Robotics company ULC Technologies has been contracted by Rosendin for a Robotic solution for installation of solar module. The robot systems, which have already done field tests at Real-World Utility-Scale Solar Building locations, work in collaboration with competent traders to speed up the construction time frames, to increase the safety of employees and support the expansion of the production of renewable energy.
“The solution that we have designed and developed consists of three separate autonomous systems, a panel institutional robot and two panel carrier robots that collaborate with human operators to install solar PV panels in the middle to large-scale solar facilities,” said Ali Asmari, director of R&D project management at ULC Technologies. “The robot in the panel is a robot platform with build quality with an integrated robot arm to perform semi-autonomous installation of solar panels in collaboration with human operators. As soon as the robot positions the panel, field operators can lead it in position and complete the installation with mounting hardware and electrical connections. “
The two panel carriers robots wear pallets of solar panels between the loading area and the installation location of the Robot panel – a continuous power supply of panels and elimination of downtime.
The installation robots of the solar panel are designed to withstand exposure to high temperatures, while navigating terrain through a series of construction site, including deep mud, uneven surfaces and more. This in advance work enable ULC to quickly go from the conceptualization phase of the project to field tests in just 18 months.
The robots were extensively tested in the field on solar building sites on Utility scale, which resulted in a robot system that is able to be able to production production rates of less than one minute per panel. In a ten -hour team, ULC estimates that the robots can install 600 panels together with a crew of 2 people.
Traditional installation methods require extensive manual labor. Large solar farms can have more than 1 milion panels that need to be installed and with each panel with a weight of 80 to 100 lbs, this translates into strenuous work. Moreover, the remote nature of solar stands makes it a challenge for contractors to find sufficiently trained work to meet the demand.
“Working with Rosendin’s use case, we have designed and developed a solution that brings a revolution in the installation of solar panels at large -scale locations,” said Steve Green, VP of company development for location and inspection at SPX Technologies, the mother company of ULC Technologies. “Extensive field tests proved how to relieve the robots heavily from employees and supplement their expertise with a supporting tool that helps employees protect and be more productive.”
News item from ULC Technologies
