Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for the rapid transport of glass sheets between different manufacturing stations in a spacious manufacturing plant for producing photovoltaic elements, wherein said manufacturing plant is subject to clean room conditions, comprising the following features: a) a freely movable mounting for conveying a lifting portal, b) at least one vertical lifting carriage for vertically transporting a glass sheet by means of a telescoping jack plate, wherein said plate can be extended in two opposite directions, has a local lowering and raising function and can transport a glass sheet continuously from one side of the vertical lifting carriage to the other side, c) for operation, the mechanically moved parts are encapsulated free of emissions in a clean room and made of abrasion-proof material, d) a cordless energy supply unit for operating the mounting.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for reversing the feeding of a sputter coating system, particularly when coating a photovoltaic module, in clean rooms, having the following characteristics: a) a transport frame (11) for receiving a substrate wafer (19) of a photovoltaic module, b) a rotary device having means for mounting the transport frame (11), having means for rotating the transport frame (11), and having means for transporting the transport frame (11), c) means for precisely aligning the rotary device relative to the sputter coating system, d) a detection device (18) for checking a sputter process, and computer program having a program code for performing the process steps.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for automatically joining components of photovoltaic elements are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a) at least two manufacturing lines and at least two assembly bridges for joining the substrates, films and glass panes, b) a stacking device for film feeding and a conveyor belt for feeding the glass panes, c) devices for centering and suctioning the films and the glass plates, d) devices for transporting and fixing the film transport frame and the glass transport frame e) devices for lowering the films and the glass plates from the respective transport frames, and f) devices for further transport.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for the contamination-free transfer of thin, shock-sensitive crystalline plates, especially glass plates (11), from a horizontal into a defined vertical position. Said method and apparatus have the following features: a) a transverse bar (6) of a transfer fork is disposed below the glass plate (11) in order to grip the glass plate (11), said transverse bar (6) being fitted with suction head-supporting bars (7) which are vertically mounted thereon and have suction heads (8) that are distributed along the top side thereof and penetrate the free space between the rolls: b) the suction heads (8) are moved close to the bottom side of the glass plate (11), and the suction elements (15) thereof are connected to the glass plate (11) by means of intake air, c) the glass plate (11) is put into the placement device (12) after being finely adjusted. Also disclosed are a computer program and a machine-readable carrier containing the corresponding program code.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for conveying large-size thin glass plates in clean-room conditions for the large-scale production of electro-optical products. In one embodiment the device includes a) conveying elements for supplying glass plates; b) processing elements for processing glass plates; c) production lines for combining individual production processes; d) containers that can be loaded with glass plates from two opposite sides; e) carriages for transporting the containers, said carriages having rail wheels while supporting transverse rails for guiding rolls in order to move the containers; f) means for driving the carriages and transversely moving the containers with the help of joint driving motors.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the automatic edge grinding of glass sheets under clean room conditions, comprising the following: a) a multi-axis robot at a gripper arm thereof carries a suction frame having a plurality of suction units for receiving a glass sheet, b) a grinding unit having at least one rotatable grinding wheel that is supported in a stationary manner is installed in the usable pivot range of the gripper arm of the robot, c) the ground product occurring during operation of the grinding unit is extracted by an extraction system, d) the degree of wear and the state of the grinding wheel are monitored by a calibration device in conjunction with a detection device, and a computer program for carrying out the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for fixing glass sheets in a superclean room for feeding a sputter system, comprising the following: a) a roller drive (12), designed to convey a transport frame (19) to a centering unit that centres the transport frame (19) horizontally and to convey the frame from the unit to a sputter system; b) a frame lifting device (7) which lifts and lowers the transport frame (19) in a magnetic rail mounting (2); c) a fixing unit (5, 8) which fixes and releases the trans-port frame (19), opening heads (3) being provided for opening and closing frame clips (17) that receive a glass plate (18); d) a lifting unit for lifting and pivoting said glass plate (18), the unit bringing the plate into a vertical position and placing said plate in the transport frame (9).

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for the contamination-free, precisely defined, horizontal orientation and subsequent transfer of thin, shock-sensitive crystalline plates, especially glass plates (11), into a defined vertical position. The glass plates (9) are oriented, transferred, and fed in the correct position for further processing without using an industrial robot and without being contaminated by humans. The apparatus is inexpensive and safe to operate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the contamination-free, precise-track conveying and rotating on one plane of thin, impact-sensitive crystalline panels, in particular glass panels, with the following features: a) a glass panel (6) is conveyed over parallel mounted carriers (9) of a roller conveyor, the surface of the rollers having a thread-type structure, b) to alter the travelling direction of a glass panel (6), other supplementary rollers (7) are provided in the space between the rollers (8) in the appropriate region of the roller conveyor, said other rollers being lifted above the level of the roller conveyor by means of a lifting device, c) to rotate a glass panel (6) independently of the travelling direction, other supplementary rollers (10) are provided in the space between the rollers (8) in the appropriate region of the roller conveyor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for mechanically seizing and setting down impact-sensitive sheets of various formats on at least one stack assembly, ready for dispatch, said device having the following features: a) a control device in the form of a multi-axis robotic arm (25) is connected to a gripper device and means for mechanically gripping the sheets; b) the gripper device is hinged onto and suspended from the control device at a gentle incline by means of an adjustable damping device (9); c) the gripper device (22) has sliding sections for the relative displacement of the means for mechanically gripping the sheets; d) the gripper device has means for determining the geometric dimensions of the sheets to be seized and for determining their set-down position; e) the gripper device has means for determining the exact positional co-ordinates of the set-down position; f) the gripper device has means for gently feeding and depositing the sheets in the set-down position.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for automatically removing pieces of luggage that have different surface properties and dimensions and getting said piece of luggage ready for further transport by means of a gripper which is hingedly connected to a robot arm and is equipped with suction elements. Said method and apparatus have the following features: a) the gripper and the container that is to be emptied are moved close to each other; b) the first piece of luggage that is to be removed and is determined based on specific criteria, e.g.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for orienting thin glass plates (11) in a contamination-free manner. Said method and apparatus have the following features: a) in order to orient the glass plate (11), a lifting frame (1) is raised from below through the free space between the rolls (13) along with an orienting frame (2) which rests on the lifting frame (1) and is fitted with struts (7) that are connected in a rotatably hinged fashion to the orienting frame (2) and are provided with supporting elements (8) which penetrate the free space between the rolls (13), project beyond the supporting level of the rolls (13), and support the glass plate (11); b) the glass plate (11) is placed in a shock-free manner by means of sliding elements (3) that are actuated by individually controllable drive units (4), the movement of the sliding elements (3) being transmitted to the two longitudinal cross beams of the orienting frame (2) by means of pivot joints (6) which are fastened to the sliding elements (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for detecting and safely neutralizing hazardous goods to be selected from a quantity of non-hazardous goods, having the following characteristics: a) the consecutively delivered quantity of goods to be analyzed is examined for abnormalities in a sequence of control stations (9, 10, 11, 12), b) the respectively selected goods are delivered from one control station to the next by way of a gripper device controlled by at least one multiaxle robot (7, 8), c) the gripper device controlled by the at least one multiaxle robot (7, 8) is used to shift the goods in a control station (9, 10, 11, 12), d) the gripper device attached to the multiaxle robot (7, 8) has an activatable emission protection (13) for hazard potential emitting from the respective good, and a computer program and machine-readable carrier with the program code thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for stacking plate-shaped bodies, comprising the following features: a) a plate-shaped body (2) is conveyed by a conveying device (3) to the region of the push comb (7); b) the push comb (7) pushes the plate-shaped body (2) onto a surface that consists of the front tablet comb (6) and the rear tablet comb (5); c) the retaining comb (8) prevents a return movement of the plate-shaped body when the front tablet comb (6) and the rear tablet comb (5) move apart from one another and controls the falling motion of the plate-shaped body (2) onto the plate stack. The invention also relates to an associated method and a machine-readable support provided with the programme code for carrying out said method.

Abstract: A method and device for collecting bodies, which are delivered in an irregular sequence, on a collecting belt, with the following features: a) the bodies which are delivered are moved more rapidly than predetermined by the running speed of the collecting belt (7), b) a pimpled belt (8) having ridges (12) is located in the end region of the collecting belt (7) and can be raised over the upper edge of the collecting belt (7) by means of a lifting device (5), c) the pimpled belt (8) is raised and accelerated as a function of being completely covered with bodies, and also a control program for carrying out the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for separating insulating materials which were obtained in a continuous production process and are made of mineral wool in determinable lengths, comprising the following features: a) the separation of the material is carried out by means of two separately driven circular saw blades (6) which are suspended like a pendulum; b) the position of the suspension (1) and the drive (2) of the saw blades (6) can be adjusted by means of a carriage (4) in the direction of supply of the material; c) the drive of the carriage (3), the drive of the saw blades (2), the drive of the pendular units (14) and the driving action of the conveyor belt (15) are provided by servomotors; d) a deflection unit (12) causes the lowering of the conveyor belt (15) in the respective area of the saw blades (6); e) the process of material separation is automatically controlled in accordance with the cutting performance of the separating means and the advancement speed of the material supply.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for severing a marked region of a glass strip (1) produced continuously on a conveyor belt (11), having the following characteristics: a) a line (12) highlighting the severing of the marked region is scored on the continuous glass strip (1), b) once the scored line (12) reaches the crusher roll (6), the two lock rolls (7, 8) following the crusher roll (6) are folded away downward, c) once the scored line (12) is located in the region of the highest area of the crusher roll (6), means for shearing off (5) push onto the glass strip (1) and break it off, d) after the broken-off glass piece (10) has dropped, the lock rolls (7, 8, 9) are folded back in the conveyor belt (11), and to a computer program and a machine-readable carrier with the program code thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for sorting and stacking glass plates of different thicknesses and/or different formats over a divided transport line, characterised by the following: 1) an aligning device (1) which aligns the glass plates against a left and/or a right abutment strip (7) by means of controllable rolls (8); 2) a stacking device (2) which lowers the plates supplied by the aligning device (1) and stacks them one above the other; 3) a connectable paper insertion device (15) which lays paper from a store onto a plate; 4) an upright positioner (3) which rotates the stacked plates by a right angle and aligns them on a vertical aligning device (29); 5) and a robot gripping arm which grips the glass plates aligned on the upright positioner (3) and transports them away for further use.

Abstract: In a contact-free plate conveyor including an arrangement of nozzles each having a cup-like shape widening to a planar rim thereof, air under pressure is supplied to the nozzles such that an air flow is generated toward and through a gap formed between the rims of the cups at high speed which generates a vacuum between the cup rims and the plate so as to hold the plate at a predetermined distance from the nozzle arrangement.

Abstract: In an arrangement for the transfer of plates between a plate conveyor and a holding structure by a transport arm, which is pivotally supported with one end on a support structure and pivotally supports at its other end a plate holder for engaging a plate selectively from the top or the bottom thereof, and wherein the conveyor includes a recess for receiving the plate holder to permit engagement of a plate on the conveyor from the bottom thereof, two linkages are provided for controlling the pivot movement of the plate holder during the transfer of the plates and provided with releasable engagement structures for a selective connection with the plate holder to control the pivoting of the plate holder during plate transfer such that the plate surface opposite the plate holder is disposed adjacent the holding structure.