Inventors:
Bernard D. Jones - Amherst NH, US
Eric de Rivera - W. Boylston MA, US
Alleppey V. Hariharan - Nashua NH, US
Steven T. Slavsky - Natick MA, US
Thomas S. McGee - Concord NH, US
David W. Lackey - Concord NH, US
Thomas N. Kirchner - Londonderry NH, US
Assignee:
G.T. Equipment Technologies, Inc. - Merrimack NH
International Classification:
B23P 1900
B23P 2100
H01P 1100
H01L 3118
US Classification:
136244, 136256, 136293, 438 80, 438 64, 438 66, 438 98, 29729, 29730, 29711, 29714, 29564, 295641, 295642, 1983461
Abstract:
A machine for the automated assembly of wafers such as solar cells into strings, comprising a control system, a cell loader with wafer inspection station, a cell tab loader, a string assembly station, and a platen with adjacent pairs of individual cell, opposing edge grippers having multiple sets of vertically operable pincer action fingers for holding cells in string alignment during soldering. The string assembly station has a cooperating cell support and tab tail support mechanism providing for a tab tail hand off from one to the other with a platen indexing movements of cell pitch distance. The platen moves from the string assembly station through a soldering station consisting of a preheat, soldering, and cooling zones spaced a cell pitch distance apart. A string unloader moves completed strings through a string inspection station placing strings in a good or bad string holding area.