Equipment for the logistics of slab-shaped articles comprising one supplying plane of at least one slab-shaped article; one robotic gripping group of the slab-shaped article; a (tangible) movement component/unit/device/machine (or the like) of the gripping group along one direction of movement; a plurality of temporary storage stations of the slab-shaped article; one supporting frame of the slab-shaped article supported as an integral part to the movement component/unit/device/machine; and one unloading station of the supporting frame; wherein the gripping group is adapted to: take the slab-shaped article from the supplying plane; place the slab-shaped article on one of the storage stations; and take the slab-shaped article from one of the storage stations to place it on the supporting frame.

A system for handling sheets of flexible material. The system comprises a first roller (5.2) which comprises a plurality of first releasable connectors (3.2) and a second roller (5.3) which comprises a plurality of second releasable connectors. The system further comprises an array of third releasable connectors (2.1) which is displaceable between at least the first and second rollers (5.2, 5.3). The first, second and third releasable connectors releasably attach to a sheet of flexible material in use.

A substrate transfer device includes a substrate holder and a base to which the substrate holder is movably attached. The substrate holder includes first and second suction holes provided to be open in a placing surface, first and second protrusions disposed respectively in the first and second suction holes, and first and second supports provided respectively in the vicinity of the first and second suction holes so as to protrude upward from the placing surface. The first protrusion is pressed by a first elastic member toward an upward direction to protrude from the first suction hole such that the first protrusion blocks the first suction hole, and the second protrusion is pressed by a second elastic member toward an upward direction to protrude from the second suction hole such that the second protrusion blocks the second suction hole.

Provided is an apparatus for transporting articles that can effectively treat numerous articles. The apparatus for transporting articles comprises: a frame; a first transport mounting portion connected to the frame and configured to support a first-class article from below; a second transport mounting portion connected to the frame, disposed over the first transport mounting portion and configured to support the first-class article from below; a third transport mounting portion connected to the frame, disposed over the second transport mounting portion and configured to support a second-class article different from the first-class article from below. The first transport mounting portion operates independently of the second and third transport mounting portions, and the second transport mounting portion and the third transport mounting portion operate simultaneously.

Provided is a substrate transferring method which is capable of accurately mounting a substrate at a desired rotation angle. In order to eliminate a misalignment of a wafer W in a rotational direction in a vacuum process chamber, which is caused by a variation in a transfer distance of the wafer W, the wafer W is mounted on a stage while being offset from the center of the stage in a load lock chamber and an angle of rotation of the wafer W with respect to a fork when a transfer arm receives the wafer W is changed.

The present invention discloses a material integrating device, which comprises a material transferring mechanism, an integrating mechanism and a conveying mechanism that are linked to a control system signal, wherein the material transferring mechanism is used to place the material to be integrated on the integrating mechanism and transfer the integrated material to the conveying mechanism, a vacuum adsorption platform is installed on a manipulator and is used to adsorb materials; the integrating mechanism comprises a vacuum negative pressure worktable, an angle adjusting platform and an electric push rod, the angle adjusting platform is slidably provided on the top surface of the vacuum negative pressure worktable and is located on the side of the material to be integrated, and the electric push rod is used to push the material to be integrated to be level; and the conveying mechanism comprises a conveyor belt for placing the integrated material.

End effectors and methods for gripping a curvilinear sheet of material are disclosed herein. The curvilinear sheet of material defines a first sheet side having a curvilinear first side topography and a second sheet side having a curvilinear second side topography. The end effector includes a negative mating shaped first sheet-engaging surface configured to operatively support the first sheet side and having a curvilinear first sheet-engaging surface topography that corresponds to the curvilinear first side topography. The end effector also includes a second sheet-engaging surface configured to operatively support the second sheet side and having a curvilinear appropriately mating negative shaped second sheet-engaging surface topography that corresponds to the curvilinear second side topography. The end effector further includes an actuation mechanism configured to selectively transition the end effector between an open orientation and a gripping (converging) orientation. The methods include methods of utilizing the end effectors.

Embodiments herein generally relate to inspection systems for substrates or wafers for solar cell applications. The inspection system is configured to analyze substrates or wafers for chips, cracks, and other defects. The system includes conveyor apparatuses, and the conveyor apparatuses include one or more conveyor elements. The conveyor elements are configured to transport rectangular wafers having a width between about 175 mm to about 250 mm. The conveyor elements include a first conveyor belt and second conveyor belt to transport the substrates. The spacing of the belts reduces vibrations of the substrate edge.

A diagnostic system of a substrate transfer hand including a base part coupled to a hand tip portion of a robot arm and a substrate holding part coupled to the base part to hold a substrate, includes a camera which is secured to the base part and takes an image of the substrate holding part; and a diagnostic device which obtains image information of the image taken by the camera and diagnoses normality of the substrate holding part based on the image information.

Provided is a substrate holding device that inhibits drop in holding accuracy of a substrate. A Bernoulli chucking pad suctions and holds a front surface or a back surface of a substrate S. A position determiner 54 is capable of pushing the substrate S in contact with a side surface 82 of the substrate S, and positioning the suctioned substrate S. A pin 66 enables the position determiner 54 to come in contact with the side surface 82 of the substrate S. The pin 66 brings the position determiner 54 into contact with the side surface 82 of the substrate S, and the position determiner 54 thereby positions the substrate S.