluminescence wavelength generated by the excited solar cell array and blocks reflected light from the excitation source wavelength. Specifically, in this embodiment, the filter has a center wavelength of 1100 nm, a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 50 nm, and a transmittance of no less than 90%. Simultaneously, it blocks more than 99% of the excitation light in the 808 nm to 980 nm range. By configuring the filter, only the fluorescence emitted by the solar cell array is allowed to pass through, while blocking most of the excitation light reflected from the component surface. This significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio in the image, resulting in a clear boundary between the solar cell area and the encapsulation material area in the image.

[0048] S3: Image processing and edge recognition, processing the luminescent image, identifying the boundary between the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, to determine the edge of the battery cell array.

[0049] Specifically, firstly, the acquired luminescent image undergoes denoising preprocessing. Then, due to the extremely high inherent contrast between the fluorescence signal generated by the stimulated solar cell array and the background signal, the Otsu adaptive thresholding algorithm is used to binarize the denoised image. This automatically calculates a globally optimal threshold, efficiently and stably separating the high-brightness fluorescent pixels in the solar cell region from the low-brightness background pixels in the encapsulation material region, and labeling them as white and black pixel values ​​respectively, thus obtaining a high-fidelity binary image.

[0050] Finally, based on the clear and continuous contours of the foreground region in the binary image, the Canny edge detection algorithm is used to extract the outer contour. By adaptively setting the Gaussian filtering parameters and dual thresholds in the algorithm, the complete and closed contour lines representing the physical boundaries of the battery cell array can be accurately captured while smoothing out minor fluctuations within the image. The extracted contour lines are considered the physical edges of the battery cell array, and their coordinate information is recorded by the system as a reference for subsequent processing.

[0051] Furthermore, for flexible module laminates using opaque black backsheets, front-side illumination and acquisition methods as described in this embodiment must be employed to ensure that excitation light and fluorescence signals can penetrate the translucent front panel. For flexible module laminates with bifacial power generation (both sides use translucent materials, and the backsheet and front panel are made of similar materials), excitation and acquisition can be performed from either the front or back, offering flexibility. For flexible module laminates with frosted or textured front panels, the direction can be flexibly selected as long as the backsheet is translucent; if the backsheet is opaque, front-side excitation and acquisition methods as described in this application embodiment are still required.

[0052] The implementation principle of Example 1 is as follows: by irradiating the encapsulated flexible component laminate with an excitation light source of a specific wavelength, the internal solar cell array is excited to produce photoluminescence; then the luminescence image is acquired and processed, and the physical edge of the solar cell array is determined based on the inherent high-contrast optical signal boundary between the luminescent area of ​​the solar cell and the non-luminescent encapsulation material area. This fundamentally eliminates the dependence of traditional visual methods on the color and texture contrast of the solar cell and encapsulation material surfaces, and solves the technical problem of inaccurate and unreliable edge positioning of the solar cell array in low-contrast or special front panel structure scenarios. It can achieve high-precision, non-contact edge positioning, providing a reliable benchmark for subsequent precise edge trimming. Example 2

[0053] Based on the basic edge-finding scheme disclosed in Example 1, Example 2 provides an optimized edge-finding method for local illumination imaging. This method is consistent with Example 1 in terms of excitation light source selection, image acquisition module configuration, illumination and acquisition direction settings, and image processing flow. It achieves more efficient edge-finding only by optimizing the illumination range and positioning logic.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 This embodiment provides a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method, applied to a flexible component laminate with encapsulated electrical connections, including the following steps: S1: Key point excitation, using an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to irradiate at least two local target areas of the flexible component laminate, so that the cell array in each local target area produces photoluminescence, and the local target area corresponds to the area where the key feature point of the cell array is located.

[0055] Among them, the key feature points are at least two corner points of the cell array (the four vertices of the rectangular outline of the flexible photovoltaic module cell array). The at least two corner points are preferably two adjacent corner points or two diagonal corner points, and three or more corner points can also be used. The above methods can avoid unnecessary global imaging. Only a few target points need to be excited and identified with high precision to establish the spatial positioning reference of the entire cell array efficiently and reliably, which significantly reduces the data acquisition and processing load. When three or more corner points are used, the accuracy and stability of the edge positioning reference can be further improved.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment of the application, an excitation light source with a specific wavelength of 808nm is used to precisely irradiate the local area on the laminate corresponding to the target corner points A and B, thereby exciting the cell array within the area to produce photoluminescence.

[0057] S2: Local image acquisition, which uses the image acquisition module to acquire the luminescent images formed after each local target area is excited.

[0058] S3: Calculate coordinates, process each luminescent image, identify the boundary between luminescent and non-luminescent areas, and determine the coordinates of key feature points based on the boundary.

[0059] Specifically, the coordinates (X_A, Y_A) and (X_B, Y_B) of points A and B in the global coordinate system are accurately calculated by using the geometric center or vertex.

[0060] S4: Construct the outline and determine the edge positioning reference of the cell array based on the coordinates of key feature points.

[0061] Reference Figure 3 Specifically, the design drawings of the flexible module laminate are known, and the theoretical length L and width W of the cell array are known parameters. The line connecting points A and B can directly determine the actual position and orientation of the edge, and the coordinates themselves provide a precise positioning reference. Combining the known design dimensions (length L and width W), a unique reference rectangular profile containing four sides that matches the actual pose of the flexible module laminate can be determined. This profile is the edge positioning reference of the cell array.

[0062] The implementation principle of Embodiment 2 of this application is to quickly and accurately locate edges by selecting key feature points of the flexible component laminate. This method does not depend on the absolute size of the flexible component laminate; it only requires adjusting the position of the local irradiation area to adapt to flexible component laminates of different specifications, thus exhibiting strong versatility. Simultaneously, it significantly reduces the object of image acquisition and processing from the entire flexible component laminate to a few tiny areas, reducing the amount of image data, increasing processing speed, and lowering the requirements for excitation light source power and imaging system resolution, achieving simultaneous optimization of efficiency and cost. Example 3

[0063] When the size of the flexible component laminate is small and the single spot of the excitation light source can cover the target cell array area, the steps S1-S3 of Embodiment 1 can be directly followed to complete excitation, acquisition, and edge recognition in one go. Embodiment 3 of this application, based on the edge-finding method disclosed in Embodiment 1, further proposes a further optional implementation scheme to complete complete edge recognition for practical application scenarios where the component size exceeds the coverage range of a single spot of the excitation light source. It should be noted that Embodiment 3 is consistent with Embodiment 1 in core technical aspects such as the selection of the excitation light source, the configuration of the image acquisition module, the setting of the illumination and acquisition direction, and the image processing flow.

[0064] Reference Figure 4 This embodiment provides a method for edge finding in local illumination imaging, applied to flexible component laminates with encapsulated electrical connections, including the following steps: S1, component segmentation planning, fixing the flexible component laminate to a movable support platform, and planning a segmentation scheme according to the coverage of a single excitation light and the overall size of the flexible component, dividing the flexible component laminate into N segments (N is a positive integer greater than 1) along the length and / or width direction, with a preset width of overlap area reserved between each two adjacent segments to avoid missing edge images.

[0065] S2, segmented image acquisition, keeping the excitation light source and image acquisition module in a fixed position, and controlling the carrier platform to drive the flexible component laminate to move sequentially to each segment area. After each movement is in place, the excitation light source is triggered to turn on to excite the battery cell array to produce photoluminescence, and the image acquisition module simultaneously acquires the luminescence image of the current segment. S3, Image Processing: After all segmented images are acquired, a complete luminescent image of the flexible component laminate is generated through image registration and stitching algorithms, and then the complete edge of the cell array is determined through image processing.

[0066] The implementation principle of Embodiment 3 of this application is as follows: a high-precision motion platform is used to move large-sized components that exceed the range of a single imaging step by step to a fixed detection station for segmented imaging. By pre-setting an overlap area between each segment, positioning errors are compensated and a basis for image registration is provided. Finally, the high-contrast photoluminescence images of each segment are accurately fused into a complete image by an image stitching algorithm. Thus, while ensuring the advantages of the core method, it can be further extended to flexible component laminates of any size, with strong applicability.

[0067] This application also discloses a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system.

[0068] Reference Figure 5Specifically, a flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system includes an excitation light source module for generating and irradiating light of a specific wavelength. In this embodiment, the excitation light source module includes a semiconductor laser 1 and an area array lens 11. The area array lens 11 is used to convert the laser beam output by the semiconductor laser 1 into a uniform area light spot, so as to homogenize the laser beam into a uniform area light spot, thereby ensuring that the battery cell array in the irradiation area is uniformly excited, avoiding the difference in fluorescence signal caused by uneven light intensity, thereby obtaining a light-emitting image with consistent contrast and clear boundaries, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of subsequent edge recognition.

[0069] An image acquisition module is used to capture luminescent images. In this embodiment, the image acquisition module consists of an infrared camera 2 and a filter 21, wherein the filter 21 is specifically selected as a matching 1100nm bandpass filter. The image acquisition module and the excitation light source module are mounted on the same bracket. In this embodiment, the optical axes of the image acquisition module and the excitation light source module are parallel to ensure that the field of view of the image acquisition module coincides with the light spot area.

[0070] The image processing and control module, which is communicatively connected to the image acquisition module, is used to process the luminescent image, identify the edges of the solar cell array, and generate a processing path. In this embodiment, the image processing and control module is specifically selected as a computer (not shown in the figure) with built-in image processing software and a motion control card.

[0071] In this embodiment, the excitation light source module and the image acquisition module are integrated into one unit, which are aligned with and directed toward the surface of the flexible component laminate placed on the lower support platform, and maintain a preset distance from the surface of the flexible component laminate to form a non-contact online inspection station.

[0072] The implementation principle of this application embodiment is as follows: the integrated excitation light source module and image acquisition module work together on the surface of the flexible component, and respectively complete the physical signal conversion functions of exciting the solar cell array to emit light and acquiring the emitted light image; the image processing and control module analyzes the acquired emitted light image, automatically identifies the edge of the solar cell array and generates the subsequent processing path, thus forming a complete, non-contact edge positioning system, which provides a reliable hardware platform for the stable and automatic execution of high-precision edge finding tasks on the production line.

[0073] This application also discloses a method for trimming the edges of a flexible component.

[0074] Reference Figure 6 A method for trimming the edge of a flexible component includes the following steps: S1: High-precision edge finding, determining the edge positioning reference of the battery cell array according to the flexible component trimming and edge finding method in Embodiment 2.

[0075] S2: Path Generation. Based on the coordinates of key feature points and the preset trimming width parameters, the image processing and control module generates the trimming path for the flexible component laminate through coordinate offset calculation.

[0076] Specifically, the pre-set edge width D required by the process, for example D=2mm, is used to offset the four sides of the reference contour outward by a distance of 2mm along their respective outward normal directions to obtain a larger closed quadrilateral contour. This contour is the actual cutting path to ensure that after removing all excess encapsulation material, the physical distance between the battery edge and the flexible component laminate is exactly D.

[0077] S3: Perform cutting. Control the edge trimming equipment to process the edges according to the edge trimming path to remove excess packaging material.

[0078] Specifically, the calculated actual cutting path is converted into CNC code or a specific format instruction and sent to the edge trimming execution equipment, such as a precision vibrating knife cutting machine or an ultraviolet laser cutting machine. The edge trimming execution equipment is controlled to cut the edges of the flexible component laminate according to the actual cutting path, removing excess encapsulation material and completing the edge trimming and shaping.

[0079] The implementation principle of this application embodiment is to directly and seamlessly convert the high-precision photoluminescence edge finding results into a precise processing path, realizing the seamless connection between non-contact optical positioning and high-precision physical processing. This helps to ensure that the edge contour and the edge of the battery cell array maintain a precise and preset distance, improve processing accuracy, and ensure product processing consistency.

[0080] This application also discloses a method for preparing a flexible component.

[0081] Reference Figure 7 A method for preparing a flexible module, using the following technical solution: S1, providing a flexible module laminate, the flexible module laminate being formed by sequentially stacking and hot-pressing a front panel, an encapsulating film, a cell array, an encapsulating film, and a back panel, and the internal electrical connections of the flexible module laminate being completely encapsulated.

[0082] S2, High-precision edge trimming: The edge trimming method of the flexible component described above is used to process the edge of the flexible component laminate to remove excess encapsulation material.

[0083] This step not only removes excess encapsulation material, but also establishes a precise machining benchmark for the flexible module laminate based on the actual positions of the cell array.

[0084] S3, Precision Window, creates a window at a predetermined position on the back panel of the edge-treated flexible component laminate to expose the internal electrical leads.

[0085] Specifically, the windowing operation is mainly based on the edge positioning reference of the cell array established in step S2, thereby accurately calculating the theoretical coordinates of the electrical leads on the backplane. This allows for the control of a laser windowing device or precision tool to open windows at the corresponding positions on the backplane, fully exposing the internal electrical connection points, i.e., the electrical leads, without damaging the cells. Using the same reference for both the edge trimming and windowing processes facilitates precise alignment between the effective area of ​​the flexible module laminate, the edge trimming contour, and the junction box installation position, reducing the cumulative errors caused by multiple positioning operations.

[0086] S4. Junction box assembly and sealing: Weld the junction box leads to the electrical leads, and then use sealant to reinforce and seal the junction box and the window opening to complete the photovoltaic module encapsulation.

[0087] Specifically, after the junction box leads are passed through the window and welded firmly to the electrical leads inside the flexible module laminate, the gap between the junction box housing and the back plate is filled with silicone sealant, and the window area is reliably sealed, thus finally producing a highly reliable and neatly designed flexible photovoltaic module.

[0088] The implementation principle of this application embodiment is as follows: after the internal circuit of the flexible component laminate is fully encapsulated, the edges are shaped based on the photoluminescence principle, establishing a precise physical reference for subsequent processes. This not only helps ensure the accuracy of the contour for removing excess encapsulation material, but also provides a reliable positioning basis for exposing electrical leads through backplane windows. This ensures precise alignment of the window position, junction box installation, and the actual edges of the cell array, solving the problem of accumulated processing errors caused by inaccurate edge finding in traditional manufacturing. This improves the structural consistency, reliability, and production efficiency of the final product.

[0089] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for edge trimming and edge finding of a flexible component, characterized in that: A flexible component laminate used for encapsulating electrical connections includes the following steps: S1: Irradiate the flexible component laminate with an excitation light source of a specific wavelength to cause the cell array to produce photoluminescence; S2: Acquire the luminescent image formed after the battery cell array is excited by the image acquisition module; S3: Process the luminescent image to identify the boundary between the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, thereby determining the edge of the battery cell array.

2. A method for edge trimming and edge finding of a flexible component, characterized in that: A flexible component laminate used for encapsulating electrical connections includes the following steps: S1: At least two local target regions of the flexible component laminate are irradiated with an excitation light source of a specific wavelength, so that the solar cells in each local target region produce photoluminescence, and the local target regions correspond to the regions where the key feature points of the solar cell array are located. S2: The image acquisition module acquires the luminescent images formed after each of the local target regions is excited; S3: Process each luminescent image, identify the boundary between the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, and determine the coordinates of key feature points based on the boundary; S4: Using the coordinates of the key feature points as a reference, determine the edge positioning reference of the battery cell array.

3. The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In step S1, the emission wavelength of the excitation light source is between 808 nm and 980 nm.

4. The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In step S2, the image acquisition module is equipped with a filter (21), which is a bandpass filter. The bandpass filter is used to transmit the photoluminescence band generated by the excitation of the battery cell array and block the reflected light of the excitation light source band.

5. The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the flexible component laminate uses an opaque backplate, the excitation light source in step S1 illuminates the front of the flexible component laminate, and the image acquisition module in step S2 acquires the luminescent image from the front of the flexible component laminate.

6. The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The key feature points are at least two corner points of the battery cell array, and the at least two corner points are two adjacent corner points or two diagonally opposite corner points.

7. A flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system, characterized in that: Includes an excitation light source module for generating and illuminating light of a specific wavelength; Image acquisition module, used to capture luminescent images; The image processing and control module is communicatively connected to the image acquisition module and is used to process the luminescent image, identify the edges of the battery cell array, and generate a processing path. The excitation light source module is integrated with the image acquisition module and faces the surface of the battery cell array of the flexible component laminate to be processed.

8. The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The excitation light source module includes a semiconductor laser 1 and an area array lens 11, wherein the area array lens 11 is used to convert the laser beam output by the semiconductor laser 1 into a uniform area light spot.

9. A method for trimming the edges of a flexible component, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: The flexible component edge trimming and edge finding method according to claim 2, determines the edge positioning reference of the battery cell array; S2: Based on the coordinates of the key feature points and combined with the preset edge trimming width parameter, the edge trimming processing path of the flexible component laminate is generated through coordinate offset calculation. S3: Control the edge trimming equipment to perform edge processing according to the edge trimming processing path to remove excess packaging material.

10. A method for preparing a flexible component, characterized in that: S1, providing a flexible component laminate, wherein the internal electrical connections of the flexible component laminate are completely encapsulated; S2, the edge processing of the flexible component laminate is performed using the edge trimming method of the flexible component as described in claim 9 to remove excess encapsulation material; S3, a window is opened at a predetermined position on the back panel of the edge-treated flexible component laminate to expose the internal electrical leads; S4. Install the junction box onto the electrical lead-out terminal to complete the photovoltaic module encapsulation.

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