JP2009299084A - Continuous carrying type plating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To replace for a fresh clamp 4 by early finding the deterioration of clamp 4 fixed to the transfer belt 7 of a continuous carrying type plating apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The deteriorated clamp is early replaced by the fresh one to keep the clamp excellent and to keep excellent plating quality by changing the shape of a contact area where a clamp contact point of the clamp fixed to a transportation belt and holding the printed wiring board is brought into contact with the printed wiring board is changed for every clamp to form a mark capable of identifying the clamp holding the printed wiring board and used for the plating on the contact part of the clamp contact point to identify the deteriorated clamp in the inspection of the plating quality of the printed wiring board. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus that continuously conveys a printed wiring board to perform metal plating, has a clamp contact that holds the printed wiring board in a plating solution, and can detect deterioration of the clamp contact at an early stage. The present invention relates to a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus.

  A conventional continuous plating type plating apparatus such as the horizontal transfer type plating apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described below when wiring patterns of the printed wiring board 1, copper plating of via holes, nickel plating of terminals, gold plating, and the like are performed. There was a problem. FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus, and FIG. 1B shows a side view of the clamp 4 and the printed wiring board 1 held by the clamp in the A-A ′ portion. The horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus has a metallization (metal coating) section 2 and a strip (metal coating peeling) section 3 as shown in FIG. Then, the horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus continuously carries the printed wiring board 1 into the metallization (metal coating) section 2, grasps the edge of the printed wiring board 1 with the clamp 4 of the apparatus, and metalizes (metal coating). ) Continuous plating while moving in section 2. Then, the printed wiring board 1 after the plating process is sequentially unloaded from the horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus.

  In this horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus, a plurality of clamps 4 are fixed to a circulating endless (endless) conveyance belt 5. The clamp 4 holds the printed wiring board 1 carried in the metallization (metal coating) section 2 between the upper and lower clamp contacts 4a. Then, the printed wiring board 1 is disposed horizontally, and plating is performed while transporting between the upper and lower anodes (anode plates) in the plating bath 6. Each clamp 4 is electrically connected to a cathode of an electroplating power source via a plating cathode lead 8, which is electrically connected to the printed wiring board 1 via a clamp contact 4a, and eventually uses the printed wiring board as a cathode. Electroplate. After gripping the printed wiring board 1 with the clamp 4 and electroplating with the metallized (metallized) section 2, the printed wiring board 1 is opened at the outlet of the metallized (metallized) section 2 and outside the apparatus. To be taken out. Next, the clamp 4 is moved to the strip (metal coating stripping) section 3, and the metal electroplated on the clamp 4 in the previous metallization (metal coating) section 2 is electrolyzed and stripped.

The known literature is described below.
Japanese National Patent Publication No. 10-513504

  However, in the conventional horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus, the metal deposit formed by plating the clamp 4 with the metallization (metallization) section 2 cannot be completely removed again with the strip section 3, but several times. After use, the clamp contact 4a of the clamp 4 deteriorated. And there was a problem that the quality of plating of the printed wiring board which was gripped and plated by the deteriorated clamp 4 deteriorated. Therefore, there is a problem that it is necessary to detect deterioration of the clamp 4 fixed to the conveyor belt 7 at an early stage and replace it with a new clamp 4.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus having a plurality of clamps that are fixed to a conveyance belt and hold a printed wiring board, in which the clamp contact of the clamp contacts the printed wiring board. It is formed by changing the shape of the ground for each clamp, the marking of the shape of the ground plane is formed by metal plating treatment on the printed wiring board, and the plating quality deteriorates when inspecting the plating quality of the printed wiring board The continuous conveyance type plating apparatus is characterized in that the deteriorated clamp can be identified from the shape of the stamped printed wiring board, and the deteriorated clamp can be replaced with a new clamp at an early stage.

  Moreover, the present invention is the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus, wherein the area of the ground contact surface of each clamp is the same in all the clamps.

  The present invention is a method for inspecting the plating quality of a printed wiring board by changing the shape of the ground contact surface where the clamp contact of the clamp fixed to the conveyor belt and holding the printed wiring board contacts the printed wiring board for each clamp. In addition, an indentation that can identify the clamp that has been plated while holding the printed wiring board is formed in the contact part of the clamp contact so that the deteriorated clamp can be identified, so that the deteriorated clamp can be quickly replaced with a new clamp. There is an effect that a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus can be obtained that can be exchanged and that can maintain a good clamp quality at all times and maintain good plating quality.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The continuous conveyance type plating apparatus of the present invention is a horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus that performs metal plating on the printed wiring board 1, and the metallization (metal coating) section 2 has an electroless copper plating or electrolysis on the printed wiring board 1. Perform copper plating. And it has the clamp 4 which hold | maintains the printed wiring board 1. FIG. The clamp 4 is a copper plating cathode jig or the like, holds the printed wiring board 1 by holding the edge of the printed wiring board 1 with the clamp contacts 4a on the upper side and the lower side of the clamp 4, and supplies current. To do. Then, the metallization (metal coating) section 2 has a plating tank 5, and the printed wiring board 1 is immersed in a metal plating bath 6 such as a copper plating solution filled therein.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the clamp 4 is fixed to an endless transport belt 7 circulating through the continuous transport plating apparatus at an equal interval of, for example, 80 mm. Each clamp 4 has a hanging bracket structure that is suspended on a plating cathode lead 8 made of a guide rail of metal such as iron or copper, and is electrically connected to the plating cathode lead 8 by the hanging bracket structure. One end of the plating cathode lead 8 is electrically connected to the cathode of the plating power source. Alternatively, the plated cathode lead 8 may be a conductive wire that is electrically connected to the clamp 4, and the clamp 4 may be suspended and held on a non-metallic guide rail. The printed wiring board 1 held by the clamp 4 is first immersed in an electroless copper plating bath to form an electroless copper plating film on the entire surface, and then immersed in an electrolytic copper plating bath. An electrolytic copper plating film is formed on the entire surface of the electrolytic copper plating film.

  A feature of the present invention is that the shape of the ground contact surface 4 b where the clamp contact 4 a of the clamp 4 contacts the printed wiring board 1 is changed for each clamp 4. In addition, it is desirable that the area of the ground plane 4b be the same in any clamp 4. By making the area of the ground contact surface 4b of all the clamps 4 the same, there is an effect that the plating performance of all the clamps 4 is made the same, and the plating thickness on the printed wiring board 1 does not change for each clamp 4. It is.

  FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the ground plane 4b of the upper and lower clamp contacts 4a. The shape of the ground contact surface 4b of the conventional clamp contact 4a is the shape of FIG. 2 (a). In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the total area of the ground contact surface 4b is not changed. A numerical grounding surface 4b indicating the order of the clamps 4 and a grounding surface 4b composed of an outer ring pattern are formed. That is, the ground contact surface 4b representing a number is formed at the center of the clamp contact 4a, and the sum of the area of the ground contact surface 4b of the shape and the area of the outer ring-shaped ground contact surface 4b surrounding the number is determined as a conventional ground contact surface. It is made equal to the area of 4b. Therefore, the area is adjusted by changing the width of the annular portion on the outer periphery of the ground contact surface 4b. In this continuous conveyance type plating apparatus, the printed wiring board 1 is held by the clamp 4 fixed to the conveyance belt 7 and metal plating is performed. As a result, a mark formed by depositing metal plating on a portion other than the ground contact surface 4b of the clamp contact 4a is formed on the portion of the printed wiring board 1 held by the clamp contact 4a so that the shape of the ground contact surface 4b of the clamp contact can be observed. become.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the clamp contact 4 a is formed in a circular shape, and the circle has a diameter of 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less and a thickness of about 10 mm. The clamp contact 4a is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (tetrafluoroethylene), tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer (4.6 fluoride), tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene. A structure in which a grounding surface 4b made of metal such as austenitic stainless steel or nickel is supported by being surrounded by a highly chemical-resistant insulator such as a copolymer and protrudes from the insulator surface at a height of about 1.5 mm. To form. Further, the width of the pattern of the ground plane 4b in FIG. 2B of the present invention is formed to be about 1 mm to 0.5 mm.

  After the metal plating process on the printed wiring board 1 by the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus, the quality of the metal plating of the printed wiring board 1 is inspected at a stage where the portion gripped by the clamp contact 4a of the printed wiring board 1 is not separated. As a result, when an abnormality in plating due to the deterioration of the clamp 4 is detected, the grounding surface 4b of the clamp contact 4a formed by the deposited metal plating of the portion gripped by the clamp contact 4a of the printed wiring board 1 is detected. It is possible to identify which clamp 4 has deteriorated by confirming the marking of the shape. According to the specific result, the clamp 4 of the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus can be always replaced with a new clamp 4 at an early stage so that the clamp 4 of the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus is always kept in a good state. There is an effect that the plating quality of the apparatus can be maintained well.

  In addition, the shape of the ground contact surface 4b representing the order of the clamps 4 can be set as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), an annular ground surface 4b that forms the outer periphery of the ground surface 4b of the upper and lower clamp contacts 4a is cut into the outer ring so as to represent a binary number. Near the cut, an island-shaped ground plane 4b having the same area as the defective area of the ground plane 4b due to the cut is added. The pattern of the ground plane 4b is also formed with a width of about 1 mm. As shown in FIG. 2 (c), by forming the ground contact surface 4b composed of an annular cut and an island pattern, the area of the ground contact surface 4b is made constant regardless of the notch representing the binary number. To do.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to a horizontal conveyance type plating apparatus, It can apply also to the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus of the other system which has a clamp contact which hold | maintains a printed wiring board in a plating solution, and supplies an electric current. Moreover, the metal plated on the printed wiring board is not limited to copper, but can be applied to a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus for plating other metals such as nickel plating or gold plating.

(A) It is a top view of the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus of this invention. (B) It is an A-A 'part side view of (a) of the continuous conveyance type plating apparatus of this invention. It is a top view of the grounding surface of the clamp contact of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printed wiring board 2 ... Metallization (metal coating) section 3 ... Strip (metal coating peeling) section 4 ... Clamp 4a ... Clamp contact 4b ... Grounding surface 5 ... Plating tank 6 ... Metal plating bath 7 ... Conveying belt 8 ... Plating cathode lead

Claims (2)

  In a continuous conveyance type plating apparatus having a plurality of clamps that are fixed to a conveyance belt and hold a printed wiring board, the clamp contact of the clamp is formed by changing the shape of the ground contact surface that contacts the printed wiring board for each clamp. The marking of the shape of the ground plane is formed by metal plating treatment on the printed wiring board, and when the plating quality of the printed wiring board is inspected, the plating quality is deteriorated from the shape of the marking of the printed wiring board. A continuous conveyance type plating apparatus characterized in that the clamp can be specified, and the deteriorated clamp can be replaced with a new clamp at an early stage.   The continuous conveyance type plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area of the ground contact surface of each clamp is the same for all the clamps.