JPS59124620A - Automatic plating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure high operation efficiency by providing multiple plating tanks between a pre-process tank and an after-process tank and providing a selective transport mechanism of objects to be plated to the plating tanks so that the objects to be plated can be continuously plated one by one. CONSTITUTION:Multiple plating tanks 1 with energizing electrodes respectively are arranged between a pre-process tank 3 and an after-process tank 3', in addition, a selective transport mechanism 6 of objects 7 to be plated to the tanks 1 selectively transporting the objects 7 to be plated transported from the tank 3 in sequence to the tanks 1 and tansporting the plated objects 7 to the tank 3' is provided. This selective transport mechanism 6 is provided with a frame 12 elevatably installed on a stanchion 9 and a transport chain mechanism 11 for the objects 7 to be plated installed on the frame 12. As a result, the objects 7 to be plated such as flexible circuit substrate, etc. can be continuously plated one by one, and the plating process can be applied with high operation efficiency while the whole device is made small-sized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic plating apparatus that can achieve downsizing and high operating rate.

Typical conventional plating equipment for flexible circuit boards, etc. are the carrier type and pusher type, but the carrier type allows one plating tank and one power source to be used, and it is possible to change the plating process by changing the process. This method has advantages such as being able to adjust several types of process changes to the object, being able to arbitrarily change the plating time, and being able to transport and process a large amount of objects to be plated at once. However, there is a limit to reducing the cycle time for the objects to be plated. For example, if you try to minimize the cycle time, you will have to increase the number of carriers to transport the objects to be plated, which will increase equipment costs. If you try to increase production capacity at the same time as increasing production capacity, there are disadvantages such as the unavoidable increase in the size of the equipment.

In addition, if the processing area of the rack for the objects to be plated is made large, the variation in plating thickness will increase, and if the number of processes is long, the start-up time from loading the objects to completion will be longer. Since the waiting time for the workpieces in each processing tank increases, the idle time of the processing tank increases, making it difficult to utilize the apparatus effectively. Furthermore, if the plating time is made variable, there are problems such as a longer cycle time and lower productivity.In general, it is difficult to secure installation space due to the larger size of the equipment, and the amount of each processing solution increases. An increase in installation costs due to problems such as

On this point, with the pusher type, there is no idle time in each treatment tank, so it can be used effectively, productivity is proportional to the passage of time, control is easy, and the number of objects to be plated in the next tank is This method has advantages such as being able to transport the objects to be plated in a short time because it can transport the objects simultaneously, and also having a shorter start-up time in the same process compared to the carrier method. However, on the other hand, this method has disadvantages such as not being able to adopt one plating tank and one power supply system, making it difficult to change the process, and having many restrictions on varying the plating time.

The present invention provides an automatic plating apparatus that satisfactorily solves the problems of the above-mentioned conventional method, and selectively selects the plating objects in a plurality of plating tanks arranged between a pre-treatment tank and a post-treatment tank. The automatic plating equipment is equipped with a selective transport mechanism that enables flexible transport, and allows the plating tank to continuously transport and dry hangers with objects to be plated. The device transfers the objects to be plated in a second cycle, and ensures high operating efficiency while downsizing the entire device and facilitating plating solution management.

The drawings show one embodiment of the invention, and in FIG.
For example, there are a plurality of plating tanks for nickel plating solution or gold plating, and the plating solution is optimally managed by a plating solution management tank. These plating baths are used for pre- and post-treatment of objects to be plated such as flexible circuit boards.
J', and has a U-shaped arrangement as a whole. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pre- and post-treatment tanks 3, 3' include a degreasing tank, an activation tank, a washing tank, and a rust prevention tank as needed. The objects 7 to be plated are individually transferred to each other by a pusher conveyance mechanism. This butcher conveyor tank r has a number of transfer claws corresponding to the number of pre- and post-processing Ia 30 pieces! rA, these claws fA are configured to be able to move up and down as a whole along with the construction rail l, and the claw th is capable of reciprocating at predetermined intervals, and is capable of attaching the object 7 to be plated suspended on the rail lI. By pushing out the tops of the hangers S by a predetermined stroke individually along the rail direction, the objects 7 to be plated are sequentially immersed in each of the processing tanks 3 and 3'.

As conceptually shown in FIG. 3, the selective conveyance mechanism 6 for plating the object 7 for plating 4'fl/ has a lifting device 10 provided on a support 9 so as to be movable up and down, and this lifting device IO has a pedestal. A conveyor chain mechanism l/ is installed at the tip of the conveyor chain mechanism 7.2, and as shown in the same figure and FIG.
The objects 7 to be plated are suspended one by one and immersed in an empty plating tank 1 for plating treatment. Each plating tank l therefore has a current-carrying electrode at the receiving portion of the hanger j, and current is applied to the object 7 to be plated individually through each hanger S. After completion of plating, the object to be plated is transferred to a post-processing tank 3' together with the seven hangers by a conveying chain mechanism/l, and is subjected to necessary post-processing. In addition, in Figure 1, 13
is a hanger! The attachment end for attaching the object 7 to be plated, /lI
indicates the removal end at which the plated object 7 is removed from the hanger 3.

For each plating t4I/, each object 7 to be plated is immersed one by one, so a one-bath, one-power supply system that can control the plating time can be adopted, and the current adjustment can also be automated.

Furthermore, the play of the plating tank 1 together with the pre- and post-treatment tanks 3 and 3 is eliminated, and the apparatus can be used effectively, which contributes to miniaturization of the entire apparatus and space saving. Therefore, the conveyance distance of the object 7 to be plated can be shortened, the start-up time of the apparatus is improved, and the takt time is minimized, thereby improving productivity. Furthermore, the scooping out and raw recovery of the plating solution during plating is facilitated by forming the footer/sheet as described above.

The automatic plating apparatus of the present invention is as described above. Multiple plating tanks are installed between the post-processing tanks, and the plating tanks are equipped with a selective transfer machine for the objects to be plated, so it is possible to continuously plate objects such as flexible circuit boards one by one. Therefore, the plating process can be performed at a high operating rate while reducing the size of the entire device, and it is possible to provide a plating device for flexible circuit boards and the like that is easy to maintain and handle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual plan layout diagram of the automatic plating apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side configuration diagram conceptually showing a mechanism for selectively transporting objects to be plated to a plating tank.
The second figure is a diagram conceptually explaining the manner in which the object to be plated is transported to the plating tank. / 0. ,,,, plating
Tank 2. 0191. Plating solution management tank 3゜0810. Pretreatment tank 3゜1130. Post-treatment tank t. 8009. Shi-ru!
. 0010. 8 Nga-J...
,,,, Selective conveyance mechanism 7゜90805. Applicant to be plated: Nippon Mectron Co., Ltd. Figure 2 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of plating tanks are arranged between the pre-treatment tank and the post-treatment tank, each having a current-carrying electrode, and the objects to be plated transferred from the pre-treatment tank are sequentially and selectively transported to the plating tank, and plating is performed. a selective transporter tank for the plating target for the plating tank that transfers the finished plating target to the post-treatment tank; An automatic plating device equipped with a conveyor chain mechanism for objects to be plated installed in