KR101802200B1 - Management device for plating equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a management apparatus for a plating equipment. According to the present invention, the plating equipment comprises: a plating tub which accommodates a plating solution to plate an object (the plating solution is a mixture of a plurality of substances required for plating the object); a plurality of accommodation tubs which respectively accommodate substances composing the plating solution; a plurality of first connection pipes connecting the plating tub and the accommodation tub; a plurality of first control valves respectively placed in each of the first connection pipes to control a flow of substances flowing from the accommodation tub to the plating tub; and a pump which provides power to extract some plating solution from the plating tub. According to the present invention, the management apparatus for the plating equipment may comprise: a cooling unit which cools the plating solution extracted from the plating tub by power provided by the pump; a sensor unit which provides data to check information value on a preset item of the plating solution extracted from the plating tub; and a control unit which determines if a preset condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit to control whether to open or close the first control valve when the preset condition is satisfied. The present invention is to provide the management apparatus for the plating equipment, which controls or manages the plating equipment to allow the plating equipment to perform a plating process with a certain high efficiency.

Description

{Management device for plating equipment}

The present invention relates to a plating apparatus management apparatus, and more particularly, to a plating apparatus management apparatus capable of managing and controlling plating apparatus.

Plating refers to a process that creates a metallic film on the surface of metal and nonmetal to make the surface of the product have industrial characteristics such as decorative aesthetic, corrosion resistance, heat resistance according to the characteristics of metal, abrasion resistance and lubrication. As the type of plating, there are various methods such as electroplating, electroless plating, vacuum plating, and hot-dip plating. Among them, plating is proceeding in an electroless plating method in order to obtain a uniform and dense plated layer on the surface of a product having complicated shape.

The electroless plating method is a plating method which does not use an external power source, in which a metal ion and a reducing agent are simultaneously added to a plating solution, and the reaction proceeds continuously by a spontaneous reduction reaction to proceed the plating. Here, the main components of the plating solution of the electroless plating method are a metal salt and a reducing agent, and the auxiliary components include a pH adjusting agent, a buffering agent, a complexing agent, an accelerating agent, a stabilizer and an improving agent. The auxiliary component is a substance added to the plating solution to prolong the life of the plating solution and to improve the efficiency of the reducing agent.

In the electroless plating method, as the plating progresses, the proportion of the components contained in the plating solution changes, thereby changing the properties of the plating solution. If the properties of the plating solution are changed, the efficiency of the plating reaction may be reduced. Therefore, in the electroless plating method, in order to maintain the efficiency of the plating reaction, the main component material and / or the auxiliary component material must be added to the plating liquid corresponding to the property of the plating liquid being changed.

However, existing plating equipment management apparatuses have a problem in that the efficiency of plating decreases as the plating process progresses due to the fact that properties and / or components of the plating liquid are changed at the time of plating. In addition, when the plating equipment management apparatus fails, the countermeasures against the plating equipment management apparatus are not quick and the plating efficiency is reduced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plating equipment management apparatus for controlling or managing a plating equipment so that the plating equipment can perform a plating process with high and constant efficiency.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims .

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plating solution - the plating solution is a mixture of a plurality of materials necessary for plating a target object. - the plating vessel in which the object is plated; A plurality of receiving containers each containing a substance constituting a plating liquid; A plurality of first connection pipes connecting the plating vessel and the receiving vessel; A plurality of first control valves disposed in each of the first connecting pipes to control whether a substance flowing from the receiving vessel to the plating vessel flows; And a pump for providing a power for extracting a part of the plating liquid from the plating tank, the apparatus comprising: a cooling unit for cooling the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath by the power provided from the pump, Cooling section; A sensor unit for providing data for confirming an information value of a preset item of the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank; And a control unit for determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit and controlling whether the first control valve is opened or closed if the predetermined condition is satisfied, Equipment may be provided.

According to the plating equipment management apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to control the plating equipment to effectively cope with changes in properties and / or components of the plating liquid, thereby maintaining high efficiency of plating.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to judge whether or not the plating equipment management device is faulty, and to accurately control the plating equipment, thereby maintaining high efficiency of plating.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and the effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a connection diagram of a plating apparatus and a plating apparatus management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a schematic diagram of a plating equipment management apparatus connected to a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of a control unit included in the plating equipment management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a graph illustrating a predetermined criterion that a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention must satisfy in order to control whether the first control valve is open or closed.
5 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion that must be satisfied in order to control the transmitting module so that the controller according to the embodiment of the present invention informs the failure information of the sensor unit.
FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion that a control unit according to another embodiment of the present invention must satisfy in order to control a transmitting module so as to inform the failure information of a sensor unit. FIG.
7 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion that should be satisfied in order to control the transmitting module so that the controller according to another embodiment of the present invention informs the failure information of the sensor unit.
8 is a schematic diagram of a plating equipment management apparatus connected to a plating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a schematic view for explaining the flow of the plating liquid in a direction different from that of FIG.
10 is a view for explaining a state in which a second connection pipe according to another embodiment of the present invention is connected to a plating bath;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive concept. Other embodiments falling within the scope of the inventive concept may readily be suggested, but are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

The same reference numerals are used to designate the same components in the same reference numerals in the drawings of the embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a detailed description of known configurations or functions related to the present invention will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the present invention may be blurred.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plating solution - the plating solution is a mixture of a plurality of materials necessary for plating a target object. - the plating vessel in which the object is plated; A plurality of receiving containers each containing a substance constituting a plating liquid; A plurality of first connection pipes connecting the plating vessel and the receiving vessel; A plurality of first control valves disposed in each of the first connecting pipes to control whether a substance flowing from the receiving vessel to the plating vessel flows; And a pump for providing a power for extracting a part of the plating liquid from the plating tank, the apparatus comprising: a cooling unit for cooling the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath by the power provided from the pump, Cooling section; A sensor unit for providing data for confirming an information value of a preset item of the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank; And a control unit for determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit and controlling whether the first control valve is opened or closed if the predetermined condition is satisfied, Equipment may be provided.

The sensor unit may include a first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of the metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath; And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming the temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit, wherein the controller controls the temperature of the plating liquid based on the data provided by the second sensor unit It is possible to determine whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied, and to control the pump to stop the pump when the predetermined condition is satisfied.

The sensor unit may include a first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of the metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath; And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming a temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit, And a third control valve for controlling whether or not the plating liquid flows through the first sensor unit, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the second sensor unit, The third control valve may be controlled so as to be closed, and when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the third control valve may be controlled to be opened.

The plating apparatus may further include a third connection pipe through which the plating liquid is guided so that the plating material flowing from the second sensor unit to the first sensor unit flows back to the plating vessel, The third control valve is closed so as to flow from the second sensor unit to the first sensor unit and the third control valve is closed so that the plating liquid is flowed from the second sensor unit to the plating bath by the third connection pipe, .

The sensor unit may include a first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of the metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath; And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming a temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit, wherein the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank is supplied to the cooling unit, 2 sensor unit and the third sensor unit.

The control unit may determine whether or not a predetermined criterion is satisfied based on data provided by the sensor unit, and when the predetermined criterion is satisfied, even if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, It is possible to control whether the valve is opened or closed.

The predetermined criterion may be a change rate of the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit, which is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference value.

And a transmission module for transmitting predetermined information, wherein the control unit determines whether or not a predetermined criterion is satisfied based on data provided by the sensor unit, and when the predetermined criterion is satisfied, The transmission module may control the transmission module so as to inform the failure information of the sensor unit that provides data satisfying the predetermined criterion.

The predetermined reference may be a difference between average values of the information values converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit for a predetermined time, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

The control unit may control the first control valve to control the opening and closing of the first control valve based on data provided by the sensor unit that provides the data required to control the first control valve, It can be judged whether or not it is satisfied.

It is preferable that the predetermined criterion is a condition that the control section controls whether or not the first control valve is opened or closed and the data provided by the sensor section that provided the data necessary for the first control valve to be controlled even when the predetermined time has elapsed It may be the case that a predetermined condition is satisfied as a basis.

When the predetermined criterion and the predetermined condition are satisfied, the control unit may cause the transmission module to notify the failure information of the sensor unit that provides the data satisfying the predetermined criterion and the predetermined condition, You can control the module.

The plating apparatus may further include a second connection pipe connecting the plating vessel and the cooling section to guide the plating solution to flow into the cooling section, the plating solution being extracted from the plating vessel; And a second control valve disposed in the second connection pipe for controlling the flow of the plating liquid flowing from the plating bath to the cooling unit, wherein the second connection pipe is formed in a plurality of, And the second control valve selects a second connection pipe for guiding the plating solution from the plating bath to the cooling unit so that the second connection pipe is selected in accordance with a predetermined order , The second control valve can be controlled.

1 is a connection diagram of a plating apparatus and a plating apparatus management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the plating equipment is a plating solution (f), and a plating solution (f) is a mixture of a plurality of materials necessary for plating a target object. - a plurality of receiving chambers 20 in which the plating bath 10 is accommodated and the object is plated and a substance constituting the plating liquid f are respectively accommodated; A plurality of first connection pipes 30 arranged in each of the first connection pipes 30 for controlling the flow of a substance flowing from the accommodation tank 20 to the plating tank 10, The control valve 40 may include a first recovery pipe 90 and a pump 50 that provides power to allow a portion of the plating solution f to be extracted from the plating bath 10.

In the plating tank 10, the plating liquid f is contained and the object to be plated is immersed in the plating liquid f, and the plating process can proceed.

The plating liquid (f) may be a mixture of a plurality of materials necessary for plating a target object.

For example, in the case of the electroless nickel plating method, the plating liquid (f) may be a metal salt (nickel chloride or nickel sulfate) to be plated, a reducing agent (sodium hypophosphite, sodium hydride or hydrazine) (Sodium citrate, sodium acetate, ethylene glycol, etc.) that extend the lifetime of the plating solution (f), the pH adjusting agent (caustic soda, ammonium hydroxide, inorganic acid, organic acid etc.) (Such as chloride, sulfide, and nitrate in lead) that suppresses the reduction reaction at parts other than the surface to be plated, and the plating layer has a luster (Surfactant) to be added to the composition of the present invention.

The holding tank 20 can individually accommodate each of the materials constituting the plating liquid f.

For example, the receiving tank 20 may include a first receiving tank 21, a second receiving tank 22, and a third receiving tank 23. The first reservoir 21 may contain a pH adjuster. A reducing agent may be contained in the second containing tank 22. A nickel metal salt may be contained in the third containing tank 23. That is, the third container 23 may be an aqueous solution containing nickel ions.

In the following description, the receiving tank 20 is described as being provided with the first receiving tank 21, the second receiving tank 22 and the third receiving tank 23, but the present invention is not limited thereto, The number of the receiving chambers 20 can be arranged as many as the number of the materials and the number of the receiving chambers 20 can be set to the number of the substances added to the plating liquid f during the plating process. Each of the receiving chambers 20 can accommodate the above-described materials.

The first connection pipe 30 may connect the receiving tank 20 and the plating tank 10. The first connection pipe 30 can guide the material stored in the receiving tank 20 to be flowed into the plating tank 10.

The first connection pipe 30 may be formed in plural. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first connection pipe 30 may be formed as one pipe.

The first connection pipe (30) may be arranged as many as the number of the receiving chambers (20). The first connection pipe 30 may connect a plurality of the receiving tanks 20 to the plating tank 10 in parallel.

For example, the first connection pipe 30 may allow the first receiving tank 21, the second receiving tank 22, and the third receiving tank 23 to be connected in parallel with the plating tank 10 .

The first control valve 40 may be disposed in the first connection pipe 30 to control the flow of the material flowing from the receiving tank 20 to the plating tank 10.

For example, the first control valve 40 may include a 1-1 control valve 41, a 1-2 control valve 42, and a 1-3 control valve 43. The 1-1 control valve 41 may control the flow of the pH adjusting agent flowing from the first receiving tank 21 to the plating tank 10. The first-second control valve 42 may control the flow of the reducing agent flowing from the second receiving tank 22 to the plating tank 10. The first to third control valve 43 can control whether the metal salt flowing from the third containing tank 23 to the plating tank 10 flows. The number of the first control valves 40 may be variously changed according to the number of the receiving chambers 20 and / or the number of the first connecting pipes 30.

Here, the control of the flow of fluid may be controlled by opening or closing a valve to check whether the material contained in the receiving tank 20 flows from the receiving tank 20 to the plating tank 10.

In addition to controlling the flow of fluid, it is also possible to adjust the opening degree and / or the degree of closing of the valve so as to adjust the degree of opening and / or closing of the valve from the receiving tank 20 to the plating tank 10, To control the flow rate of the material contained therein.

The pump 50 may extract a part of the plating liquid f from the plating tank 10 to check the state of the plating liquid f received in the plating tank 10 in the plating equipment management apparatus 100 And the like.

The plating apparatus management apparatus 100 may be connected to the plating tank 10 by a second connection pipe 60 and a first return pipe 90.

The plating liquid f extracted by the pump 50 may flow to the plating equipment management apparatus 100 through the second connection pipe 60.

The plating apparatus management apparatus 100 may measure a predetermined item in the plating liquid f flowing into the plating apparatus management apparatus 100 and control the plating apparatus based on the measured information.

The plating solution f after measurement is discharged from the plating equipment management apparatus 100 and can flow into the plating tank 10 through the first recovery pipe 90.

2 is a schematic diagram of a plating equipment management apparatus connected to a plating equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the plating equipment managing apparatus includes a cooling unit 110 for cooling the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10 by the power supplied from the pump 50, a cooling unit 110 for cooling the plating tank 10, A sensor unit for providing data for confirming an information value of a preset item of the plating liquid f extracted by the sensor unit, a determination unit for determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on data provided by the sensor unit, An output device (not shown), a transmission module (not shown) and a notification unit (not shown) for controlling whether the first control valve 40 is opened or closed have.

The sensor unit includes a first sensor unit 121 for providing data for confirming the concentration information value of the metal salt of the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10, A second sensor unit 122 for providing data for confirming the temperature information value of the plating liquid f flowing into the plating unit 121 and an acidic base information value of the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10 And a third sensor unit 123 for providing data for confirmation.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor unit may include all the sensor units capable of sensing physical properties and / or characteristics associated with the plating liquid f at a level that is easily known to a typical technician.

The cooling unit 110 can cool the plating liquid f. The cooling unit 110 may cool the plating liquid f at a temperature suitable for sensing the first sensor unit 121, the second sensor unit 122 and the third sensor unit 123.

For example, the cooling unit 110 may cool the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10 to about 35 ° C.

For example, the cooling unit 110 may be a heat exchange cooling device using a coolant or a cooling device using a thermoelectric element, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the cooling unit 110 may cool the plating liquid f All devices can be included.

The cooling unit 110 may cool the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10. The plating liquid f cooled in the plating liquid f may flow to the second sensor unit 122.

The cooling unit 110 may be connected to the plating tank 10 by the second connection pipe 60. In addition, the cooling unit 110 may be connected to the second sensor unit 122.

The plating liquid f may be partially extracted from the plating tank 10 by the pump 50 and then introduced into the cooling unit 110 through the second connection pipe 60. The plating liquid f introduced into the cooling unit 110 may be cooled by the cooling unit 110 and then flowed to the second sensor unit 122.

The sensor unit may transmit to the controller 130 data for confirming an information value of a predetermined item of the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10. [

The sensor unit may transmit to the controller 130 an information value of a preset item of the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10.

The first sensor unit 121 may provide data for confirming the concentration information value of the metal salt of the plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10.

For example, the first sensor unit 121 may be a sensor that confirms the concentration information value of the metal salt using a light absorption method.

For example, the first sensor unit 121 may provide data for confirming the concentration information value of nickel ions. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first sensor unit 121 may provide data for confirming the concentration information value of the metal salt to be plated.

The first sensor unit 121 may be connected to the second sensor unit 122. The first sensor unit 121 may be connected to the plating tank 10 by the first recovery pipe 90.

The first sensor unit 121 may receive the plating liquid f discharged from the second sensor unit 122. The plating liquid f discharged from the first sensor unit 121 flows through the first recovery pipe 90 and may be introduced into the plating tank 10.

The second sensor unit 122 may provide data for confirming the temperature information value of the plating liquid f flowing out of the cooling unit 110 and flowing into the first sensor unit 121. [

For example, the second sensor unit 122 may be a thermocouple, a resistance sensor (RTD), or a thermistor (NTC). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second sensor unit 122 may include all sensors capable of sensing the temperature of the plating liquid f at a level that is easily known to a typical technician.

The second sensor unit 122 may be connected to the cooling unit 110. The second sensor unit 122 may be connected to the first sensor unit 121.

The plating liquid f discharged from the cooling unit 110 may flow into the second sensor unit 122. The plating liquid f discharged from the second sensor unit 122 flows and can flow into the first sensor unit 121. [

The third sensor unit 123 may provide data for confirming the acidic base information value of the plating solution f extracted from the plating tank 10.

For example, the third sensor unit 123 may be a pH electrode. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The third sensor unit 123 may include all sensors capable of sensing the degree of acidic base of the plating solution (f) at a level known to the ordinarily skilled artisan.

The third sensor unit 123 may be disposed between the cooling unit 110 and the second sensor unit 122. The third sensor unit 123 may be disposed between the second sensor unit 122 and the first sensor unit 121. The third sensor unit 123 may be formed integrally with the second sensor unit 122.

The connection relationship and arrangement relationship between the first sensor unit 121, the second sensor unit 122, and the third sensor unit 123 may be the same as those of the first sensor unit 121, the second sensor unit 122, But may be variously modified within the scope consistent with the object of the present invention.

The output device can output information about the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment

The transmitting module can transmit predetermined information.

The transmitting module may transmit all information related to the plating equipment management apparatus.

For example, the transmitting module may transmit failure information of the sensor unit. In addition, the transmission module may transmit failure information of the controller 130. FIG. The transmitting module can transmit the concentration information value of the converted metal salt on the basis of the data transmitted by the first sensor unit 121. [

The transmitting module can transmit predetermined information to the notification unit.

The notification unit may inform the user of predetermined information according to a signal received from the transmission module.

The notification unit can inform the user of visual information, auditory, olfactory, and tactile information.

For example, the notification unit may inform the user of the failure information of the sensor unit with a siren sound. In addition, the transmission module can inform the user of the failure information of the control unit 130 to the display unit 137, which will be described later. The notification unit can inform the user of the concentration information value of the metal salt in the plating liquid (f).

The notification unit may be one of all components of the plating equipment management apparatus, and may be a device other than the plating equipment management apparatus, as long as it can function to inform the user of predetermined information.

The plating liquid f extracted from the plating tank 10 can flow sequentially through the cooling unit 110, the second sensor unit 122, and the third sensor unit 123.

For example, the plating solution (f) extracted from the plating bath 10 may be about 95 캜. Since the sensor part can reach a large amount at about 95 캜, the cooling unit 110 can cool the plating liquid f. The cooled plating solution f discharged from the cooling unit 110 may be at a temperature of about 50 캜 or lower. The plating liquid f discharged from the cooling unit 110 may flow to the first sensor unit 121. Here, the first sensor unit 121 may be vulnerable to a high temperature. The plating liquid f discharged from the cooling unit 110 flows to the first sensor unit 121 because the first sensor unit 121 may fail if the cooling unit 110 fails. The temperature of the plating solution f can be measured by flowing the solution to the second sensor part 122 before the plating solution f is measured.

The predetermined condition may be a condition preliminarily input to the plating equipment management apparatus, and may be a condition input by the user every moment.

The control unit 130 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit, and controls whether the first control valve 40 is opened or closed if the predetermined condition is satisfied .

The controller 130 may be configured to satisfy predetermined conditions based on data provided by the sensor unit of any one of the first sensor unit 121, the second sensor unit 122 and the third sensor unit 123 Or not.

The predetermined condition may be a condition in which the efficiency of the plating process is high and can not be maintained constant.

For example, the predetermined condition may be a condition in which the ion concentration of nickel in the plating liquid (f) deviates from a certain reference range.

For example, the predetermined condition may be a condition in which the pH of the plating liquid (f) is out of a certain reference range.

For example, the predetermined condition may be a condition in which the temperature of the plating liquid f is out of a predetermined reference range.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the predetermined conditions may include all conditions that the efficiency of the plating process is high and can not be kept constant at a level that is obvious to a general technician.

The predetermined condition may be the temperature of the plating liquid f that the first sensor unit 121 can not tolerate.

The control unit 130 determines whether the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the second sensor unit 122. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, The pump 50 can be controlled.

For example, the predetermined condition is that the temperature of the plating liquid f flowing from the cooling unit 110 to the first sensor unit 121 through the second sensor unit 122 is lower than the temperature of the first sensor unit 121, Lt; / RTI > can be an unacceptable temperature.

The predetermined condition is not limited to the above-described example, and may include all conditions for controlling the plating equipment management apparatus and the plating equipment at a level that is obvious to a general technician.

Hereinafter, reference numerals which are not shown in the drawings among the contents described can be referred to Fig. 1 and Fig.

3 is a block diagram of a controller 130 included in the plating equipment management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the control unit 130 includes a central control unit 131, a reception unit 132, a transmission unit 133, an output unit 134, an operation unit 135, a storage unit 136, and a display unit 137 .

The central control unit 131 controls the operation of the reception unit 132, the transmission unit 133, the output unit 134, the operation unit 135, the storage unit 136 and the display unit 137 130) in order to control them.

The central control unit 131 may be capable of wired / wireless communication with the other control unit 130

The central control unit 131 may control the other control unit 130 and may be controlled by the other control unit 130.

The central control unit 131 may control the plating equipment directly and / or by the other control unit 130.

The central control unit 131 may directly and / or control the plating equipment management apparatus by the other control unit 130.

For example, the central control unit 131 may control the first control valve 40 (not shown) using the transmission unit 133 based on the information value calculated through the operation unit 135 using the data received from the reception unit 132, / RTI > and / or the pump 50, as described herein.

3, the guitar controller 130 may be directly electrically connected to each other. The other control unit 130 may be controlled by each other.

The central control unit 131 can determine a predetermined condition.

The central control unit 131, the reception unit 132, the transmission unit 133, the output unit 134, the operation unit 135, the storage unit 136, and the display unit 137 may be integrally formed, have.

The receiving unit 132 can receive data generated by the sensing of the sensor unit.

The receiving unit 132 may receive a value obtained by converting the data generated by the sensing of the sensor unit into a predetermined information value.

The receiving unit 132 may receive data and / or information on all information related to the plating equipment.

The transmitting unit 133 may transmit a control signal for controlling the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment managing equipment.

The transmitting unit 133 may transmit a control signal for controlling the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment managing apparatus by itself.

The transmitting unit 133 may transmit the control signal of the central control signal unit to the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

For example, the transmitter 133 may transmit the control signal generated by the central control unit 131 to the pump 50 and / or the first control valve 40.

For example, the transmitter 133 may stop and / or activate the pump 50 and may transmit a control signal to adjust the amount of the pump 50 output.

For example, the transmitter 133 may transmit a control signal to control the opening / closing of the first control valve 40, and may transmit a control signal to control the degree of opening / closing of the first control valve 40 .

The storage unit 136 may store all the information generated by the controller 130. [

The storage unit 136 may store only information transmitted from the central control unit 131 and may be electrically connected to the central control unit 131. Alternatively, And may also store information directly transmitted from the other control unit 130.

The operation unit 135 may perform all operations necessary for the control unit 130.

The operation unit 135 can determine a predetermined condition.

For example, the operation unit 135 may perform a calculation process of converting an information value of a predetermined item based on the data provided by the sensor unit.

The display unit 137 may display all information received, transmitted, stored, and calculated by the controller 130.

The display unit 137 may display all information regarding the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

The display unit 137 may display or inform information about failure information of the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

The control unit 130 may be controlled through the display unit 137. FIG. Further, the plating unit and / or the plating equipment management apparatus can be controlled through the display unit 137.

For example, the display unit 137 may be a touch screen.

The output unit 134 may control the output device so that it can output all information regarding the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

4 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion that a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention must satisfy in order to control whether the first control valve is opened or closed.

The control unit 130 determines whether or not a predetermined criterion is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit, and when the predetermined criterion is satisfied, even if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, It is possible to control the opening or closing of the door 40.

Here, the predetermined standard may be a standard for a state in which the efficiency of the plating process is high and can be maintained constant, but the probability of the plating process may be lowered with a high probability.

For example, the predetermined criterion may be a rate of change of the information value (here, the rate of change may be an absolute value) converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit, which is a predetermined reference value or more.

In one example, the predetermined criterion may be a tendency of the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit with respect to time within a predetermined error range and a predetermined tendency.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the predetermined criteria may include all criteria for a state that there is a high possibility that the efficiency of the plating process may be lowered.

A predetermined reference value may be set in advance and may be set by the control unit 130 using information acquired while operating the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

4, the predetermined condition is that the concentration of nickel in the plating liquid is 4% or less (hereinafter, "less than" may include less than 6%) (hereinafter, Can be used. If the concentration of nickel is 6% or more, the controller 130 controls the first to third control valves 43 and 43 so that the first to third control valves 43 and 43 are closed, -3 control valve 43 can be controlled. Thus, the amount of nickel ions flowing from the third storage tank 23 to the plating tank 10 can be blocked or reduced.

If the concentration of nickel is 4% or less, the controller 130 controls the first to third control valves 43 and 43 so as to open the first to third control valves 43 and 43, -3 control valve 43 can be controlled. In this way, nickel ions flowing from the third tank 23 to the plating tank 10 can be flowed or the amount of nickel ions flowing can be increased.

For example, referring to FIG. 4, when the concentration of nickel in the plating solution is 4% or more and 6% or less, the efficiency of the plating process can be kept high and constant, 43 may not be controlled. That is, if the first to third control valve 43 is opened, the first control valve 43 can be maintained in the open state, and if it is closed, the first to third control valve 43 can be maintained in the closed state.

However, when the concentration of nickel rapidly changes, that is, when the rate of change of the nickel concentration is not less than a predetermined reference value, predetermined conditions can be satisfied within a short time. Therefore, the controller 130 can control the amount of nickel ions flowing into the plating tank 10 by controlling the first control valve 40.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the amount of nickel ions satisfies a predetermined condition, but the amount of nickel ions may suddenly increase. That is, the rate of change of nickel ion (the amount of change in Y relative to the amount of change in X) can be increased sharply. If the rate of change of the nickel ion is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, a predetermined criterion is satisfied, and the controller 130 controls the first to third control valves 43, The control valve 43 can be controlled. Thus, the amount of nickel ions flowing from the third containing tank 23 to the plating tank 10 can be blocked or reduced.

Further, for example, unlike the case shown in FIG. 4, the amount of nickel ions satisfies predetermined conditions, but the amount of nickel ions may be abruptly reduced. That is, the rate of change of nickel ion (the amount of change in Y relative to the amount of change in X) can be drastically reduced. If the absolute value of the rate of change of the nickel ion is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value, a predetermined criterion is satisfied, and the controller 130 opens the first to third control valve 43, 1-3 control valve 43, as shown in Fig. Thus, nickel ions can be flown or extended from the third containing tank 23 to the plating tank 10.

Here, the concentration of nickel is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and all the properties related to the plating solution (for example, the pH of the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution, and the concentration of the substance constituting the plating solution) can be substituted.

Through this control method, it is possible to maintain the high plating efficiency by performing the quick feedback according to the property change of the plating liquid.

The controller 130 determines whether or not a predetermined criterion is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit, and when the predetermined criterion is satisfied, the controller 130 determines whether the transmission module provides data satisfying the predetermined criterion It is possible to control the transmission module so as to inform the failure information of the subsection.

Here, the predetermined reference may be a criterion for a state that may appear when the sensor unit has failed.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the criteria predetermined in Figs. 5 to 7 will be described.

However, the predetermined criteria of the present invention are not limited to the following embodiments, and may include all criteria for conditions that may appear when the sensor unit fails at a level that is obvious to a typical engineer.

5 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion to be satisfied in order to control the transmission module so that the controller according to the embodiment of the present invention informs the failure information of the sensor unit.

The predetermined criterion may be that the difference between the average values of the information values converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit for a predetermined time is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

Here, the predetermined reference value may be a reference value that can determine the degree of failure due to the damage of the sensor unit.

In addition, the predetermined reference value may be a predetermined time, and may be set by the control unit 130 using information acquired while operating the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

The present invention can be applied to a case where the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit satisfies the predetermined condition or does not satisfy the predetermined criterion.

The average value may be an average value of information values for a predetermined time.

Here, the predetermined time may be a preset time, or may be set by the control unit 130 using information obtained while operating the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

For example, referring to FIG. 5, the amount (n) of nickel ions received in the plating bath 10 may have a tendency to gradually increase with time. Section A, section B, and section C may be sections for the same time. The difference between the average value (a) of nickel in section A and the average value (b) of nickel in section B may be smaller than a predetermined reference value. The difference between the average value (a) of nickel in section A and the average value (c) of nickel in section C may be larger than the reference value. In this case, the control unit 130 may determine that the first sensor unit 121 has failed, and the controller 130 informs the user of the failure information of the first sensor unit 121 through the notification unit So that the transmission module can be controlled. The starting point of the section A may be a point in time when the first sensor unit 121 is first installed and used.

As another example, the average value (a) of the concentration of nickel in the section A is used as a reference. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the difference between the average values of the concentrations of nickel in the adjacent two sections and the reference value can be compared.

In addition, unlike FIG. 5, the amount (n) of nickel ions contained in the plating bath 10 may have a tendency to gradually decrease with time.

The sensor part can be measured as being old or old as it is used, and the value of the original property value of the plating liquid may be larger or smaller. And these errors can be aged, ie, getting bigger over time. The present invention can effectively inspect aged sensor parts.

Here, the concentration of nickel is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and all the properties related to the plating solution (for example, the pH of the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution, and the concentration of the substance constituting the plating solution) can be substituted.

6 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion to be satisfied in order to control the transmitting module so that the controller according to another embodiment of the present invention informs the failure information of the sensor unit.

The controller 130 controls the first control valve 40 to control the first control valve 40 so that the first control valve 40 controls the opening and closing of the first control valve 40, It is possible to judge whether or not a predetermined criterion is met based on the provided data,

The predetermined reference is that the control unit 130 controls whether the first control valve 40 is opened or closed and provides the data necessary for the first control valve 40 to be controlled even if the predetermined time has elapsed Or may be a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied based on data provided by one sensor unit.

Here, the predetermined time may be set in advance and may be set by the control unit 130 using information acquired while operating the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

For example, referring to FIG. 6, the predetermined condition is that the concentration of nickel in the plating solution is 4% or less (hereinafter, "less than" may include less than 6%) Can be used. The concentration information value of nickel can be converted based on the data provided by the first sensor unit 121. [ If the concentration of nickel in the plating solution is 6% or more, the control unit 130 may close the first control valve 40 or adjust the opening degree of the first control valve 40 (Point X). If the concentration of nickel is 6% or more even after a predetermined time (A) has elapsed since the time X, the predetermined condition may be satisfied based on the data provided by the first sensor unit 121. Therefore, since the first sensor unit 121 providing the data necessary for controlling the first control valve 40 satisfies the predetermined condition, the first sensor unit 121 may have failed. In this case, the controller 130 may determine that the first sensor unit 121 has failed. The control unit 130 may control the transmission module to inform the user of the failure information of the first sensor unit 121 through the notification unit.

Here, the concentration of nickel is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and all the properties related to the plating solution (for example, the pH of the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution, and the concentration of the substance constituting the plating solution) can be substituted.

7 is a graph for explaining a predetermined criterion that should be satisfied in order to control the transmission module so that the control unit informs the failure information of the sensor unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

If the predetermined reference and the predetermined condition are satisfied, the control unit 130 instructs the transmission module to notify the failure information of the sensor unit that provides the data satisfying the predetermined criterion and the predetermined condition, You can control the module.

Here, the predetermined criterion may be that the rate of change of the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

A predetermined reference value may be set in advance and may be set by the control unit 130 using information acquired while operating the plating equipment and / or the plating equipment management equipment.

7, a predetermined condition is that the concentration of nickel in the plating liquid is 4% or less (hereinafter, "less than" may include less than 6%) (hereinafter, Can be used. The concentration of nickel may be 7% while the concentration of nickel is maintained at 4% or more and 6% or less in the plating solution while the rate of change of nickel concentration is not less than a predetermined reference value. The rate of change of the concentration of nickel satisfies a predetermined reference as a predetermined reference value or more and at the same time the concentration of nickel can satisfy the predetermined condition. Here, the change rate of nickel may be the change amount of Y relative to the change amount of X. [ In this case, the control unit 130 may determine that the first sensor unit 121 that provides the basis for converting the information value of the concentration of nickel has failed. The control unit 130 may control the transmission module to inform the user of the failure information of the first sensor unit 121 through the notification unit.

Here, the concentration of nickel is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and all the properties related to the plating solution (for example, the pH of the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution, and the concentration of the substance constituting the plating solution) can be substituted.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a plating apparatus management apparatus connected to a plating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a flow of a plating liquid in a direction different from that of FIG.

8 and 9, the plating equipment management apparatus further includes a third control valve 140 for controlling whether the plating liquid flows from the second sensor unit 122 to the first sensor unit 121 can do.

The third control valve 140 may be disposed between the cooling unit 110 and the second sensor unit 122 and / or the third sensor unit 123.

The third control valve 140 may control whether the plating liquid flowing from the cooling unit 110 to the second sensor unit 122 and / or the third sensor unit 123 flows.

The controller 130 determines whether the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the second sensor unit 122. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, Can be controlled to be closed.

Also, when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the controller 130 may control the third control valve 140 to be opened.

The predetermined condition may be the temperature of the plating liquid that the first sensor unit 121 can not tolerate.

For example, the predetermined condition may be a condition in which the temperature of the plating solution is 50 DEG C or higher.

For example, when the third control valve 140 is opened, the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit 110 may be allowed to flow to the first sensor unit 121 through the second sensor unit 122 . The plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit 110 may not flow to the first sensor unit 121 through the second sensor unit 122 when the third control valve 140 is closed.

The plating apparatus further includes a third connection pipe 80 through which the plating liquid is guided so that the plating material flowing from the second sensor unit 122 to the first sensor unit 121 flows back to the plating vessel 10 .

The control unit 130 controls the third control valve 140 to open so that the plating liquid flows from the second sensor unit 122 to the first sensor unit 121, The third control valve 140 may be controlled to be closed by the third connection pipe 80 from the first control valve 122 to the plating tank 10.

For example, the third control valve 140 may be a triangular valve.

8, when the temperature of the plating liquid discharged from the cooling unit 110 does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the third control valve 140 is opened, and the cooling unit 110 The discharged plating liquid may flow to the first sensor unit 121 by sequentially flowing the second sensor unit 122 and the third control valve 140.

9, when the temperature of the plating liquid discharged from the cooling unit 110 satisfies a predetermined condition, the third control valve 140 is closed and discharged from the cooling unit 110. In other words, referring to FIG. 9, The plating liquid may flow sequentially through the second sensor unit 122 and the third control valve 140 and may flow to the plating tank 10 by the third connection pipe 80.

10 is a view for explaining a state where a second connection pipe according to another embodiment of the present invention is connected to a plating bath.

10, the plating apparatus connects the plating tank 10 and the cooling unit 110 so that the plating liquid is guided so that the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank 10 flows to the cooling unit 110 A second control valve 70 disposed in the second connection pipe 60 and the second connection pipe 60 for controlling the flow of the plating liquid flowing from the plating tank 10 to the cooling unit 110 .

The second connection pipe (60) may be formed in plural and connected to the plating tank (10) in parallel.

For example, the second connection pipe 60 may be connected to the plating tank 10 in the upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions of the plating tank 10.

The concentration of the plating solution in the plating tank 10 may vary depending on the position of the plating tank 10. Therefore, in order to clarify the state of the plating solution in the plating tank 10, a plurality of the second connection pipes 60 may be formed and connected to the plating tank 10 in parallel.

The second control valve 70 may select a second connection pipe 60 for guiding the plating liquid from the plating tank 10 to the cooling unit 110.

The second control valve 70 may be disposed in each of the plurality of second connection pipes 60 and may be disposed at a position where a plurality of the second connection valves are assembled.

The controller 130 may control the second control valve 70 such that the second connection pipe 60 is selected in a predetermined order.

For example, the second connection pipe 60 is connected to the second-1 connection pipe 61, the second-second connection pipe 62, the second-third connection pipe 63 and the second-fourth connection pipe 64 ). The controller 130 may control the second control valve 70 to open only the second-1 connection pipe 61 for a predetermined period of time. Next, the second control valve 70 may be controlled to open only the second-2 connection pipe 62 for a predetermined time. The control unit 130 may sequentially open the second to third connection pipe 63 and the second to fourth connection pipe 64.

Here, the connection pipe is opened for a predetermined time, but not limited thereto, various criteria can be applied. For example, the connecting pipe can be opened until a predetermined condition is not satisfied.

It should be understood, however, that the above-described sequence is merely illustrative, and that the predetermined sequence may be modified in various ways at a level that is obvious to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

10: Plating tank 100: Plating equipment management device
121: first sensor unit 122: second sensor unit
123: third sensor unit

Claims (13)

1. A plating apparatus for plating a plating solution on a target object, the plating solution being a mixture of a plurality of materials necessary for plating the object, the plating apparatus comprising: a plating vessel in which the plating solution is accommodated, A plurality of first connection pipes connecting the plating vessel and the receiving vessel, a plurality of second connection pipes arranged in each of the first connection pipes to allow the flow of the material flowing from the receiving vessel to the plating vessel, A plurality of first control valves for controlling whether or not the plating liquid is supplied to the plating tank, and a pump for providing power for extracting a part of the plating liquid from the plating tank,
A sensor unit for providing data for confirming an information value of a preset item of the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank;
A cooling unit for cooling the plating liquid extracted from the plating tank by the power supplied from the pump to the sensor unit to a temperature suitable for sensing the sensor unit; And
And a control unit for determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit and controlling whether the first control valve is opened or closed if the predetermined condition is satisfied, device.

The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
A first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of a metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath;
And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming a temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit,
Wherein,
Determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the second sensor unit,
And controls the pump to stop the pump when the predetermined condition is satisfied.
The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
A first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of a metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath;
And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming a temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit,
The plating equipment management apparatus includes:
Further comprising a third control valve for controlling whether the plating liquid flows from the second sensor unit to the first sensor unit,
Wherein,
Determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the data provided by the second sensor unit,
And controls the third control valve such that the third control valve is closed if the predetermined condition is satisfied and the third control valve is opened if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, .

The method of claim 3,
The plating equipment comprises:
Further comprising a third connection pipe through which the plating liquid is guided so that the plating liquid to be flowed from the second sensor unit to the first sensor unit flows back to the plating bath,
Wherein,
Controls the third control valve to open so that the plating liquid flows from the second sensor unit to the first sensor unit,
And controls the third control valve to close so that the plating liquid flows from the second sensor unit to the plating bath by the third connection pipe.
The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
A first sensor unit for providing data for confirming a concentration information value of a metal salt of the plating liquid extracted from the plating bath;
And a second sensor unit for providing data for confirming a temperature information value of the plating liquid flowing out from the cooling unit and flowing into the first sensor unit,
The plating solution extracted from the plating bath is supplied to the plating bath,
Wherein the cooling unit, the second sensor unit, and the first sensor unit sequentially flow.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls whether the first control valve is opened or closed even when the rate of change of the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value and the predetermined condition is not satisfied. Management device.
delete The method according to claim 1,
And a transmission module for transmitting predetermined information,
Wherein,
Determines whether or not a predetermined criterion for failure information of the sensor unit is satisfied based on the data provided by the sensor unit,
When the predetermined criterion is satisfied,
Wherein the transmitting module controls the transmitting module so that the transmitting module informs the failure information of the sensor unit that provides data satisfying the predetermined criterion.
9. The method of claim 8,
The predetermined criterion may be,
Wherein the difference between the average values of the information values converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit for a predetermined time is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein,
When the control unit controls whether the first control valve is opened or closed,
Wherein the determination unit determines whether the first control valve satisfies a predetermined criterion based on data provided by the sensor unit that provides data required to be controlled.
11. The method of claim 10,
The predetermined criterion may be,
The control unit controls whether or not the first control valve is opened or closed, and when the predetermined time has elapsed
Wherein the first control valve satisfies a predetermined condition based on data provided by the sensor unit that provides data necessary for the first control valve to be controlled.
The method according to claim 1,
And a transmission module for transmitting predetermined information,
Wherein,
Wherein the sensor unit is provided with a sensor unit that provides data whose rate of change of the information value converted based on the data provided by the sensor unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value and whose rate of change of the converted information value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, If the condition is satisfied,
The transmission module controls the transmission module so as to provide data serving as a basis for the information value of which the rate of change is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value and to inform the failure information of the sensor unit that provides data satisfying the predetermined condition Wherein the plating apparatus is a plating apparatus.

The method according to claim 1,
The plating equipment comprises:
A second connection pipe connecting the plating bath and the cooling unit to guide the plating solution to flow the plating solution extracted from the plating bath to the cooling unit; And
And a second control valve disposed in the second connection pipe for controlling the flow of the plating liquid flowing from the plating bath to the cooling unit,
The second connecting pipe
A plurality of plating units connected in parallel to the plating bath,
Wherein the second control valve comprises:
Selecting a second connection pipe for guiding the plating liquid from the plating bath to the cooling unit,
Wherein,
And controls the second control valve so that the second connection pipe is selected according to a predetermined order.

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