Slicing machine, slicing cellular manufacturing line and control method thereof

Abstract

A slicing cellular manufacturing line, comprising a manufacturing line main body (1). The manufacturing line main body (1) is provided with a plurality of slicing machines (5), a transfer mechanism and a connection tool (4). Each slicing machine (5) comprises a slicing machine main body (51), a liquid path portion and an electric control portion, the slicing machine main body (51) being provided with a cutting chamber (52), the liquid path portion and the electric control portion being arranged on the outer side of the cutting chamber (52), and the configuration mode of the liquid path portion and the electric control portion enabling the slicing machine (52) to be provided with a clearance space, so that a workpiece can pass through the clearance space to achieve a feeding operation and / or a discharging operation. The transfer mechanism comprises a ceiling rail robot (31), a first transfer table and a second transfer table. The connection tool (4) comprises a first movable portion (41) and a carrying portion; the first movable portion (41) can move in the direction toward / away from the cutting chamber (52) of each slicing machine (5), and the first movable portion (41) is provided with at least one connection structure capable of fixedly connecting the first movable portion (41) to a workpiece; and the carrying portion can carry the workpiece. The slicing cellular manufacturing line, by means of multi-machine simultaneous slicing, satisfies the requirement for larger-scale slicing manufacturing. The present invention also relates to a control method of the slicing cellular manufacturing line.

Description

Slicer, slicing unit production line and control method thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wire cutting technology, and specifically provides a slicer, a slicing unit production line and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Taking the workpiece to be processed (hard and brittle material) as a silicon rod as an example, the equipment for processing it usually includes a cutter that cuts the rod material (round rod) according to length specifications, a squarer that cuts round rods of a certain length into square rods, a grinder that grinds the square rod (grinding surface and chamfer) (such as usually including rough grinding and fine grinding), and a slicer that slices the square rod that meets the accuracy standard after grinding. The working principle of the slicer is as follows: after the square rod is bonded to the wafer support, the square rod is sliced ​​by the wire mesh of the cutting machine in a wire saw cutting manner (the silicon rod is fed toward the wire mesh, and the wire mesh reciprocates between adjacent cutting rollers) to produce silicon wafers. Each complete slicing operation corresponding to the wire mesh is called a one-knife cutting operation of the slicer.

[0003] Taking slicing as an example, existing slicers concentrate their slicing operations near the slicing station, with each cut performed on a single silicon ingot by a single machine. Because each cut typically involves dozens of steps and is typically performed by one or two operators, this approach often presents the following problems: Slicer operation requires a high level of operator expertise and proficiency, and the numerous steps make it easy for operators to make mistakes, which can lead to varying degrees of cutting anomalies.

[0004] Taking the photovoltaic industry, one of the application fields of silicon wafers, as an example, with the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, there will inevitably be a demand for continuous expansion of the aforementioned silicon wafer processing chain, including slicing operations. As mentioned above, this will lead to a continuous increase in the gap in operators, which already exists. Therefore, stand-alone products (slicers) corresponding to stand-alone operations have gradually been unable to meet market demand. In view of this, after a thorough study and analysis of the operation of the slicer, the inventor proposed a unitized structural framework that can realize the simultaneous operation of multiple slicers. Accordingly, a group control logic for multiple slicers is needed to ensure the operational reliability of the unitized structural framework.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a slicer, a production line corresponding to the production line capable of realizing a unitized slicing operation completed by multiple slicers, and group control logic of the production line.

[0007] The present invention provides a control method for a slicing unitized production line, which includes a production line main body, which is equipped with a loading component and a unloading component and includes a transfer mechanism, a connecting tool and multiple slicers. The transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot, a first turntable configured in a loading area corresponding to the loading component, and a second turntable configured in a unloading area corresponding to the unloading component. The ceiling rail robot can move between the loading area corresponding to the loading component and the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, and can move within the loading area and / or the unloading area. The control method includes: obtaining a current slicing task; selecting at least one slicer to perform the current slicing task from the multiple slicers according to the current slicing task; causing the ceiling rail robot to drive the first turntable and / or the second turntable to operate so as to: deliver / move the workpiece placed on the first turntable and / or the second turntable to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer; causing the connecting tool and the ceiling rail robot to cooperate in operation so as to: deliver / move the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer. This configuration allows for the selection of the appropriate slicer to complete the current slicing task when a production line includes multiple slicers. This makes it possible to meet the needs of larger-scale slicing production by slicing multiple slicers simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The following takes the workpiece as a silicon rod (hereinafter referred to as silicon rod, including the silicon rod to be processed including the crystal tray and the processed silicon wafer including the crystal tray) and the transfer mechanism as a combined mechanism including the overhead rail robot as an example, and describes the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Taking scenario 1 as an example, it primarily involves an overhead robot and two transfer platforms (referred to as the first transfer platform and the second transfer platform) located in the loading and unloading areas. The obvious advantage of the overhead robot is that it frees up floor space for both storage and pedestrian access. However, this also presents drawbacks, such as the difficulty of maintaining the equipment at such a high altitude.

[0010] Taking scenario 2 as an example, it mainly includes an overhead rail robot and two transfer platforms arranged in the loading area and the unloading area, and an opening and closing component walking on the truss in the unloading area. Among them, the obvious advantage of the overhead rail robot is that it can well free up the ground space, which can be used to place items and pass through.

[0011] Taking scenario three as an example, it primarily involves an overhead robot, two transfer platforms located in the loading and unloading areas, and an opening and closing assembly (truss manipulator) that travels on two trusses in the loading and unloading areas. The obvious advantage of the overhead robot is that it frees up floor space for both storage and pedestrian access. However, this also presents drawbacks, such as the difficulty of maintaining the equipment at such a high altitude.

[0012] In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention, which shows a ceiling rail robot in a transfer mechanism and a single slicer in the slicing unit production line; Figure 2 shows a structural schematic diagram of a connecting tool in a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of a connecting tool in a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a structural schematic diagram of a connecting tool in a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a state schematic diagram of a loading operation of a connecting tool for a single slicer in a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (the ceiling rail robot is in place); Figure 6 shows a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram 2 of the state of the connecting tooling for the loading operation of a single slicer in a unitized production line (the extended end at the rear of the connecting tooling hooks the handle at the tail end of the crystal support); FIG7 shows a schematic diagram 3 of the state of the connecting tooling for the loading operation of a single slicer in a unitized production line for slices according to an embodiment of the present invention (the entire material exits the interior of the fixture and connects with the internal guide rail of the cutting chamber); FIG8 shows a schematic diagram 4 of the state of the connecting tooling for the loading operation of a single slicer in a unitized production line for slices according to an embodiment of the present invention (the first movable part of the connecting tooling extends to hook the handle at the tail end of the crystal support); FIG9 shows a schematic diagram 5 of the state of the connecting tooling for the loading operation of a single slicer in a unitized production line for slices according to an embodiment of the present invention (the entire material exits the interior of the fixture and connects with the internal guide rail of the cutting chamber). 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the connecting tooling for the unloading operation of the single slicer in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (the overhead rail robot is in place); FIG11 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the connecting tooling for the unloading operation of the single slicer in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (the first movable part of the connecting tooling is extended to hook the handle at the tail end of the crystal support); FIG12 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the connecting tooling for the unloading operation of the single slicer in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (the entire material is pulled out of the cutting room); FIG13 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the connecting tooling for the unloading operation of the single slicer in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention. (The first movable part of the connecting tool is extended again, and the extended end at the rear thereof is hooked on the handle at the tail end of the crystal support); Figure 14 shows a state schematic diagram five of the connecting tool for the unloading operation of the slicer unit in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (pulling the entire material into the interior of the fixture); Figure 15 shows a structural schematic diagram one of the slicer unit in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 16 shows a structural schematic diagram two of the slicer unit in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 17 shows a structural schematic diagram three of the slicer unit in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 18 shows a structural schematic diagram four of the slicer unit in the slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention;FIG19 shows a second schematic structural diagram of a slicing unit production line according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the opening and closing components of the transfer mechanism but not the individual slicers in the slicing unit production line. FIG20(a)-(d) show flow charts of control methods for slicing unit production lines according to four embodiments of the present invention. FIG21 shows a detailed flow chart of the control method for slicing unit production lines according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For example, in addition to the combined mechanism including the overhead rail robot, it may also include but is not limited to mechanisms including ground rail robots, truss manipulators, RGVs, AGVs, etc., or a combined mechanism including related mechanisms. For example, the transfer mechanism includes a first truss manipulator walking on the first truss between the loading area and the unloading area, and a second truss manipulator walking on the second truss in the loading area and / or the unloading area (such as the walking directions of the first truss manipulator and the second truss manipulator are approximately perpendicular).

[0014] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element described must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0015] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "disposed," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0016] In addition, in order to better illustrate the present invention, numerous specific details are provided in the specific embodiments below. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can also be implemented without certain specific details. In some examples, the principles of the slicer, transfer mechanism including the overhead robot, etc., which are well known to those skilled in the art, are not described in detail in order to highlight the main purpose of the present invention. The present invention will be described below with reference to all or part of Figures 1 to 21.

[0017] A slicer, a type of wire saw, is primarily used to cut silicon rods (commonly referred to as square rods) that have been ground to a specified precision using a wire mesh composed of cutting wires (such as diamond wire) to obtain silicon wafers. Typically, the slicing process is as follows: after the rods are glued together in a gluing workshop (the square rods to be sliced ​​are glued to the wafer tray), the wafer tray is fixed to a feed mechanism. During the reciprocating motion of the wire mesh between the cutting rollers of the cutting mechanism, the feed mechanism drives the silicon rods close to the wire mesh, and the wire mesh can then slice the square rods using a wire saw. For example, the slicer includes a main body, which forms a cutting chamber. An operating door is provided on each side of the cutting chamber, and the cutting mechanism is disposed within the cutting chamber. In this example, the cutting mechanism, composed of multiple cutting rollers, forms a single-station structure capable of slicing a single silicon rod in a single operation.

[0018] In one possible embodiment, the present invention provides a control method for a slicing unitized production line, which is applied to a slicing production line capable of realizing multi-machine automated production. The production line mainly includes a production line body 1, such as a production line body that may include but is not limited to a necessary work surface, an end that allows manual intervention, a part that requires manual operation, a control end configured at the work site, a collection end that can collect the work on site (such as visual signals, sound signals, etc.), a central control end that can analyze and control the slicing work on site, and a reminder end that issues reminder information such as voice broadcasts and alarms when necessary. Among them, the production line body is equipped with multiple slicing machines 5 (single machines). Based on this, it is expected that multiple slicing machines can simultaneously slice the silicon rods to be processed (grinded square rods) or select a part of them to slice the silicon rods. For example, multiple single machines are configured in a removable manner on the production line, so that the scale of the production line can be flexibly adjusted and the single machines can be replaced or repaired after removal. In addition, the structural form, slicing operation method and the way they are configured in the production line body of the multiple single machines can be the same or different. For example, the main body of the production line includes multiple areas, wherein the single machine in a certain area is mainly used for processing silicon wafers with more stringent processing requirements, so the single machine corresponding to this area has better processing accuracy.

[0019] In a possible embodiment, the production line body is configured with a loading assembly and a blanking assembly, wherein the loading assembly is connected to a glue workshop or glue area, such as the silicon rod (bonded to the crystal support) discharged from the curing warehouse of the glue workshop can be transferred to the loading area 21 corresponding to the loading assembly by manual and / or automatic operation. For example, the trolley carrying the silicon rod is manually transferred to the loading area. Wherein, the blanking assembly is connected to a degumming workshop or degumming area, and the degumming workshop is mainly for degumming the silicon rod (in the form of multiple silicon wafers) that has been bonded to the crystal support and has completed the slicing operation. Similar to the connection mode between the aforementioned glue workshop or glue area and the loading operation, the silicon wafer corresponding to the blanking area 22 of the blanking assembly can also be transferred to the degumming workshop or degumming area by manual and / or automatic operation. For example, the trolley carrying the silicon rod is manually transferred to the degumming workshop or degumming area. Such as the loading / unloading assembly generally includes a loading / unloading trolley or a loading / unloading rack.

[0020] In one possible embodiment, the aforementioned multiple stand-alone machines share a loading component and a unloading component and adopt similar loading and unloading control logic for the stand-alone machines. Obviously, the structure of the loading / unloading component can also be adjusted according to actual needs, such as but not limited to: configuring multiple loading components and unloading components for multiple slicers, such as configuring a loading component and an unloading component for one or more stand-alone machines according to the orientation, priority, product model, and the attributes of the workpiece to be processed (such as the particularity or importance of a batch of products, etc.). For example, a loading component and an unloading component are configured for multiple stand-alone machines in the same row, and a separate loading component and unloading component are configured for a certain stand-alone machine; multiple stand-alone machines share a loading component and an unloading component, and separate loading and unloading control logic is configured for one or several stand-alone machines (such as also according to the aforementioned orientation, priority, product model, and the attributes of the workpiece to be processed, etc.).

[0021] Taking the example of multiple single machines sharing a set of loading components and a set of unloading components, the production line includes a transfer mechanism, which is mainly used to realize the transfer of silicon rods to be sliced ​​and the cut silicon wafers between the loading component, the slicer and the unloading component, as well as the transfer inside the loading component and the unloading component respectively, such as the transfer of silicon rods to be sliced ​​between the loading component and the slicer (loading operation), the transfer of cut silicon wafers between the slicer and the unloading component (unloading operation), the corresponding operations inside the loading / unloading components, and the connection operations such as material taking and unloading between the loading / unloading components and the area between the two.

[0022] In one possible embodiment, the transfer mechanism includes a manipulator / robot that can at least walk along the direction between the loading assembly, the unloading assembly and different slicers. For example, the manipulator can walk between the loading assembly and the unloading assembly (such as in the length direction), along the direction of moving in / out of the cutting area of ​​the single machine (such as in the width direction), and along the vertical direction (such as in the longitudinal direction) with the help of a frame such as a truss, a ceiling rail, and a floor rail. For example, the number of single machines that need to be configured and the arrangement of multiple single machines can be calculated according to the corresponding group control logic rhythm, so that the loading and unloading operations of the silicon rods for the single machine (moving in / out of the cutting area of ​​the single machine) and the production line (entering the loading area of ​​the production line or moving out of the unloading area of ​​the production line) can be realized through the corresponding movement of the manipulator. In this example, the manipulator of the transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot 31 and an opening and closing assembly 33 configured in the unloading area as a unloading transfer mechanism, such as the opening and closing assembly 33 can walk along the width direction of the production line body 1 on the truss 34. Among them, the walking requirements of the slicing unitized production line along the length direction (the part between the loading component and the unloading component, the width direction (close to / away from the cutting room of the slicer) and the longitudinal direction (to constrain or release the constraints of the connecting tooling and the crystal support) are realized by cooperating with the overhead rail robot and the overhead rail configured on the main body of the production line. For example, a turntable 35 capable of placing one or more silicon rods is respectively provided in the loading area and the unloading area. The overhead rail robot can take the silicon rods from the turntable and further deliver them to the slicer for slicing. After the overhead rail robot delivers the silicon wafers that have completed the slicing operation to the turntable corresponding to the unloading area, the opening and closing component can take the silicon wafers from the turntable and further transfer them to the degumming workshop or degumming area. Preferably, the turntable itself can also move, such as by cooperating with the turntable and the overhead rail robot / truss manipulator to further save beats while completing the transfer task. Such as may include but is not limited to:

[0023] Scenario 1:

[0024] There are no trusses or opening and closing components that move on the trusses in the loading and unloading areas, and the transfer mechanism only includes a ceiling rail and a ceiling rail robot configured on the ceiling rail. Corresponding to the turntable in the loading area, both the loading and unloading areas are equipped with turntables, and the turntables corresponding to the loading / unloading areas can move together with the ceiling rail robot. In this way, the operations corresponding to the slicing production line should include: the ceiling rail robot carries the connecting tooling to clamp the silicon rods containing the crystal trays from the loading assembly, and places the silicon rods on the turntable corresponding to the loading area, the ceiling rail robot and the turntable corresponding to the loading area move together to the slicer (single machine) that is performing the current slicing operation, and the ceiling rail robot clamps one of the silicon rods (the workpiece to be processed for this slicing operation) from the turntable corresponding to the loading area that moves to the single machine and loads it into the cutting chamber of the slicer. After the slicer completes the slicing operation, the overhead robot will place the silicon wafer (cut material) including the wafer tray after unloading from the corresponding slicer on the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area (the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area has been pre-placed in the position of the slicer that needs to be unloaded by moving together with the overhead robot), and transfer the cut material to the unloading area by moving the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area and the overhead robot together. Afterwards, the overhead robot carries the connecting tooling to further transfer the cut material from the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area to the unloading assembly.

[0025] The process of any slicing operation in the slicing unit production line corresponding to scenario 1 generally includes the following four steps:

[0026] The material picking step specifically includes: the overhead robot carrying the connecting tooling picks up the material from the loading assembly and places the material (such as the silicon rod bonded to the wafer tray) on the transfer table corresponding to the loading area;

[0027] The loading step specifically includes: the overhead robot and the transfer table corresponding to the loading area move together to the loading position corresponding to the slicer completing the current slicing operation, and complete the loading operation of delivering the material (such as the silicon ingot bonded to the wafer tray) to the cutting area of ​​the slicer;

[0028] The unloading step specifically includes: the overhead robot carrying the connecting tool moves to the unloading position corresponding to the slicer and removes the sliced ​​silicon rod from the slicer;

[0029] The material unloading step specifically includes: the overhead rail robot and the turntable corresponding to the unloading area move together and transport the cut materials (such as sliced ​​silicon rods) and place them on the unloading assembly.

[0030] Scenario 2:

[0031] Only the unloading area is provided with a truss and an opening and closing component that moves on the truss, and both the loading area and the unloading area are equipped with a transfer table, wherein the transfer table corresponding to the loading area can move together with the overhead rail robot, and the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area can move independently (it can also be: only the loading area is provided with a truss and an opening and closing component that moves on the truss, and the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area moves together with the overhead rail robot. It can be understood that those skilled in the art can select appropriate motion paths, motion modes and mechanisms for realizing motion according to actual needs, such as configuring the transfer table corresponding to the unloading table with freely moving wheels, configuring the transfer table with tracks for its movement, etc.) and therefore can cooperate with the truss and opening and closing components configured in the unloading area to complete the transfer tasks corresponding to the unloading area. In this way, the operations corresponding to the slicing production line should include: the overhead robot carries the connecting tooling to clamp the silicon rods containing the crystal trays from the loading assembly, and places the silicon rods on the turntable corresponding to the loading area. The overhead robot and the turntable corresponding to the loading area move together to the slicer (single machine) performing the current slicing operation. The overhead robot clamps one of the silicon rods (the workpiece to be processed for this slicing operation) from the turntable corresponding to the loading area and loads it into the cutting chamber of the slicer. Since the turntable corresponding to the loading area and the overhead robot can move together, more silicon rods can be placed at the loading position (multiple silicon rods can be placed on the turntable corresponding to the loading area), and each slicing operation does not need to include the step of going back to retrieve the material, and thus it is expected to save the time of retrieving and loading the material. After the slicer completes the slicing operation, the overhead robot will place the silicon wafer (cut material) including the crystal tray after unloading from the corresponding slicer on the turntable corresponding to the unloading area (the turntable corresponding to the unloading area has been pre-moved to the position of the slicer that needs to be unloaded through autonomous movement). For example, multiple cut materials can be placed on the turntable corresponding to the unloading area, and then the turntable corresponding to the unloading area reaches the unloading position through autonomous movement. After that, the cut materials are placed from the turntable corresponding to the unloading area to the unloading assembly through the opening and closing assembly walking on the truss.

[0032] The process of any slicing operation in the slicing unit production line corresponding to scenario 2 generally includes the following four steps:

[0033] The material picking step specifically includes: the overhead robot carrying the connecting tooling picks up the material from the loading assembly and places the material (such as the silicon rod bonded to the wafer tray) on the transfer table corresponding to the loading area;

[0034] The loading step specifically includes: the overhead robot and the transfer table corresponding to the loading area move together to the position of the slicer that completes the current slicing operation, and completes the loading operation of delivering the material (such as the silicon ingot bonded to the wafer tray) to the cutting area of ​​the slicer;

[0035] The unloading step specifically includes: the overhead robot carrying the connecting tool moves to the unloading position corresponding to the slicer, and removes the sliced ​​silicon ingot from the slicer (or after removal, the turntable corresponding to the unloading area moves autonomously to the unloading area);

[0036] The material discharge step specifically includes: transporting the cut materials (such as sliced ​​silicon rods) on the turntable corresponding to the material discharge area and placing them on the material discharge assembly through the movement of the opening and closing assembly along the truss.

[0037] Scenario 3:

[0038] In addition to the trusses and the opening and closing components that run on the trusses in the unloading area, the trusses and the opening and closing components that run on the trusses are also provided in the loading area (it can be understood that the structures and arrangements of the trusses and the opening and closing components corresponding to the loading / unloading areas may be the same or different). In addition, the difference between this situation and situation two is that the overhead rail robot and the turntable corresponding to the loading area do not move synchronously. In this way, the turntable corresponding to the loading area can cooperate with the trusses and the opening and closing components provided in the loading area to complete the transfer task in the loading area. That is: in this example, the turntables corresponding to the loading area and the unloading area can realize the movement that is compatible with the group control logic in an autonomous manner. In this way, the operation corresponding to the slicing production line should include: the opening and closing components corresponding to the loading area transfer the silicon rods from the loading assembly to the turntable corresponding to the loading area. At this time, multiple silicon rods can be placed on the turntable corresponding to the loading area to save beats. The turntable corresponding to the loading area moves autonomously to the position of the slicer (single machine) corresponding to the current slicing operation. The overhead robot also moves independently from the turntable corresponding to the loading area to the position of the slicer corresponding to the current slicing operation. The overhead robot then lifts one of the multiple silicon ingots placed on the turntable corresponding to the loading area into the cutting chamber of the slicer. The subsequent movement is similar to the above-mentioned scenario 2 and will not be repeated here.

[0039] The process of any slicing operation in the slicing unit production line corresponding to scenario 3 generally includes the following four steps:

[0040] The material taking step specifically includes: the opening and closing assembly corresponding to the loading area takes the material from the loading assembly by walking along the truss, and places the material (such as the silicon rod bonded to the wafer tray) on the transfer table corresponding to the loading area;

[0041] The loading step specifically includes: the turntable corresponding to the loading area moves autonomously to the position of the slicer that completes the current slicing operation, and the overhead robot carrying the docking tooling also moves relatively independently from the turntable corresponding to the loading area to the position of the slicer that completes the current slicing operation and completes the loading operation of delivering the material (such as the silicon rod bonded to the wafer tray) to the cutting area of ​​the slicer;

[0042] The unloading step specifically includes: the overhead robot carrying the connecting tool moves to the unloading position corresponding to the slicer, and removes the sliced ​​silicon ingot from the slicer (or after removal, the turntable corresponding to the unloading area moves autonomously to the unloading area);

[0043] The material discharge step specifically includes: transporting the cut materials (such as sliced ​​silicon rods) on the turntable corresponding to the material discharge area and placing them on the material discharge assembly through the movement of the opening and closing assembly corresponding to the material discharge area along the truss.

[0044] It is understandable that the above-mentioned overhead robot 31 and opening and closing assembly 33 are only an exemplary description of the transfer mechanism. Those skilled in the art can flexibly adjust the type, number, corresponding transfer path, etc. of the transfer mechanism included in this example according to actual conditions. For example, the loading area is also equipped with an opening and closing assembly that can walk on the truss, or the overhead robot includes two (one between the loading assembly and the unloading assembly, and the other is in the loading area). For example, the transfer operation in the unloading area can also be completed by the overhead robot, such as the overhead robot carrying the connecting tooling to the position of the slicer that needs to be unloaded, and removing the sliced ​​silicon rods (including the silicon wafers on the crystal tray) from the slicer and placing them directly on the unloading assembly or placing them on the unloading assembly via the transfer table.

[0045] In addition, as the scale of unitized production continues to expand, there may be a form such as this: the production line body includes multiple, so that the trusses arranged along the width direction of the production line body can be extended so that multiple production line bodies share a single unloading transfer mechanism. As corresponding to the aforementioned situations two and three, the scale of the slicing unitized production line can be further expanded. Still taking the aforementioned transfer mechanism including the overhead rail robot as an example, the operation of the slicing unitized production line will include the shared operation of the opening and closing components corresponding to the loading / unloading area moving between different production line bodies. Correspondingly, the group control logic corresponding to the slicing unitized production line needs to match the appropriate single machine and the corresponding group control logic for the silicon rods that currently need to be processed in combination with the number of silicon rods that need to be processed, the equipment status of the single machine, the status of the overhead robot, the position / status of the opening and closing components, etc. Based on this, for a single production line body, through the coordination between the overhead robot, the turntable corresponding to the loading area, and the opening and closing components corresponding to the loading area (when the loading area is equipped with an opening and closing component), the silicon rods to be processed are transported from the loading component to a preset target position (such as the target position can be flexibly determined based on the existing logic of the single machine or in combination with the logic of the slicing unitized production line) that can be connected with the single machine that completes the current slicing operation according to the control instructions of the group control logic. When the silicon rods arrive at the target position, the group control logic can reconfirm the status information of the single machine that completes the current slicing operation based on, for example, equipment management information, such as status information including but not limited to running, debugging, maintenance, troubleshooting, and standby. After the overhead robot fails, the loading operation for the current single machine can be achieved by manually loading on the front wall of the cutting room of the single machine instead of the overhead robot as described below. After the current single machine completes the slicing operation on the silicon rods, the coordination between the overhead robot, the transfer table corresponding to the unloading area, and the opening and closing components corresponding to the unloading area will still be used to transport the silicon rods to be processed from the unloading position corresponding to the single machine to the unloading components of the slicing unitized production line according to the control instructions of the group control logic. For multiple production line entities, the group control logic should consider that the opening and closing components shared with other production line entities can be applied to the transfer operations inside the loading / unloading area corresponding to the current production line entity.

[0046] It can be seen that in the entire slicing unitized production line of the present invention, the functional areas mainly include a loading area corresponding to the loading assembly, a slicing area corresponding to multiple single machines, and a unloading area corresponding to the unloading assembly. Based on this, with the help of the overhead rail robot walking on the overhead rail and through the cooperation between the turntable corresponding to the loading / unloading area and the opening and closing assembly corresponding to the loading / unloading area (when the loading / unloading area is equipped with an opening and closing assembly), the transfer of silicon rods between different single machines and between a single machine and the loading / unloading area can be realized. In addition, by extending the frame (such as a truss) of the opening and closing assembly, it is expected that the transfer operation of multiple production line bodies corresponding to the internal loading / unloading area can be realized through one opening and closing assembly.

[0047] In one possible embodiment, the production line is equipped with a docking fixture 4, which can be attached to a robot arm and onto which silicon ingots or wafers, including wafer trays, can be loaded. The docking fixture is primarily used, in conjunction with the robot arm, to move the silicon ingots, including wafer trays, into the cutting area of ​​a single machine for slicing and loading, or to move the silicon wafers, including wafer trays, out of the cutting area of ​​a single machine for slicing and unloading.

[0048] In one possible embodiment, the connection tool 4 includes a tool base 40 as a mounting carrier and a first movable part 41 and a second movable part provided on the tool base, such as a robot arm that can carry the connection tool thereon by cooperating with the tool base. Exemplarily, the tool base is roughly a plate-shaped structure. The first movable part can move along the aforementioned direction of moving in / out from the cutting area of ​​the single machine, thereby driving the silicon rod containing the crystal tray to move along the direction, and the second movable part can form a clamping space for holding the silicon rod containing the crystal tray. In this way, on the basis of the silicon rod containing the crystal tray being held tightly by the second movable part, the first movable part can be used to realize the loading and unloading operation of the silicon rod containing the crystal tray for the single machine.

[0049] In one possible embodiment, the first movable portion 41 generally comprises a strip-like structure arranged along the aforementioned direction of movement into / out of the cutting area of ​​the single machine. The strip-like structure is provided or formed along its length with a docking structure capable of engaging with the wafer tray, thereby securing the first movable portion to the wafer tray's operating end. Exemplarily, the docking structure is a protruding end 411 extending downward from the strip-like structure. The protruding end is capable of engaging with a handle at the rear end of the wafer tray, serving as an operating end, to secure the first movable portion to the wafer tray. Driven by a servo motor, the strip-like structure slides freely within a groove on the wafer tray's upper surface. By manipulating the connecting tooling downwardly or upwardly, the protruding end engages with the handle at the rear end of the wafer tray, thereby clamping the wafer tray, or releasing the engagement, thereby releasing the strip-like structure from the wafer tray. In the present invention, two protruding ends are provided at approximately opposite ends of the strip-like structure.

[0050] For example, the first movable portion includes a first servo motor 412, which drives the strip structure in the direction of movement into / out of the cutting area of ​​the single machine via a first screw-nut mechanism 413. To ensure more stable movement of the first movable portion, a first linear guide (not shown) can be configured on the second movable portion along the direction of the first movable portion. In this example, a first linear guide is configured on each side of the strip structure. Accordingly, a slide groove or slide hole capable of cooperating with the linear guide is provided at the end of the strip structure.

[0051] In one possible embodiment, the second movable part includes a first part 421 and a second part 422 arranged relative to each other, and the workpiece is clamped or loosened by moving the first part and / or the second part in a direction of approaching / moving away from each other. For example, if the second movable part is configured with a second servo motor 423, the second servo motor is connected to a second screw-nut mechanism 424, the screw of the second screw-nut mechanism includes two sections of thread segments with opposite rotation directions, and nuts adapted to the two sections of thread segments with opposite rotation directions are fixed to the first part and the second part respectively. In this way, the two parts can be brought closer / away from each other, thereby achieving the clamping or loosening of the crystal holder. For example, in order to ensure that the approach / away movement between the two clamping parts is more stable, a second linear guide 425 adapted to the second screw-nut mechanism can be configured between the first part and the second part.

[0052] In one possible embodiment, in order to ensure that the two clamping parts can more reliably clamp the silicon rod containing the crystal tray, the first / second parts are formed with a clamping structure on the side close to each other, such as the first / second parts have a vertically arranged clamping plate 426 on the part close to each other, and a plurality of protrusions 427 with a buffering function are provided on the clamping plate. In this way, the reliability of the clamping can be ensured by multi-point clamping. Of course, the protrusions 427 can also be directly fixed to the first part and the second part. As in this example, the first / second part can respectively cooperate with a pair of side portions of the crystal tray to hold the silicon rod containing the crystal tray tightly in the clamping space formed by the first part and the second part. Exemplarily, the clamping plate includes a horizontal part and a vertical part, and the clamping plate is arranged on the inner side of the vertical part. Reinforcement structures such as reinforcing ribs and reinforcing plates are provided between the horizontal part and the vertical part.

[0053] Referring mainly to Figures 5 to 9 , based on the above structure, after the robot delivers the silicon rods (along the length and width directions) to the position (Figure 5), the slicing and loading operation process for the cutting chamber of a single machine mainly includes the following steps:

[0054] S11. The overhead rail robot drives the connecting tooling to move downward, so that the protruding end of the tail end of the strip structure (the right end in FIG5 ) moves downward to hook the handle at the tail end of the wafer support, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the rear end of the strip structure and the silicon rod including the wafer support.

[0055] S12, the first servo motor 412 drives the strip structure to move (extend) toward the cutting chamber, thereby pushing the entire material (including the silicon rods on the wafer tray) out of the interior of the connecting tooling, and allowing the wafer tray to enter the slicer loading guide rail.

[0056] S13. The overhead rail robot drives the connecting tooling to move upward, so that the protruding end of the tail end of the strip structure moves upward and away from the handle at the tail end of the crystal support; the first servo motor 412 drives the strip structure to move toward the connecting tooling (retract), and the overhead rail robot drives the connecting tooling to move downward, so that the protruding end of the front end of the strip structure moves downward so that the protruding end of the front end of the strip structure hooks the handle at the tail end of the crystal support, thereby realizing the fixed connection between the front end of the strip structure and the silicon rod including the crystal support.

[0057] S14, the first servo motor 412 drives the strip structure to move toward the cutting chamber (extend), so that the strip structure moves toward the cutting chamber again (extends again), thereby pushing the entire material into the cutting chamber of the single machine.

[0058] S15. The overhead robot drives the connecting tooling to move upward, so that the protruding end of the front end of the strip structure moves upward and away from the handle at the tail end of the crystal holder; then the first servo motor 412 drives the strip structure to move toward the connecting tooling (retract) to the inside of the connecting tooling.

[0059] Similarly, still based on the above structure, after the robot transports the silicon rod (along the length and width directions) into place (Figure 10), the slicing and unloading operation process of the cutting chamber of a single machine mainly refers to Figures 10 to 14. As shown in the state of Figure 14, the strip structure moves away from the cutting chamber (gradually entering the interior of the connecting tooling), thereby pulling the entire material (including the silicon rod of the crystal support) into the space below the connecting tooling.

[0060] It can be seen that by setting the two protruding ends at the front and rear ends of the strip structure, combined with its cooperation with the crystal holder and the corresponding movement mode, the loading and unloading operations of the cutting chamber of a single machine are reliably realized.

[0061] In one possible embodiment, a rear end loading and unloading port can be set on the rear wall of the cutting chamber (close to the feeding position of the unitized production line), and a rear end automatic loading and unloading door can be configured at a position corresponding to the rear end loading and unloading port, and an automatic loading and unloading auxiliary guide rail is set between the crystal support and the rear end automatic loading and unloading door, and the orientation and structure of the automatic loading and unloading auxiliary guide rail and the crystal support can be adapted (such as the height is roughly the same).

[0062] In one possible embodiment, a front manual loading and unloading door can be provided on the front wall of the cutting chamber, and a manual loading and unloading auxiliary guide rail is provided between the front manual loading and unloading door and the crystal tray, and the orientation and structure of the manual loading and unloading auxiliary guide rail and the crystal tray can be adapted (such as being roughly flush with each other in height). In this way, with the help of a loading trolley or other carrying equipment, the silicon rod containing the crystal tray can be loaded by the forearm through the front manual loading and unloading door and the manual loading and unloading auxiliary guide rail, or the silicon wafer containing the crystal tray can be unloaded after the slicing operation is completed. For example, when the slicer is the smallest unit sold separately, the front manual loading and unloading door can be used to carry out the loading and unloading operation of the slicer that is separated from the slicing unitized production line. In addition, in the event of a loading failure in the slicing unitized production line, the front loading and unloading port can also be used to carry out the loading and unloading operation of the corresponding single slicer.

[0063] It can be seen that, on the one hand, the aforementioned transfer mechanism, loading / unloading components, and connecting fixtures can be connected in series with multiple slicer units in the process to achieve unitization and automation of the slicing operation. On the other hand, the traditional manual loading and unloading operation in the scenario of unitization and automation can also be realized by manual loading and unloading. In this way, the slicer unit used as the basic slicing operation unit in the slicing unitized production line applied by the present invention is expected to be sold as an element of the product constituting the production line, or it can be sold directly or through acceptable adjustments (such as, under the premise of permission, the structural form and configuration orientation of the liquid system, electric control cabinet, liquid supply cylinder, etc. are adjusted to an acceptable degree, such as based on the adjustment, the constraints set for adapting to the unitized production line scenario can be removed to a certain extent, and it can be more friendly adapted to the corresponding stand-alone application scenario) and then sold in the form of an independent stand-alone machine. Therefore, the slicer unit used as the basic slicing operation unit in the slicing unitized production line applied by the present invention can be more friendly adapted to different application scenarios according to actual needs, and has good commercial prospects.

[0064] Example 1:

[0065] Mainly referring to Figure 15, in a possible embodiment, in addition to the aforementioned slicer body 51 (including the frame, etc.), the cutting chamber 52, and the cutting mechanism 53 around which the cutting wire is wound and forms a cutting wire network, the slicer 5 also includes a liquid circuit part and an electronic control part, etc. The liquid circuit part includes a liquid circuit system 54, a liquid supply cylinder 55, and a cutting liquid adding trolley (not shown). The electronic control part mainly includes an electronic control cabinet 57. The main functions of the cutting liquid continuously provided by the liquid circuit system include cooling, lubrication, and removing silicon powder generated at the cutting seam during the slicing operation. For example, in this embodiment, the liquid circuit system includes a separate internal circulation liquid circuit unit 541 and an external circulation liquid circuit unit 542. The electronic control cabinet 57 is divided into two according to low pressure and high pressure (such as respectively recorded as a low-voltage electronic control cabinet 571 and a high-voltage electronic control cabinet 572). The liquid supply cylinder capable of providing and recovering the cutting liquid is arranged in the bottom space of the liquid circuit system.

[0066] In order to adapt to the necessary coordination of the slicer unit, the connecting tooling, and the transfer mechanism required in the aforementioned slicing unit production line, in this embodiment, the liquid circuit system is generally arranged at the rear side of the cutting chamber, and the inner circulation liquid circuit unit and the outer circulation liquid circuit unit are respectively placed at the rear of the cutting chamber and on both sides. The low-voltage electric control cabinet and the high-voltage electric control cabinet are respectively arranged above the inner circulation liquid circuit unit and the outer circulation liquid circuit unit. In this way, the space between the two electric control cabinets can construct the necessary avoidance space for the loading operation from the rear end (near the rear loading and unloading port of the slicer unit) to the front end (near the overhead rail), thereby forming an avoidance space that can ensure the automatic loading and unloading operation of the slicer unit.

[0067] The base of the internal fluid circuit unit rises to reserve space for the fluid supply cylinder, allowing it to be placed underneath the unit. Because the high-voltage control cabinet is heavier than the low-voltage one, the base of the external fluid circuit unit rests directly on the ground. The cutting fluid dosing cart can be located near the external fluid circuit unit.

[0068] It is understandable that, under the premise of ensuring that the slicer can be adapted to the slicing unit production line, those skilled in the art can flexibly adjust the elements of the slicer and the relative positions between the elements according to actual conditions. For example, the slicer can also be (including but not limited to) constructed in the following ways:

[0069] Example 2:

[0070] Referring primarily to Figure 16 , unlike the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the fluid system and electrical control cabinet are located behind and on either side of the cutting chamber, with the fluid supply cylinder positioned between them. This creates a clearing space between the fluid system and the electrical control cabinet, ensuring the automatic loading and unloading of the slicer.

[0071] Example 3:

[0072] Referring primarily to Figure 17 , unlike the second embodiment, in this embodiment, the fluid system and electrical control cabinet are stacked longitudinally to one side of the rear of the cutting chamber of the microtome, with the fluid system positioned below the electrical control cabinet. The fluid supply cylinder is positioned adjacent to the fluid system and electrical control cabinet, with either no or some overlap with the cutting chamber when viewed from the direction of automatic loading and unloading. This allows the fluid supply cylinder, due to its low height, to be positioned without interfering with the necessary clearance space for automatic loading and unloading of the microtome.

[0073] Example 4:

[0074] Referring primarily to Figure 18 , unlike the third embodiment, in this embodiment, the fluid system is positioned to the rear of the cutting chamber of the microtome, and the fluid supply cylinder is positioned adjacent to the fluid system, spatially overlapping the cutting chamber when viewed from the direction of automatic loading and unloading. The electrical control cabinet is positioned below and further behind the cutting chamber (e.g., including but not limited to, further behind the fluid system and fluid supply cylinder, or between two adjacent microtome units). This results in a lower overall height for the relevant structures, ensuring sufficient clearance above the fluid system, electrical control cabinet, and fluid supply cylinder to ensure automatic loading and unloading operations for the microtome.

[0075] It can be seen that in the slicing unitized production line used in the present invention, by making necessary adjustments to the single machine relative to the traditional slicer, it can be better adapted to the slicing unitized production line. Based on this, by configuring a transfer mechanism such as a ceiling rail robot, the connection between the silicon rod containing the crystal tray before slicing and the silicon wafer containing the crystal tray after slicing can be achieved between the loading assembly and the unloading assembly. By configuring the connection tooling, the silicon rod before slicing and the single crystal silicon rod containing the crystal tray after slicing can be flexibly and smoothly connected between the loading assembly, any single machine, and the unloading assembly, and can be switched between different single machines. On this basis, by analyzing the loading and unloading operations of the single machine (such as including the coordination control between the connection tooling, the ceiling rail robot, and the crystal tray), the transfer operations between the single machine and the transfer mechanism (such as including the coordination control between the turntable corresponding to the upper / lowering area, the ceiling rail robot, and the opening and closing components corresponding to the upper / lowering area), and giving the corresponding group control logic, the unitized production of the slicing operation can be achieved. On the basis of the unitization of slicing operations, it is expected to better meet the market development needs of slicing products such as silicon wafers, such as better catering to the development trend of the photovoltaic industry.

[0076] For example, the group control system of the slicing unit production line, including the processing, mainly includes the following functional modules:

[0077] 1) Production task management module: This module is mainly used to implement functions such as issuing, allocating, executing and completing production tasks. For example, after the administrator issues a production task (including information such as task name, task type, and task quantity), the group control system will allocate the task to the available single machine according to the task requirements of the production task and perform operations including picking, loading, slicing, unloading and unloading through the transfer mechanism. That is, the single machine and the transfer mechanism will execute the assigned tasks according to the pre-set group control logic, and thus ensure that the assigned production tasks can be completed smoothly. After the production task is completed, the group control system automatically updates the status of the production task and the equipment status, and provides real-time monitoring of the task progress and equipment status. For example:

[0078] During the slicing operation of a single machine that has completed the current slicing production task, it is determined whether the remaining cutting time corresponding to this slicing operation is less than the scheduled material request time for the next production task. If so, the single machine that has completed the current slicing production task is allowed to be determined as the single machine for performing the next production task.

[0079] When the tool retraction signal of a single machine that has completed the current slicing production task is detected, the state of the single machine can be adjusted to an idle state, and whether it is allowed to be determined as the single machine that has completed the current slicing production task and is determined as the single machine that executes the next production task.

[0080] 2) Location Management Module: This module primarily manages equipment locations, including adding, deleting, modifying, and querying locations. Its primary purpose is to optimize material storage and management. For example, administrators can add new locations and specify attributes such as their name and type. Support for deleting and modifying locations facilitates the maintenance of location information. Optionally, the location management module also provides an interface for administrators to query location information, making it easier to find specific locations.

[0081] 3) Equipment management module: This module is mainly used to manage equipment (single machine), mainly including functions such as adding, deleting, modifying and querying equipment. For example, when the scale of the slicing unit production line is expanded, the administrator can add new equipment (such as including equipment name, equipment type, equipment location, etc.). Similar to the aforementioned location management module, on the basis of supporting equipment deletion and modification operations, it can facilitate the maintenance and updating of equipment information. Optionally, the equipment management module can also provide an interface for administrators to query equipment information so that they can find relevant equipment according to needs.

[0082] 4) Transfer mechanism scheduling module: This module is mainly used to implement task scheduling of the overhead robots, truss manipulators, transfer tables, etc. in the transfer mechanism to optimize the efficiency of robot resource utilization. For example, after the group control system assigns a production task to an overhead robot available in a certain time period based on the equipment conditions, the overhead robot, truss manipulator, and transfer table will complete the material picking, loading, unloading, and placing actions corresponding to this task according to the pre-set group control logic. The module also provides real-time progress monitoring of the task. After the current production task is completed, the system automatically updates the task status. It can also provide accurate task execution records for viewing. For example,

[0083] Mainly referring to FIG. 20( a ), in one possible implementation, a control method for a slicing unitized production line includes the following steps:

[0084] S2001: Obtain a current slicing task. For example, the current slicing task may be a slicing operation for one silicon rod or a slicing operation for multiple silicon rods.

[0085] S2003: Based on the current slicing task, at least one slicer is selected from multiple slicers to perform the current slicing task. For example, based on the task requirements and the equipment status, a single machine that is suitable for the current task can be selected from idle machines. For example, the current slicing task is a slicing operation for a silicon ingot, and the production task specifies that a single machine perform the slicing operation.

[0086] S2005: The overhead robot drives the first / second turntable to operate so as to deliver the workpiece placed on the first / second turntable to / from a position compatible with the slicer; and the docking fixture and the overhead robot operate in coordination so as to deliver the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer. In this example, the task of "delivering the silicon ingot to / from a position compatible with the single machine performing the current slicing task" is accomplished through the coordinated operation of the overhead robot and the first / second turntable, which can move synchronously with it (non-autonomous motion).

[0087] Mainly referring to FIG. 20( b ), in one possible implementation, a control method for a slicing unitized production line includes the following steps:

[0088] S2001: Obtain a current slicing task. For example, the current slicing task may be a slicing operation for one silicon rod or a slicing operation for multiple silicon rods.

[0089] S2003: Based on the current slicing task, at least one slicer is selected from multiple slicers to perform the current slicing task. For example, based on the task requirements and the equipment status, a single machine that is suitable for the current task can be selected from idle machines. For example, the current slicing task is a slicing operation for a silicon ingot, and the production task specifies that a single machine perform the slicing operation.

[0090] S2005. Make the overhead rail robot drive the turntable configured in the loading area / make the turntable configured in the unloading area to operate autonomously, so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the two turntables to / move out the position compatible with the slicer; and make the connecting tooling and the overhead rail robot cooperate to operate, so as to: deliver the workpiece to / move out of the cutting area of ​​the slicer. As in this example, the task of "delivering the silicon rods to / moving them out of the position compatible with the single machine that performs the current slicing task" is accomplished by the coordinated operation of the overhead rail robot and the turntable corresponding to the loading area that can move synchronously with it (non-autonomous movement) and the autonomous operation of the turntable corresponding to the unloading area that can move autonomously. Obviously, the task of "moving the silicon rods out of the position compatible with the single machine that performs the current slicing task" can also be accomplished by the overhead rail robot driving the turntable corresponding to the unloading area to move synchronously.

[0091] Mainly referring to FIG. 20( c ), in one possible implementation, a control method for a slicing unitized production line includes the following steps:

[0092] S2001: Obtain a current slicing task. For example, the current slicing task may be a slicing operation for one silicon rod or a slicing operation for multiple silicon rods.

[0093] S2003: Based on the current slicing task, at least one slicer is selected from multiple slicers to perform the current slicing task. For example, based on the task requirements and the equipment status, a single machine that is suitable for the current task can be selected from idle machines. For example, the current slicing task is a slicing operation for a silicon ingot, and the production task specifies that a single machine perform the slicing operation.

[0094] S2005. Make the turntables corresponding to the loading and unloading areas operate autonomously so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the turntables corresponding to the loading and unloading areas to / from a position compatible with the slicer; and make the docking fixture and the overhead robot operate in coordination so as to: deliver the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer. In this example, the task of "delivering the silicon rod to / from a position compatible with the single machine performing the current slicing task" is accomplished by the coordinated operation of the overhead robot and two turntables that can move relatively independently (autonomously) with it. Obviously, the corresponding delivery or removal tasks can also be accomplished by the synchronous movement of the overhead robot and the turntable.

[0095] Mainly referring to FIG. 20( d ), in one possible implementation, a control method for a slicing unitized production line includes the following steps:

[0096] S2001: Obtain a current slicing task. For example, the current slicing task may be a slicing operation for one silicon rod or a slicing operation for multiple silicon rods.

[0097] S2003: Based on the current slicing task, at least one slicer is selected from multiple slicers to perform the current slicing task. For example, based on the task requirements and the equipment status, a single machine that is suitable for the current task can be selected from idle machines. For example, the current slicing task is a slicing operation for a silicon ingot, and the production task specifies that a single machine perform the slicing operation.

[0098] S2005. Make the overhead rail robot drive the turntable corresponding to the loading platform to operate and make the truss manipulator shared by the unloading area of ​​multiple (such as two) production line bodies cooperate with the turntable corresponding to the unloading platform to operate, so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the turntable to / from the position compatible with the slicer; and make the connecting tooling and the overhead rail robot cooperate to operate, so as to: deliver the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer. As in this example, the task of "delivering the silicon rod to the position compatible with the single machine performing the current slicing task" is completed by the coordinated operation of the overhead rail robot and the turntable that can move synchronously with it (non-autonomous movement). Obviously, it can also be completed by the autonomous movement of the turntable. In addition, truss manipulators can be configured in both the loading and unloading areas. The truss manipulator can be shared by multiple production line bodies or configured separately for one production line body.

[0099] The following takes the selection of two adjacent single machines to execute the first two created slicing tasks (task #1 and task #2) as an example to illustrate the control method of the slicing unit production line applied by the present invention.

[0100] Mainly referring to FIG. 21 , in one possible implementation, a control method for a slicing unitized production line mainly includes the following steps:

[0101] S2101. Select the two oldest created slicing tasks (referred to as Task 1 and Task 2) from among the created slicing tasks as the current slicing tasks. Obviously, this is merely an exemplary description, and those skilled in the art may select a configuration method for the current slicing tasks based on actual circumstances. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may determine the specific forms of Task 1 and Task 2 based on actual circumstances. For example, the specifications of the silicon rods corresponding to Task 1 and Task 2 may be the same or different, and the processing of the silicon rods for Task 1 and Task 2 may be subject to restrictions such as time periods or designated single machines.

[0102] S2103: Determine whether the slicing unit production line can meet the conditions for executing Task 1# and Task 2# simultaneously. If so, proceed to S2105; if not, proceed to S2107. For example, based on the existing inventory situation of the slicing unit production line (such as whether a single machine is idle, running, or faulty, and the collaborative status of the transfer mechanism), as well as other limitations and requirements that Task 1# and Task 2# must meet when executing, determine whether Task 1# and Task 2# can be executed simultaneously.

[0103] S2105. Select two of the multiple stand-alone machines in the slicing unit production line as the stand-alone machines to perform the current slicing task. Based on this, the slicing operations for Task 1 and Task 2 are completed based on the cooperation between the aforementioned transfer mechanism, transfer table, and connecting tooling. For example, the stand-alone machines that can perform the current slicing task include idle and fault-free slicers, slicers that have issued a retraction signal (the last slicing job has been completed and can continue to join the current slicing job), and slicers whose remaining cutting time is less than the pre-call time (the ongoing slicing job is close to completion. When the slicing job for the current slicing task enters the pre-call preparation stage, it can be scheduled to continue to join the slicing job for the current slicing task). Of course, this is a theoretically feasible state. For example, if there are no other additional conditions for Task 1 and Task 2 and the selection logic is random selection, these three types of stand-alone machines can all be selected as the stand-alone machines corresponding to the current slicing job. Obviously, those skilled in the art can add, for example, no other additional conditions for Task 1 and Task 2, specify specific selection logic, etc. according to actual needs. For example, there is a relative position limitation between the two stand-alone machines corresponding to task #1 and task #2.

[0104] S2107. Change the currently executed task to only execute task 1#, and adjust task 2# to the task to be executed, and complete it at a later time according to the subsequent execution logic. In this example, after changing the currently executed task to only execute task 1#, task 2# is simply adjusted to be executed later. The later execution method may include but is not limited to: the single machine corresponding to task 1# executes task 2# after completing task 1#; if there is a new task that can be executed in the slicing unit production line, first determine whether task 2# can be executed; group task 2# with other tasks and determine whether they can be executed simultaneously according to the logic above.

[0105] It should be noted that although the above embodiments describe the various steps in a specific order, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in order to achieve the effects of the present invention, the different steps do not necessarily have to be performed in this order. They can be performed simultaneously or in another order, and some steps can be added, replaced, or omitted. For example, after determining the single machine that will perform the current slicing task, the device status of the single machine is confirmed.

[0106] It should be noted that although the control method for a slicing unit production line constructed in the above specific manner is described as an example, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to this. In fact, users can flexibly adjust the relevant steps and parameters in the steps according to actual application scenarios. For example, when tasks 1# and 2# cannot be executed simultaneously, the current task can be replaced with tasks 1# and 3#, and the determination of whether tasks 1# and 3# can be continued; etc.

[0107] Thus far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A slicer, characterized in that: The slicer includes: a slicer body, which forms a cutting chamber; a liquid circuit part; and an electric control part; wherein the liquid circuit part and the electric control part are arranged outside the cutting chamber, and the liquid circuit part and the electric control part are arranged in a manner that enables the slicer to construct an avoidance space so that: a workpiece can be loaded and / or unloaded through the avoidance space.

2. The slicer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic control part includes a first electronic control cabinet and a second electronic control cabinet, and the first electronic control cabinet and the second electronic control cabinet are centrally arranged or separately arranged. The liquid circuit part includes a liquid supply cylinder and a liquid circuit system, and the liquid circuit system includes a first liquid circuit unit and a second liquid circuit unit, and the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit are centrally arranged or separately arranged. Preferably, the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit are respectively disposed on both sides of the cutting chamber, and the first electronic control cabinet and the second electronic control cabinet are respectively disposed above the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit, so that: the avoidance space is formed between the first electronic control cabinet and the second electronic control cabinet; preferably, a reserved space is formed below the first liquid circuit unit, and the liquid supply cylinder is disposed in the reserved space; preferably, the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit are centrally arranged to form a first component, and the first electronic control cabinet and the second electronic control cabinet are centrally arranged to form a second component, and the first component and the second component are separately disposed on both sides of the cutting chamber and thus the avoidance space is formed between the two; preferably, the liquid supply cylinder is disposed in the between the second component and the second component; preferably, the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit are centrally arranged to form a first component, the first electric control cabinet and the second electric control cabinet are centrally arranged to form a second component, the first component and the second component are longitudinally stacked on one side of the cutting room along the loading and unloading direction of the workpiece, and thus the open avoidance space is formed between the cutting room and the one side; preferably, the liquid supply cylinder is arranged on the side of the structure formed by the longitudinal stacking of the first component and the second component, and is projected toward the cutting room along the loading and unloading direction of the workpiece, and the cutting room and the liquid supply cylinder overlap at least partially; preferably, the first liquid circuit unit and the second liquid circuit unit are centrally arranged to form a first component, the first electric control cabinet and the second electric control cabinet are centrally arranged to form a second component, the first component is arranged on one side of the cutting room along the loading and unloading direction of the workpiece, the second component and / or the liquid supply cylinder are movably configured in the cutting room, and thus the open avoidance space is formed above the first component.

3. A slicing unit production line, characterized in that: The production line includes: at least one production line body; at least one slicer according to claim 1 or 2, which is configured in the production line body; and a transfer mechanism, which can carry workpieces and at least deliver the workpieces to / from the slicer through the avoidance space, wherein the transfer mechanism includes one or more of an overhead robot, a ground robot, a truss manipulator, an AGV, an RGV, and an opening and closing component. Preferably, the transfer mechanism includes at least one overhead robot, which can at least carry workpieces and deliver the workpieces to and / or move them out of the slicer through the avoidance space.

4. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The production line body is configured with a loading component and a unloading component, and the transfer mechanism can move between a loading area corresponding to the loading component and a unloading area corresponding to the unloading component; and / or the transfer mechanism can move within the loading area and / or the unloading area.

5. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism can move toward or away from the slicer at a certain position between the loading area and the unloading area; and / or the transfer mechanism can move toward or away from the slicer along the vertical direction.

6. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main body of the production line is provided with a connecting fixture, which can be arranged on the transfer mechanism, and the workpiece can be carried on the connecting fixture, and the connecting fixture comprises: a first movable part, which can move in a direction approaching / moving away from the cutting chamber of the slicer, and the first movable part is provided with at least one docking structure capable of fixing the first movable part to the workpiece; a carrying part, which can carry the workpiece, so that: when the workpiece is carried on the carrying part, the carrying part and the workpiece move with the movement of the first movable part; preferably, the carrying part comprises a second movable part, and the second movable part comprises a first part and a second part, and the first part and the second part can generate relative movement in a direction approaching / moving away from each other so as to hold the workpiece; a fixture base, and the first movable part is arranged on the fixture base.

7. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 6, characterized in that: The workpiece is mounted on a crystal tray, and the docking structure can cooperate with the crystal tray to thereby achieve fixed connection between the workpiece and the first movable part; the crystal tray includes an operating end, and the docking structure can be fixedly connected to the crystal tray by extending into the operating end; preferably, the first movable part is a strip structure, and a plurality of the docking structures are arranged on the strip structure along its length direction, the strip structure has a first end and a second end, the strip structure is provided with the docking structure at the first end or near the first end, and the strip structure is provided with the docking structure at the second end or near the second end.

8. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connection tooling includes: a first driving component, which can drive the first movable part to move in a manner close to / away from the cutting chamber; preferably, the first driving component drives the first movable part to move in a manner close to / away from the cutting chamber through the first screw and nut mechanism; a second driving component, which can drive the first part and / or the second part to move; preferably, the screw of the second screw and nut mechanism has two threaded sections with opposite rotation directions, and the second driving component can drive the first part and the second part to move in a manner close to / away from each other through the second screw and nut mechanism.

9. The slicing unitized production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism includes: a loading transfer mechanism, which can at least transfer the workpiece in the loading area to / away from the slicer; and / or a unloading transfer mechanism, which can at least transfer the workpiece in the unloading area to / away from the slicer; preferably, the production line body is equipped with a transfer table, and the overhead rail robot can deliver the workpiece to / from the transfer table; and / or the loading transfer mechanism and / or the unloading transfer mechanism can deliver the workpiece to / from the transfer table; preferably, the transfer table can be set at the The loading area and / or the unloading area; preferably, the transfer table is movably arranged on the production line body; preferably, the loading transfer mechanism and / or the unloading transfer mechanism include an opening and closing component, and the opening and closing component can clamp and transfer the workpiece; preferably, the loading transfer mechanism and / or the unloading transfer mechanism include a frame, and the opening and closing component can move along the frame, wherein, in the case that the production line body includes multiple bodies, the opening and closing component can switch between different production line bodies through its movement along the frame.

10. A control method for a slicing unitized production line according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that: The slicing unitized production line includes a production line body, the production line body includes a transfer mechanism and a plurality of slicers, and the control method includes: obtaining a current slicing task; selecting at least one slicer to perform the current slicing task from the plurality of slicers according to the current slicing task; at least operating the transfer mechanism so as to: deliver / move a workpiece to / from a position adapted to the at least one slicer; wherein the transfer mechanism includes one or more of an overhead rail robot, a ground rail robot, a truss manipulator, an AGV, an RGV, and an opening and closing component; Preferably, the main body of the production line is equipped with a loading assembly and a unloading assembly and includes a transfer mechanism, a connection tool and a plurality of slicers. The transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot, a first transfer table arranged in a loading area corresponding to the loading component, and a second transfer table arranged in a unloading area corresponding to the unloading component. The ceiling rail robot can move between the loading area corresponding to the loading component and the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, and can move in the loading area and / or the unloading area. Accordingly, the control method includes: obtaining a current slicing task; selecting at least one slicer to perform the current slicing task from the multiple slicers according to the current slicing task; enabling the ceiling rail robot to drive the first transfer table and / or the second transfer table to operate, so as to: deliver / move the workpiece placed on the first transfer table and / or the second transfer table to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer; enabling the connection tooling and the ceiling rail robot to cooperate in operation, so as to: deliver / move the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer; or The transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot, a truss manipulator, and two transfer tables respectively arranged in a loading area corresponding to the loading component and arranged in a unloading area corresponding to the unloading component. One of the loading area and the unloading area is equipped with the truss manipulator and can move in the loading area or the unloading area corresponding to it. The ceiling rail robot can move between the loading area corresponding to the loading component and the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component and can move in the loading area or the unloading area not equipped with the truss manipulator. Accordingly, the control method includes: obtaining the current slicing task ; According to the current slicing task, at least one slicer that performs the current slicing task is selected from the multiple slicers; the overhead rail robot drives the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area that is not equipped with the truss manipulator to operate and / or the truss manipulator cooperates with the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area equipped with the truss manipulator to operate, so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the corresponding turntable to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer; the connection tooling and the overhead rail robot cooperate to operate, so as to: deliver the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer; or The transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot, two turntables respectively arranged in the loading area corresponding to the loading component and in the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, and two truss manipulators. The ceiling rail robot can move between the loading area corresponding to the loading component and the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, and the truss manipulator can move in the loading area or the unloading area corresponding to it. Accordingly, the control method includes: obtaining a current slicing task; according to the current slicing task, selecting at least one slicer to perform the current slicing task from the multiple slicers; operating the ceiling rail robot and / or operating the turntable corresponding to the loading area or the unloading area and / or operating the truss manipulator in cooperation with the turntable in the corresponding loading area or the unloading area, so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the corresponding turntable to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer; operating the connection tooling and the ceiling rail robot in cooperation, so as to: deliver the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer; or The transfer mechanism includes a ceiling rail robot, two transfer tables respectively arranged at a loading area corresponding to the loading assembly and arranged at a unloading area corresponding to the unloading assembly, and a truss manipulator arranged at the loading table and / or the unloading table. The overhead rail robot can move between a loading area corresponding to the loading component and a unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, and can move in the loading area or the unloading area without the truss manipulator. At least one of the truss manipulators arranged on the loading platform and / or the unloading platform can move between at least two of the multiple production line bodies. Accordingly, the control method includes: obtaining a current slicing task; selecting at least one slicer to perform the current slicing task from the multiple slicers according to the current slicing task; enabling the overhead rail machine A person drives the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area which is not equipped with the truss robot to operate; and / or the truss robot is made to cooperate with the turntable of the loading area and / or the unloading area which is equipped with the truss robot to operate; and / or the truss robot is made to move between at least two of the multiple production line bodies, so as to: deliver / move the workpiece placed on the corresponding turntable to / from the position compatible with the at least one slicer; and the connecting tooling and the overhead rail robot are made to cooperate to: deliver / move the workpiece to / from the cutting area of ​​the slicer.

11. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The "determining at least one slicer from the multiple slicers to execute the current slicing task based on the current slicing task" includes: selecting multiple created slicing tasks as the current slicing task; determining whether the multiple created slicing tasks can be performed simultaneously; if so, determining multiple slicers from the multiple slicers to execute the current slicing task.

12. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The "determining whether multiple created slicing tasks can be performed simultaneously" includes: if not, reselecting the current slicing task or taking at least one of the selected multiple created slicing tasks as the current slicing task; determining a slicer from the multiple slicers to execute the current slicing task.

13. The control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The "determining the slicer that executes the current slicing task from the multiple slicers" includes: during the slicing operation of the slicer, judging whether the remaining cutting time is less than the estimated material calling time; if so, allowing the slicer to be determined as the slicer that executes the current slicing task.

14. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The "determining the slicer that executes the current slicing task from the multiple slicers" includes: during the slicing operation of the slicer, determining whether the slicer sends a retract signal; if so, allowing the slicer to be determined as the slicer that executes the current slicing task.

15. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The connecting tooling includes a first movable part, on which at least one docking structure is arranged. The "cooperation of the connecting tooling and the overhead rail robot so as to deliver the workpiece to / move it out of the cutting area of ​​the slicer" includes: fixing the docking structure to the workpiece, and moving the first movable part in a direction approaching / moving away from the cutting chamber of the slicer, so as to deliver the workpiece to / move it out of the cutting area of ​​the slicer.

16. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The microtome can form an escape space, through which a workpiece located at a position adapted to the at least one microtome can be loaded and / or unloaded from a cutting zone of the microtome.

17. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The "causing the overhead rail robot to drive the first turntable and / or the second turntable to operate so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the first turntable and / or the second turntable to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer" includes: causing the overhead rail robot to drive the first turntable and / or the second turntable to operate so as to: before slicing the workpiece, deliver the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading component to the position compatible with the at least one slicer; and / or after slicing the workpiece, move the workpiece from the position compatible with the at least one slicer to the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, Preferably, before the step of "before slicing the workpiece, delivering the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading assembly to the position adapted to the at least one slicer", the control method includes: causing the overhead rail robot to operate in the loading area so as to: transfer the workpiece from the loading assembly to the first transfer table of the loading area; Preferably, after the step of "after slicing the workpiece, moving the workpiece from a position adapted to the at least one slicer to a material unloading area corresponding to the material unloading component", the control method includes: at least moving the transfer mechanism in the material unloading area so as to: transfer the workpiece from the second transfer table in the material unloading area to the material unloading component.

18. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The aforementioned "causing the overhead rail robot to drive the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area which is not equipped with the truss manipulator to operate and / or causing the truss manipulator to cooperate with the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area which is equipped with the truss manipulator to operate so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the corresponding turntable to / from the position compatible with the at least one slicer" includes: causing the overhead rail robot to drive the turntable of the loading area or the unloading area which is not equipped with the truss manipulator to operate so as to: before slicing the workpiece, deliver the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading component to the position compatible with the at least one slicer; and / or after slicing the workpiece, move the workpiece from the position compatible with the at least one slicer to the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, Preferably, before the step of "before slicing the workpiece, delivering the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading assembly to the position adapted to the at least one slicer", the control method comprises: in the case where the loading area is not equipped with the truss manipulator, at least causing the overhead robot to move in the loading area; in the case where the loading area is equipped with the truss manipulator, at least causing the truss manipulator to move in the loading area, so as to: transfer the workpiece from the loading assembly to the first transfer table of the loading area; Preferably, after the step of "after slicing the workpiece, moving the workpiece from a position adapted to the at least one slicer to a material unloading area corresponding to a material unloading assembly", the control method comprises: when the material unloading area is not provided with the truss manipulator, at least moving the overhead rail robot within the material unloading area; and when the material unloading area is provided with the truss manipulator, at least moving the truss manipulator within the material unloading area, so as to: transfer the workpiece from the second turntable of the material unloading area to the material unloading assembly.

19. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The "operating the overhead rail robot and / or the operating the turntable corresponding to the loading area or the unloading area and / or the operating the truss manipulator in cooperation with the turntable corresponding to the loading area or the unloading area, so as to: deliver the workpiece placed on the corresponding turntable to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer" includes: operating the turntable corresponding to the loading area or the unloading area or operating the overhead rail robot to drive the turntable corresponding to the loading area or the unloading area to operate, so as to: before slicing the workpiece, deliver the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading component to the position compatible with the at least one slicer; and / or after slicing the workpiece, move the workpiece from the position compatible with the at least one slicer to the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component, Preferably, before the step of "before slicing the workpiece, delivering the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading assembly to the position compatible with the at least one slicer", the control method includes: coordinating the turntable and the truss robot corresponding to the loading area to: transfer the workpiece from the loading assembly to the turntable in the loading area. Preferably, after the step of "after slicing the workpiece, moving the workpiece from a position adapted to the at least one slicer to a material unloading area corresponding to a material unloading component", the control method includes: coordinating the turntable and the truss robot corresponding to the material unloading area so as to: transfer the workpiece from the turntable in the material unloading area to the material unloading component.

20. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The "causing the overhead rail robot to drive the transfer table of the loading area or the unloading area not equipped with the truss manipulator to operate; and / or causing the truss manipulator to cooperate with the transfer table of the loading area and / or the unloading area equipped with the truss manipulator to operate; and / or causing the truss manipulator to move between at least two of the multiple production line bodies, so as to: deliver / move out the workpiece placed on the corresponding transfer table to / from a position compatible with the at least one slicer" includes: causing the transfer table corresponding to the loading area to operate or the overhead rail robot to drive the transfer table corresponding to the loading area to operate, so as to: before slicing the workpiece, deliver the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading component to the position compatible with the at least one slicer; and / or after slicing the workpiece, move the workpiece from the position compatible with the at least one slicer to the unloading area corresponding to the unloading component; Preferably, before the step of "before slicing the workpiece, delivering the workpiece from the loading area corresponding to the loading assembly to the position adapted to the at least one slicer", the control method includes: enabling the overhead rail robot to move in the loading area; or enabling the truss manipulator to cooperate with the transfer table corresponding to the loading area to: transfer the workpiece from the loading assembly to the transfer table of the loading area; wherein the truss manipulator can move between at least two of the plurality of production line bodies; Preferably, after the step of "after slicing the workpiece, moving the workpiece from a position adapted to the at least one slicer to a material unloading area corresponding to a material unloading component", the control method includes: enabling the overhead rail robot to move in the material loading area; or enabling the truss manipulator to cooperate with a turntable corresponding to the material loading area so as to: transfer the workpiece from the turntable in the material unloading area to the material unloading component; wherein the truss manipulator is capable of moving between at least two of the multiple production line bodies.

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