Cooling and Trimming Laminated PV Panels

Two robot cells serviced panels from a single laminate curing oven.

The robot end-effector featured two different work surfaces. The top side of the forked gripper had a rubberized surface. Because the laminate panel was still warm, it could warp. The top side surface was used to cradle the panel for transfer to the cooling rack. The bottom side featured vacuum cups to securely maneuver cooled panels in front of the vertically oriented trim head.

The trim head system featured automatic blade exchange, sourced from a magazine. The magazine was in the robot cell to accommodate refills without stopping cell operation. Sensors were utilized to identify the position of the edges of the laminate. During trimming operations, the robot moved the panel against the stationary blade.