JP2010095750A - Apparatus and method of plating wire, and plated wire - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of obtaining a high quality by enhancing uniformity of the plating thickness of a wire having a plating layer. <P>SOLUTION: A plating apparatus 1 forms a plating layer on the surface of a rectangular copper wire Cw. The plating apparatus 1 comprises a solder depositing device 2 for depositing solder in a heated molten state on the surface of the rectangular copper wire Cw, and a cooling device 5 for cooling the solder deposited on the rectangular copper wire Cw by the solder depositing device 2. Since the solder deposited on the surface of the rectangular copper wire Cw is cooled by the cooling device 5 and solidified quickly, dripping of the solder can be suppressed, and the uniformity of the plating thickness can be enhanced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wire plating apparatus and a plating method for forming a plating layer on a wire such as a conductive wire, and a plating wire on which a plating layer is formed.

Conventionally, for example, when connecting a plurality of cells constituting a solar cell, a plated copper wire obtained by plating the surface of a copper wire as a wire with solder is used. As an apparatus for manufacturing this plated copper wire, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a storage tank for storing solder that has been heated and melted and a liquid tank in the vicinity of the liquid level are installed. 2. Description of the Related Art A die having a die and a turn roll disposed around a horizontal axis is known. When producing plated copper wire with this device, after the copper wire fed from outside the storage tank is hung on a turn roll in the storage tank, the turn roll rolls the copper wire sending direction vertically upward. The copper wire is pulled out of the storage tank through the die port of the die.
JP-A-5-39555

  However, when the copper wire is once submerged and pulled up in the storage tank as in Patent Document 1, the solder attached to the copper wire does not solidify for a while even after coming out of the storage tank and goes up with the copper wire. Moreover, since the solder on the surface of the copper wire does not solidify uniformly, the solder attached to the surface of the copper wire may hang down partially while the copper wire is pulled up. When the dripped solder is solidified, as shown in FIG. 4, a convex portion Bu is formed on the surface of the plated copper wire, and the uniformity of the plated thickness of the plated copper wire is deteriorated. The quality of the product will be significantly reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object of the present invention is to improve the uniformity of the plating thickness of a wire having a plating layer so as to obtain high quality. It is in.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the first invention, in a wire plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on the surface of a wire, a plating material attaching device for attaching a plating material in a heated and molten state to the surface of the wire, and the plating A cooling device for cooling the plating material adhering to the wire by the material adhering device is provided.

  According to this configuration, after the molten plating material is adhered to the surface of the wire by the plating material adhesion device, the plating material can be cooled by the cooling device. This cooling makes it possible to quickly solidify the plating material attached to the wire.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the cooling device includes a cooling chamber through which the wire attached with the plating material passes, and an air supply section that sends a cooling gas below the melting temperature of the plating material into the cooling chamber. It was set as the structure.

  According to this configuration, the plating material is cooled by the cooling gas sent into the cooling chamber while the wire rod to which the plating material has adhered passes through the cooling chamber. By sending the cooling gas into the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber can always be kept below the melting temperature of the plating material.

  In 3rd invention, in 2nd invention, it has the plating material storage tank in which the plating material of a molten state is stored, the cooling room of a cooling device is arranged above the liquid level of the above-mentioned plating material storage tank, It has the structure which has the exhaust port which escapes cooling gas upwards.

  According to this structure, the wire pulled up from the plating material storage tank is cooled as it is while passing through the cooling chamber. Since the cooling gas sent to the cooling chamber at this time escapes upward from the exhaust port of the cooling chamber, the cooling gas is difficult to touch the plating material stored in the plating material storage tank.

  In a fourth invention, in the second or third invention, the air supply section is provided with a cooling gas discharge port facing the cooling chamber, and the cooling chamber is provided between the discharge port and the wire. In addition, a blocking member is provided that prevents the cooling gas flow from colliding with the wire.

  According to this configuration, the cooling gas is sent from the discharge port of the air supply unit to the cooling chamber, and the flow of the cooling gas at this time does not collide with the wire by the blocking member, so that the plating material attached to the wire is solidified. Before, it becomes possible to suppress the cooling gas from flowing from the surface of the wire.

  In 5th invention, in 2nd thru | or 4th invention, an air supply part produces | generates cold wind and warm air from compressed air, It is comprised so that the produced | generated cold wind may be sent to a cooling chamber. It was set as the composition.

  According to this structure, it becomes possible to cool a plating material using cheap and safe compressed air.

  In a sixth aspect of the invention, in the wire plating method for forming a plating layer on the surface of the wire, the plating material is heated and melted on the surface of the wire, and then the plating material is cooled by a cooling device. .

  According to this configuration, after the plating material in a heated and melted state is attached to the surface of the wire, the plating material can be cooled by the cooling device. This cooling makes it possible to quickly solidify the plating material attached to the wire.

  In 7th invention, it was set as the plating wire manufactured using the plating method described in 6th invention.

  According to the first invention, since the plating material adhered to the surface of the wire can be cooled and solidified quickly by the cooling device, the plating material is prevented from dripping and the plating thickness is uniform. Thus, the quality of the plated wire can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, since the cooling gas is sent by the air supply section into the cooling chamber through which the wire attached with the plating material passes, the temperature in the cooling chamber can be always kept below the melting temperature of the plating material. it can. Thereby, the plating material can be effectively cooled and solidified more quickly, and the uniformity of the plating thickness can be further improved.

  According to the third invention, the cooling chamber of the cooling device is disposed above the liquid level of the plating material storage tank so that the cooling gas in the cooling chamber is allowed to escape upward, so that the vicinity of the liquid level of the plating material storage tank The temperature drop of the plating material can be suppressed.

  According to the fourth invention, since the blocking member for preventing the flow of the cooling gas from colliding with the wire is provided between the discharge port of the cooling chamber and the wire, the plating material before solidifying is made of the cooling gas. It can suppress flowing by a flow. Thereby, deterioration of the uniformity of plating thickness can be avoided, performing cooling effectively using cooling gas.

  According to the fifth invention, since the cold air generated from the compressed air is sent to the cooling chamber, the plating material can be cooled inexpensively and safely, and thus the cost of the plating wire can be reduced. be able to.

  According to the sixth invention, after the plating material in a heated and melted state is attached to the surface of the wire, the plating material can be cooled and solidified quickly by the cooling device, so that the plating is performed as in the first invention. The quality of the wire can be increased.

  According to 7th invention, it can be set as a high quality plating wire.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

  FIG. 1 shows a wire plating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The plating apparatus 1 is for forming a plating layer La by solder on a rectangular copper wire Cw (wire) having a rectangular cross section, and attaches solder as a plating material in a heated and molten state to the surface of the rectangular copper wire Cw. The solder attaching device 2 (plating material attaching device) to be made and the cooling device 5 for cooling the solder attached to the surface of the flat copper wire Cw by the solder attaching device 2 are configured. Examples of a material for forming the plating layer La using the plating apparatus 1 include, but are not limited to, tough pitch copper and oxygen-free copper, and the plating layer La is formed on a wire made of various materials. Is possible. Moreover, although the cross-sectional dimension of the flat copper wire Cw is about 2.0 mm x 0.2 mm, for example, it is not restricted to this. The flat copper wire Cw on which the plating layer La is formed is used as, for example, a current collecting wiring material Pl that connects silicon cells used in a solar battery.

  The solder adhering device 2 includes a solder reservoir 3 (plating material reservoir), a flat copper wire feeder 4 and a die 6. The plating apparatus 1 sends the rectangular copper wire Cw with the rectangular copper wire supply apparatus 4, attaches the solder stored in the solder reservoir 3 to the rectangular copper wire Cw, and then cools the solder with the cooling device 5. It is configured to solidify.

  The solder storage tank 3 stores solder (Sn—Pb alloy) heated to a melting temperature or higher. The solder storage tank 3 is provided with a heating device (not shown) for heating the solder to the above temperature. The solder may be Sn-Ag-Cu based lead-free solder.

  The flat copper wire supply device 4 includes a wire rod supply stand 41, a first roller 42, a second roller 43, a third roller 44, and a winding device 45.

  The wire supply stand 41 is provided with a roller 41a that rotates around a horizontal axis, and a rectangular copper wire Cw before the plating layer La is formed is wound around the roller 41a.

  The first roller 42 is positioned above the wire rod supply stand 41 and supported by a support base (not shown) so as to rotate around the horizontal axis.

  The second roller 43 is provided below the solder liquid surface Su in the solder reservoir 3 and is supported by the solder reservoir 3 so as to rotate about the horizontal axis. A flat copper wire Cw before the plating layer La is formed is wound around the second roller 43 and the first roller 42. By the second roller 43 and the first roller 42, the feeding direction of the flat copper wire Cw sent from the roller 41a is set obliquely downward toward the inside of the solder storage tank 3.

  The third roller 44 is positioned directly above the second roller 43 and is supported by a support base (not shown) so as to rotate around the horizontal axis. A flat copper wire Cw is also wound around the third roller 44. By the third roller 44 and the second roller 43, the feeding direction of the flat copper wire Cw passing through the second roller 43 is converted to the vertically upward direction. The position of the third roller 44 is sufficiently away from the liquid surface Su of the solder reservoir 3 so that the solder attached to the surface of the flat copper wire Cw is completely solidified before reaching the third roller 44. It is considered to be a position.

  The winding device 45 is a device that winds the flat copper wire Cw on which the plating layer La is formed, that is, the current collecting wiring material Pl. The winding device 45 includes a winding roller 45a that is supported so as to rotate around a horizontal axis, and a driving device 45b that drives the winding roller 45a. The driving device 45b can change the rotation speed of the winding roller 45a, and can arbitrarily change the feeding speed of the rectangular copper wire Cw by changing the rotation speed of the winding roller 45a. Is possible. The rectangular copper wire supply device 4 may be provided with a preheating device that preheats the rectangular copper wire Cw before passing it through the solder in the solder reservoir 3.

  The die 6 is a floating die that floats on the liquid surface Su of the solder storage tank 3 and can move on the liquid surface Su. The die 6 is formed with a die hole 61 through which a flat copper wire Cw having solder attached to the center portion passes vertically. When the rectangular copper wire Cw to which the solder is attached passes through the die hole 61, the excess solder attached to the rectangular copper wire Cw is removed.

  A die support member 32 that supports the die 6 is assembled in the solder reservoir 3 in the vicinity of the liquid surface Su. The die support member 32 is a concave member formed to support the die 6 from above and below. By the die support member 32, the vertical displacement of the die 6 is regulated.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the solder storage tank 3 is provided with a frame 31. The cooling device 5 is attached to the frame 31 via a bracket 51. The cooling device 5 includes a first cylinder member 52 having a cooling chamber 52 f therein, a vortex cooler 54 (air supply unit), and a nitrogen box 55.

  The 1st cylinder member 52 is arrange | positioned so that it may extend in a perpendicular direction, and is attached to the bracket 51 with the U volt | bolt 51a. The length of the first cylinder member 52 in the vertical direction is, for example, about 600 mm, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 3, a base plate 52 a that extends substantially horizontally is fixed to the lower end of the first cylindrical member 52. A wire rod passage hole 52 b having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylinder member 52 is formed in the base plate 52 a on the central axis of the first cylinder member 52. The wire passage hole 52b communicates with the cooling chamber 52f. The base plate 52a has a fixing hole 52c for fixing a vortex cooler 54 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a nitrogen box 55 is installed in the base plate 52a by a positioning member 52g. The nitrogen box 55 is located below the wire passage hole 52b of the base plate 52a, has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and opens downward. The lower end of the nitrogen box 55 is positioned below the liquid surface Su in the solder storage tank 3. A through hole 55 a (described only in FIG. 1) communicating with the wire passage hole 52 b of the base plate 52 a is formed in the upper wall of the nitrogen box 55 on the central axis of the first cylinder member 52. A nitrogen supply pipe 55c to which nitrogen is supplied from a nitrogen cylinder (not shown) is provided on the side wall of the nitrogen box 55, and a supply hole 55b is formed inside the nitrogen supply pipe 55c. Yes. Filling the nitrogen box 55 with nitrogen gas makes it difficult to form an oxide film on the solder surface Su in the nitrogen box 55. Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent an oxide film from adhering to the surface of the flat copper wire Cw.

  On the other hand, a connection hole 52 d is formed in the peripheral wall of the first cylindrical member 52 on the side opposite to the bracket 51. A cylindrical connection member 52h to which the vortex cooler 54 is connected is attached to the periphery of the connection hole 52d of the first cylinder member 52 so as to communicate with the connection hole 52d. The connection member 52 h has a central axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the first cylinder member 52. Although the details will be described later, the vortex schooler 54 is configured to generate cold air as a cooling gas and send it to the cooling chamber 52f of the first cylinder member 52 via the connection member 52h.

  At the upper end of the first cylinder member 52, an exhaust port 52e for exhausting cool air sent from the vortex cooler 54 to the cooling chamber 52f of the first cylinder member 52 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a second cylinder member 53 (blocking member) is disposed inside the first cylinder member 52. The 2nd cylinder member 53 is arrange | positioned so that the 1st cylinder member 52 and the center axis may correspond. The lower end of the second cylinder member 53 is fixed to the periphery of the wire rod passage hole 52b of the base plate 52a. The length of the second cylinder member 53 in the vertical direction is about one third of that of the first cylinder member 52, for example, about 200 mm, but is not limited thereto. The outer diameter of the second cylinder member 53 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylinder member 52, and a predetermined gap is formed between the first cylinder member 52 and the second cylinder member 53. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical member 53 is the same as the diameter of the wire passage hole 52b of the base plate 52a. The attachment position of the connection member 52 h to the first cylinder member 52 is the central portion in the vertical direction of the second cylinder member 53. The connection hole 52 d of the first cylinder member 52 faces the peripheral wall of the second cylinder member 53.

  The vortex cooler 54 includes a discharge tube portion 54a, a vortex cooler separation portion 54b, a hot air discharge tube portion 54c, an introduction tube portion 54e, and a pressure gauge 54f. The vortex schooler 54 is fixed to the base plate 52a by inserting a bolt (not shown) into the fixing hole 52c of the base plate 52a and screwing the bolt into a screw hole (not shown) of the vortex schooler 54. .

  A compressed air supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the introduction pipe portion 54e. The compressed air introduced into the vortex cooler 54 from the introduction pipe portion 54e passes through the pressure gauge 54f and passes through the inside of the vortex spooler separation portion 54b. Since the vortex cooler separation unit 54b is a well-known device configured to generate cold air and hot air when compressed air is supplied, description of the internal structure is omitted. The warm air generated by the vortex cooler separation part 54b is discharged to the outside from the warm air discharge pipe part 54c, and the cold air generated at the same time passes through the discharge pipe part 54a and passes through the connection member 52h to the first tube member. 52 is sent to the cooling chamber 52f. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, a discharge port 54d for discharging cool air is formed at the tip of the discharge pipe portion 54a, and the discharge port 54d faces the cooling chamber 52f. Note that the temperature of the cold air is lower than the melting temperature of the solder. The size of the gap formed between the first cylinder member 52 and the second cylinder member 53 is set so that the cool air sent from the vortex cooler 54 flows smoothly into the cooling chamber 52f. Has been.

  Next, a plating method for forming the plating layer La on the surface of the flat copper wire Cw using the plating apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, first, the driving device 45b of the winding device 45 is operated to rotate the winding roller 45a. By the rotation of the winding roller 45 a, the rectangular copper wire Cw wound around the roller 41 a of the wire supply stand 41 is sent out toward the first roller 42.

  The feeding direction of the flat copper wire Cw that has reached the first roller 42 is the direction toward the inside of the solder storage tank 3 by the first roller 42 and the second roller 43, and the flat copper wire Cw sent in this way will eventually be soldered. It enters the solder in the storage tank 3.

  The flat copper wire Cw that has passed through the second roller 43 has its feed direction vertically upward. A die 6 floats on the liquid surface Su of the solder reservoir 3, and the rectangular copper wire Cw that has passed through the second roller 43 passes through a die hole 61 formed in the die 6, thereby Excess solder adhering to the surface can be removed.

  The flat copper wire Cw that has passed through the die 6 passes through the nitrogen box 55. Nitrogen is fed into the nitrogen box 55 from the supply hole 55b. As a result, no oxide film is generated on the liquid surface Su in the solder reservoir 3, so that it is possible to prevent the oxide film from being mixed in the plating layer La of the current collecting wiring material Pl.

  Thereafter, the flat copper wire Cw to which the solder is attached passes through the wire passage hole 52b of the base plate 52a and passes through the cooling chamber 52f of the first cylindrical member 52 vertically upward. At this time, cold air is sent from the vortex cooler 54 to the cooling chamber 52f through the discharge pipe portion 54a. Thereby, since the temperature in the cooling chamber 52f is equal to or lower than the melting temperature of the solder, when the rectangular copper wire Cw to which the solder is attached passes through the cooling chamber 52f, the solder is solidified quickly and uniformly. Thereby, it is suppressed that the solder adhering to the flat copper wire Cw comes to droop.

  Further, since the cool air blown from the discharge port 54d hits the wall surface of the second cylindrical member 53, the cool air does not directly collide with the flat copper wire Cw. Thereby, it can avoid that the solder adhering to the surface of the flat copper wire Cw is blown away and begins to flow. The cool air sent into the cooling chamber 52f through the discharge pipe portion 54a is mainly exhausted from the exhaust port 52e at the upper end of the first cylinder member 52.

  A plated layer La made of solder is formed on the surface of the flat copper wire Cw that has passed through the cooling device 5 to form a current collecting wiring material Pl. The current collecting wiring material Pl passes through the third roller 44 and is then wound around the winding roller 45a. At this time, the external appearance of the current collecting wiring material Pl produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 is apparent on the surface of the plating layer La as compared with that by the conventional manufacturing method shown in FIG. Is not formed, and the uniformity of the plating thickness is good.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the solder attached to the surface of the flat copper wire Cw can be cooled and solidified quickly by the cooling device 5, so that the solder can be prevented from dripping. Thus, the uniformity of the plating thickness can be improved, and thus the quality of the current collecting wiring material Pl on which the plating layer La is formed can be improved.

  Further, since the cold air is sent by the vortex cooler 54 into the cooling chamber 52f through which the flat copper wire Cw to which the solder adheres passes, the temperature in the cooling chamber 52f can always be lower than the melting temperature of the solder. Thereby, the solder can be effectively cooled and solidified more quickly, and the uniformity of the plating thickness can be further improved.

  Further, the cooling chamber 52f of the cooling device 5 is disposed above the liquid surface Su of the solder storage tank 3, and the cold air in the cooling chamber 52f is allowed to escape upward, so that the solder stored in the solder storage tank 3 is discharged. Can be prevented from being cooled by the cold air, and the solder near the liquid surface Su can be prevented from being solidified by the cold air.

  Further, since the second cylindrical member 53 is provided between the discharge port 54d of the cooling chamber 52f and the flat copper wire Cw to prevent the flow of the cold air from colliding with the flat copper wire Cw, the solder before solidification is provided. It is possible to suppress the flow due to the flow of the cold air, and it is possible to avoid the deterioration of the uniformity of the plating thickness while performing the cooling effectively using the cold air.

  Further, since the cold air generated from the compressed air is sent to the cooling chamber 52f, the rectangular copper wire Cw can be cooled safely and inexpensively, and thus the current collecting wiring on which the plating layer La is formed The cost of the material Pl can be reduced.

  Moreover, if the plating apparatus 1 is used, it is possible to make the current-collecting wiring material Pl having a good plating thickness uniformity and a high-quality plating process.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the flat copper wire Cw is used as the wire, but a conducting wire having a circular cross section may be used. The material of the wire may be other than copper.

  In addition, the apparatus and method according to the present invention can be used in general when the plating layer La is formed by heating and melting various plating materials to adhere to various wires.

  Further, the cooling gas may be other than air, and for example, a gas capable of preventing oxidation such as nitrogen is preferable.

  Also, the die 6 may not be a floating die, and may be fixed to the die support member 32, for example.

  Further, the cooling device 5 may be configured to cool the inside of the cooling chamber 52f by using the first cylinder member 52 as a heat transfer tube and flowing a refrigerant through the first cylinder member 52.

  Further, the flat copper wire supply device 4 has three rollers (a first roller 42, a second roller 43, and a third roller 44) between the wire supply stand 41 and the winding device 45, and these three rollers. Thus, the feeding direction of the rectangular copper wire Cw and the current collecting wiring material Pl is changed, but the number of rollers is not limited to three. Further, the roller may be a fixed rod that has a small surface resistance and does not rotate.

  As described above, the plating apparatus and the plating method according to the present invention are suitable, for example, as an apparatus and a method for making a current collector wiring material for connecting a plurality of silicon cells constituting a solar cell. The plating wire made by the plating apparatus and the plating method according to the invention is suitable as a wiring material for current collection used in, for example, a solar cell.

It is the schematic of the plating apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the cooling device concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the 1st cylinder member and 2nd cylinder member which concern on embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the wiring material for current collection made by the conventional manufacturing method. It is sectional drawing of the wiring material for current collection made with the plating apparatus which concerns on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Plating equipment 2 Solder adhesion equipment (plating material adhesion equipment)
3 Solder storage tank (plating material storage tank)
4 Flat copper wire supply device 5 Cooling device 52 First cylinder member 52f Cooling chamber 52e Exhaust port 53 Second cylinder member (blocking member)
54 Vortex Schooler (Air Supply Unit)
54d Discharge port 6 Die Pl Current collector wiring material Cw Flat copper wire (wire material)
La plating layer Bu convex part

Claims (7)

In a wire plating apparatus that forms a plating layer on the surface of the wire,
A plating material adhesion device for adhering a heated and molten plating material to the surface of the wire;
A wire plating apparatus, comprising: a cooling device that cools the plating material attached to the wire by the plating material attaching device. In the wire plating apparatus according to claim 1,
The cooling device includes a cooling chamber through which a wire attached with a plating material passes, and an air supply unit that sends a cooling gas having a temperature equal to or lower than the melting temperature of the plating material into the cooling chamber. In the wire plating apparatus according to claim 2,
A plating material reservoir for storing molten plating material is provided,
The cooling chamber of a cooling device is arrange | positioned above the liquid level of the said plating material storage tank, and has an exhaust port which escapes cooling gas upwards, The metal-plating apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the wire plating apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The air supply section is provided with a cooling gas discharge port facing the cooling chamber,
The wire plating apparatus, wherein the cooling chamber is provided with a blocking member for blocking the flow of the cooling gas from colliding with the wire between the discharge port and the wire. In the wire plating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The air supply unit is configured to generate cold air and hot air from compressed air, and to send the generated cold air to a cooling chamber. In the method of plating a wire that forms a plating layer on the surface of the wire,
A method of plating a wire, comprising: depositing a heated and molten plating material on a surface of the wire, and then cooling the plating material with a cooling device.   A plated wire produced by using the wire plating method according to claim 6.

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