An automatic drying device for photovoltaic cells
By optimizing the structure and robotic arm movement path of the automatic photovoltaic drying device, the problems of long exposure time of photovoltaic cells in the air and large device space were solved, realizing efficient and compact photovoltaic cell drying process, and improving product yield and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WUXI KINGENIOUS INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
In existing photovoltaic wafer drying equipment, the photovoltaic wafers are exposed to the air for a long time, which affects the product yield. In addition, the equipment occupies a large space and is difficult to connect closely with the preceding cleaning process, resulting in low transfer efficiency.
An automatic photovoltaic cell drying device is designed. By optimizing the layout of the receiving module, drying tank, and output module, and combining the optimization of the motion path of the robotic arm and track, the device ensures the continuous transfer of photovoltaic cells in the process direction, reduces the exposure time in the air, and compresses the device space.
It improves the processing efficiency and yield of photovoltaic cells, reduces the exposure time of photovoltaic cells in the air, is suitable for cleanrooms with limited area, and enhances equipment utilization and production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224583641U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of photovoltaic cell technology, and specifically relates to an automatic drying device for photovoltaic cells. Background Technology
[0002] In the manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells, cleaning and drying are among the most frequently repeated steps, directly impacting the yield of photovoltaic cells. Although these two steps are closely linked, they operate based on different technical principles. In recent years, the photovoltaic industry has gradually introduced isopropyl alcohol (IPA) drying technology, which can improve drying efficiency and reduce the impact of water stains or residues on photovoltaic cell performance. The promotion of new drying technologies has also led to a demand for equipment upgrades, requiring the redesign of drying equipment.
[0003] In existing technologies, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are widely used for transporting photovoltaic (PV) wafers between different trough-type equipment. A drawback of AGV transport is the prolonged exposure of PV wafers to air, which negatively impacts the yield of the final product. Therefore, when designing new drying equipment, the following aspects should be considered: first, ensuring a tight connection between the cleaning and drying processes to shorten logistics time; second, optimizing the internal scheduling logic and wafer transfer efficiency of the drying equipment to reduce the exposure time of the wafers to air; and third, streamlining the space occupied by the drying equipment to accommodate smaller cleanrooms. Utility Model Content
[0004] This invention aims to provide an automatic photovoltaic cell drying device that can quickly extract photovoltaic cells to be dried from the preceding cleaning equipment and efficiently perform the drying process, ultimately improving product yield.
[0005] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0006] An automatic photovoltaic cell drying device, characterized in that the operating line of the automatic photovoltaic cell drying device includes:
[0007] A. A receiving module, including a first robotic arm; the first robotic arm is used to extract photovoltaic wafers to be dried from a preceding process;
[0008] B. A second robotic arm, used to move the photovoltaic panels to be dried to the drying tank;
[0009] C. Drying tank, used to dry the photovoltaic cells to be dried;
[0010] D. A third robotic arm, used to move the dried photovoltaic cells in the drying tank to the output module;
[0011] E. Transmission module, used to transmit the dried photovoltaic wafer to subsequent processes;
[0012] The receiving module, drying tank, and output module are arranged sequentially along the process direction. The movement direction of the second robotic arm on the photovoltaic cell to be dried includes at least the process direction, and the movement direction of the third robotic arm on the dried photovoltaic cell includes at least the process direction.
[0013] Since the operation of the automatic photovoltaic wafer drying device begins with receiving photovoltaic wafers to be dried and ends with sending out dried photovoltaic wafers, the direction from the photovoltaic wafer receiving position to the photovoltaic wafer sending position is defined as the "process direction," and the direction perpendicular to the process direction is called the "extension direction." Because photovoltaic wafers undergo multiple transfers within the automatic drying device, efficiency is improved if each transfer conforms to the process direction. This device arranges the receiving module, drying tank, and sending module sequentially along the process direction to ensure continuous and efficient processing of silicon wafers. The first robotic arm is responsible for extracting the photovoltaic wafers to be dried; the second and third robotic arms are responsible for feeding the photovoltaic wafers into the drying tank and removing the dried photovoltaic wafers from the drying tank, respectively, and finally, the sending module delivers them to subsequent processes. This design simplifies the logistics path, ensures that the movement direction of each robotic arm mainly follows the process direction, reduces the exposure time of the photovoltaic wafers to air, and improves product yield.
[0014] Preferably, the automatic photovoltaic drying device further includes a second working track and a third working track; the extension direction of the second working track is in line with the process direction, and the second robotic arm has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the second working track; the extension direction of the third working track is in line with the process direction, and the third robotic arm has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the third working track.
[0015] The second and third robotic arms need to transfer photovoltaic cells back and forth along the process direction. Therefore, this movement is broken down and guided along fixed paths by the second and third working tracks. This layout simplifies the axial movement requirements of the robotic arms and improves the overall operating efficiency of the device.
[0016] Preferably, the second working track and the third working track are respectively arranged on both sides of the drying tank in the expansion direction; the automatic photovoltaic drying device is provided with a second scheduling track and a third scheduling track; the extension direction of the second scheduling track is in line with the expansion direction, and the second working track has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the second scheduling track; the third scheduling track extends along the expansion direction, and the third working track has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the third scheduling track.
[0017] To reduce the length of the device in the process direction, the second and third working tracks are respectively located on both sides of the drying tank's expansion direction, and a second and third scheduling track are introduced to schedule the robotic arm's back-and-forth movement in the expansion direction. This layout makes full use of the space in the expansion direction, making the drying device more compact and suitable for cleanrooms with limited area.
[0018] Preferably, the receiving module includes at least one set of storage tracks.
[0019] Preferably, the storage track extends in an expanding direction; multiple sets of storage tracks are arranged sequentially along the process direction.
[0020] To balance the processing speed differences between upstream and downstream processes, this device is equipped with storage tracks for temporarily storing photovoltaic panels and baskets from previous processes. To improve space utilization, the storage tracks extend in an expanding direction. Simultaneously, multiple sets of storage tracks are arranged parallel to each other along the process direction, following the movement path of the first robotic arm. This simplifies the scheduling logic of the first robotic arm, enabling it to quickly switch between multiple storage tracks and improving operational efficiency. It also establishes a "first-in, first-out" material management logic, preventing photovoltaic panels from remaining in the system for extended periods.
[0021] Preferably, the automatic photovoltaic drying device includes two production lines, which share a set of receiving modules; the receiving module is provided with a first track extending in the direction of expansion, and the first robotic arm has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the first track, the running trajectory covering the storage tracks of the two production lines.
[0022] The symmetrical dual-line layout effectively improves equipment utilization and production efficiency. The introduction of the first track allows the first robotic arm to flexibly switch between the two work lines, covering all receiving modules and simplifying logistics management and operational processes. Furthermore, this design can dynamically allocate the load between the two work lines, forming a workflow of "centralized receiving and distributed processing."
[0023] Preferably, for a single production line, the second working track is located outside the automatic photovoltaic drying device, and the third working track is located inside the automatic photovoltaic drying device.
[0024] Since the storage track extends from the inside to the outside along the expansion direction, the second working track, located on the outside, is closer to the storage track, making it easier for the second robotic arm to quickly acquire the photovoltaic panels to be processed; the third working track, located on the inside, is adjacent to the drying tank, which can quickly remove the processed photovoltaic panels, improving the efficiency of handling and scheduling.
[0025] Preferably, the output module includes a wafer carrier boat and a boat transport track; the wafer carrier boat is used to receive the dried photovoltaic wafers and output them along the boat transport track, compatible with subsequent processes.
[0026] Preferably, the receiving module includes an empty flower basket recovery track, which is disposed on the outside of the automatic photovoltaic drying device.
[0027] Preferably, the interaction point between the second and third robotic arms and the photovoltaic cells is a cell suction device.
[0028] This invention improves the efficiency of the drying process and ultimately increases product yield by optimizing the structural layout and robotic arm movement path of the automatic photovoltaic wafer drying device. Specifically, the receiving module, drying tank, and output module are arranged sequentially along the process direction, and multiple sets of tracks in both the process and extension directions enable flexible scheduling, reducing the exposure time of photovoltaic wafers in the air. Furthermore, this invention reduces the overall size of the device and improves operating efficiency through a dual-line design. Overall, this invention achieves efficient and compact photovoltaic wafer drying and can be integrated into existing photovoltaic wafer manufacturing processes for localized upgrades and iterations. Attached Figure Description
[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall design of this utility model;
[0030] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the second robotic arm, the second working track, and the second scheduling track;
[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the third robotic arm, the third working track, and the third scheduling track;
[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a single work line in a dual-work-line layout.
[0033] Legend:
[0034] 1. First robotic arm; 110. First track;
[0035] 2. Second robotic arm; 210. Second working track; 220. Second scheduling track;
[0036] 3. Third robotic arm; 310. Third working track; 320. Third scheduling track;
[0037] 4. Inventory track, 5. Drying tank, 6. Boat transfer track, 7. Empty flower basket recycling track. Detailed Implementation
[0038] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement the present invention based on these descriptions. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention described below are generally only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Therefore, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example
[0039] In the manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells, the cleaning-drying process is one of the most frequently repeated steps and has a direct impact on the yield of photovoltaic cells. Prolonged exposure of photovoltaic cells to air can affect product yield; therefore, process efficiency is a primary consideration in equipment design.
[0040] First, the scheduling logic within the drying unit and the overall direction of the basket transfer for silicon wafer transfer efficiency are planned. Since the drying unit's operation begins with receiving photovoltaic wafers to be dried and ends with transferring dried photovoltaic wafers out, the direction from the photovoltaic wafer receiving position to the photovoltaic wafer transfer position is defined as the "process direction," and the direction perpendicular to the process direction is called the "extension direction." Photovoltaic wafers undergo multiple transfers during processing; if each transfer conforms to the process direction, the transfer efficiency is improved.
[0041] Please see Figure 1 The extension directions of the second working track 210, the third working track 310, and the boat transfer track 6 are all aligned with the process direction. Specifically, the second working track 210 starts from the area above the storage track 4 and extends along the process direction; while the second robotic arm 2 is connected to the second working track 210 and moves back and forth along the extension direction of the second working track 210 as the basic running trajectory, and realizes other axial movements through several motion axes of the second robotic arm 2 itself, and the final range of motion covers the area above the drying tank.
[0042] Accordingly, the third working track 310 starts from the area above the side of the drying tank located in the process direction and extends along the process direction to the output position of the flower basket; the third robotic arm 3 is connected to the third working track 310 and moves back and forth with the extension direction of the third working track 310 as the basic running trajectory, and realizes other axial movements through several motion axes of the third robotic arm 3 itself, and the final range of motion covers the area above the drying tank 5 and part of the photovoltaic cell output path.
[0043] The dried photovoltaic wafers are transferred to the output module via the third robotic arm 3. The output module includes a wafer carrier boat and a boat transfer track 6. The boat transfer track 6 also extends in the process direction. After receiving the dried photovoltaic wafers, the wafer carrier boat transfers them out along the boat transfer track 6.
[0044] Since the range of motion of the second robotic arm 2 and the third robotic arm 3 both cover the area where the drying tank is located, this overlapping relationship between the areas can be used to reduce the space occupied by the drying device, so as to adapt to a smaller cleanroom.
[0045] Please see Figure 1 The second working track 210 is located in the left area of the drying tank 5 in the diagram, and the third working track 310 is located in the right area of the diagram. At this time, the second working track 210, the drying tank 5, and the third working track 310 are arranged sequentially along the expansion direction, and the length of the drying device in the process direction is reduced.
[0046] To accommodate this extended-direction layout, the robotic arm's motion capability in the extended direction needs to be increased. A second scheduling track 220 is set with the extended direction as the extension direction. The two ends of a second working track 210 are connected to the second scheduling track 220 and have a motion trajectory that moves back and forth along the extended direction. A third scheduling track 320 is set with the extended direction as the extension direction. The two ends of a third working track 310 are connected to the third scheduling track 320 and have a motion trajectory that moves back and forth along the extended direction.
[0047] When designing the equipment, the connection and coordination with the preceding cleaning process should also be considered.
[0048] Please see Figure 1 To facilitate buffered control of the drying process, this device includes a receiving module for storing photovoltaic panels to be dried. The receiving module comprises several sets of storage tracks 4, with baskets carrying the photovoltaic panels to be cleaned arranged along the extension direction of the storage tracks 4. To compress the length in the process direction, the extension direction of each set of storage tracks 4 aligns with the expansion direction, i.e., the transverse direction shown in the diagram. Since the drying tank itself needs to occupy a certain space in the expansion direction, the orientation of the storage tracks 4 effectively improves space utilization. The sets of storage tracks 4 are arranged parallel to each other and along the extension direction of the first track 110, ensuring that the range of motion of the first robotic arm 1 can cover each storage track 4, simplifying the robotic arm's scheduling logic and improving operating efficiency.
[0049] Based on a stable connection with the preceding processes, the drying unit is optimized into a dual-line design to further improve operating efficiency.
[0050] Please see Figure 1The drying device has an independent operating line on each side of its extension direction, and the two operating lines share a receiving module. The receiving module includes a first robotic arm 1 and a first track 110, which extends bidirectionally along the extension direction. Each end of the track intersects with a set of storage tracks 4. The first robotic arm 1 is connected to the first track 110 and operates along the extension direction of the first track 110, covering the storage tracks 4 of both operating lines.
[0051] Please see Figure 4 In the dual-line layout, for a single line, the second working track 210 is located on the outer side of the automatic photovoltaic drying device, i.e., on the left side of the diagram; the third working track 310 is located on the inner side of the automatic photovoltaic drying device, i.e., on the right side of the diagram. Furthermore, the drying device can also include an empty flower basket recovery track 7, which is located outside the second working track 210, i.e., on the left side of the diagram.
[0052] Further improvements have been made to the precision of photovoltaic cell processing in the local design of the drying device.
[0053] The second robotic arm 2 has a suction device at its interface with the photovoltaic cells, which can directly extract the photovoltaic cells loaded in the basket. The third robotic arm 3 also has a suction device at its interface, which extracts the dried photovoltaic cells from the drying tank 5 and places them on a quartz carrier boat.
[0054] by Figure 4 Taking a single production line in the schematic dual-production-line layout as an example, the working process of this automatic photovoltaic drying device is explained:
[0055] 1. Receiving photovoltaic cells:
[0056] 1.1. The first robotic arm 1 extends and extracts the basket containing the photovoltaic panels to be dried, which was sent out from the previous process.
[0057] 1.2. The first robotic arm 1 retracts and slides to the left along the first track 110 to the left work line area, placing the flower basket on the left storage track 4;
[0058] 1.3. The first robotic arm repeats step 1.1, and then slides to the right along the first track 110 to the right work line area, and places the flower basket on the right storage track 4;
[0059] 2. Moving the photovoltaic panels to be dried:
[0060] 2.1. The second robotic arm 2 moves to the starting end of the second working track 210, that is, above the storage track 4, and extracts the photovoltaic cells to be dried through the suction device at the end;
[0061] 2.2. The second robotic arm 2 moves along the second working track 210 to above the drying tank 5, and puts the photovoltaic panels to be dried into the tank for drying.
[0062] 3. Move the dried photovoltaic panels:
[0063] 3.1. The third robotic arm 3 moves to the starting end of the third working track 310 and the left end of the third scheduling track 320, and extracts the dried photovoltaic cells from the drying tank 5 through the suction device at the end.
[0064] 3.2. The third robotic arm 3 moves to the right end of the third scheduling track 320, that is, above the quartz boat, and puts the dried photovoltaic sheet into the quartz boat;
[0065] 4. Transmitting photovoltaic cells:
[0066] 4.1. The quartz boat transfer track 6 operates automatically, sending the quartz boat out of the drying device.
Claims
1. An automatic drying apparatus for photovoltaic wafers, characterized in that, The automatic photovoltaic drying device's production line includes: A. A receiving module, including a first robotic arm (1); the first robotic arm (1) is used to extract photovoltaic wafers to be dried from the preceding process; B. Drying tank (5), used to dry the photovoltaic wafers to be dried; C. Transmitting module, used to transmit the dried photovoltaic cells to subsequent processes; D. A second robotic arm (2) is used to move the photovoltaic wafer to be dried from the receiving module to the drying tank (5); E. A third robotic arm (3) is used to move the dried photovoltaic wafer from the drying tank (5) to the output module; The receiving module, the drying tank (5), and the transmitting module are arranged sequentially along the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell transmitting position. The second robotic arm (2) moves in the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell transmitting position. The third robotic arm (3) moves in the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell transmitting position. The automatic photovoltaic drying device further includes a second working track (210) and a third working track (310); the extension direction of the second working track (210) is in line with the direction from the photovoltaic receiving position to the photovoltaic output position, and the second robotic arm (2) has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the second working track (210); the extension direction of the third working track (310) is in line with the direction from the photovoltaic receiving position to the photovoltaic output position, and the third robotic arm (3) has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the third working track (310); The second working track (210) and the third working track (310) are respectively arranged on both sides of the drying tank (5) in a direction perpendicular to the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell output position; The automatic photovoltaic drying device is provided with a second scheduling track (220) and a third scheduling track (320); the second scheduling track (220) extends along a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned direction from the photovoltaic receiving position to the photovoltaic output position, and the second working track (210) has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the second scheduling track (220); the third scheduling track (320) extends along a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned direction from the photovoltaic receiving position to the photovoltaic output position, and the third working track (310) has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the third scheduling track (320); The receiving module includes multiple sets of storage tracks (4), the extension direction of which is perpendicular to the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell output position; the multiple sets of storage tracks (4) are arranged sequentially along the direction from the photovoltaic cell receiving position to the photovoltaic cell output position.
2. The photovoltaic sheet automatic drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The automatic photovoltaic drying device includes two production lines, and the two production lines share a set of receiving modules. The receiving module is provided with a first track (110) extending in a direction perpendicular to the photovoltaic receiving position and pointing to the photovoltaic output position. The first robotic arm (1) has a running trajectory that moves back and forth along the first track (110), and the running trajectory covers the storage tracks (4) of the two production lines.
3. The photovoltaic sheet automatic drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein For a single production line, the second working track (210) is located outside the photovoltaic automatic drying device, and the third working track (310) is located inside the photovoltaic automatic drying device.
4. The photovoltaic sheet automatic drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The receiving module includes an empty flower basket recovery track (7), which is located outside the second working track (210).
5. The photovoltaic sheet automatic drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The interaction end between the second robotic arm (2) and the third robotic arm (3) and the photovoltaic cell is a cell suction device.