CN108010984A - For handling the equipment, the system for manufacturing solar cell and the method for testing solar cell of solar cell - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (100) for processing solar cells (10) is provided. The apparatus (100) comprises a two-lane transport arrangement (110) having a first transport line (112) and a second transport line (114) and configured for transporting the solar cells (10 ); at least one first process station (120), said at least one first process station at said two-line transport arrangement (110); a single-line transport arrangement (130), said single-line transport arrangement having a third transport line ( 132) and configured for transporting said solar cells (10); at least one second process station (122) at said single-line transport arrangement (130); and a transfer module (140 ), the transfer module is between the at least one first process station (120) and the at least one second process station (122). The transfer module (140) is configured for transferring solar cells (10) from the first transport link (112) and the second transport link (114) to a third transport link (132).

Description

Apparatus for processing solar cells, system for manufacturing solar cells and Method for testing solar cells

technical field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for processing a solar cell, a system for manufacturing a solar cell, and a method for testing a solar cell. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, a system, and a method for electrical testing and optical inspection of solar cells.

Background technique

Solar cells are photovoltaic (PV) devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. An apparatus for processing solar cells may have a linear configuration with multiple transport lanes, wherein multiple process stations may be provided along the transport lanes. In order to increase the output of the equipment, multiple transport lines are arranged in parallel, each transport line has a corresponding process station. Such a device consumes a considerable amount of installation space. In addition, costs are incurred eg regarding operation and maintenance.

In view of the foregoing, new apparatus for processing solar cells, systems for manufacturing solar cells, and methods for testing solar cells that overcome at least some of the problems in the art would be beneficial. The present disclosure is specifically aimed at providing an apparatus, system and method that at least one of achieves a reduced footprint and provides high throughput.

Contents of the invention

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for processing solar cells, a system for manufacturing solar cells, and a method for testing solar cells. Further aspects, advantages and features of the present disclosure are apparent from the claims, detailed description and drawings.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for processing solar cells is provided. The apparatus comprises: a two-lane transport arrangement having a first transport line and a second transport line configured for transporting the solar cells; at least one first process station, the at least one first a process station at said two-lane transport arrangement; a single-lane transport arrangement having a third transport line and configured for transporting said solar cells; at least one second process station at which said at least one second process a station at the single-line transport arrangement; and a transfer module between the at least one first process station and the at least one second process station. The transport module is configured for transporting the solar cells from the first transport line and the second transport line to the third transport line, or vice versa.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a system for manufacturing a solar cell is provided. The system includes: one or more production stations for producing solar cells; and an apparatus for processing solar cells according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus is configured for testing and/or inspecting solar cells produced by one or more production stations.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for testing a solar cell is provided. The method includes: performing a first test procedure on solar cells positioned on a first shipping lane and a second shipping lane of a two-lane shipping arrangement; moving the solar cells positioned on the first shipping lane and the second shipping lane to a third shipping lane of the single-lane shipping arrangement; and performing a second test procedure on the solar cells arranged on the third shipping lane.

Embodiments are also directed to apparatus for performing the disclosed methods, and include apparatus portions for performing each described method aspect. These method aspects may be performed by means of hardware components, a computer programmed with appropriate software, any combination of the two, or in any other manner. Furthermore, implementation methods according to the present disclosure also relate to methods for operating the described apparatus. The method for operating the described device includes method aspects for performing each function of the device.

Description of drawings

Therefore, in order to enable a detailed understanding of the manner in which the above described characterizing structures of the present disclosure are employed, a more particular description of the present disclosure, briefly summarized above, can be had by reference to various embodiments. The drawings relate to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described as follows:

Figure 1A shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for processing solar cells according to embodiments described herein;

1B and 1C show schematic diagrams of transferring solar cells from a first shipping lane and a second shipping lane to a third shipping lane according to embodiments described herein;

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of a transport module for transporting solar cells between transport lines according to embodiments described herein;

Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for processing solar cells according to a further embodiment described herein;

Figure 4 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for processing solar cells according to further embodiments described herein;

Figure 5 shows a schematic top view of a system for manufacturing solar cells according to embodiments described herein; and

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method for testing a solar cell according to embodiments described herein.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. In general, only differences with respect to individual implementations are described. Each example is provided by way of illustration of the disclosure, not intended as a limitation of the disclosure. Furthermore, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in combination with other embodiments to yield a further embodiment. The description is intended to cover such modifications and variations.

In a plant for processing solar cells, two transport lines can be provided for parallel processing of a plurality of solar cells. Multiple crafting stations are provided along each transport lane. Each process station can be provided twice, ie each of the two transport lines is provided with one process station. Providing a corresponding process station for each transport line increases the footprint of the plant and consumes considerable installation space. In addition, since each process station occurs twice, costs arise, for example with regard to operation and maintenance.

The present disclosure uses a combination of a two-lane transport arrangement and a single-lane transport arrangement, with the transfer module disposed between the two. The two-lane transport arrangement and the single-lane transport arrangement may be arranged sequentially, wherein the transfer module moves the solar cells from the two-lane transport arrangement to the single-lane transport arrangement. Equipment footprint, installation space and/or costs can be reduced. Additionally, one or more process stations with a higher production rate may be arranged along a single-line transport arrangement and/or one or more process stations with a lower production rate may be arranged along a two-line transport arrangement. Thereby, the overall throughput of the plant can be high.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 100 for processing solar cells 10 according to embodiments described herein.

The apparatus 100 comprises: a two-lane transport arrangement 110 having a first transport line 112 and a second transport line 114 and configured for transporting solar cells 10; at least one first process station 120, the at least one A first process station at a two-lane transport arrangement 110; a single-lane transport arrangement 130 having a third transport line 132 and configured for transporting solar cells 10; at least one second process station 122, the at least one A second process station at the single line transport arrangement 130 ; and a transfer module 140 between the at least one first process station 120 and the at least one second process station 122 . The transfer module 140 is configured for transferring or moving the solar cells 10 from the first shipping lane 112 and the second shipping lane 114 to the third shipping lane 132, and/or vice versa.

According to some embodiments, the first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 extend at least partially (eg, completely) through the at least one first process station 120 . Likewise, the third transport line 132 extends at least partially (eg, completely) through the at least one second process station 122 . For example, the first transport line 112, the second transport line 114, and/or the third transport line 132 may be conveyors, such as belt conveyors. The first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 may extend successively and/or substantially parallel to each other. In some implementations, at least one of the first transportation lane 112 and the second transportation lane 114 and the third transportation lane 132 may extend substantially parallel to each other. For example, the directions of transport for solar cells 10 provided by at least some of the transport lines are substantially parallel. The first transportation lane 112, the second transportation lane 114, and/or the third transportation lane 132 may be linear transportation lanes.

The term "substantially parallel" relates to substantially parallel orientations such as transport lines and/or directions of transport, where deviations of a few degrees (e.g., as much as 1° or even as much as 5°) from the exact parallel orientation are still considered "substantially parallel" . For example, the deviations may be caused by device manufacturing tolerances.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one first process station 120 may be selected from the group consisting of: electrical testing station, optical inspection station, printing station, drying station, sorting station and their any combination of . Likewise, at least one second process station 122 may be selected from the group consisting of: electrical testing station, optical inspection station, printing station, drying station, sorting station, and any combination thereof. For example, at least one first process station 120 may include an electrical testing station, and at least one second process station 122 may include an optical inspection station, such as an automated optical inspection (AOI) station. The at least one first process station 120 may be one or more first process stations. The at least one second process station 122 may be one or more second process stations. In particular, more than one first process station may be arranged on the two-lane transport arrangement 110 . Likewise, more than one second process station may be provided on the single line transport arrangement 130 .

The electrical test station may be configured to perform tests and/or inspections of solar cells 10 . According to some embodiments, the electrical test station may be configured to determine solar parameters including, but not limited to: at least one of the open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc), maximum power (Pmax), efficiency, and fill factor of the solar cell 10 By.

The electrical test station may include a light source, such as a solar simulator, configured to emit electromagnetic radiation towards the solar cell 10 . The light source comprises a radiant panel divided into a plurality of units, and each unit comprises a plurality of light emitting elements, such as LEDs, which emit at different wavelengths to provide an output spectrum simulating the spectrum of solar radiation. A light source controller is connectable to the light source. According to some embodiments, the light source controller is configured to control the light source eg based on preset conditions or parameters such as the type of solar cell to be tested, test conditions, etc.

According to some embodiments, the electrical test station includes contact elements to provide electrical connections to the solar cells 10 . For example, two pairs of contact elements 250 may be provided, where each pair may include front and rear contacts for contacting the front and back of the solar cell 10, respectively. The first pair can be configured to measure voltage or voltage drop, and the second pair can be configured to measure current, to enable eg electronic load I-V measurements.

In some embodiments, the optical inspection station may be an AOI station configured to perform optical inspection of solar cells. For example, an optical inspection station includes one or more cameras, such as high resolution cameras, configured to obtain images of solar cells for optical inspection. The optical inspection station may be configured to inspect at least one of the positioning of the conductive traces of the solar cell, the print quality of the conductive traces, the geometry of the conductive traces, the structural condition of the solar cell including, but not limited to, solar Cracks or microcracks in batteries or solar cell wafers, and solar cell color.

The printing station may be configured for printing (such as screen printing) a conductive pattern on a solar cell substrate used in the manufacture of a solar cell. The conductive pattern may be selected from the group consisting of fingers, bus bars, and any combination thereof. For example, a printing station can be configured for double printing. The drying station may be configured to dry material deposited on the solar cell substrate in the printing station. For example, the drying station can be an oven. The sorting station may be configured for sorting solar cells based on test results obtained, for example, by an electrical testing station and/or an optical inspection station.

1B and 1C illustrate schematic diagrams of transferring solar cells from the first shipping lane 112 and the second shipping lane 114 to the third shipping lane 132 according to embodiments described herein. The transfer module 140 has at least one transfer element, such as a vacuum gripper, an electrostatic gripper, or an electric gripper, configured to move the solar cells from the first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 to the third transportation line 132 .

The two-lane transport arrangement (ie, the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 ) and the single-lane transport arrangement (ie, the third transport lane 132 ) provide respective transport directions for the solar cells. The transport directions provided by the first transport lane 112, the second transport lane 114, and the third transport lane 132 may be substantially parallel (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Transport Direction 1"). In some embodiments, transport direction 1 is horizontal.

According to some implementations, which may be combined with other implementations described herein, the third shipping lane 132 may be located between the first shipping lane 112 and the second shipping lane 114 . In some embodiments, first transport lane 112 and second transport lane 114 overlap third transport lane 132 in transport direction 1 ( FIG. 1B ). In other embodiments, the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 do not overlap the third transport lane 132 in transport direction 1 ( FIG. 1C ). In other words, the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 are spaced apart from the third transport lane 132 in the transport direction 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1B , according to one embodiment, the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 overlap the third transport lane 132 in transport direction 1 . The transfer module 140 , and in particular at least one transfer device, may be configured for laterally displacing solar cells from the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 to the third transport lane 132 and vice versa. The transfer module 140 may move or transfer the solar cells in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction 1 to laterally shift the solar cells onto the third transport line 132 .

As shown in FIG. 1C , according to another embodiment, the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 are spaced apart from the third transport lane 132 in the transport direction 1 . The transfer module 140 and in particular at least one transfer device may be configured to move the solar cells parallel or perpendicular to the transport direction 1 to move or transfer the solar cells from the first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 to the third transport line 132 . The transfer module 140 may simultaneously or sequentially move or transfer the solar cells parallel to and perpendicular to the transport direction 1 to move the solar cells to the third transport line 132 . FIG. 1C shows an example in which the transfer module 140 sequentially moves the solar cells parallel and perpendicular to the transport direction 1 .

Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of a transport module 240 for transporting solar cells 10 between transport lines according to embodiments described herein. In Fig. 2, only the first transport lane 210 of the two-lane transport arrangement and the third transport lane 230 of the single-lane transport arrangement are shown for illustration purposes.

The transport module 240 has at least one transport device 244 configured for moving the solar cells 10 from the first transport line 210 and the second transport line to the third transport line 230 or vice versa. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least one delivery device 244 is a first delivery device and a second delivery device. The first transfer device is configured to move the solar cells 10 from the first transport line 210 to the third transport line 230 . The second transfer device is configured to move the solar cells 10 from the second transport line to the third transport line 230 . The first transfer device and the second transfer device may be configured substantially identically. In some embodiments, the first conveyor and the second conveyor are operated synchronously. According to some embodiments, at least one transfer device 244 may be configured for at least one of alignment of solar cells and release of solar cells at a predetermined location on third transport line 230 .

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one transfer device 244 is selected from the group consisting of grippers, mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers, Bernoulli type Holders, electrostatic grippers, electric grippers and any combination thereof. Mechanical holders may use a mechanical device, such as a clamp, to hold the solar cell on the holder. Vacuum holders use suction to hold solar cells in the holder. Bernoulli-type holders can use airflow to create reduced pressure on the surface of the solar cell to hold the solar cell on the holder. Electrostatic grippers and electric grippers use electrostatic and electrodynamic forces to hold solar cells on the grippers, respectively.

In some embodiments, at least one transfer device 244 and specifically the gripper includes one or more gripping elements 246 configured to contact and grip the solar cell 10 . By way of example, the holder comprises two or more, such as three, four, five or six holder elements configured for contacting and holding the solar cell. For example, the one or more holder elements 246 may be suction cups configured to provide an under-pressure on the surface of the solar cell to hold the solar cell to the one or more holder elements 246 on.

At least one transfer device 244 is configured to move or transfer the solar cells from the first shipping lane 210 and the second shipping lane to the third shipping lane 230 . In some embodiments, the at least one transfer device 244 can grip or pick up the solar cells 10 from the first transport line 210 and the second transport line substantially simultaneously, for example, when the at least one transfer device 244 includes a When a transport line 210 is moved to a first transfer device of a third transport line 230 and a second transfer device for moving solar cells 10 from the second transport line to the third transport line 230 . In other embodiments, the at least one transfer device 244 may alternately hold or pick up the solar cells 10 from the first transport line 210 and the second transport line, for example, when the at least one transfer device 244 only includes When the first transport line 210 and the second transport line move to one transfer device of the third transport line 230 .

According to some embodiments, the device comprises a controller 242 configured to control at least one delivery device 244 . Specifically, the controller 242 may control the movement of at least one transfer device 244 for transferring the solar cells 10 from the two-line transport arrangement to the single-line transport arrangement.

In some embodiments, at least one conveyor 244 is movable in at least one of a first direction (corresponding to transport direction 1 ), a second direction 2 , and a third direction 3 . The first and third directions 3 may be substantially horizontal. In other words, the first direction and the second direction 2 may define a horizontal plane. The second direction 2 may be a vertical direction. At least one conveying device 244 may move sequentially or simultaneously in at least one of the first direction, the second direction 2 and the third direction 3 . By moving in the first direction, the second direction 2 and the third direction 3 , the solar cells 10 held by the at least one transfer device 244 can be moved from the first transport line 210 and the second transport line to the third transport line 230 .

For example, at least one transfer device 244 can move in the second direction 2 (eg, upward) to pick up solar cells 10 from the first transport line 210 or the second transport line. Subsequently, at least one conveying device 244 may move sequentially or simultaneously in the first direction and the third direction 3 (for example, on a horizontal plane) to move the solar cells to the third transportation line 230 . At least one transfer device 244 is movable in the second direction 2 (eg downwards) to place the solar cells 10 on the third transport line 230 . Subsequently, at least one conveying device 244 can move back to the first transport line 210 or the second transport line 210 or the second transport line in the second direction 2 (for example, upward), the first direction and the third direction 3, to transfer from the first transport line 210 or the second transport line 210 Two transport lines pick up another solar cell 10 . It should be noted that moving in the "first direction" shall include moving forward and backward, moving in the "second direction" shall include moving up and down, and moving in the "third direction" shall include moving left and right Move right. These movements may be defined relative to the forward transport direction.

The term "vertical direction" should be understood to be distinguished from "horizontal direction". That is, "vertical" refers to movement that is substantially vertical, where deviations of a few degrees from the exact vertical (eg, as much as 5° or even as much as 10°) are still considered "substantially vertical." The vertical direction may be substantially parallel to gravity.

In some embodiments, the transfer module 240 , and in particular the at least one transfer device 244 , may be configured for aligning the solar cells held by the at least one transfer device 244 prior to placing the solar cells 10 on the third transportation line 230 . The apparatus may use information obtained by an inspection system (not shown), including, for example, one or more cameras configured to inspect solar cells 10 held by at least one conveyor 244 position and/or orientation.

In some embodiments, at least one transfer device 244 is configured to align solar cells 10 in a plane, such as a substantially horizontal plane. This shift may also be referred to as "Θ shift" or "Θ alignment." For example, the at least one transfer device 244 may be configured to adjust or align the angular orientation of the solar cells 10 held by the at least one transfer device 244 in a plane.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first transport line 210 and/or the second transport line of the dual-line transport arrangement may comprise, or be, a belt conveyor having A roller 214 that rotates about an axis of rotation 216 and one or more belts 212 provided on the roller 214 . The one or more belts 212 are configured to support the solar cells 10 during transport of the solar cells 10 in a transport direction 1 , which is a substantially horizontal direction.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the third transport line 230 of the single-line transport arrangement may comprise, or be, a belt conveyor having rollers 234 rotating about an axis of rotation 236 and one or more belts 232 provided on rollers 234 . One or more straps 232 are configured to support solar cells 10 during transport of solar cells 10 in transport direction 1 , which may be a substantially horizontal direction.

In some embodiments, at least one of the dual-wire transport arrangement and the single-wire transport arrangement includes one or more rails and a shuttle movable along the one or more rails. The shuttle is configured for supporting and transporting solar cells along rails. By way of example, the first transport line, the second transport line and/or the third transport line are provided by respective guide rails. The transfer device is configured to transfer the solar cells from the shuttles of the first and second transport lanes to the shuttle of the third transport lane.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of an apparatus 300 for processing solar cells according to a further embodiment described herein.

The apparatus 300 includes at least one first process station 320 , the transfer module 140 and at least one second process station 122 . The at least one first process station 320 , the transfer module 140 and the at least one second process station 122 may be arranged sequentially, for example, along the transport direction. According to some embodiments, the first transport line 112 , the second transport line 114 and/or the third transport line may extend to the transfer module 140 .

In some embodiments, the apparatus 300 comprises a further process station 124 downstream of the at least one second process station 122 . By way of example, the at least one first process station 320 , the transfer module 140 , the at least one second process station 122 and the further process station 124 may be arranged sequentially, for example in the transport direction. According to some embodiments, at least one first process station 320 may be an electrical testing station, at least one second process station 122 may comprise, or be an optical inspection station, and a further process station 124 may be a sorting station.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the at least one first process station 320 includes a first substation 322 at the first transport lane 112 and a second substation 324 at the second transport lane 114 . The first substation 322 and the second substation 324 are separate or independent process stations. Specifically, the first substation 322 and the second substation 324 may be configured substantially identically. For example, each of the first substation 322 and the second substation 324 may include a respective light source (such as a solar simulator) and contact elements to provide electrical connections to the solar cells, eg, for I/V testing.

At least one first process station 320 may have a first production rate for each of the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 . The second process station may have a second production rate for the third transport line 132 . The first yield is less than the second yield. Using a dual-line transport arrangement for at least one first process station 320 with a low production rate and a single-line transport arrangement for at least one second process station 122 (and optionally further process stations 124) with a higher production rate can reduce the equipment 300 footprint and complexity while providing a high total throughput of the device 300. In particular, the first production rate of the at least one first process station 320 at the first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 may be accumulated, eg, to substantially match the second production rate of the at least one second process station 122 .

FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus 400 for processing solar cells according to yet further embodiments described herein.

In the example of FIG. 4 , at least one first process station 420 is provided as a single station extending across the first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 . For example, at least one first process station 420 may include a single light source, such as a solar analog light source extending above and/or across first and second shipping lanes 112, 114. device. Specifically, the same light source or lamp may be used to test solar cells on both the first shipping lane 112 and the second shipping lane 114 .

Fig. 5 is a schematic top view of a system 500 for manufacturing solar cells according to embodiments described herein.

According to embodiments described herein, system 500 includes one or more production stations 510 for producing solar cells and equipment 520 for processing solar cells. Equipment 520 is configured for testing and/or inspecting solar cells produced by one or more production stations 510 . The first transport lane 112 and the second transport lane 114 of the two-lane transport arrangement may extend through at least one of the one or more production stations 510 .

According to some embodiments, the one or more production stations are selected from the group consisting of printing stations, drying stations, buffer stations and any combination thereof. One or more production stations 510 include, for example, a printing station and optionally a drying station. Subsequently, the solar cells with conductive traces printed thereon may be introduced into apparatus 520 to be tested and/or inspected. After testing and/or inspection, the solar cells may then be provided to a sorting station 530 for sorting the solar cells based on the results obtained during the testing and/or inspection.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method 600 for testing a solar cell according to embodiments described herein. Method 600 may be implemented using devices and systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Method 600 includes, at block 610, performing a first test procedure on solar cells positioned on the first and second shipping lanes of a two-lane shipping arrangement, and at block 620, placing the solar cells positioned on the first and second shipping lanes. The solar cells on the shipping lane are moved to a third shipping lane in the single-lane shipping arrangement, and in block 630, a second test procedure is performed on the solar cells arranged on the third shipping lane.

In some implementations, the first test procedure includes measuring electrical characteristics of the solar cell using, for example, a first process station of at least one first process station, which may be an electrical test station. For example, the first test procedure may include I/V testing. The second test procedure may include optical inspection of the solar cell using, for example, a second process station of the at least one second process station, which may be an optical inspection station.

According to embodiments described herein, methods for testing solar cells may be performed using computer programs, software, computer software products, and associated controllers that may have the same functions as for processing (such as testing) solar cells The CPU, memory, user interface, and input and output devices communicate with the corresponding components of the device.

The present disclosure uses a combination of a two-lane transport arrangement and a single-lane transport arrangement, with the transfer module disposed between the two. The two-lane transport arrangement and the single-lane transport arrangement may be arranged sequentially, wherein the transfer module moves the solar cells from the two-lane transport arrangement to the single-lane transport arrangement. Equipment footprint, installation space, and/or cost can be reduced. Additionally, one or more process stations with a high production rate may be arranged along a single-line transport arrangement and/or one or more process stations with a lower production rate may be arranged along a two-line transport arrangement. Thereby, the overall throughput of the plant can be high.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure can be devised without departing from the essential scope of the present disclosure, which is to be determined by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. An apparatus for processing solar cells, said apparatus comprising: a two-lane transport arrangement having a first transport lane and a second transport lane and configured for transporting the solar cells; at least one first process station at said two-lane transport arrangement; a single-lane transport arrangement having a third transport lane and configured for transporting the solar cells; at least one second process station at said single line transport arrangement; and a transfer module between the at least one first process station and the at least one second process station, wherein the transfer module is configured for transferring the solar cells from the first transport line and said second transport line to said third transport line, or vice versa. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport module has at least one transport device configured to transport the solar cells from the first transport line and the The second transport lane is moved to the third transport lane, or vice versa. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one conveyor is configured for laterally displacing the solar cells from the first transport lane and the second transport lane to the The third transportation route mentioned above, or vice versa. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one transfer device is a first transfer device and a second transfer device, wherein the first transfer device is configured to transfer solar cells from the The first transport lane moves to the third transport lane, and wherein the second transfer device is configured to move solar cells from the second transport lane to the third transport lane. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one transfer device is selected from the group consisting of grippers, mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers, Bernoulli-type grippers, Electrostatic grippers, electric grippers, and any combination thereof. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one first process station is selected from the group consisting of: an electrical test station, an optical inspection station, a printing station, a drying station, a sorting station, and any combination of . 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one second process station is selected from the group consisting of: an electrical test station, an optical inspection station, a printing station, a drying station, a sorting station, and any combination of . 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sorting station downstream of the at least one second process station. 9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first transport line and the second transport line extend at least one of following each other and parallel to each other. 10. A system for manufacturing solar cells, the system comprising: one or more production stations for producing said solar cells; and The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for at least one of: testing and inspecting the solar cells produced by the one or more production stations. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second transport lanes of the two-lane transport arrangement extend through at least one of the one or more production stations. stand. 12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the one or more production stations are selected from the group consisting of printing stations, drying stations, buffer stations, and any combination thereof. 13. A method for testing a solar cell, the method comprising: performing a first test procedure on said solar cells arranged on a first transport lane and a second transport lane of a two-lane transport arrangement; moving the solar cells positioned on the first shipping lane and the second shipping lane to a third shipping lane in a single-lane shipping arrangement; and A second test procedure is performed on the solar cells arranged on the third transportation line. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first test procedure includes measuring electrical characteristics of the solar cell. 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the second test procedure comprises optical inspection of the solar cell.