JP5141340B2 - Manufacturing equipment for multilayer ceramic electronic components - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing multilayer ceramic electronic components.

  In order to manufacture a small electronic component having good electrical characteristics, it is necessary that green sheets used for manufacturing be laminated with high accuracy. However, in the multilayer electronic component manufacturing apparatus according to the prior art, a stacking deviation may occur in the step of pressing the green sheet and then pressing the green sheet after the green sheets are overlaid.

  For example, in a manufacturing apparatus that performs pressing after dropping a green sheet cut into a predetermined size into a mold and overlaying it, it is necessary to provide a gap (clearance) between the mold and the cut green sheet. is there. Therefore, when this press is performed, each green sheet may move by the amount of the clearance, causing a stacking error.

  As a conventional technique for solving such a problem, for example, a green sheet formed on a support is transferred and laminated into a frame while cutting along the inner edge of the frame. A manufacturing apparatus for pressing is known (see Patent Document 1).

However, such a manufacturing apparatus according to the prior art needs to cut the green sheet in a state where the support is sandwiched between the punch and the inner edge of the frame. It was difficult to suppress. Further, when transferring the green sheet, air may be embraced between the sheets, which has a problem.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-62860

  An object of the present invention is to provide a mold unit suitable for use in green sheet lamination and the like and a sheet laminating apparatus capable of accurately laminating green sheets.

In order to achieve the above object, a mold unit according to the present invention comprises:
A lower frame presser outer mold on which the sheet peripheral edge of the green sheet is installed;
A lower punch that is inserted through the lower frame presser outer die and is opposed to a sheet center portion of the green sheet;
An upper frame presser that is disposed with the sheet peripheral edge sandwiched between the lower frame presser outer mold, and
An upper punch that is inserted through the upper frame presser and sandwiched between the sheet punch and the lower punch;
A first biasing member that biases the lower punch toward the upper punch,
A second urging member that connects the upper frame presser so as to be relatively movable with respect to the upper punch, and urges the upper frame presser toward the outer side of the lower frame presser;
The upper punch and the lower punch arranged with the sheet center portion sandwiched between the upper frame retainer and the lower frame retainer outer mold disposed with the sheet peripheral portion sandwiched therebetween, the thickness of the green sheet It is characterized by relative movement in the direction.

  In the mold unit according to the present invention, the lower frame presser outer mold and the upper frame presser sandwich the sheet peripheral edge and hold it by the force of the second urging member, so that the green sheet can be punched accurately, Further, it is possible to prevent damage to the center portion of the sheet during punching. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a gap from being generated between the punched green sheet and the lower frame presser outer die, and to prevent the green sheet from being laminated.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the force with which the first urging member urges the lower punch is larger than the force with which the second urging member urges the upper frame presser. By configuring in this way, the sheet peripheral edge is excessively pressed and attached to the lower frame press outer die and the upper frame press due to the pressure at the time of punching the green sheet, and is punched and becomes unnecessary. It is possible to prevent the discharge from being hindered. That is, when a green sheet is punched, the green sheet can be easily punched by adjusting the force for holding the center of the sheet and the force for holding the peripheral edge of the sheet.

A sheet laminating apparatus according to the present invention includes the above mold unit,
The upper punch has a punching laminated portion having an upper punch driving means for driving the upper punch so as to punch the sheet central portion into the inner side of the lower frame pressing outer die.

  Further, for example, the punching laminated portion includes a surface facing the upper frame presser in the lower frame presser outer die and the punched sheet central part before the green sheet is installed in the mold unit. You may further have a lower frame presser outer die drive means which drives the said lower frame presser outer die so that the surface which opposes the said upper punch may be arrange | positioned on substantially the same plane.

  By aligning the surface of the lower frame presser outer die and the surface of the punched sheet central portion, the green sheet to be stacked next can be placed in close contact with the lower frame presser outer die and the sheet central portion. For this reason, the sheet laminating apparatus can punch out the green sheets with high accuracy and can prevent air from being embraced between the sheets.

  Further, for example, the upper punch driving means may be configured such that a surface of the upper punch that faces the sheet center is at least as thick as the green sheet with respect to a surface of the upper frame presser that faces the sheet peripheral edge. You may make it move relatively to the lower frame pressing outer die side with a corresponding movement stroke. Thereby, the sheet laminating apparatus can punch out the green sheet with high accuracy. In the state where the sheet peripheral part and the sheet central part are respectively sandwiched, the sheet central part is displaced along the thickness direction by a distance corresponding to at least the thickness of the green sheet with respect to the sheet peripheral part. Since the center portion of the sheet is completely separated in this state, punching with excellent shape accuracy without cutting failure is realized.

  Further, for example, the punching laminated portion further includes a removing unit that removes the sheet peripheral edge portion of the green sheet punched out from the sheet central portion from a surface facing the upper frame presser in the lower frame presser outer die. You may have.

  Further, for example, in the sheet laminating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the upper punch and the lower punch are held in a state where a plurality of punched sheet central portions are held inside the lower frame pressing outer die. The press unit may be further pressed by applying pressure through the die unit, and the mold unit may be movable between the punched laminated portion and the main brace portion.

  According to the sheet laminating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the green sheets stacked while reducing the gap between the green sheet and the lower frame presser outer die can be pressed as it is, Deviation can be effectively prevented, and a sheet laminate laminated with high accuracy can be obtained.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a sheet laminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of a mold unit provided in the sheet laminating apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a green sheet installed in the mold unit shown in FIG.
4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process of punching a green sheet in the punching and laminating unit of the sheet laminating apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view for explaining a state in which the green sheet is punched,
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the central portion of the sheet is finally pressed in the main pressing portion of the sheet laminating apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet laminating apparatus 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is capable of moving in the XY plane direction with a punching laminating unit 4, a main pressing unit 6, and a rail between them. Mold unit 10. The punching stack 4 includes an upper servo mechanism 5 that applies a punching pressure to the upper punch holding plate 26 to which the upper punch 18 of the mold unit 10 is fixed, and a lower servo mechanism 36 (see FIG. 2). The pressure applied to the mold unit 10 by these servo mechanisms 5 and 36 is set according to the type and size of the green sheet 12 to be punched and stacked, the number of stacked layers, and the like.

  The main pressing unit 6 includes a hydraulic press device 7 that applies main pressing pressure to the upper punch holding plate 26 of the mold unit 10 that has moved to the main pressing unit 6. The pressure applied to the mold unit 10 by the hydraulic press device 7 is set according to the type, size, number of layers, and the like of the green sheets 12 to be stacked.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mold unit 10 includes a lower frame pressing outer mold 16 on which a sheet peripheral edge portion 12 a of the green sheet 12 for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component is installed, and a center of the lower frame pressing outer mold 16. And a lower punch 14 in which the sheet central portion 12b of the green sheet 12 is installed. The lower punch 14 is fitted in the through hole 15 formed in the portion so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction (perpendicular to the XY axis direction). As shown in FIG. 3, the sheet central portion 12b of the green sheet 12 has an internal electrode pattern layer 12c formed on the surface thereof, and positioning marks 12d formed on the outer peripheral four corners thereof. The sheet peripheral edge 12a is usually positioned outside the positioning mark 12d.

  The green sheet 12 is a portion that becomes a ceramic sintered body such as a dielectric layer and a ferrite layer after firing, and is usually formed by a doctor blade method. In the present embodiment, the green sheet 12 may be a green sheet laminate in which a plurality of green sheets are laminated in advance via an internal electrode pattern layer.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper punch 18 is located on the upper portion of the lower punch 14 in the Z-axis direction. The shape of the cross section of the upper punch 18 (the cross section perpendicular to the Z-axis) coincides with the cross sectional shape of the lower punch 14, and the lower end of the upper punch 18 is inside the through hole 15 of the lower frame pressing outer die 16. Can be inserted. The cross-sectional shape of the through hole 15 is larger than the cross-sectional shape of the lower punch 14 with a slight clearance. This is to allow the lower punch 14 to move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis direction of the through hole 15.

  The upper punch 18 is fixed below the center of the upper punch holding plate 26. The upper punch holding plate 26 is formed with a spring holding hole in which a second spring 24 as a second urging member is accommodated. The upper end of the second spring 24 is received by the upper punch holding plate 26, and the lower end of the second spring 24 is in contact with the upper end stopper 25 of the upper frame holding rod 22 and is fixed to the lower end of the upper frame holding rod 22. The upper frame holder 20 is pressed downward in the Z-axis direction.

  However, even if the spring force by the second spring 24 acts on the upper end stopper 25 of the upper frame holding rod 22, the upper end stopper 25 of the upper frame holding rod 22 is provided between the upper punch 18 and the upper punch holding plate 26. It abuts against the adjustment plate 27 and does not move downward any further. In a state where no relative force acts between the upper frame presser 20 and the upper punch 18, the lower surface 20 a of the upper frame presser 20 is flush with the lower surface 18 a of the upper punch 18.

  The upper punch 18 is fitted into a through hole 20b formed at the center of the upper frame presser 20 so as to be relatively movable in the Z-axis direction. The axis of the upper punch 18, the axis of the through hole 20 b, the axis of the lower punch 14, and the axis of the through hole 15 are substantially aligned.

  The lower punch 14 is connected to the lower punch base plate 30 via a first spring 42 and a support rod 44 as a first urging member. A lower punch adjusting plate 46 is fixed to the lower punch base plate 30 on the lower punch base plate 30 and below the lower punch 14. A plurality of through holes 43 are formed in the lower punch adjusting plate 46, and a support rod 44 is inserted into each through hole 43.

  The upper end of the support rod 44 is fixed to the lower punch 14, and the lower end stopper 45 is fixed to the lower end of the rod 44, and the upper end of the first spring 42 is in contact with the lower end stopper 45. Therefore, the spring force by the first spring 42 gives the lower punch base 30 a force that pushes the lower end stopper 45 upward together with the rod 44 and the lower punch 14 in the Z-axis direction.

  However, since the lower end stopper 45 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 43, the lower end stopper 45 hits the lower surface of the lower punch adjusting plate 46 by the spring force of the first spring 42, and beyond that, the lower end stopper 45 is upward in the Z-axis direction. Does not move. Between the lower punch adjusting plate 46 and the lower punch 14, a lifting clearance by the spring of the first spring 42 is formed. In a state where nothing is laminated on the upper surface 14a of the lower punch 14, the upper surface 14a of the lower punch 14 and the upper surface 16a of the lower frame pressing outer die 16 are located at a position where the lower end stopper 45 contacts the lower punch adjusting plate 46. It ’s all the same.

  A guide rod 32 is erected and fixed to the lower punch base plate 30 in the Z-axis direction, and the lower frame pressing outer die 16 moves relative to the lower punch 14 along the guide rod 32 in the Z-axis direction. Guide you to do. A plurality of connecting rods 34 are fixed to the lower part of the outer periphery of the lower frame pressing outer die 16 so as to extend downward in the Z-axis direction.

  These connecting rods 34 are respectively inserted into through holes 31 formed in the lower punch base plate 30, and their lower ends 34 a are moved up and down in the Z-axis direction from the lower side of the base plate 40 located in the punching laminated portion 4. It can come into contact with the upper end of the movable drive rod 38. The driving rod 38 is driven by a lower servo mechanism 36 as a lower frame pressing outer die driving means. The lower servo mechanism 36 is controlled by the control circuit 50. The control circuit 50 also controls the upper servo mechanism 5 (upper punch driving means) shown in FIG.

  Next, the punching and laminating process of the green sheet 12 under the control of the servo mechanisms 5 and 36 by the control circuit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the upper end of the drive rod 38 is connected to the lower end of the connecting rod 34, and the upper surface 14a of the lower punch 14 and the upper surface 16a of the lower frame pressing outer die 16 are flush with each other. In the state, the green sheet 12 is aligned and placed. In this state, the upper servo mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 1 operates, the upper punch 18 approaches the lower punch 14, and the lower surface 18 a of the upper punch 18 and the lower surface 20 a of the upper frame presser 20 are on the upper surface of the green sheet 12. Abut at the same time.

  Since the driving force of the upper punch 18 is stronger than the spring force of the first spring 42, the upper punch 18 continues to move downward, and as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5, the upper punch 18 The lower end enters the inside of the through hole 15 of the lower frame presser outer die 16. The downward movement stroke of the upper punch 18 relative to the upper frame holder 20 in the Z-axis direction is larger than the thickness of the green sheet 12. As a result, the green sheet 12 is punched out by shearing between the outer peripheral edge of the upper punch 18 and the inner peripheral edge of the through hole of the lower frame pressing outer die 16, and the sheet peripheral portion 12a is placed on the lower frame pressing outer die 16. Remains.

  In the punching process, the upper frame presser 20 holds the peripheral edge portion 12 a of the green sheet 12 with the lower frame presser outer die 16 by the spring force of the second spring 24. Since the spring force of the second spring 24 is weaker than the spring force of the first spring 42, the green sheet 12 is punched well.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 (C), the center surface of the punched green sheet 12 and the upper surface of the lower frame pressing outer die 16 are flush with each other as shown in FIG. 4 (A). The control circuit 50 controls the servo mechanism 36 to move the lower frame pressing outer die 16 relative to the lower punch 14 in the Z-axis direction.

  Thereafter or simultaneously, the peripheral edge portion 12a of the punched green sheet is removed by a removing means such as a clamp conveyance mechanism, a negative pressure adsorption conveyance mechanism, and an adhesive conveyance mechanism.

  Thereafter, the next green sheet 12 is placed on the surface of the central portion 12a of the green sheet and the upper surface of the lower frame presser outer die 16, and FIGS. 4 (A) to 4 (C). The above process is repeated to obtain a laminated body 12u (see FIG. 6) in the central portion 12b of the predetermined number of punched green sheets 12.

  When the laminated body 12u (see FIG. 6) of the central portion 12b of the green sheet 12 is formed in the punched laminated portion 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the laminated body 12u is inside the through hole of the lower frame pressing outer die 16. The mold unit 10 accommodated in is moved from the punched and stacked portion 4 to the main press portion 6 along a rail which is not shown. In the press section 6, the hydraulic press device 7 presses the upper punch 18 downward while being pressed against the upper punch holding plate 26 of the mold unit 10.

  Before that, as shown in FIG. 6, the fixing member 60 is inserted between the upper frame presser 20 and the upper punch holding plate 26 to prevent the relative movement therebetween. In addition, illustration of the 2nd spring 24 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. In practice, the fixing member 60 is inserted between the upper frame presser 20 and the adjustment plate 27 shown in FIG. 2, but prevents relative movement between the upper frame presser 20 and the upper punch holding plate 26. Since the functions are the same in this respect, detailed illustration is omitted in FIG.

  When the lower punch 14 is fixed to the base of the press unit 6 in the state shown in FIG. 6 and the upper punch 18 is pushed down by the hydraulic device 7 shown in FIG. 1, the upper punch 18 pushes the laminated body 12u to the lower punch. 14 to press. At that time, the upper frame presser 20 moves together with the upper punch 18, and the laminated body 12u is properly pressed in the through hole 15 of the lower frame presser outer die 16 without deforming the outer peripheral portion thereof. The

  In the mold unit 10 according to the present embodiment, the lower frame presser outer die 16 and the upper frame presser 20 sandwich the sheet peripheral edge portion 12a, and the lower surface of the upper punch 18 is formed in the through hole 15 of the lower frame presser outer die 16. It is sinking inside. Therefore, the deformation of the outer periphery can be suppressed and the green sheet can be punched out with an accurate shape.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, the green sheet 12 to be punched is placed on a flat surface between the upper surface of the central portion 12b of the punched green sheet and the upper surface 16a of the lower frame pressing outer die 16. Placed. Therefore, the next green sheet 12 is punched with high accuracy in a state of being stacked with the green sheet central portion 12b positioned below without sandwiching air. That is, air or the like does not enter between the sheets of the obtained laminate. Also, no positional deviation occurs.

  Furthermore, since the mold unit 10 used in the punching and laminating section 4 can be conveyed to the main pressing section as it is, the laminated body 12u is fully pressed without deformation of the outer peripheral portion thereof.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a sheet laminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a mold unit provided in the sheet laminating apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a green sheet installed in the mold unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process of punching a green sheet in the punching and stacking unit of the sheet stacking apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view for explaining a state in which the green sheet is punched out. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the central portion of the sheet is finally pressed in the main pressing portion of the sheet laminating apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Sheet laminating device 4 ... Punching and laminating section
5 ... Upper servo mechanism (upper punch drive means)
6 ... This press part 7 ... This press drive mechanism 10 ... Die unit 12 ... Green sheet 12a ... Sheet peripheral part 12b ... Sheet center part 14 ... Lower punch 16 ... Lower frame pressing outer die 18 ... Upper punch 20 ... Upper frame pressing 24 ... Second spring (second biasing member)
36 ... Lower servo mechanism (lower frame presser outer die drive means)
42 ... 1st spring (1st biasing means)

Claims (7)

A lower frame presser outer mold on which the sheet peripheral edge of the green sheet is installed;
A lower punch that is inserted through the lower frame presser outer die and is opposed to a sheet center portion of the green sheet;
An upper frame presser that is disposed with the sheet peripheral edge sandwiched between the lower frame presser outer mold, and
An upper punch that is inserted through the upper frame presser and sandwiched between the sheet punch and the lower punch;
A first biasing member that biases the lower punch toward the upper punch,
A mold unit comprising: a second urging member that connects the upper frame presser so as to be relatively movable with respect to the upper punch, and urges the upper frame presser toward the lower frame presser outer mold side ; ,
The upper punch has a punching laminated portion having an upper punch driving means for driving the upper punch so as to punch out the center portion of the sheet to the inside of the lower frame pressing outer mold,
The upper punch and the lower punch arranged with the sheet center portion sandwiched between the upper frame retainer and the lower frame retainer outer mold disposed with the sheet peripheral portion sandwiched therebetween, the thickness of the green sheet Ri relatively movable der direction,
The sheet laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a force of the first urging member to urge the lower punch is larger than a force of the second urging member to urge the upper frame presser . 2. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a driving force of the upper punch driving unit is larger than a force with which the first biasing member biases the lower punch. 3. The sheet laminating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein
Before the green sheet is installed in the mold unit, the punching laminated portion is formed on the surface facing the upper frame presser in the lower frame presser outer die and the upper punch in the punched center portion of the sheet. A sheet laminating apparatus, further comprising: a lower frame presser outer die driving means for driving the lower frame presser outer die so that the opposing surfaces are arranged on substantially the same plane. The sheet laminating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The upper punch driving means has a movement stroke corresponding to at least the thickness of the green sheet, with respect to a surface of the upper punch that faces the sheet central portion with respect to a surface of the upper frame presser that faces the sheet peripheral edge. Then, the sheet laminating apparatus is moved relative to the lower frame pressing outer mold side. The sheet laminating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The punching and laminating unit further includes a removing unit that removes the sheet peripheral edge portion of the green sheet punched from the sheet central portion from a surface facing the upper frame presser in the lower frame presser outer die. . The sheet laminating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A press part further having a press drive mechanism for applying pressure via the upper punch and the lower punch in a state where a plurality of punched sheet central parts are held inside the lower frame presser outer die. And
It said mold unit, the sheet stacking apparatus which is a movable between said present-flop-less part and the punching laminate. The sheet laminating apparatus according to claim 6,
The main pressing unit includes a base for fixing the lower punch, and a hydraulic device that presses down the upper punch.

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