A bonding and indexing apparatus, comprising: a first index head operative to move a substrate in an indexing direction from a first position to a second position; a second index head operative to move said substrate in said indexing direction from said second position to a third position; wherein at least one of said first index head and said second index head comprises a bonding element operative to effect a bonding process between said substrate and an element disposed against said substrate such that bonding and movement in said indexing direction is implemented simultaneously by the first and/or second index head having said bonding element; wherein the first and second index heads comprise respectively an upper section (204a, 210a) and a lower section (204b, 210b) operative to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween; wherein the first index head is operative to move the upper section towards the lower section to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween and to move with said substrate gripped or clamped therebetween to move the substrate in the indexing direction from the first position to the second position; wherein the second index head is operative to move the upper section towards the lower section to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween and to move with said substrate gripped or clamped therebetween to move the substrate in the indexing direction from the second position to the third position; wherein the first and second index heads are respectively operative to move the upper section away from the lower section to release the substrate after effecting the substrate movement in the indexing direction, wherein said first index head is operative to move from a first index start position to engage with said substrate and is further operative to return to said first index start position upon reaching said second position, and wherein said second index head is operative to move from a second index start position to engage with said substrate and is further operative to return to said second index start position upon reaching said third position. a first index head operative to move a substrate in an indexing direction from a first position to a second position; a second index head operative to move said substrate in said indexing direction from said second position to a third position; wherein at least one of said first index head and said second index head comprises a bonding element operative to effect a bonding process between said substrate and an element disposed against said substrate such that bonding and movement in said indexing direction is implemented simultaneously by the first and/or second index head having said bonding element; wherein the first and second index heads comprise respectively an upper section (204a, 210a) and a lower section (204b, 210b) operative to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween; wherein the first index head is operative to move the upper section towards the lower section to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween and to move with said substrate gripped or clamped therebetween to move the substrate in the indexing direction from the first position to the second position; wherein the second index head is operative to move the upper section towards the lower section to grip or clamp the substrate therebetween and to move with said substrate gripped or clamped therebetween to move the substrate in the indexing direction from the second position to the third position; wherein the first and second index heads are respectively operative to move the upper section away from the lower section to release the substrate after effecting the substrate movement in the indexing direction, wherein said first index head is operative to move from a first index start position to engage with said substrate and is further operative to return to said first index start position upon reaching said second position, and wherein said second index head is operative to move from a second index start position to engage with said substrate and is further operative to return to said second index start position upon reaching said third position.