ASSEMBLY METHOD AND PLANT OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL OF THE BACK-CONTACT TYPE, WITH PRINTING ON THE CELLS COMBINED WITH LOADING AND PRE-FIXING

Abstract

Assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with back-contact solar cells of crystalline silicon, which provides to print ECA adhesive directly on the contacts of the cells and to immediately load and pre-fix the printed cells. The method includes a macro-phase including operating sub-phases, simultaneous and coordinated with respect to each other: a first sub-phase of oriented loading of the cells with the contacts facing upwards on a mobile tray, a second sub-phase of silkscreen printing of ECA on the contacts, a third sub-phase of control of the laying carried out and of optional re-positioning of the screen, a fourth sub-phase of overturning of the printed cells, a fifth sub-phase of oriented transport of a string of cells up to positioning, a sixth sub-phase of pre-fixing. An automatic assembly plant is also disclosed having a combined station that allows for execution of the macro-phase.

Claims

1. Automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, comprising the following operating phases: horizontal positioning on a panel-holding tray of a conductive backsheet provided with an encapsulating layer with dielectric material and with the contacting holes of the cells facing upwards, which is also called BCBS; laying of conductive material between the cell and the holes, such as an ECA conductive adhesive; loading of the cells on said BCBS positioning them with the sensitive face thereof facing upwards and with contacts of both polarities in correspondence of the contacting holes; pre-fixing of the cells to the lower encapsulating material; superimposition of the upper encapsulating layer; laying of the front glass; overturning of the layered components and sending to the rolling furnace; said method wherein said laying of conductive material occurs directly on the cell, in correspondence of the back contacts, by means of printing; said method wherein said pre-fixing occurs by applying localised heat and in combination with said loading phase, simultaneously and in a coordinated way with respect to each other; said method being characterised in that said laying of conductive material takes place in a macro-phase of printing on cells with loading and pre-fixing of the printed cells, which includes the simultaneous and reciprocally coordinated execution of the following operating sub-phases: a first sub-phase of oriented loading of the cells with the contacts facing upwards on a mobile cell-holding tray, a second sub-phase of silkscreen printing of conductive adhesive on said contacts obtaining printed cells, a third sub-phase of control of the laying of said conductive adhesive on each cell and optional re-positioning of the printing screen or stencil for an automatic correction of the following printing, a fourth sub-phase of overturning of said printed cells picking them from said cell-holding tray, a fifth sub-phase of oriented transport of the printed cells until their positioning on the surface of said BCBS, a sixth sub-phase of pre-fixing to the underlying encapsulating layer; said macro-phase being carried out in one single combined workstation of the multifunction, compact and automated type; said macro-phase being carried out immediately after said phase of positioning of the BCBS and immediately before said phase of superimpositionof the upper encapsulating layer.

2. Automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, wherein said sub-phases of said macro-phase are carried out as follows: said first sub-phase wherein by means of an apparatus provided with a vacuum picking hand, in combination with a vision system, each cell is picked and is arranged in an oriented way with the back contacts facing upwards, on a cell-holding tray provided with vacuum restraint processing areas that moves horizontally with a regular and controlled pace according to the width of the cell and to the planned inter-cell distance; said second sub-phase, wherein by means of a silkscreen printer conductive material of the ECA type is laid in correspondence of said back contacts of each cell; said third sub-phase, wherein by means of a vision system one controls the actual laying of said ECA on the contacts of each cell and, as a consequence, optional corrections are provided to orient the printing screen or stencil; said fourth sub-phase, wherein by means of an overturning element with vacuum picking the printed cells are overturned, avoiding said ECA, and wherein at the end said cell-holding tray goes back into the service of said first sub-phase; said fifth sub-phase, wherein by means of at least one vacuum picking apparatus that is mobile in a Cartesian portal with a longitudinal and a transverse sliding axis, and coordinated with a vision system and a PLC control, a string of printed and overturned cells is picked from above and is roto-translated orienting it until laying it on said BCBS in such a way as to centre the electrical contacts in alignment with the other cells; said sixth sub-phase, wherein by means of heating elements autonomously mobile on said Cartesian portal, pressure and localised heat are applied from the top downwards on at least one cell portion.

3. Automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, wherein said macro-phase is simultaneously repeated several times, such as duplicated or triplicated, in such a way as to print, load and pre-fix the printed cells according to a subdivision of the panel into adjacent sectors, reducing the cycle time.

4. Automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, wherein in order to obtain a panel of the glass-glass type, as an alternative to said BCBS on said panel-holding tray one initially places a back glass on which one superimposes, before passing to said macro-phase, a back encapsulating layer with a conductive layer, dielectric material and contacting holes.

5. Combined station of printing on cells, loading and pre-fixing, for an automatic assembly plant of photovoltaic panels with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, mounted on a conductive backsheet provided with an encapsulating layer with dielectric material and with the contacting holes of the cells facing upwards, which is also called BCBS; said combined station being for an automatic plant comprising of automated workstations, adjacent to each other and arranged in line to be crossed by a panel-holding tray wherein said assembly occurs from the bottom upwards, that is to say, starting from the back and with the front side facing upwards; said combined station being characterised in that it prints ECA conductive material on the contacts of the cells facing upwards, and immediately overturns said printed cells and transports them oriented and grouped like a string until positioning them on said BCBS, prefixing them to the underlying encapsulating layer; and wherein said printing on cells and said loading with pre-fixing of the string are carried out simultaneously by reciprocally coordinated means, operating in a functional combination like an automated, compact and multifunction operating unit; said means comprising at least: means for loading said cells in an oriented way on a cell-holding tray with vacuum processing areas; means for the flat translation of said cell-holding tray, in a regular-paced way, holding each cell in position; means for printing said ECA on the contacts of the cells facing upwards; means for transforming the orientation of the cell, and optionally correcting the following printing; means for overturning the just printed cells; means for loading in the final position the printed and overturned cells, which are intended to pick a string of cells, transport it in an oriented way and lay it on said BCBS in transit on said panel-holding tray; means for pre-fixing said string in the final position; means for controlling the positioning of the cells; means for translating the panel-holding tray through said combined station, in such a way as to cross the stroke of the above-mentioned means for loading and pre-fixing the string of cells; electronic vision and control means for managing said combined station in an integrated way.

6. Combined station of printing on cells, loading and pre-fixing, according to claim 5, the previous clams, wherein: said means for loading the cells include a robot having at least one vacuum picking hand that picks from the containers, orients and lays the cells with the contacts facing upwards, combined with a vision system; said means for translating the cell-holding tray include a handling system with a regular and controlled pace according to the width of the cell and to the inter-cell distance, and wherein said tray comprises vacuum processing areas in which the cells are positioned oriented and held, returning it after the printing and the overturning of the cell or series of cells; said printing means include a flat silkscreen printer that lays a predetermined amount of ECA in the positions required by the contacts of each cell, according to the layout of said printing screen or stencil that is oriented according to the instructions as in the vision means, and wherein said cell is translated with a regular pace with said tray under said screen, held by an own vacuum processing area, and up to the end of the stroke, in such a way as to complete a string; said means for controlling the actual laying of conductive adhesive include a vision system with automated optical inspection or AOI that controls the actual position of the ECA laying on the contacts of said cell on the tray and, depending on said position, gives optional corrections to the screen for a better orientation for a following printing; said means for overturning the cells include an overturning element provided with a vacuum picking apparatus shaped in such a way as to overturn the cells without interfering with said just printed ECA, forming a string with the contacts oriented depending on the following laying and freeing the cell-holding tray that returns; said means for loading a string of cells include an apparatus of the vacuum picking hand type on a Cartesian portal, which picks it from above and transports it by roto-translation on a longitudinal and a transverse movement axis, orienting it to centre the contacting points and superimposing said contacts of the cell, with printed ECA, on said holes of the lower encapsulating layer, in alignment with the other strings; said means for pre-fixing said string include a presser-heater mounted on an own transverse movement axis in said Cartesian portal being provided with heating elements that apply localised and controlled heat from the top downwards on at least one portion of each cell; said means for translating a panel-holding tray include flat horizontal handling through said combined station, crossing said loading and pre-fixing means at the end of their stroke; means for managing the combined station including a centralized control and management system of all said functions in an integrated way, of the industrial PLC type.

7. Combined station of printing on cells, loading and pre-fixing, according to claim 5, wherein in order to obtain a panel of the glass-glass type, as an alternative to said BCBS, in said first station one initially places a back glass on which one superimposes, before passing to said combined station, a back encapsulating layer with a conductive layer and a dielectric layer provided with contacting holes.

8. Automatic assembly plant for photovoltaic panels with back-contact photovoltaic cells of crystalline silicon, intended to assemble each panel on a panel-holding tray that transits through the different workstations of the plant, progressively superimposing the components of the panel from the bottom upwards, that is to say, starting from the back and with the front side facing upwards; said automatic plant comprising of automated workstations, adjacent to each other and arranged in line to be crossed by said panel-holding tray; said automatic plant comprising: a first station wherein on said panel-holding tray one initially places a conductive backsheet provided with an encapsulating layer with dielectric material and with the contacting holes of the cells facing upwards, which is also called BCBS; and wherein means for the automatic check of the positioning of the BCBS on the panel-holding tray are also provided; a station wherein the conductive material, of the ECA type, is laid; a station wherein on said BCBS one loads said cells depending on the position of the BCBS and one immediately joins them to the lower encapsulating layer applying heat and pressure from above, like in pre-fixing; a station wherein an upper encapsulating layer is then superimposed on said cells; a station wherein the front glass is then superimposed; a station wherein an overturning element overturns the so layered panel, for sending to the final rolling; said automatic plant, according to claim 5, being characterised in that the station in which the conductive material of the ECA type is laid and the station in which on said BCBS one loads said cells and one immediately joins them to the lower encapsulating layer like in prefixing, are combined in one single multifunction, compact and automated station, which is called combined station and prints said ECA directly on each cell obtaining printed cells and also loads and pre-fixes said printed cells; and wherein said combined station is interposed between said first station of the plant and the station in which the upper encapsulating layer is superimposed, like a second station; and wherein in said combined station one simultaneously executes, in a reciprocally coordinated way, at least: the oriented loading of the cells with the contacts facing upwards on a cell-holding tray, the silkscreen printing of said ECA on said contacts, the control of the ECA laying with optional re-positioning of the printing screen or stencil, the overturning of the printed cells, the oriented transport of said printed cells grouped like a string until positioning them on said conductive backsheet, with immediate pre-fixing to the underlying encapsulating layer.

9. Automatic assembly plant for photovoltaic panels according to claim 8, wherein in order to obtain a panel of the glass-glass type, as an alternative to said BCBS in said first station one initially places a back glass on which one superimposes, before passing to said combined station, a back encapsulating layer with a conductive layer and a dielectric layer (provided with contacting holes.

10. Automatic assembly plant for photovoltaic panels according to claim 8, wherein said combined station is repeated several times in line, such as duplicated or triplicated, executing the related assembly operations by sectors, in a partial and combined way.

Description

CONTENT OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIGS. 1a and 1b are schematic sections of the layers of modern photovoltaic panels with a back-contact architecture, according to the prior art; respectively, said sections refer to a panel with a conductive backsheet provided with an encapsulating and dielectric layer (310) (FIG. 1a), with the contacting holes (309) of the cells facing upwards, or to a panel of the glass-glass type where an encapsulating layer, a conductive layer and a dielectric layer with holes are superimposed on the back glass (FIG. 1b), respectively.

[0054] FIG. 2 schematically shows the assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with a back-contact architecture according to the known art, as for example in EP3090449 (Baccini et al.), with a phase of laying of the ECA conductive material in the contacting holes of the backsheet and a different phase of loading and pre-fixing of the cells.

[0055] FIG. 3 schematically shows the assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with a back-contact architecture according to the present invention, wherein the laying of said ECA is combined with said loading with pre-fixing of the cells, by silkscreen printing the conductive material on the contacts of the cell and immediately loading the printed cells according to a macro-phase (11) that provides operating sub-phases (11a-11f) which are simultaneous and coordinated with respect to each other.

[0056] FIGS. 4a and 4b are orthogonal views of the automatic plant according to the invention, in an X-X longitudinal section (FIG. 4a) and in a plan view (FIG. 4b), respectively, wherein the combined station (S2) in which said macro-phase (11) is carried out is included in a hatched rectangle, as in the following FIGS. 5a and 5b.

[0057] FIGS. 5a and 5b are orthogonal views of said combined station (S2), in a Y-Y longitudinal section (FIG. 5a) and in a plan view (FIG. 5b), respectively.

[0058] FIGS. 6a and 6b are enlarged orthogonal views of an embodiment variant of the invention, in a Z-Z longitudinal section (FIG. 6a) and in a plan view (FIG. 6b), respectively, wherein the vision system combined with the robot, for the oriented loading of the cells, is below the picking hand, being directed from the bottom upwards, and wherein an overturning means is also provided, which comprises independent zones for facilitating the picking up of the single cells and for forming an aligned string.

DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0059] With reference to the figures (FIGS. 3, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) as well, an advantageous assembly method (10) with the related production equipment is described, that is to say, an automatic plant (20) which comprises a particular combined workstation (S2), for photovoltaic panels (300) with back-contact solar cells (303) of crystalline silicon. The invention provides a progressive layering of the components on a mobile tray starting from the back of the panel, that is to say, with the front glass facing upwards, wherein in said workstation (S2) said ECA conductive adhesive (304) is printed on the contacts of the cells (303) obtaining printed cells, and said printed cells are simultaneously loaded and pre-fixed on a particular conductive backsheet, called BCBS (310), which is already provided with the lower encapsulating layer with dielectric material and contacting holes.

[0060] The present invention provides great versatility of use, it being particularly suitable for panels of the type with a conductive backsheet (300a), but it also allows to advantageously obtain panels of the glass-glass type (300b); in that case, as an alternative to said backsheet, the back glass (315) of the panel is initially positioned on the tray, on which the back encapsulating layer (314) with a conductive layer (313) and a dielectric layer (312) with holes (309) is conventionally superimposed. See, for example, the prior art drawing tables (FIGS. 1a, 1b).

[0061] The solution proposed by the invention (FIGS. 3,4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) solves both the intrinsic difficulties in the laying of the conductive material into the contacting holes (309) of the back encapsulating layer, and the execution difficulties found in said conventional solutions of cell printing, reducing wastes and considerably simplifying production, with greater speed and lower industrial costs. In particular, there is provided to assemble the panel (300, 300a, 300b) starting from the back, printing ECA on the cells (303) arranged with the contacts upwards, automatically controlling said laying with a special vision system from above and immediately overturning them in such a way as to load them easily from above, that is to say, with the contacts facing downwards, by means of automated picking and control equipment that roto-translates in a Cartesian portal (208-211), and also in such a way as to facilitate the centring of the contacting points and allow, in the same Cartesian portal, to immediately pre-fix said cells, preventing any translation or rotation after laying.

[0062] In particular, the assembly method (10) and the equipment, that is to say, the plant (20, S2) according to the present invention are advantageously integrated in automated production processes of the type described in the mentioned documents ITTV2012A000211 (Baccini et al.) and EP3090449 (Baccini et al.). In more detail, the invention provides to obtain cells printed with ECA and, simultaneously, it provides to load them on a tray where said conductive backsheet (310, 300a) or, optionally, said back glass (312-315, 300b), passes. For example, said conductive backsheet (310) can advantageously be of the type called BCBS, described in said document ITTV2012A000211 (Baccini et al.); furthermore, the encapsulating layer with dielectric material can advantageously be of the type called Stack, described in ITVI2012A000133 (Baccini et al.).

[0063] Furthermore, an advantageous combined station (S2) is provided wherein, besides loading and pre-fixing the cells as already provided in EP3090449 (Baccini et al.), immediately before said loading and pre-fixing, and in combination therewith, said ECA is printed on the contacts of each cell and the printed cells are immediately overturned, in such a way as to be able to transport them grouped in strings, in an oriented way, until loading them with the contacts facing downwards and centring said holes (309), and immediately pre-fixing them to the encapsulating layer (305). In this way, it is possible to completely eliminate the conventional phase of laying of the conductive material by jet-dispensing on the contacts of the backsheet, and the related workstation; moreover, it is possible to integrate the known cell printing solution with the advantageous solution of loading with pre-fixing, without storage or long transfers or complex carousels or any large-sized separate working units, carrying out said printing, said loading and said pre-fixing simultaneously, in a reciprocally coordinated way, in one single compact and automated combined workstation (S2), where the various functions are integrated.

[0064] Therefore, in the description the following terms and acronyms have the following meanings: [0065] backsheet: supporting and closing sheet that is placed at the back of the panel; [0066] conductive backsheet: backsheet for cells of the back-contact type, which integrates the electrical circuits which realize the electrical connection in series of the solar cells placed thereon; [0067] BCBS: a particular conductive backsheet with an integrated encapsulating and dielectric layer, as a semi-finished composite and multi-function element, which industrially simplifies the assembly of the panels with a back-contact architecture; [0068] back-contact: photovoltaic cells having the contacts with both positive and negative electrical polarity placed at the back, as a consequence also the panels comprising such cells are defined as back-contact panels; [0069] Stack: a multi-layer semi-finished element, in a coil, made up of two layers of encapsulating material, in particular of the thermoplastic type in the present invention, with an interposed dielectric layer; said multi-layer element being holed in correspondence of the electrical contacts. For the purpose of the present invention, as an alternative one can also use an equivalent solution of the single-layer and multifunction type, which combines the adhesive and encapsulating function with the dielectric insulating function, for example by means of a film polymer particularly charged with materials with dielectric characteristics to perform such functions.

[0070] In order to point out the advantages of the present invention with respect to the known solutions, in the following said automatic assembly method (100) proposed in EP3090449 (Baccini et al.) as in the prior art table (FIG. 2) is summarized as an example, which comprises the following operating steps (101-106): [0071] horizontal positioning (101) on a panel-holding tray (330) of a conductive backsheet (307-308, 310, 300a) provided with an encapsulating layer with dielectric material (305) and with the holes for the contacting (309) of the cells (303) facing upwards, which is also known as BCBS; [0072] drop-by-drop laying (102) of conductive material (304) on the holes (309) of the BCBS; [0073] loading (103) of the cells (303) on said BCBS, positioning them with the sensitive face facing upwards and with the contacts of both polarities in correspondence of said holes (309), with immediate pre-fixing to the lower encapsulating material; [0074] superimposition (104) of the upper encapsulating layer (302); [0075] laying (105) of the front glass (301);

[0076] overturning of the layered components (106) and sending to the rolling furnace.

[0077] The innovative automatic assembly method (10) as in the present invention (FIG. 3), in place of the conventional laying by jet dispensing of ECA (102) onto the holes (309) of the BCBS (310), proposes to silkscreen print ECA directly on the contacts of the cells and also proposes to perform said printing simultaneously to said loading and pre-fixing phase (103), in a functional combination, that is to say, in a coordinated way with respect to each other, in one single compact and automated workstation; therefore, to this purpose, the proposed method (10) provides one single new macro-phase (11) of printing on the cell, loading and pre-fixing, which replaces said two phases of jet dispensing on the holes (102) and of loading with pre-fixing (103). From an operating point of view, this new macro-phase (11) provides the simultaneous and coordinated execution of the following operating sub-phases (11a-11f): [0078] a first sub-phase (11a) of oriented loading of the cells with the contacts facing upwards on a cell-holding tray; [0079] a second sub-phase (11b) of silkscreen printing of the conductive adhesive on said contacts of each cell; [0080] a third sub-phase (11c) of control of the laying of ECA by means of an automatic vision system, with optional re-positioning of the printing screen; [0081] a fourth sub-phase (11d) of overturning of the printed cells by picking them from said cell-holding tray; [0082] a fifth sub-phase (11e) of oriented transport of the printed cells until their positioning on the surface of said BCBS (310); [0083] a sixth sub-phase (11f) of pre-fixing.
Therefore, such a macro-phase (11) advantageously takes place immediately after said phase of positioning of the conductive backsheet (101) and immediately before said phase of superimposition (104) of the upper encapsulating layer.

[0084] The innovative sequence (11a-11f) proposed, as in the new macro-phase (11), can be entirely executed in one single combined (that is to say, multifunction) workstation (S2), of the compact and automated type, in such a way that the whole automatic plant (20) that industrially produces said panels (300, 300a-300b) is simplified, with a remarkable reduction in production costs and times, as well as with greater precision, that is to say, less likelihood of error. Moreover, it is possible to increase in an easy and advantageous way the production capacity of the whole assembly plant (20), with growing scalability, by simply duplicating or triplicating said combined station (S2), particularly dedicating to different and successive portions of the photovoltaic panel in transit the assembly phases carried out by each combined station.

[0085] In more detail, it is provided that said sub-phases (11a-11f) are performed as follows: [0086] first sub-phase (11a): by means of an apparatus provided with a vacuum picking hand (203) one picks and arranges in an oriented way the cell (303) with the back contacts facing upwards on a cell-holding tray (202) provided with vacuum restraint processing areas, which moves horizontally with a regular pace (200, 220) according to the width of the cell and to the final inter-cell distance. The orientation of the cell is carried out thanks to the controlled rotation of the wrist of the picking arm of the cell depending on the control of the actual position of the cell in said picking hand, by means of a vision system (204, 204a) combined with it, that is to say, coupled or anyway coordinated; [0087] second sub-phase (11b): by means of a silkscreen printer conductive material of the ECA type is laid in correspondence of said back contacts of each cell; [0088] third sub-phase (11c): by means of an automatic vision system (206) one controls the actual laying of said ECA on the contacts of the cell and one obtains the optional corrections for a better orientation of the printing screen or stencil, like an adjustment or automatic calibration of the following printing; [0089] fourth sub-phase (11d): by means of an overturning element (207, 207a) with vacuum picking the printed cells are overturned, avoiding said ECA, and wherein at the end said cell-holding tray (203) goes back into the service of said first sub-phase (11a). [0090] fifth sub-phase (11e): by means of at least one vacuum picking apparatus (212), which is mobile in a Cartesian portal (208) according to a longitudinal (209) and a transverse (210) sliding axis, with a vision system and a PLC control, a string (320) of printed and overturned cells (303) is picked from above and is roto-translated orienting it depending on the position of said BCBS (310) on the tray (330) until laying it on the BCBS, in such a way as to centre the electrical contacts on the holes (309) in alignment with the other cells (303) or strings (320). [0091] sixth sub-phase (11f): by means of mobile heating elements that are mounted on said Cartesian portal, localised heat is applied from the top downwards on at least one cell portion, in such a way as to fix all the cells in their final position, immediately after said printing and said loading, that is to say, before handling the tray to superimpose the upper encapsulating layer thereon, preventing any movement or rotation of the cells. Said heating elements can be coupled with said picking apparatus (212) or, preferably in order to reduce assembly times, it is advantageous to separate them from it, thus providing a second device (213) that moves on the same guides of the previous Cartesian portal (208-209) along the transverse axis (211), likewise but in an autonomous and complementary way with respect to the other (210, 212).

[0092] The invention allows to overturn and handle the cells (303) individually, one at a time, but in the preferred embodiment they are grouped in linear series, like strings (320), with greater production efficiency and alignment precision. In such a configuration, the first four sub-phases (11a-11d) are repeated, upon translation of the cell-holding tray (202), a number of times equal to the number of cells constituting a string or vertical column of the photovoltaic panel; preferably, 10 times in case of a panel made up of 60 cells arranged on 6 columns, or 12 times in case of a panel made up of 72 cells arranged on 6 columns.

[0093] According to the invention said macro-phase (11) is entirely executable by means of a particular combined station (S2) of printing on cells, loading and pre-fixing (FIGS. 5a-5b), which is included in an advantageous automatic assembly plant (20) consisting of automated workstations (S1-S5) (FIGS. 4a, 4b), adjacent to each other and arranged in line to be crossed by a panel-holding tray (330) wherein said assembly occurs from the bottom upwards, that is to say, starting from the back, with the front side (311) facing upwards. Said combined station (304) prints ECA conductive material (S2) on the contacts of the cells (303) facing upwards, and immediately overturns the printed cells and transports them oriented and grouped like a string (320) until positioning them on said BCBS (310, 300a), or on said back glass (312-315, 300b), pre-fixing them to the underlying encapsulating layer; in particular, said printing on cells and said loading with pre-fixing are carried out simultaneously by coordinated means (200-215), operating in a functional combination like an automated, compact and multifunction operating unit.

[0094] In more detail, said means (200-215) (FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) are at least: [0095] means for loading said cells in an oriented way on a cell-holding tray (202) with vacuum processing areas, with a robot (203) having at least one vacuum picking hand that picks up from the containers (201), orients and lays said cells with the contacts facing upwards, being assisted by a vision system (204) directed from the top downwards, for example coupled with said robot. In an embodiment variant (FIG. 6a) it can be advantageous to provide a vision system (204a) that is always coordinated with said robot (203) but is placed below the picking hand, that is to say, directed from the bottom upwards, as explained in the following; [0096] means for the flat translation of said cell-holding tray (202), holding each cell in an oriented position, with a handling system (200, 220) having a regular pace according to the width of the cell (303) and to the inter-cell distance, wherein said tray (202) comprises said vacuum processing areas in which the cells (303) are positioned oriented and held, returning it after the printing and the overturning of the cell; [0097] means for printing said ECA on the contacts of the cells (303) facing upwards, with a flat silkscreen printer (205) that lays a predetermined amount of ECA in the positions required by the contacts of each cell (303), according to the layout of said printing screen or stencil that is oriented and calibrated according to the instructions obtained from the vision means (204, 206), and wherein said cell is translated with a regular pace with said tray (202) under said screen, held by an own vacuum processing area, and up to the end of the stroke in such a way as to complete a string (320); [0098] means for controlling the laying of ECA on the contacts of the cell, with a vision system (206) with automated optical inspection or AOI that controls from above the actual position of the ECA laying on the contacts of said cell (303) on the tray (202) and, depending on said position, gives optional corrections to the printing screen so that it is suitably oriented in the following printing thanks to suitably controlled and feedback movements of the screen itself; [0099] means for overturning the just printed cells, with an overturning element (207) provided with a vacuum picking apparatus shaped in such a way as to overturn (221) the cells without interfering with said just printed ECA, forming a string (320) with the contacts facing downwards and oriented depending on the following laying and freeing the cell-holding tray (203) that returns to the initial position. In an embodiment variant (FIG. 6b), said overturning element has independent restraint zones (207a); [0100] means for loading (208-210, 212) in the final position the printed and overturned cells, which are intended to pick a string of cells (320), transport it in an oriented way and lay it onto said BCBS (310) in transit and which has stopped on said panel-holding tray (330), with a first mobile device (210, 212) of the vacuum picking hand (212) type mounted on an own transverse movement axis (210) in a Cartesian portal (208-210) that picks the string (320) from above by means of coordinated vacuum-operated devices of the known type, for instance Bernoulli or Venturi effect, picking the cells on the front. The string (320), that is to say, the set of cells, is thus transported by roto-translating it on a longitudinal (209) and a transverse (210) movement axis, orienting it to centre the contacting points, that is to say, superimposing said contacts of the cell (303), with printed ECA, flat on said holes (309) of the lower encapsulating layer and in alignment with the other strings (320); [0101] means for pre-fixing (208-209, 211, 213) said string (320), with a second mobile device (211, 213) of the presser type (213) mounted on an own transverse movement axis (211) in said Cartesian portal (208-209) and provided with heating elements, which apply controlled and localised heat, applied from the top downwards on at least one portion of each cell (303). It can be observed that said second device (211, 213) and said first device (210, 212) are coordinated and complementary with respect to each other, preferably mounted on the same guides, being preferably of the type described in EP3090449 (Baccini et al.); [0102] opto-electronic means for controlling the positioning of the cells; [0103] means for translating (214) the panel-holding tray (300) through said combined station (S2, 331-332), in such a way as to cross the stroke (222) of the above-mentioned means for loading and pre-fixing the string of cells (208-213), said means for translating a panel-holding tray (214), with flat horizontal movement through said combined station (S2), crossing said loading and pre-fixing means (208-213) at the end of their stroke; [0104] electronic control means for managing said combined station (S2), with a centralized system for the control and management of all said functions of the station (S2), of the industrial PLC type, which is also integrated with the control system that manages the whole plant (20, S1-S5), and comprising the conventional safety and warning systems.

[0105] Therefore, the automatic plant (20) according to the invention (FIGS. 4a, 4b) consists of: [0106] a first station (S1), wherein on said panel-holding tray (301) one initially places a conductive backsheet (307-308, 310, 300a) provided with an encapsulating layer with dielectric material (305) and with the contacting holes (309) of the cells (303) facing upwards, which is also called BCBS; [0107] a combined station (S2), which acts as a second multifunction station, of the compact and automated type as described above, wherein ECA is printed on the cells and the string of just printed cells is also loaded and pre-fixed, said printing on the cell, said loading and said pre-fixing being in combination, that is to say, simultaneous and coordinated with respect to each other; [0108] a station (S3) wherein first of all the correct arrangement of the cells is checked and wherein on said cells an upper encapsulating layer (302), preferably unrolled and cut to size from a coil (332), is then superimposed; [0109] a station (S4) wherein the front glass (301) is then superimposed; [0110] a station (S5) wherein an overturning element (333) overturns the so layered panel (300a), to then send it to final rolling.

[0111] In an embodiment variant of the invention not represented in the figures, in order to increase productivity, there is provided to double or triple said means for loading in the final position the printed cells (210, 212) and/or pre-fixing them (211, 213), arranging multiple combined stations (S2) adjacent and in line, each of them acting on different and successive portions of the same panel. For example, in case of two combined (S2) and successive stations, the first one will be dedicated to the positioning of the first half of the cells on the left half of the panel while the second combined station will be dedicated to the positioning of the second half of the cells, on the right half of the panel. In case of three combined (S2) and successive stations, the first one will be dedicated to the positioning of the first third of the cells on the left portion of the panel while the second combined station will be dedicated to the positioning of the second third of the cells on the intermediate portion of the panel and, finally, the third combined station will be dedicated to the positioning of the last third of the cells on the right portion of the panel.

[0112] Therefore, the proposed solution allows for great versatility of use, depending on production requirements and/or on the configuration of the product to be assembled; for example, it is possible to process and handle the cells individually or jointly, grouped in linear series, preferably with strings of 10 or 12 cells for the conventional panels with 60 and 72 cells, respectively. Moreover, the adopted silkscreen printing solution allows to apply on the cell any type of ECA by silkscreen printing, such as the adhesives based on epoxy resins or the adhesives based on silicones.

[0113] Furthermore, the invention allows to realize some configurations that can improve the efficiency and/or the precision of said sub-phases, anyway maintaining the sequential logic of the above-described method (10, 11, 11a-11f). For example, in an advantageous embodiment variant (FIGS. 6a, 6b), for said oriented loading of the cells (11a), a vision system (204a) is provided that, in a disjointed combination, but coordinated with respect to said robot (203), is placed below the picking hand to be directed from the bottom upwards, with less likelihood of interference and/or of obstacle to movements. Or, for said overturning (11d), a particular overturning element (207a) is provided, having independent zones that ensure the correct picking of every single cell and facilitate the formation of a perfectly aligned string.

[0114] To conclude, the proposed assembly method (10, 11, 11a-11f) (FIG. 3), with the production plant (20) (FIGS. 4a, 4b) and the related combined station (S2) (FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) described above, allow to solve in an industrially advantageous way, according to the established aims, the known difficulties in the laying of ECA in the contacting holes (309) of the encapsulating layer and also to solve the operating problems found in the known solutions of printing on cells, reducing wastes and considerably simplifying production, optimizing the transfers between different working processes and reducing assembly times, with smaller overall dimensions and lower plant complexity. In particular, it is provided to assemble the panel starting from the back, that is to say, with the front glass facing upwards, in such a way that in one single compact and automated workstation it is possible to easily carry out the flat silkscreen printing on the cells arranged with the contacts facing upwards and then it is immediately possible, in a simultaneous and coordinated way, to overturn them when they are already printed and load them from above on the tray in transit, with the contacts facing downwards, by means of an automated picking and control apparatus that translates them orthogonally on a Cartesian portal.

[0115] It was also experimentally observed that such a combined solution (10, 20, S2), wherein said printing (205) and overturning (207, 207a) devices operate simultaneously to the loading and pre-fixing (210-213), being integrated in a Cartesian portal (208-209, 214-215, 220-222, 231-232), provides greater efficiency, control and management simplicity with respect to the conventional robotic arms that handle the cells individually and over long paths, from one separate working unit to another, also providing greater repeatability and possibility of functional integration.

REFERENCE

[0116] (10) automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, with printing of ECA on the cells in combination with their loading and pre-fixing on the back encapsulating layer, according to the present invention; [0117] (100) automatic assembly method of a photovoltaic panel with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, starting from a conductive backsheet with an encapsulating layer wherein the cells are loaded and pre-fixed, according to the prior art as for example in EP3090449 (Baccini et al.) and ITTV2012A000211 (Baccini et al.): (101) operating phase of horizontal positioning of a conductive backsheet BCBS on a panel-holding tray with the holes facing upwards, (102) operating phase of laying of the conductive material in the holes, (103) operating phase of loading of the cells on the backsheet with the sensitive face facing upwards and with the contacts in correspondence of said holes, in combination with the pre-fixing of the cells to the lower encapsulating layer, (104) operating phase of superimposition of the upper encapsulating layer, (105) operating phase of laying of the front glass; [0118] (106) operating phase of overturning of the layered panel; [0119] (11) operating macro-phase of printing on cells with loading and pre-fixing of the printed cells, according to the present invention, consisting of the following operating sub-phases (11a-11f): a first sub-phase (11a) of oriented loading of the cells with the contacts facing upwards on a cell-holding tray, a second sub-phase (11b) of silkscreen printing of the ECA conductive adhesive on said contacts, a third sub-phase (11c) of control of the laying of ECA and of optional re-positioning, that is to say, correction of the orientation of the printing screen or stencil, a fourth sub-phase (11d) of overturning, a fifth sub-phase (11e) of oriented transport up to positioning, a sixth sub-phase (11f) of pre-fixing; [0120] (20) automatic assembly plant of a photovoltaic panel with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, according to the present invention, consisting of five workstations (S1-5) aligned in a consequential way and crossed by the panel-holding tray; [0121] (200) handling system with regular and controlled pace according to the width of the cell and to the inter-cell distance; [0122] (201) containers of cells; [0123] (202) cell-holding tray with vacuum processing areas; [0124] (203) robot with at least one vacuum picking hand; [0125] (204) vision system for the alignment of the cells on the cell-holding tray, that is to say, for orientation, in joint combination with said robot being directed from the top downwards; (204a) embodiment variant in which said vision system is directed from the bottom upwards, in disjointed combination but coordinated with respect to the robot; [0126] (205) flat silkscreen printer of ECA; [0127] (206) vision system with automated optical inspection or AOI for check of ECA laying, after printing; [0128] (207) overturning element provided with a vacuum picking apparatus that does not interfere with said just printed ECA, forming a string of cells oriented according to the following laying. (207a) embodiment variant in which said overturning element has independent zones, one per cell; [0129] (208-213) Cartesian portal, with a frame structure (208) that supports a longitudinal (209) and a transverse movement axis (210, 211) like motorized tracks where a first picking device (212) slides for the transport and the oriented loading of the cells, of the automatic pneumatic vacuum handler type, and a second device of pre-fixing of the cells (213), of the presser-heater type intended for localised heating and for position holding, moving in the same portal above the panel-holding tray in transit; [0130] (214) means for handling the panel-holding tray in transit; [0131] (215) supporting structure for printing and overturning the cells, which is integrated in the Cartesian portal where the printed cells are loaded and pre-fixed; [0132] (216) floor; [0133] (220) longitudinal translation of the cell-holding tray; [0134] (221) overturning of the printed cells; [0135] (222) longitudinal translation of the loading and pre-fixing devices; [0136] (230) start of assembly, on an empty panel-holding tray: [0137] (231) entrance in the combined station of the tray in transit; [0138] (232) exit from the combined station of the tray in transit; [0139] (233) end of assembly, with exit of the panel overturned for rolling; [0140] (300) photovoltaic panel with back-contact cells of crystalline silicon, for example in the configuration with a conductive backsheet (300a) or in the glass-glass configuration (300b); [0141] (301) front glass; [0142] (302) upper thermoplastic encapsulating layer; [0143] (303) photovoltaic cells of the back-contact type; [0144] (304) conductive material such as an ECA adhesive;

[0145] (305) lower thermoplastic encapsulating layer with dielectric material; [0146] (306) conductive metal layer that electrically connects the photovoltaic cells; [0147] (307) protective layer; [0148] (308) conductive backsheet; [0149] (309) contacting holes of the cells; [0150] (310) single-piece conductive backsheet, which is also called BCBS, provided with a layer of thermoplastic encapsulating material with dielectric material and contacting holes of the cells facing upwards; [0151] (311) front side facing the sun; [0152] (312) dielectric layer; [0153] (313) conductive layer; [0154] (314) back encapsulating layer; [0155] (315) back glass; [0156] (320) string of printed cells; [0157] (330) panel-holding tray; [0158] (331) re-circulated empty tray going back; [0159] (332) roller or coil; [0160] (333) overturning element of the layered panel, for sending to rolling; [0161] (S1-5) workstations of the automatic assembly plant, according to the present invention; the first station (S1) is of positioning of a conductive backsheet on the panel-holding tray, the second station is an innovative combined station (S2) of printing on cells, loading and pre-fixing of the printed cells, the third station (S3) is of superimposition of the upper encapsulating layer, the fourth station (S4) is of superimposition of the front glass (304), the fifth station (S5) is of overturning of the panel for the purpose of the final rolling.