Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

• Most Popular Articles

  • Top Stories 2008 – Power Generation – the good, the bad, and the efficiency
  • Acciona’s Portuguese PV plant may be big, but one of the numbers just doesn’t add up
  • Top Stories 2008 - Thin Film – orders, gigawatts and growth
  • Top Stories 2008 – Cell Processing – efficiency is the name of the game!
  • 1GW solar power plant planned in China

• Editor's Picks

  • Top stories 2008 – Materials – could UMG be the answer?
  • Massive 168% photovoltaic module overcapacity to cause pricing collapse in 2009
  • Solar Santa: Ohio doles out millions in development dollars to local PV companies
  • Recession, what recession? Cavalcade of solar PV, renewable investments total billions in a day
  • Total taps into Konarka with US$45 million investment & R&D pact

• Latest Videos

  • Canadian Solar VP Robert Patterson talks Umg Si product lines - 150MW-plus in 2009
  • Delivering gasses for rapid growth in the PV Industry - Linde Electronics
  • Secrets of turnkey PV Module lines with Spire CEO Roger Little
  • Large area thin-film modules approach scale manufacturing with Applied Materials and Signet Solar
  • A passion for solar change: Anton Milner, Q-Cells CEO - exclusive interview

Product Briefing Outline: Adept Technology has launched its ‘Adept Quattro’ s650 robot that comes with a Bernoulli gripper. The new system integrates high resolution inspection with high speed solar cell handling. The Quattro robot is claimed to be the world’s fastest robot with over 200 systems sold worldwide. The Bernoulli gripper combined with the Quattro robot creates an effective method for manipulating solar cells without the potential for product damage.

Problem: Automating solar cell inspection has proven to be an effective way to increase yields and reduce in-process scrap. Integrating inspection with automated handling is the next step in improving production efficiencies and continuing the trend towards lower cost solar cells.

Solution: The Adept Quattro s650 parallel robot is specifically designed for high-speed manufacturing, packaging, material handling and assembly. It is the only robot in the world that features a unique four-arm rotational platform designed for maximum speed, maximum acceleration and exceptional performance across the entire work envelope, according to the company. Additionally, the powerful embedded amplifiers and compact controls make installation easy and enable saved workspace.

Applications: High-speed manufacturing, packaging, material handling and assembly.

Platform: 4 parallel arms with a rotational platform design for high speeds. 2 kg rated payload. High-efficiency motors deliver high performance with more torque per amp.
Embedded ‘SmartServo’ controls. Large 1300 mm work envelope. Maximum of 500mm Z stroke. High-resolution encoders provide high precision and superior slow-speed following.

Availability: July 2008 onwards.