JPH06198256A - Cleaning and drying device for screen printing plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out the cleaning of a screen printing plate and successively drying without polluting the working environment. CONSTITUTION:A screen printing plate 2 cleaned by the cleaning liquid 3 in a cleaning tank 4 is lifted by a lifting mechanism 5 and sealed airtightly in a drying chamber 6, and air in the drying chamber 6 is sucked by a suction mechanism 7 to dry the screen printing plate 2, and sucked cleaning liquid 3 is recovered by a recovering mechanism 8. The cleaning liquid 3 adhering to the screen printing plate 2 is not dispersed in the atmosphere, and the pollution of the working environment by the cleaning liquid 3 is prevented and also the safe operation can be carried out without the danger of ignition or the like.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning and drying a screen plate used when a printed board (wiring board) is manufactured by a screen method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The printed circuit board generally has a structure in which a conductor pattern is formed on the surface of an insulating substrate made of resin or a synthetic material of resin and paper. There is a subtractive method of etching a laminated copper foil. The subtractive method forms a resist having a shape corresponding to the conductor pattern to be formed on the surface of the copper foil, and a screen method is an example of the method of forming the resist.

In this screen method, a screen plate (mesh) having a pattern corresponding to a portion other than a conductor pattern to be formed (a portion to be etched) is attached to the surface of a copper foil, and a photocurable liquid ink is applied to the screen plate. This is a method in which the ink is pressure-bonded to the surface of the copper foil by squeezing from the top, and then the screen plate is removed and then exposed to cure and fix the ink, and the fixed ink portion is used as a resist. . Then, by etching after this, the portion covered with the resist remains, and when the resist is finally removed, the copper foil corresponding to the resist remains, and this portion becomes the conductor pattern.

By the way, the above-mentioned screen plate is used by washing the adhered ink, then drying it and repeatedly using it, and a dedicated washing liquid is used for washing. As this cleaning liquid, ethane-based cleaning liquids such as trichlorethane, which are highly dry (evaporative), have been used in the past, but this has been shunned by environmental problems in recent years. Instead, glycol ether is used instead. The main component has been used. However, since this cleaning liquid is less dry than the ethane cleaning liquid, it is forcibly dried by blowing air onto the screen plate in a wet state.

[0005]

When the screen plate is dried by blowing air, the cleaning liquid adhering to the screen plate is diffused into the atmosphere in a mist state, which causes pollution of the work environment and causes a fire. There is also a danger.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of safely performing the cleaning and subsequent drying of the screen plate while maintaining a working environment.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and the constitution thereof is that in Claim 1, after cleaning the ink adhering to the screen plate with a cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid is dried. A screen plate lifting mechanism for putting the screen plate in and out of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored, and an airtight seal for the screen plate discharged from the cleaning tank by the lifting mechanism. And a suction mechanism that is connected to the dry chamber to suck the cleaning liquid adhering to the screen plate by sucking the air in the dry chamber, and the cleaning liquid suctioned by the suction mechanism is collected, And a recovery mechanism for returning the recovered liquid into the cleaning tank.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the dry chamber is connected with a high temperature air supply mechanism for supplying high temperature air into the dry chamber.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the screen plate cleaned with the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is pulled up by the elevating mechanism, hermetically sealed in the dry chamber, and the air in the dry chamber is sucked by the suction mechanism. Since the screen plate is dried and the suctioned cleaning liquid is collected by the collection mechanism, the cleaning liquid adhering to the screen plate is not diffused to the atmosphere, thus preventing the cleaning liquid from contaminating the work environment and causing ignition. You can operate safely without any danger.

Further, if high temperature air is supplied to the dry chamber by the high temperature air supply mechanism, the drying of the screen plate is promoted and the operation efficiency is improved.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows a screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus 1 according to the embodiment.

The cleaning / drying apparatus 1 cleans the ink adhering to the screen plate 2 with the cleaning liquid 3 and then the cleaning liquid 3
And a screen plate lifting mechanism 5 for moving the screen plate 2 in and out of a cleaning tank 4 in which a cleaning liquid 3 containing glycol ether as a main component is stored, and a cleaning tank by the lifting mechanism 5. And a dry chamber 6 for hermetically sealing the screen printing plate 2 discharged from the cleaning plate 4, and suction for sucking the cleaning liquid 3 attached to the screen printing plate by sucking air in the dry chamber 6 It is configured to include a mechanism 7 and a recovery mechanism 8 that recovers the cleaning liquid 3 sucked by the suction mechanism 7 and returns the recovery liquid 3a into the cleaning tank 4.

The screen plate 2 is used when a printed circuit board is manufactured by a screen method or the like, and is composed of a rectangular frame member 2a to which a mesh 2b is stretched.

2 and 3 are respectively a front view and a side view of the cleaning tank 4, the elevating mechanism 5 and the dry chamber 6, respectively, which are housed in the apparatus case 1A. A predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid 3 is stored in the cleaning tank 4 arranged in the lower part of the apparatus case 1A, and the screen plate 2 immersed in the cleaning liquid 3 is put into the cleaning tank 4 through the upper opening 4a. Nozzle 9 for injecting cleaning liquid 3
There are multiple installations. The cleaning liquid 3 in the cleaning tank 4 is
With the circulation pump 10 installed outside the cleaning tank 4,
After passing through the filter 11 from inside the cleaning tank 4, it is circulated through the inside and outside of the cleaning tank 4 in a route that is ejected from the nozzle 9 and returns to the inside of the cleaning tank 4.

The elevating mechanism 5 includes a vertically extending screw rod 12 arranged on the side of the cleaning tank 4, a motor 13 for rotating the screw rod 12 around an axis, and an upper and lower screw rod 12 screwed into the upper and lower portions. The support arm 15 is connected to the screw rod 12 via the nut 14. The screw rod 12 is rotatably attached to the apparatus case 1A so as not to move up and down, and is rotated about its axis by a motor 13 in both forward and reverse directions. A tip of the support arm 15 is a suspending portion 15a for suspending and supporting the screen plate 2, and the suspending portion 15a is located above the opening 4a of the cleaning tank 4.

According to the lifting mechanism 5, when the screw rod 12 is rotated by the motor 13, the support arm 15 moves up and down via the nut 14, and accordingly, the screen hung on the hanging portion 15a of the support arm 15. The plate 2 is put into and taken out of the washing tank 4.

The dry chamber 6 is arranged above the cleaning tank 4, and the frame member 2a of the screen plate 2 taken out from the cleaning tank 4 is sandwiched from both sides, and the mesh 2b of the screen plate 2 is sandwiched. It is composed of a pair of chamber bodies 16 that are hermetically sealed. These chamber bodies 1
The cylinder 6 provided in the apparatus case 1A is moved forward and backward with respect to the screen plate 2, and the frame member 2a of the screen plate 2 is sandwiched from both sides in the forward state. The chamber body 16 is prepared according to the size of the screen plate 2 and is attachable to and detachable from the cylinder 17.

The suction mechanism 7 comprises a circulation pipe 18 connected to each chamber body 16 of the dry chamber 6 and assembled together, and a circulation blower 19 arranged in the middle of the circulation pipe 18. Air in the dry chamber 6 is sucked through the circulation pipe 18 by 19. The recovery mechanism 8 is connected to the circulation pipe 18 downstream of the circulation blower 19.

The recovery mechanism 8 comprises a radiator 20a and a chiller 20b connected to a circulation pipe 18,
A condenser 20 for condensing and liquefying the cleaning liquid 3 in the circulation pipe 18, and a cleaning liquid 3 obtained by the condenser 20.
A circulation type multi-layer recovery tank 22 that stores the water through the first recovery pipe 21, the recovery tank 22 and the cleaning tank 4 are connected, and a filter 23,
The second recovery pipe 25 is connected to the recovery pump 24.

According to this recovery mechanism 8, the circulation blower 19
The cleaning liquid 3 sucked by is cooled by the condenser 20 to cause a dew condensation phenomenon to be completely liquefied.
Is recovered and stored in the recovery tank 22 from the first recovery pipe 21, passed through the filter 23 by the recovery pump 24 from the recovery tank 22, and then returned to the cleaning tank 4 through the second recovery pipe 25. The tip of the second recovery pipe 25 is arranged above the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid 3 in the cleaning tank 4, and a nozzle 26 for ejecting the recovery liquid 3a to the screen plate 2 is attached thereto.

Each chamber body 16 of the dry chamber 6
A throttle valve 27 is attached to the throttle valve 27, and the circulation pipe 18 that extends to the downstream side of the condenser 20 and is branched is connected to the throttle valve 27. By the circulation pipe 18, the throttle valve 27 and the circulation blower 19,
A hot air supply mechanism 28 that supplies hot air into the dry chamber 6 is configured. This high temperature air supply mechanism 28
According to the above, the circulation blower 19 supplies the air from which the cleaning liquid has been removed through the condenser 20 into the dry chamber 6 from the circulation pipe 18 through the throttle valve 27. The air supplied into the dry chamber 6 passes through the throttle valve 27 to be compressed and pressurized to have a high temperature (for example, about 20 ° C. higher than normal temperature), and the high temperature air is sent into the dry chamber 6. .

Further, the cleaning tank 4 is provided with a leak port 29 for preventing the stored flow rate of the cleaning liquid 3 from exceeding a predetermined value, and the cleaning liquid 3 which has entered the leak port 29 is recovered via the leak pipe 30. It is returned to the tank 22.

The above is the configuration of the screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. Next, the operation of the cleaning / drying apparatus 1 will be described.

First, the support arm 15 of the elevating mechanism 5 is positioned at the rising end, and the screen plate 2 to be cleaned with ink is set on the hanging portion 15a and is hung, and then the screen plate 2 together with the support arm 15 is suspended. 2 is lowered and the screen plate 2 is put into the cleaning tank 4 through the opening 4a and immersed in the cleaning liquid 3. Cleaning liquid 3 sprayed from nozzle 9
The ink adhering to the mesh 2b of the screen plate 2 is removed by. If necessary, the screen mechanism 2 is moved up and down in the cleaning liquid 3 by the elevating mechanism 5 to drop the ink.

After performing the above cleaning for a predetermined time, the lifting mechanism 5
Then, the screen plate 2 is lifted and taken out from the cleaning tank 3.
When the screen plate 2 is raised, the recovery liquid 3a containing no ink, which is ejected from the nozzle 26, is applied to finally wash the screen plate 2.

Next, the dry chamber 6 in the retracted position
Each chamber body 16 is moved forward to the screen plate 2 side by the cylinder 17, and the frame material 2a of the screen plate 2 is sandwiched between the chamber bodies 16 from both sides to form the mesh 2 of the screen plate 2.
Airtightly seal b. From this state, circulation blower 19
Operate.

Air in the dry chamber 6 is sucked by the operation of the circulation blower 19, and this air circulates in a path which passes through the condenser 20 and returns from the circulation pipe 18 to the inside of the dry chamber 6 through the throttle valve 27. By passing through the throttle valve 27, the circulating air is compressed and increased in pressure as described above to have a high temperature, so that the inside of the dry chamber 6 is in a high temperature state.

Along with this air flow, the cleaning liquid 3 in the dry chamber 6, that is, the cleaning liquid 3 attached to the screen plate 2 (mainly the mesh 2b) is sucked. The cleaning liquid 3 to be sucked becomes mist (evaporates) due to the high temperature inside the dry chamber 6, and actually reaches the condenser 20 by the circulation pipe 18 in this mist state. In this condenser, the cleaning liquid 3 in the mist state is completely liquefied, and the collected liquid 3a is collected from the first recovery pipe 21 to the recovery tank 22.
Be led to.

The cleaning liquid (recovered liquid 3a) 3 guided to and stored in the recovery tank 22 is filtered by the recovery pump 24 through the filter 23, and then the nozzle 26 in the cleaning tank 4 from the second recovery pipe 25. It is returned in the injection state from.

After the above operation is carried out for a predetermined time, the screen plate 2
When the washing liquid is removed by suction from the
The dry chamber 6 is opened, that is, each chamber body 16 is retracted by the cylinder 17, and the screen plate 2 is conveyed to the next step. Incidentally, the screen plate 2 after the above-mentioned washing is usually reused after being washed once again with water and dried.

By repeating the above operation, a large number of screen plates 2 are washed and dried. According to the screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the screen plate 2 is hermetically sealed in the dry chamber 6, and the air in the dry chamber 6 is sucked by the suction mechanism 7 to dry the screen plate 2. Since the collected cleaning liquid 3 is sucked and collected by the collecting mechanism 8, the cleaning liquid 3 attached to the screen plate 2 is not diffused into the atmosphere. Therefore, the working environment is prevented from being contaminated by the cleaning liquid 3, and the operation can be performed safely without danger of ignition.

Further, the circulating air supplied into the dry chamber 6 is heated by the high temperature air supply mechanism 28 to mist the cleaning liquid 3 adhering to the screen plate 2, so that the drying of the screen plate 2 is promoted. In addition, the condensing action of the condenser 20 is enhanced. This is extremely effective especially for the cleaning liquid 3 whose main component is glycol ether, which is poor in dryness. The acceleration of the drying means that the drying time is shortened and the operation efficiency is improved.

[0033]

As described above, according to the screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus of the present invention, the screen plate cleaned with the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is pulled up by the elevating mechanism and then hermetically sealed in the dry chamber. Since the screen plate is dried by sucking the air in the dry chamber by the suction mechanism and the suctioned cleaning liquid is collected by the collecting mechanism, the cleaning liquid adhering to the screen plate can be diffused to the atmosphere. Therefore, the working environment is prevented from being contaminated by the cleaning liquid, and it is possible to operate safely without danger of ignition. Further, by supplying the high temperature air into the dry chamber by the high temperature air supply mechanism, the drying of the screen plate is promoted and the operation efficiency is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cleaning / Drying Device 2 Screen Plate 3 Cleaning Liquid 3a Recovery Liquid 4 Cleaning Tank 6 Dry Chamber 7 Suction Mechanism 8 Recovery Mechanism

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A device for drying ink after adhering to a screen plate with a cleaning liquid and then drying the cleaning liquid, wherein the screen plate is put into and taken out of a cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored. An elevating mechanism, a dry chamber that hermetically seals the screen plate discharged from the cleaning tank by the elevating mechanism, and a dry chamber that is connected to the dry chamber and sucks air in the dry chamber to adhere to the screen plate. A screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus comprising: a suction mechanism for sucking the cleaning liquid, and a recovery mechanism for recovering the cleaning liquid sucked by the suction mechanism and returning the recovered liquid into the cleaning tank. 2. The screen plate cleaning / drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hot air supply mechanism for supplying hot air into the dry chamber is connected to the dry chamber.