JP7492263B2 - Compression molding device and compression molding method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a compression molding device and a compression molding method.

Examples of sealing resin devices and methods that use sealing resin (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin") to seal a workpiece having electronic components mounted on a substrate and process it into a molded product include those that use transfer molding and compression molding.

The transfer molding method is a technology in which a pot is provided to supply a predetermined amount of resin to two sealing regions (cavities) provided in a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, a work is placed at a position corresponding to each sealing region, and the work is clamped with the upper mold and lower mold, and resin is poured from the pot into the cavity to seal the work. The compression molding method is a technology in which a predetermined amount of resin is supplied to a sealing region (cavity) provided in a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, a work is placed in the sealing region, and the work is clamped with the upper mold and lower mold to seal the work. As an example, when a sealing mold having a cavity in the upper mold is used, a technology is known in which resin is supplied all at once to the center position on the work and molded. On the other hand, when a sealing mold having a cavity in the lower mold is used, a technology is known in which the mold surface including the cavity is covered with a film, and resin is supplied at an even thickness to mold the work (Patent Document 1: JP 2019-145550 A).

JP 2019-145550 A

In the conventional transfer molding method, the number of molded products per sealing die (number of molded products) was fixed. For example, two workpieces and tablet resin between the workpieces were supplied to one sealing die, and two molded products were molded. Therefore, if the number of workpieces supplied was less than the specified number (two in the above example), a dummy workpiece (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "dummy workpiece") was supplied instead to satisfy the specified number and then perform resin molding. This is to prevent molding defects that cause resin leakage from gaps due to tilting during mold clamping when the sealing die is closed without one of the workpieces. On the other hand, since a process for supplying the dummy workpiece must be provided, there was a problem that the work hours and takt time increased and the parts cost also increased. In addition, a process for discharging the dummy workpiece after molding was also required. In addition, in the compression molding method, when two cavities are provided in one sealing die as shown in Patent Document 1, a configuration is conceivable in which two workpieces are supplied, resin sealing is performed, and two molded products are molded. In this case too, it was necessary to supply a dummy workpiece to prevent molding defects caused by tilting when the die was clamped because two workpieces were not supplied to the die.

Furthermore, the system was designed in such a way that it was not possible to flexibly select the molding area, number of pieces (number of dies) and clamping force of the press. This meant that, for example, when switching to a workpiece that required a larger clamping force, the press specifications had to be changed extensively, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Also, when it was necessary to adjust the production volume, the only thing that could be done was to adjust the device's operating speed per hour.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a compression molding device and compression molding method that allows the number of molded products per sealing mold to be changed, and realizes molding without using dummy work, thereby suppressing increases in labor hours, tact time, and parts costs, and that allows the clamping force to be easily changed without making major changes to the device specifications.

The present invention solves the above problems by the solution described below as one embodiment.

The compression molding device according to the present invention is a compression molding device that uses a sealing mold in which one of the upper or lower molds has three sets of cavities and the other has three sets of workpiece holding parts corresponding to the other, and seals three or less workpieces with resin all at once, and is required to include a preparation unit that prepares the workpieces, a transport unit that transports the workpieces from the preparation unit, a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the workpieces in the preparation unit, a calculation unit that calculates the number of workpieces to be transported into the sealing mold based on detection data by the detection unit, and a control unit that selects the workpiece holding unit based on the number data by the calculation unit, and controls the transport unit to transport the workpieces and hold them in the workpiece holding unit.

This makes it possible to change the number of molded products that can be produced per sealing mold. This eliminates the need to use dummy work to keep the number of products constant, which helps to reduce increases in labor hours, tact time, and part costs. Furthermore, for example, when it becomes necessary to make changes to increase the clamping force in the sealing mold, this can be easily done by simply reducing the set number of molded products without making major changes to the equipment specifications.

The control unit preferably controls the selection of the workpiece holding units to be arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line that intersects with the direction in which the cavities are arranged in the sealing mold in a plan view. This makes it possible to prevent bias in the clamping force in the sealing mold and perform well-balanced molding. This makes it possible to prevent molding defects and improve molding quality.

It is also preferable that the apparatus further includes a dispenser for supplying the resin, and the control unit controls the transport of the resin supplied from the dispenser into the cavity corresponding to the selected workpiece holding unit, either separately from the workpiece or together with the workpiece. This allows resin to be supplied only to the cavity corresponding to the workpiece holding unit in which the workpiece is held.

The transport unit preferably has a loader capable of holding one to three of the workpieces in a line, and the control unit preferably controls the loader to select a holding position based on the number data and hold the workpieces in the loader. This allows one to three workpieces to be held in an appropriate position in the loader when the loader holds them, and the number of workpieces W held can be transported collectively into the sealing mold and held in the workpiece holding unit at a predetermined position in the sealing mold. In this way, the workpieces can be transferred from the loader to the mold collectively, so that the temperature state of each workpiece can be eliminated even when the workpieces are preheated. In addition, the transfer time when transferring the workpieces from the loader to the sealing mold can be minimized, so that the temperature drop of the preheated workpieces can be suppressed and the takt time can be shortened.

It is also preferable that the preparation unit has a holding unit capable of holding one to three of the workpieces in a line, and the control unit selects a holding position in the holding unit based on the number data and controls the holding unit to hold the workpieces. In this way, when one to three workpieces are held in the holding unit, they can be held in appropriate positions in the holding unit, and the held number of workpieces W can be transferred to the transport unit all at once. In this way, since the workpieces can be transferred from the holding unit to the transport unit all at once, the transfer time at that time can be minimized, and the takt time can be shortened.

The compression molding method according to the present invention is a compression molding method for sealing three or less workpieces with resin at once using a sealing mold in which one of the upper or lower molds has three sets of cavities and the other has three sets of workpiece holding parts corresponding to the upper or lower mold, and is required to include a preparation step for preparing the workpiece in a preparation part when there is a workpiece to be sealed, a detection step for detecting the presence or absence of the workpiece prepared in the preparation part, a calculation step for calculating the number of workpieces to be transported into the sealing mold based on the detection data in the detection step, and a workpiece transporting and holding step for selecting the workpiece holding part based on the number data in the calculation step, transporting the workpiece from the preparation part, and holding it in the workpiece holding part.

According to the present invention, it is possible to change the number of molded products per sealing mold, and by realizing molding without using dummy work, it is possible to suppress increases in labor hours, tact time, and part costs. In addition, when changing the clamping force in the sealing mold, a method can be realized that allows for easy changes by increasing or decreasing the set number of molded products without making major changes to the equipment specifications, and it is also possible to increase or decrease productivity.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a compression molding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a mold opening and closing mechanism of the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing mold of the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a conveying tool of the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of control performed by a control unit of the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1 . 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the compression molding device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the compression molding device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the compression molding device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams of a modified example of the compression molding method according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of another modified example of the compression molding method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(overall structure)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a mold opening and closing mechanism 250 of the compression molding apparatus 1, and FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a sealing mold 202 of the compression molding apparatus 1. For convenience of explanation, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the compression molding apparatus 1 may be explained by arrows in the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings for explaining each embodiment, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted.

The compression molding device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that performs resin sealing molding of a workpiece (molded product) W using a sealing die 202 that includes an upper die 204 and a lower die 206. Below, as an example of the compression molding device 1, a compression molding device that collectively seals three or less workpieces W with resin R using a sealing die 202 in which three sets of cavities 208 (208A, 208B, 208C) are provided in the lower die 206 and three sets of workpiece holding portions 205 (205A, 205B, 205C) corresponding to the upper die 204 are provided will be described.

First, the workpiece W to be molded has a structure in which a plurality of electronic components Wb are mounted in a matrix on a substrate Wa. More specifically, examples of the substrate Wa include plate-shaped components (so-called rectangular workpieces) such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers formed in a rectangular shape. Examples of the electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive members, spacers, and the like. Note that other examples of the substrate Wa may include a structure using the above-mentioned components formed in a circular or square shape (not shown).

Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb on the substrate Wa include wire bonding and flip chip mounting. Alternatively, in the case of a configuration in which the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) Wa is peeled off from the molded product after resin sealing, the electronic components Wb can be attached using a thermally peelable adhesive tape or an ultraviolet-curing resin that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.

On the other hand, examples of resin R include granular (including cylindrical, etc.), pulverized, or powdered (sometimes collectively referred to as "granular" in this application) thermosetting resins (e.g., epoxy resins containing fillers, etc.). Note that resin R is not limited to the above state, and may be in other states (shapes), such as liquid, plate, or sheet, and may be resins other than epoxy thermosetting resins.

As examples of film F, film materials with excellent heat resistance, ease of peeling, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, polyvinylidine chloride, etc., are preferably used. In this embodiment, a roll-shaped film is used as film F. As a modified example, a strip-shaped film may be used (not shown).

Next, an overview of the compression molding device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the compression molding device 1 mainly comprises a work processing unit 100A that mainly supplies the work W and stores the molded product Wp after resin sealing, a press unit 100B that mainly seals the work W with resin and processes it into the molded product Wp, and a dispensing unit 100C that mainly supplies the film F and resin R and stores (disposes of) the used film Fd after resin sealing.

In this embodiment, the work processing unit 100A, the press unit 100B, and the dispensing unit 100C are arranged side by side in that order from right to left in the left-right direction. Any number of guide rails (not shown) are provided linearly between each unit, and a first loader 210 that transports the work W and the molded product Wp, and a second loader 212 that transports the film F and the resin R are provided so as to be movable between predetermined units along any of the guide rails.

The compression molding device 1 can change its overall configuration by changing the configuration of the units. For example, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example in which two press units 100B are installed, but it is also possible to install only one press unit 100B, or to install three or more press units. It is also possible to install other units (neither of which are shown).

(Work Processing Unit)
Next, the workpiece processing unit 100A provided in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The workpiece processing unit 100A includes a preparation section 101 for preparing the workpiece W before resin sealing, and a storage section 109 for storing the molded product Wp after resin sealing.

As an example, the preparation section 101 includes a supply magazine 102 in which a plurality of workpieces W are stored, and a holding section 104 disposed behind the supply magazine 102 and in which the workpieces W removed from the supply magazine 102 are held (placed). In this embodiment, the workpieces W are supplied from the supply magazine 102 to the holding section 104 (specifically, rails 104A, 104B, 104C) via relay rails 106 using a known pusher or the like (not shown).

Similarly, the storage section 109 includes a storage magazine 112 in which multiple molded products Wp are stored, and a holding section 110 disposed behind the storage magazine 112 and on which the molded products Wp to be taken into the storage magazine 112 are held (placed). In this embodiment, the molded products Wp are taken into the storage magazine 112 from the holding section 110 (specifically, rails 110A, 110B, 110C) via a relay rail (not shown) using a known pusher or the like (not shown).

The supply magazine 102 in the preparation section 101 and the storage magazine 112 in the storage section 109 are made of known stack magazines, slit magazines, etc.

Next, the work processing unit 100A is equipped with a detection section 114 that detects the presence or absence of a workpiece W in the preparation section 101. As an example, the detection section 114 is configured to have multiple units fixed under the holding section 104, but it may also be configured to have one unit that is movable in the left-right direction (not shown). This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a workpiece W held on the holding section 104 (specifically, on each of the rails 104A to 104C). In this embodiment, a laser displacement meter and a camera are provided and are also used to measure the thickness of the workpiece W.

Next, the workpiece processing unit 100A is equipped with a calculation unit 132 that calculates the number of workpieces W to be transported into the sealing mold 202 based on the detection data from the detection unit 114. This makes it possible to calculate the number of workpieces W to be subjected to the resin sealing process even when the number of workpieces W in the supply magazine 102 cannot be known in advance or when the workpieces W are rejected due to defects or the like before being held by the holding unit 104.

Next, the workpiece processing unit 100A is equipped with a transport section that transports the workpiece W from the preparation section 101. As an example, the transport section is configured to include a first loader 210 that transports the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202, and a supply pickup 120 that holds the workpiece W held (placed) on the holding section 104 (rails 104A to 104C) in the preparation section 101 and transports (transfers) it to the first loader 210.

As an example, the first loader 210 has loader holding parts 210A, 210B, and 210C that hold the workpiece W and transport it to the workpiece holding parts 205A, 205B, and 205C (described later) of the sealing mold 202 (here, the upper mold 204). Furthermore, the first loader 210 according to this embodiment has loader holding parts 210D, 210E, and 210F that hold the resin-sealed molded product Wp and transport it from the sealing mold 202 to the storage pickup 122 (described later).

Next, the work processing unit 100A is equipped with a work heater 116 that heats the work W transported by the supply pickup 120 or the first loader 210 from the underside (substrate Wa side). As an example, a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.) is used for the work heater 116. This allows the work W to be preheated before being transported into the sealing mold 202 and heated. Note that a configuration without the work heater 116 is also possible.

Next, the work processing unit 100A is equipped with a storage pickup 122 that holds the molded product Wp held (placed) in the loader holding sections 210D to 210F of the first loader 210 and transports (transfers) it to the holding section 110.

The holding mechanism for the workpiece W in the supply pickup 120, the holding mechanism for the workpiece W and the molded product Wp in the first loader 210, and the holding mechanism for the molded product Wp in the storage pickup 122 use known holding mechanisms (e.g., a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction hole connected to a suction device for suction, etc.) (not shown).

Next, the work processing unit 100A is equipped with a control unit 130 that selects the appropriate work holding portion 205A, 205B, 205C in the sealing mold 202 (in this embodiment, the upper mold 204) based on the number data from the calculation unit 132, and controls the transport unit (supply pickup 120 and first loader 210) to transport the work W and hold it in the work holding portion 205.

As a specific example of this control, when the quantity data indicates that there are three workpieces W, the control unit 130 selects all of the workpiece holding parts 205A, 205B, and 205C and controls each of these workpiece holding parts to hold the workpiece W. When the quantity data indicates that there are two workpieces W, the control unit 130 selects the two workpiece holding parts 205A and 205C at both ends and controls each of these workpiece holding parts to hold the workpiece W. When the quantity data indicates that there is one workpiece W, the control unit 130 selects the single workpiece holding part 205B in the center and controls each of these workpiece holding parts to hold the workpiece W. The resin to be supplied is also selected and supplied (described below) according to the workpiece position, and molding is performed. In other words, the control unit 130 performs control to hold the workpieces W on the loader holding units 210A, 210B, and 210C corresponding to the workpiece holding units 205A, 205B, and 205C to be held, so that one to three workpieces W can be selectively held in the workpiece holding units 205A, 205B, and 205C according to the number data.

This makes it possible to change the number of molded products Wp that can be produced per one sealing mold 202. This eliminates the need to use dummy work to keep the number of products constant, making it possible to suppress increases in labor hours, takt time, and part costs. Furthermore, by selecting the holding position as described above, it is possible to prevent bias in the clamping force and perform balanced molding. This makes it possible to prevent molding defects and improve molding quality.

In light of the above, a preferred device configuration will be described. First, the first loader 210 is preferably configured to have three rows of loader holding parts 210A, 210B, and 210C so that one to three workpieces W can be placed side by side in the short direction. This allows the first loader 210 (i.e., the loader holding parts 210A to 210C) to hold (place) one to three workpieces W, and the workpieces W can be transported collectively into the sealing mold 202 and held in the workpiece holding parts 205A to 205C at predetermined positions in the sealing mold 202 (in this embodiment, the upper mold 204). Specifically, the control part 130 selects and holds the workpieces W at two ends when there are two workpieces W, and at the center when there is one workpiece W. However, as a modified example of the first loader 210, a row of loader holding parts may be provided, and the workpieces W may be transported one by one in sequence (up to three times) into the sealing die 202 and held in the workpiece holding parts 205A to 205C at predetermined positions (not shown).

Similarly, the supply pickup 120 is preferably configured to have three rows of intermediate holding parts 120A, 120B, 120C so that one to three workpieces W can be placed side by side in the short direction. This allows the supply pickup 120 (i.e., the intermediate holding parts 120A to 120C) to hold (place) one to three workpieces W, and the number of workpieces W held can be transported (delivered) to the first loader 210 all at once and held by the loader holding parts 210A to 210C at a predetermined position. Specifically, the control part 130 selects and holds two positions at both ends when there are two workpieces W, and one position in the center when there is one workpiece W. However, as a modified example of the supply pickup 120, a configuration may be used in which a row of intermediate holding parts is provided, and the workpieces W are transported (delivered) one by one in order (maximum three times) to the first loader 210, and held by the loader holding parts 210A to 210C at a predetermined position (not shown).

Similarly, the holding unit 104 is preferably configured to have the above-mentioned three rows of rails (which may be tables, etc.) 104A, 104B, 104C so that one to three workpieces W can be placed side by side in the short direction. This allows the holding unit 104 (i.e., rails 104A to 104C) to hold (place) one to three workpieces W, and the number of workpieces W held can be collectively transferred to the supply pickup 120 and held by the relay holding units 120A to 120C at a predetermined position. Specifically, the control unit 130 selects and holds the workpieces W at two ends when there are two workpieces W, and at one center when there is one workpiece W. However, as a modified example of the holding unit 104, a configuration may be used in which a row of rails is provided, and the workpieces W are transferred one by one in order (maximum three times) to the supply pickup 120 and held by the relay holding units 120A to 120C at a predetermined position (not shown).

Similarly, the first loader 210 is preferably configured to have three rows of loader holding sections 210D, 210E, and 210F so that one to three molded products Wp can be placed side by side in the short direction. This allows the first loader 210 (i.e., the loader holding sections 210D to 210F) to hold (place) one to three molded products Wp, and the number of molded products Wp held can be removed from the sealing mold 202 all at once and transported (delivered) to the storage pickup 122. Specifically, the control section 130 selects and holds the two ends when there are two workpieces W (thus, two molded products Wp), and the center when there is one workpiece W. However, as a modified example of the first loader 210, a row of loader holding parts may be provided, and the molded products Wp may be removed one by one in sequence (up to three times) from the sealing mold 202 and held in the intermediate holding parts 122A-122C at predetermined positions in the storage pickup 122 (not shown).

Similarly, the storage pickup 122 is preferably configured to have three rows of intermediate holding portions 122A, 122B, and 122C so that one to three molded products Wp can be placed side by side in the left-right direction in the short side direction. This allows the storage pickup 122 (i.e., the relay holding sections 122A-122C) to hold (place) one to three molded products Wp, and transport (transfer) the number of molded products Wp to the holding section 110 all at once, and hold them on the rails 110A-110C at the specified positions in the holding section 110. Specifically, the control section 130 selects and holds two locations at both ends when there are two works W (thus, two molded products Wp), and one location in the center when there is one work. However, as a modified example of the storage pickup 122, a row of relay holding sections may be provided, and the molded products Wp may be transported (transferred) one by one in order (maximum three times) to the holding section 110, and held on the rails 110A-110C at the specified positions (not shown).

Similarly, the holding unit 110 is preferably configured to have the three rows of rails (which may be tables, etc.) 110A, 110B, 110C described above so that one to three workpieces W can be placed side by side in the short direction. This allows one to three molded products Wp to be held (placed) on the holding unit 110 (i.e., rails 110A to 110C), and the number of workpieces W that can be held can be received from the storage pickup 122 all at once. Specifically, the control unit 130 selects and holds two locations on both ends when there are two workpieces W (thus, two molded products Wp), and one location in the center when there is one workpiece W. However, as a modified example of the holding unit 110, a configuration with a single row of rails and a configuration in which the molded products Wp are received one by one in sequence (maximum three times) from the storage pickup 122 (not shown).

(Press unit)
Next, the press unit 100B included in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The press unit 100B is equipped with a sealing mold 202 having a pair of molds (for example, a combination of multiple mold blocks, mold plates, mold pillars, and other components made of alloy tool steel) that can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, one of the pair of molds, which is on the upper side in the vertical direction, is the upper mold 204, and the other mold, which is on the lower side, is the lower mold 206. This sealing mold 202 is closed and opened by the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 moving toward and away from each other. In other words, the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the mold opening and closing direction.

The sealing mold 202 is opened and closed by a known mold opening and closing mechanism 250. As shown in FIG. 2, the mold opening and closing mechanism 250 is configured with a pair of platens 252, 254, a plurality of connecting mechanisms 256 on which the pair of platens 252, 254 are mounted, a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 254, and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 262. The mold clamping force of the sealing mold 202, i.e., the force for closing the mold (the force for clamping the workpiece W between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206) is set by the biasing force of the biasing member 264 provided between the upper plate 224 and the platen 252 in the upper mold 204, and the biasing force of the biasing member 232 provided between the lower plate 222 and the clamper 228 in the lower mold 206 (however, this varies depending on the number of workpieces W to be clamped and the amount of resin R, etc.).

Here, the sealing mold 202 is disposed between a pair of platens 252, 254 in the mold opening/closing mechanism 250. In this embodiment, the upper mold 204 is assembled to a fixed platen (a platen fixed to the connecting mechanism 256) 252, and the lower mold 206 is assembled to a movable platen (a platen that rises and falls along the connecting mechanism 256) 254. However, this configuration is not limited, and the upper mold 204 may be assembled to the movable platen and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the fixed platen, or both the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the movable platen.

Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower mold 206 includes a lower plate 222, a cavity piece 226, a clamper 228, etc., which are assembled together. In this embodiment, a cavity 208 is provided on the upper surface of the lower mold 206 (the surface facing the upper mold 204).

More specifically, the cavity piece 226 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the lower plate 222. On the other hand, the clamper 228 is configured in an annular shape to surround the cavity piece 226, and is attached to the upper surface of the lower plate 222 via a biasing member 232 so as to be spaced apart (floating) from the upper surface of the lower plate 222 and movable up and down. The cavity piece 226 forms the inner part (bottom part) of the cavity 208, and the clamper 228 forms the side part of the cavity 208. Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, three sets of cavities 208 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction in one lower mold 206 (208A, 208B, 208C in the figure), and three or less workpieces W are collectively sealed with resin.

Here, a suction groove (not shown) is provided on the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204 facing the clamper 228, and this is connected to a suction device (not shown). In addition, by providing a seal structure surrounding these, it becomes possible to degas the cavity 208 in a closed mold state by driving the suction device to reduce the pressure.

In addition, in this embodiment, a suction mechanism is provided that sucks and holds the film F (in this embodiment, with the resin R mounted) supplied from the dispensing unit 100C described below on the lower mold 206. As an example, this suction mechanism has suction paths 230a, 230b that are arranged penetrating the clamper 228 and communicate with a suction device (not shown), and suction path 230c that is arranged penetrating the lower plate 222 and the cavity piece 226 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction paths 230a, 230b, 230c leads to the mold surface 206a of the lower mold 206, and the other end is connected to a suction device arranged outside the lower mold 206. This makes it possible to drive the suction device to suck the film F from the suction paths 230a, 230b, 230c, and to suck and hold the film F on the mold surface 206a including the inner surface of the cavity 208.

In this way, by providing a film F that covers the inner surface of the cavity 208 and (part of) the mold surface 206a of the lower mold 206, the resin R portion on the lower surface of the molded product Wp can be easily peeled off, making it possible to easily remove the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202 (lower mold 206).

The gap of a predetermined dimension provided between the inner peripheral surface of the clamper 228 and the outer peripheral surface of the cavity piece 226 constitutes part of the suction path 230a. Therefore, a seal member 234 (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed at a predetermined position in the gap to provide a seal when the film F is sucked in.

In this embodiment, a lower die heating mechanism is provided that heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature. This lower die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc. (none of which are shown), and heating is controlled by the control unit 130. As an example, the heater is built into the lower plate 222 or the die base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire lower die 206 and the resin R (described below). As a result, the lower die 206 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

Next, the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper mold 204 includes an upper plate 224, a cavity plate 236, etc., which are assembled together. Here, the cavity plate 236 is fixed to and assembled on the lower surface of the upper plate 224 (the surface facing the lower mold 206).

In this embodiment, a workpiece holding section 205 is provided to hold the workpiece W at a predetermined position on the lower surface of the cavity plate 236. As an example, the workpiece holding section 205 has a suction passage 240a that is arranged to penetrate the cavity plate 236 and the upper plate 224 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction passage 240a is connected to the die surface 204a of the upper die 204, and the other end is connected to a suction device arranged outside the upper die 204. This makes it possible to drive the suction device to suck the workpiece W through the suction passage 240a and hold the workpiece W by adsorbing it to the die surface 204a (here, the lower surface of the cavity plate 236). Furthermore, a configuration having a holding claw that clamps the outer periphery of the workpiece W may be provided in parallel with the configuration having the suction passage 240a (not shown).

In this embodiment, an upper die heating mechanism is provided that heats the upper die 204 to a predetermined temperature. This upper die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc. (none of which are shown), and heating is controlled by the control unit 130. As an example, the heater is built into the upper plate 224 or the die base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire upper die 204 and the workpiece W. As a result, the upper die 204 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

Here, in this embodiment, the upper mold 204 has three workpiece holding portions 205 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction (205A, 205B, 205C in the figure) in correspondence with the configuration of the lower mold 206 described above, i.e., three cavities 208 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction (208A, 208B, 208C in the figure). As an example, the workpiece holding portions 205 are arranged in three parallel sets in the left-right direction and communicate with a suction device (not shown) via suction passages 240a arranged penetrating the cavity plate 236 and the upper plate 224, and are configured to resin-seal three or less workpieces W at once. Note that the above configuration is not limited to this, and three cavities may be arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction, and three corresponding workpiece holding portions may also be arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction (not shown).

Here, when considering the clamping force of one sealing mold 202 during mold clamping, the biasing force of the biasing member 264 provided between the upper plate 224 and the platen 252 of the upper mold 204 is derived from the planar area of the workpiece W, the specified resin pressure per unit area, and the sum of the biasing force of the biasing member 232 provided between the clamper 228 and the lower plate 222 of the lower mold 206 when the workpiece W is sandwiched. The clamping force of the sealing mold 202, i.e., the force for closing the mold, is applied by the drive source 260 and drive transmission mechanism 262 that move (raise and lower) the platen 254, and is the biasing force of the biasing member 264 provided between the upper plate 224 and the platen 252 of the upper mold 204, and the total number of each sealing mold 202 is the minimum clamping force required for mold clamping in the press.

Therefore, in the past, when the object to be molded changed and the required clamping force setting needed to be changed, the setting was changed by replacing the drive source 260, drive transmission mechanism 262, etc. This was an extremely large-scale task, and it was necessary to replace the device itself, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

In contrast, in this embodiment, it is possible to change the number of molded products Wp per sealing mold 202. Therefore, for example, when the type of molded product Wp in the sealing mold 202 changes and a change is required to increase the molding area (projected area), the change can be made by reducing the set number of molded products (for example, from three to two or one). In this way, when changing the clamping force of the press in the sealing mold 202, a method can be realized that allows for easy change by increasing or decreasing the set number of molded products (number of molds) without making major changes to the equipment specifications.

(Dispense unit)
Next, the dispensing unit 100C included in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The dispensing unit 100C includes a film supply mechanism 306 that supplies the film F and a dispenser 312 that supplies the resin R. In this embodiment, a conveying tool 400 (described later) is used as a jig for holding and conveying the film F and the resin R when they are conveyed to the sealing die 202.

As an example, the film supply mechanism 306 is configured with three film rolls 306A, 306B, and 306C each having a winding/unwinding mechanism, and a cutting mechanism (e.g., a known fixed blade cutter, a heat melting cutter, etc.) that cuts the long film F. This allows strips of film F of a predetermined length to be supplied.

The dispensing unit 100C also includes a transport tool pickup 304 that transports the transport tool 400 (and film F and resin R) within the unit, and a second loader 212 that transports the transport tool 400 (and film F and resin R) received from the transport tool pickup 304 into the sealing die 202 and transports the used film Fd from within the sealing die 202.

As an example, the second loader 212 has a conveying tool holding section 213 that holds the conveying tool 400 and conveys it into the sealing mold 202, and holds the film F (with resin R placed on it) held by the conveying tool 400 in the cavity 208 of the lower mold 206 (including a portion of the mold surface 206a). Furthermore, the second loader 212 according to this embodiment has used film holding sections 212A-212C that hold the used film Fd and convey it from the sealing mold 202 to the disposer 316 for disposal. Note that the holding mechanism for the conveying tool 400 in the conveying tool pickup 304 and the second loader 212 uses a known holding mechanism (for example, a configuration that has holding claws to hold the film, a configuration that has suction holes that communicate with a suction device to adsorb the film, etc.) (not shown). In addition, the second loader 212 uses a known holding mechanism for holding the used film Fd (for example, a structure that has a suction hole that communicates with a suction device and adheres to the film) (not shown).

The dispensing unit 100C also includes a resin heater 314 that heats the resin R on the film F held by the conveying tool 400 that is conveyed by the conveying tool pickup 304. As an example, a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.) is used for the resin heater 314. This allows the surface of the granular resin R placed on the film F held by the conveying tool 400 to be heated and melted or softened, preventing the generation of dust (fine resin powder, etc.) during conveyance, and preventing molding defects in products and malfunctions of the device. Note that the resin heater 314 may not be included in the configuration.

Next, the configuration of the conveying tool 400 used to convey the film F and resin R in this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying tool 400 has a flat plate shape of a predetermined thickness formed on a plane in which the upper and lower surfaces are parallel, and has three sets of film holding parts 400A, 400B, and 400C that hold the film F in the center. In addition, each of the film holding parts 400A, 400B, and 400C has three sets of resin injection holes 400a, 400b, and 400c formed in a through hole so that each film F is exposed when viewed from the top at a position corresponding to each film F (a position where each film F is held). These resin injection holes 400a, 400b, and 400c are formed to correspond to the positions of the cavities 208A, 208B, and 208C, respectively.

According to this configuration, one to three sets (three groups) of resin R can be held (placed) on the conveying tool 400 (i.e., on the film F held by the film holding parts 400A to 400C), and the resin R for the number of held sets can be conveyed collectively into the sealing mold 202 and held (placed) via the film F in the cavities 208A to 208C at predetermined positions in the sealing mold 202 (in this embodiment, the lower mold 206). However, as a modified example, a configuration may be adopted in which a set of film holding parts and resin injection holes are provided, and the film F and resin R are conveyed one set at a time in order (up to three sets) into the sealing mold 202 and held in the cavities 208A to 208C at predetermined positions (not shown).

The conveying tool 400 according to this embodiment has a number of suction holes 400d around the resin injection holes 400a-400c that generate suction force to hold the film F. In addition, the conveying tool pickup 304 and the second loader 212 are provided with a mechanism (not shown) that communicates with the suction holes 400d and applies suction force. This mechanism makes it possible to convey the conveying tool 400 with three sets of two films F (with resin R placed on them) lined up in the left-right direction and held by suction on the underside of the conveying tool 400.

The dispenser 312 according to this embodiment has three nozzles 312a, 312b, 312c that drop (supply) resin R into each of the three resin injection holes 400a, 400b, 400c in the conveying tool 400. This makes it possible to simultaneously drop resin R into each of the resin injection holes 400a, 400b, 400c and spread it over each film F. As a modified example, it may have one nozzle and be configured to drop and spread resin R in sequence over three films F in a predetermined path (not shown).

The control unit 130 according to this embodiment also controls the transport of the resin R supplied from the dispenser 312 together with the film F into the cavities 208A-208C corresponding to the workpiece holding units 205A-205C selected according to the data on the number of workpieces W.

As a specific example of this control, when the number of workpieces W is three, the control unit 130 selects all of the workpiece holding parts 205A, 205B, and 205C and controls the workpiece holding parts to hold the workpieces W, and also selects all of the cavities 208A, 208B, and 208C and controls the resin R to be held (placed) in the cavities via the film F. When the number of workpieces is two, the control unit 130 selects the two workpiece holding parts 205A and 205C at both ends and controls the workpieces W to be held in the workpiece holding parts, and also selects the two cavities 208A and 208C at both ends and controls the resin R to be held (placed) in the cavities via the film F. Furthermore, if the number of workpieces is one, a central workpiece holding portion 205B is selected and control is performed to have the workpiece W held in that workpiece holding portion, and a central cavity 208B is selected and control is performed to hold (place) the resin R in that cavity via the film F.

(Resin sealing operation)
Next, the operation of performing resin sealing using the compression molding apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment (i.e., the compression molding method according to the present embodiment) will be described. Here, a flowchart of an example of control by the control unit 130 is shown in FIG.

First, we will explain the processes carried out on the work processing unit 100A and press unit 100B side.

First, when there is a workpiece W to be sealed, a preparation process is carried out to prepare the workpiece in the preparation section 101. For example, when there is a workpiece W to be sealed in the supply magazine 102, the process is carried out as a process of holding (placing) the workpiece on the holding section 104 (specifically, rails 104A to 104C).

Before or after the preparation process, a mold heating process is carried out. Specifically, a heating process (upper mold heating process) is carried out in which the upper mold 204 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) using an upper mold heating mechanism. In addition, a heating process (lower mold heating process) is carried out in which the lower mold 206 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) using a lower mold heating mechanism.

Then, a detection step is carried out in which the detection unit 114 detects the presence or absence of the workpiece W prepared in the holding unit 104. In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the workpiece W is detected while it is held (placed) on the holding unit 104 (specifically, rails 104A to 104C), but this is not limited to this. For example, the presence or absence of the workpiece W to be sealed may be detected based on the number of works W passing on the relay rail 106 or the number of works W in stock in the supply magazine 102 (not shown).

Next, the calculation unit 132 performs a calculation process to calculate the number of workpieces W to be transported into the sealing die 202 based on the detection data from the above detection process. For example, when two workpieces W are prepared in the holding unit 104 and there are no more workpieces W in the supply magazine 102, the third workpiece W is not prepared in the holding unit 104. This is detected, and the number of workpieces W to be transported into the sealing die 202 is calculated to be two.

Then, the control unit 130 selects the workpiece holding units 205A to 205C in the sealing mold 202 (specifically, the upper mold 204) based on the number data in the above calculation process, and performs a workpiece transport and holding process in which the transport unit transports the workpiece W from the preparation unit 101 and holds it in the workpiece holding unit 205A to 205C. During the workpiece transport and holding process, a process is performed in which the workpiece heater 116 preheats the workpiece W being transported.

Here, in the workpiece transport and holding process, the control unit 130 selects the workpiece holding units 205A-205C that are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line that intersects with the direction in which the cavities 208A-208C are arranged in the sealing die 202 in a plan view, and carries out a process of having the workpiece W held by the selected workpiece holding unit. A detailed explanation is given below.

First, when the number of workpieces W is three, as shown in FIG. 6, all rails 104A, 104B, 104C are selected and each rail is controlled to hold a workpiece W. Next, that number of workpieces W (three) is controlled to be held collectively by all relay holding units 120A, 120B, 120C. Next, that number of workpieces W (three) is controlled to be held collectively by all loader holding units 210A, 210B, 210C. Next, that number of workpieces W (three) is controlled to be held collectively by all work holding units 205A, 205B, 205C. Note that in FIG. 6, the workpieces W are displayed with cross-hatching, and the resin R is displayed with dots (the same applies to the following figures).

Also, when the number of workpieces W is two, as shown in FIG. 7, the rails 104A, 104C at both ends are selected and the rails are controlled to hold the workpieces W. Next, the number of workpieces W that is to be held (two pieces) is controlled to be held collectively by the relay holding units 120A, 120C at both ends. Next, the number of workpieces W that is to be held (two pieces) is controlled to be held collectively by the loader holding units 210A, 210C at both ends. Next, the number of workpieces W that is to be held (two pieces) is controlled to be held collectively by the work holding units 205A, 205C at both ends.

Also, when the number of workpieces W is one, as shown in FIG. 8, a central rail 104B is selected and the rail is controlled to hold the workpiece W. Then, that number of workpieces W (one) is controlled to be held in the central relay holding section 120B. Then, that number of workpieces W (one) is controlled to be held in the central loader holding section 210B. Then, that number of workpieces W (one) is controlled to be held in the central work holding section 205B. Workpieces W are used as an example, but resin R and film F are controlled in the same way (described below).

As a modified example, instead of controlling the number of workpieces W to be held all at once, the workpieces W may be held one by one in sequence as described above.

Next, we will explain the processes carried out by the dispensing unit 100C and the press unit 100B.

First, the conveying tool pickup 304 conveys the number of conveying tools 400 (not holding the film F or resin R) required for molding to the film supply mechanism 306.

Next, the film supply mechanism 306 selectively pays out the film required for molding from the film rolls 306A, 306B, and 306C, cuts it to a predetermined length, supplies the strip-shaped film F, and carries out the film supply process in which it is held on the underside of the conveyor 400.

Then, the carrier pickup 304 carries out a process of transporting the carrier 400 (holding the film F) required for molding to a position directly below the nozzles 312a to 312c of the dispenser 312.

Next, a resin supply process is carried out in which the dispenser 312 selectively drops (supplies) the resin R required for molding onto the film F held by the conveying tool 400.

Next, a process is carried out in which the resin heater 314 preheats the resin R (held by the transport tool 400) being transported by the transport tool pickup 304.

Then, the transport tool 400 is transferred from the transport tool pickup 304 to the second loader 212 (specifically, the transport tool holding section 213), and the transport tool 400 held by the transport tool holding section 213 is transported into the interior of the sealing mold 202 (i.e., between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 in the mold open state). Next, the second loader 212 (transport tool holding section 213) is moved downward, and suction from the suction hole 400d of the transport tool 400 is stopped. Next, suction from the suction paths 230a to 230c is started, and the film F is adsorbed and held on the inner surface of the cavity 208 (and partially on the mold surface 206a). In this way, the resin/film transport and holding process is carried out, in which the resin R is supplied into the cavity 208 together with the film F.

Here, we will specifically explain examples of control performed by the control unit 130 in the above-mentioned film supply process, resin supply process, and resin/film transport and holding process.

First, when the number of workpieces is three as the aforementioned number data, in the film supply process, all film holding parts 400A, 400B, 400C of the conveyor 400 are selected, and control is performed to hold the film F in each of the film holding parts. Next, in the resin supply process, control is performed to drop (supply) resin R from all corresponding nozzles 312a, 312b, 312c to all resin injection holes 400a, 400b, 400c of the conveyor 400, and place the resin R on each film F held by all film holding parts 400A, 400B, 400C. Next, in the resin/film conveying and holding process, control is performed to hold (place) the resin R on each film F held by all film holding parts 400A, 400B, 400C in all corresponding cavities 208A, 208B, 208C via the film F.

In addition, when the number of workpieces is two as the aforementioned number data, in the film supply process, the two film holding parts 400A, 400C at both ends of the conveyor 400 are selected, and the film F is controlled to be held by the film holding parts. Next, in the resin supply process, the resin R is dropped (supplied) from the two corresponding nozzles 312a, 312c at both ends into the two resin injection holes 400a, 400c at both ends of the conveyor 400, and the resin R is placed on each film F held by the two film holding parts 400A, 400C at both ends. Next, in the resin/film conveying and holding process, the resin R on each film F held by the two film holding parts 400A, 400C at both ends is controlled to be held (placed) via the film F in the corresponding two cavities 208A, 208C at both ends.

In addition, when the number of workpieces is one as the aforementioned number data, in the film supply process, a film holding portion 400B at the center of the conveyor 400 is selected, and control is performed to hold the film F in that film holding portion. Next, in the resin supply process, resin R is dropped (supplied) from a corresponding nozzle 312b at the center to a resin injection hole 400b at the center of the conveyor 400, and control is performed to place the resin R on the film F held by the film holding portion 400B at the center. Next, in the resin/film conveying and holding process, control is performed to hold (place) the resin R on the film F held by the film holding portion 400B at the center in the corresponding cavity 208B at the center via the film F.

As a modified example, instead of controlling the resin R to be dropped (supplied) simultaneously onto multiple films F using multiple nozzles 312a to 312c, the resin R may be dropped (supplied) sequentially using one nozzle as described above.

The subsequent steps are the same as those of the conventional compression molding method, and the sealing mold 202 is closed, and a process is performed in which an arbitrary number of workpieces W are clamped between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206. At this time, in each cavity 208, the cavity piece 226 rises relatively to heat and pressurize the resin R against the workpiece W (as mentioned above, there are cases in which the workpiece W is not held by some of the workpiece holding parts 205A to 205C). This causes the resin R to thermally harden and complete the resin sealing (compression molding). Next, the sealing mold 202 is opened, and a process is performed in which the molded product Wp and the used film Fd are separated. Next, the first loader 210 is used to remove the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202 and transport it to the storage pickup 122 (molded product removal process). In addition, the second loader 212 is used to remove the used film Fd from the sealing mold 202 and transport it to the disposer 316 (used film removal process).

The above are the main operations for resin sealing performed using the compression molding device 1. However, the above process order is only an example, and the order of steps can be changed or performed in parallel as long as no problems occur. For example, in this embodiment, the configuration includes multiple press units 100B (two in one example), so that the above operations can be performed in parallel to efficiently form molded products.

(Modification)
Next, a compression molding method according to a modified example (first modified example) of the present invention will be described (see Figs. 9(a) to 9(c)).

This method is a compression molding method in which three or less workpieces are resin-sealed at once using a compression molding device in which three mold attachment parts that can detachably attach a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold are arranged in parallel. As an example of the above device, as shown in FIG. 9(a), three sets of mold attachment parts 510A to 510C that can detachably attach three sets of sealing molds 500A to 500C are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction (or the front-back direction). Here, the sealing mold 500A has an upper mold 502A and a lower mold 504A. Also, the sealing mold 500B has an upper mold 502B and a lower mold 504B. Also, the sealing mold 500C has an upper mold 502C and a lower mold 504C. On the other hand, the mold attachment part 510A has an attachment part 512A that can detachably attach the upper mold 502A and an attachment part 514A that can detachably attach the lower mold 504A. Furthermore, mold mounting portion 510B has mounting portion 512B to which upper mold 502B can be attached and detached, and mounting portion 514B to which lower mold 504B can be attached and detached. Furthermore, mold mounting portion 510C has mounting portion 512C to which upper mold 502C can be attached and detached, and mounting portion 514C to which lower mold 504C can be attached and detached. Mounting portions 512A to 512C are provided on upper plate 224, and mounting portions 514A to 514C are provided on lower plate 222.

As an example of the compression molding method using the above device, one of the following steps is selected and performed depending on the setting (number of workpieces, etc.). Specifically, when the number of workpieces to be sealed is set to three, three sets of sealing dies 500A-500C are attached to the three die attachment parts 510A-510C, respectively, and a process is performed to seal the three workpieces together with resin (see FIG. 9(a)). Alternatively, when the number of workpieces to be sealed is set to two, two sets of sealing dies 500A, 500C are attached to the two die attachment parts 510A, 510C at both ends, respectively, and a process is performed to seal the two workpieces together with resin (see FIG. 9(b)). Alternatively, when the number of workpieces to be sealed is set to one, one set of sealing dies 500B is attached to the one central die attachment part 510B, and a process is performed to seal the one workpiece with resin (see FIG. 9(c)).

Next, we will explain the compression molding method according to a modified example (second modified example) of the present invention (see Figures 10(a) to 10(c)).

This method is a compression molding method in which three or less workpieces are resin-sealed at once using a compression molding device in which three mold attachment parts that can detachably attach a sealing mold having an upper and lower chase are arranged in parallel. As an example of the above device, as shown in FIG. 10(a), three sets of mold attachment parts 610A to 610C that can detachably attach three sets of sealing molds 600A to 600C are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction (or the front-back direction). Here, the sealing mold 600A has an upper chase 602A and a lower chase 604A. Also, the sealing mold 600B has an upper chase 602B and a lower chase 604B. Also, the sealing mold 600C has an upper chase 602C and a lower chase 604C. On the other hand, the mold attachment part 610A has an attachment part 612A that can detachably attach the upper chase 602A and an attachment part 614A that can detachably attach the lower chase 604A. Furthermore, mold mounting portion 610B has mounting portion 612B to which upper die chase 602B can be detached, and mounting portion 614B to which lower die chase 604B can be detached. Furthermore, mold mounting portion 610C has mounting portion 612C to which upper die chase 602C can be detached, and mounting portion 614C to which lower die chase 604C can be detached. Mounting portions 612A to 612C are provided on upper mold base 620, and mounting portions 614A to 614C are provided on lower mold base 622.

As an example of the compression molding method using the above device, one of the following steps is selected and performed depending on the setting (number of workpieces, etc.). Specifically, when three workpieces are to be sealed, three sets of sealing dies 600A-600C are attached to three die attachment parts 610A-610C, respectively, and a process is performed to seal the three workpieces together with resin (see FIG. 10(a)). Alternatively, when two workpieces are to be sealed, two sets of sealing dies 600A, 600C are attached to two die attachment parts 610A, 610C at both ends, respectively, and a process is performed to seal the two workpieces together with resin (see FIG. 10(b)). Alternatively, when one workpiece is to be sealed, one set of sealing dies 600B is attached to one die attachment part 610B in the center, and a process is performed to seal the one workpiece with resin (see FIG. 10(c)).

In either of the first and second variants described above, for example when adjusting the production volume of molded products, the number of workpieces to be sealed is set, and the corresponding number (sets) of sealing dies are attached to the die attachment section, making it possible to realize a method of adjusting the production volume appropriately and achieving steady production.

As explained above, the compression molding apparatus and compression molding method according to the present invention make it possible to change the number of molded products per sealing mold, and by realizing molding without using dummy work, it is possible to suppress increases in labor hours, tact time, and part costs. In addition, when changing the clamping force in the sealing mold, it is possible to realize a method for making such changes simply by increasing or decreasing the set number of molded products, without making major changes to the device specifications.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, a compression molding device is described as an example in which three or less workpieces W are collectively sealed with resin R using a sealing mold in which three sets of cavities are provided in the lower mold and three sets of workpiece holding parts corresponding to the upper mold are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a compression molding device in which a predetermined number of workpieces W or less are collectively sealed with resin R using a sealing mold in which a predetermined number of cavities are provided in the lower mold and a predetermined number of workpiece holding parts corresponding to the upper mold are provided (here, the predetermined number is two or four or more). In this case, it is preferable for the control unit to perform control to select the workpiece holding parts that are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line that intersects with the direction in which the cavities are arranged in the sealing mold in a plan view, according to the data on the number of workpieces. This makes it possible to prevent bias in the clamping force in the sealing mold, and to perform balanced molding.

However, it is preferable to set the "predetermined multiple" to an odd number. The reason for this is that if it is set to an even number (e.g., two) and the number of workpieces is reduced (e.g., one), the tilt that occurs when the mold is clamped as described above will occur, making it necessary to supply a dummy workpiece to prevent molding defects (not shown).

In the above embodiment, a compression molding apparatus having a cavity in the lower mold has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to a compression molding apparatus having a cavity in the upper mold. In that case, a known configuration can be adopted for supplying resin by providing a dispenser in the work processing unit, supplying resin onto the work, and transporting it together with the work into the sealing mold. Also, a known configuration can be adopted for supplying film by providing a film supply mechanism in the press unit, sending out a roll-shaped film from an unwinding section and supplying it into the sealing mold, and winding up the used film F in a winding section after resin sealing.

1 Resin sealing device 114 Detection unit 130 Control unit 202 Sealing mold W Workpiece

Claims (10)

A compression molding apparatus for collectively sealing three or less workpieces with resin using a sealing mold in which three sets of cavities are provided in one of an upper mold or a lower mold and three sets of workpiece holding portions corresponding to the other mold are provided,
A preparation unit that prepares the workpiece;
A transport unit that transports the work from the preparation unit;
A detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the workpiece in the preparation unit;
A calculation unit that calculates the number of the workpieces to be transported into the sealing mold based on detection data by the detection unit;
A compression molding apparatus characterized by comprising: a control unit that selects the work holding unit based on quantity data from the calculation unit, and controls the transport unit to transport the work and hold it in the work holding unit. The compression molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit performs control to select the work holding units that are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line that intersects with the direction in which the cavities in the sealing mold are arranged in a plan view. The resin is further provided with a dispenser for supplying the resin.
The compression molding apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the control unit controls the transport of the resin supplied from the dispenser into the cavity corresponding to the selected work holding unit, separately from the work or together with the work. the transport unit has a loader capable of holding one to three of the workpieces in a line;
2. The compression molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to select a holding position in the loader based on the number data and to cause the loader to hold the workpieces. The preparation unit has a holding unit capable of holding one to three of the works in a line,
5. The compression molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit selects a holding position in the holding unit based on the number data and controls the holding unit to hold the workpiece. A compression molding method for collectively sealing three or less workpieces with resin using a sealing mold in which three sets of cavities are provided in one of an upper mold or a lower mold and three sets of workpiece holding portions corresponding to the other mold are provided,
A preparation step of preparing the workpiece to be sealed in a preparation section when the workpiece is present;
A detection step of detecting the presence or absence of the workpiece prepared in the preparation section;
a calculation step of calculating the number of the workpieces to be transported into the sealing mold based on the detection data in the detection step;
A compression molding method comprising: a work transporting and holding process for selecting the work holding unit based on the quantity data in the calculation process, and transporting the work from the preparation unit to the work holding unit and holding it therein. The compression molding method according to claim 6, characterized in that the work transporting and holding process includes a process of selecting the work holding parts that are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line that intersects with the direction in which the cavities in the sealing mold are arranged in a plan view. In the sealing die, three sets of the cavities and the corresponding work holding portions are provided in parallel,
The workpiece transport and holding step includes:
When the number of the workpieces is three as the number data, the workpieces are held in all the workpiece holding units,
When the number of workpieces is two as the number data, the workpieces are held in the workpiece holding portions at both ends, respectively;
8. The compression molding method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of holding the work in the work holding portion at one central location when the number of the work pieces is one as the number data. A compression molding method for resin-sealing three or less workpieces at once using a compression molding apparatus having three mold attachment sections arranged in parallel to enable attachment and detachment of a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold,
When the number of workpieces to be sealed is three, three sets of the sealing molds are attached to the mold attachment portions at three locations to seal the three workpieces together with resin;
When there are two workpieces to be sealed, the method includes a step of attaching two sets of the sealing molds to the mold attachment portions at two ends to seal the two workpieces together with resin,
A compression molding method characterized in that, when there is one workpiece to be sealed, the method comprises the step of attaching a set of sealing molds to a central mold mounting portion and sealing the single workpiece with resin. A compression molding method for simultaneously resin-sealing three or less workpieces using a compression molding apparatus having three mold attachment sections arranged in parallel to enable attachment and detachment of a sealing mold having an upper mold chase and a lower mold chase,
When the number of workpieces to be sealed is three, three sets of the sealing molds are attached to the mold attachment portions at three locations to seal the three workpieces together with resin;
When there are two workpieces to be sealed, the method includes a step of attaching two sets of the sealing molds to the mold attachment portions at two ends to seal the two workpieces together with resin,
A compression molding method characterized in that, when there is one workpiece to be sealed, the method comprises the step of attaching a set of sealing molds to a central mold mounting portion and sealing the single workpiece with resin.

Images