KR20130014377A - Drying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A drying device is provided to prevent dust from being attached on dried workpieces while the workpieces are transferred on a hanger in a drying chamber. CONSTITUTION: A drying device(1) comprises a hanger transfer part and a hanger returning part(12). In the hanger transfer part, a hanger support part is arranged in a non-stepped belt chain(8) moving in a driving chamber(2). The hanger transfer part transfers a hanger in the drying chamber along a chain rotational direction. The hanger returning part separates the workpieces from the hanger and returns the hanger to the upstream of the workpiece transfer direction.

Description

Drying apparatus {DRYING APPARATUS}

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the drying apparatus, such as a board | substrate used for heating and drying processes, such as a protective layer coated on both surfaces of a board | substrate, for example, when exposure, image development, or printing is performed in the manufacturing process of a printed circuit board.

As a wicking type drying apparatus which performs board | substrate drying, the drying apparatus 60 shown to FIG. 7 (A)-FIG. 7 (C) is put to practical use. In this drying apparatus 60, the workpiece | work support frame 63 which is the support member of the workpiece | work W is fixed by the predetermined pitch in the caterpillar 62 comprised by the chain etc. in the drying chamber 61 at a predetermined pitch.

The workpiece | work W is inserted and supported between the workpiece receiving frame 63 in the horizontal direction, and is supported between the workpiece receiving frame 63 which stands on the upper surface of the caterpillar 62, and the hot air in the drying chamber 61 is carried out. Drying is performed while conveying in the state exposed to (refer patent document 1, FIG. 6).

Moreover, the apparatus which conveys the inside of a drying chamber with a workpiece suspended to a hanger is also put into practical use, for example in order to dry both surfaces of a board | substrate by which resists etc. were coated on both surfaces of a board | substrate noncontact. For example, the hanger is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the drying chamber, and the hanger is placed intermittently in the conveying direction by placing the placing parts arranged in a line at a predetermined interval with the plurality of hangers supporting the work, and the plurality of hangers. It is provided with the conveyance operation part which operates in order of the upward movement for loading, the horizontal movement in the conveying direction with a hanger, the downward movement for lowering a hanger, and the horizontal movement in a direction opposite to a conveying direction (patent document 2, FIG. 1). Reference).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3926923 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4510304

In the manufacturing process of a printed circuit board, exposure, image development, or a printing technique is used, but the heating and drying process of a board | substrate becomes essential for these manufacturing processes. High cleanliness (high air cleanliness) is also required about the drying chamber in the heating and drying step.

However, when using the drying apparatus of the said patent document 1, with oscillation by the operation | movement of the track | orbit track 62 itself shown in FIG. 8, and the structure which contacts and supports so that the track | orbit track 62 may not bend, The mechanism which moves around the caterpillar 62 circumferentially, such as oscillation by sliding contact, becomes a large oscillation source, and there exists a subject that the inside of the drying chamber 61 will be contaminated by the dust falling from the upper side of the workpiece | work W. In addition, since the returning work support frame 63 supported by the caterpillar 62 moving around is also suspended and conveyed, the overall length of the apparatus is increased and the drying apparatus 60 is enlarged. In addition, since the workpiece | work W is conveyed leaning against the workpiece frame 63, there exists a possibility that the contact trace with the workpiece frame 63 may remain in the board | substrate coated with both surfaces.

Moreover, the drying apparatus of patent document 2 is sent by the operation part for conveyance one by one, fixing a workpiece | work to a hanger, and hanging the inside of a drying chamber. Therefore, since the drive source and the drive mechanism of a transfer operation part are arrange | positioned above a workpiece | work, there exists a possibility that particle | grains and dust may fall and adhere to a workpiece | work, and it enlarges because the apparatus whole length becomes high.

Furthermore, in recent years, miniaturization of a semiconductor device advances and the thickness of a board | substrate is also made thin, and there also exists a request to suppress the curvature of the board | substrate in a drying chamber.

This invention is made | formed in order to solve these problems, The objective is that the dust etc. do not fall and adhere to the thin-shaped workpiece which is supported by a hanger and is double-sided dried while conveying the inside of a drying chamber noncontact. The present invention provides a drying apparatus capable of miniaturizing the apparatus while preventing oscillation above the workpiece.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.

A drying device in which both sides of a workpiece are sequentially dried in a predetermined temperature profile while a thin plate-like workpiece is supported by a hanger and transported in a drying chamber in a non-contact manner. The hanger support part which hanger which supported the said workpiece | work supported by the said hanger support part provided with the hanger support part in the predetermined pitch, and conveys in the said chain rotation direction with the inside of the said drying chamber in the standing posture, From the said hanger conveyed by the said hanger conveyance part, The hanger return part which isolate | separates a workpiece | work and sends it to downstream, and returns the said hanger separated from the said workpiece | work to return to a workpiece conveyance direction upstream in preparation for next work support is characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to the said structure, while the hanger which supported the workpiece | work is non-contacted to a workpiece | work while it is conveyed by the hanger conveyance part to a standing posture in the chain rotation direction, both surfaces are dried. Thereby, there is no mechanical sliding part, such as a drive source, a caterpillar, the circumference mechanism, etc. above a workpiece, and dust and the like do not drop and adhere to the thin-shaped workpiece conveyed inside a drying chamber, and oscillation above a workpiece is prevented. It is possible to reduce the size of the device.

It is preferable that a conveyance drive source and a mechanical sliding part are arrange | positioned below the said workpiece | work in the workpiece conveyance path | route in the said drying chamber.

Thereby, there exists no possibility that the volatile solvent adhering to the workpiece | work to the dust, the drive source, etc. to a conveyance drive source, a mechanical sliding part, etc. can fall to a workpiece | work at least in a drying chamber, and it can dry in a clean environment.

It is preferable that the said hanger support part is a cylindrical hanger insertion part assembled to a pair of endless belt chains by predetermined pitch.

Thereby, a lot of workpiece | work can be inserted in a hanger insertion part, it can support in a vertical position, and can dry to save space more. In addition, the apparatus can be miniaturized by reducing the number of used hangers to half or less and repeatedly using the hanger. Furthermore, since the size change of a workpiece is sufficient only if a hanger is changed, the extensive change of an apparatus becomes unnecessary, and versatility improves.

It is preferable that the workpiece is conveyed by chucking or guiding the hanger. In the case of a workpiece which is likely to bend due to drying, such as a thin film-like substrate, it is possible to suppress deformation such as bending and wavering of the workpiece by chucking the four sides. In addition, in the case of the glass plate etc. where the rigidity of a workpiece | work is high, it is not necessary to pretend and a printing surface can be dried by supporting along both guides.

In the drying chamber, a circulation path for circulating dry air through the filter and supplying and venting a part of the dry air is preferably formed.

Thereby, since the solvent etc. which volatilized in the drying chamber are removed through a filter, there is no possibility that it will adhere to the ceiling and fall on the work.

The work support part which conveys the thin plate-shaped workpiece conveyed from the upstream of a workpiece conveyance direction to a support position, and supports the said workpiece to the hanger which was mounted to the 1st hanger elevation part which rose to the said support position, and the hanger which supported the said workpiece | work And a work posture changing part for changing the posture from a horizontal posture to an upright posture, and supporting the hanger in the standing posture by the work posture changing part to support the hanger support part and conveying the inside of the drying chamber in the chain rotation direction by the hanger conveying part. You may make it possible.

Thereby, when the thin plate-shaped workpiece coated in the previous step is conveyed to the support position from the upstream of the workpiece conveyance direction, for example, the operation from the horizontal posture to the standing posture is changed to the posture to support the hanger support. The work can be efficiently brought into the drying chamber by automation.

Furthermore, the hanger take-out part which takes out a hanger sequentially to a support release position from the hanger support part conveyed by the said hanger conveyance part and became a horizontal attitude | position from the vertical attitude | position, and the workpiece | work after drying by canceling support from the hanger taken out to the said support release position The work dispensing part which conveys to the downstream side, and the 2nd hanger lifting part which received the hanger separated from the workpiece at the said support release position may be lowered, and the said hanger may be sent to the said hanger return part, and may be returned to the said work support part.

Thereby, the workpiece | work after drying can be removed from a hanger and conveyed to a post-processing process, the operation | movement until returning a hanger again to a workpiece support part and supporting a workpiece | work can be conveyed efficiently, and can carry out work conveyance efficiently.

By using the above-mentioned drying apparatus, dust and the like do not fall onto and adhere to the thin-walled work formed on both sides while being supported by a hanger and conveyed inside the drying chamber in a non-contact manner. Can be.

1 is a front view through the internal configuration of the drying apparatus.
2 is a plan view through the internal configuration of the drying apparatus.
3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a hanger transfer unit, a hanger takeout unit, a work sending unit, and a hanger return unit;
4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a work support part and a work attitude change part;
5 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of a pickup device for transferring a workpiece.
6 is an explanatory diagram showing a hot air circulation in a drying chamber.
7 (A) to 7 (C) are front explanatory diagrams and constant views showing a state of a hanger according to another example.
8 is an explanatory view of a drying apparatus of a conventional Wicket method.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of the drying apparatus which concerns on this invention is described, referring an accompanying drawing. In this embodiment, the drying apparatus used in the board | substrate manufacturing process of a printed wiring board as a work is demonstrated and demonstrated.

With reference to FIG. 1, the schematic structure of a drying apparatus is demonstrated.

The drying apparatus 1 is sequentially dried on both sides of the workpiece in accordance with a predetermined temperature profile while the sheet-shaped workpiece W is transported in a non-contact manner while the inside of the drying chamber 2 is supported by the hanger H.

In the previous step, the workpiece W is coated on both sides of the substrate by coating or applying a coating material such as a resist. The work support part 3 conveys the thin-shaped workpiece | work W conveyed from the workpiece conveyance direction upstream to the chuck position (support position) P1, and the 1st hanger elevating part which raised to the said chuck position P1 ( The workpiece | work W is supported by the hanger H mounted in 4).

The work posture changing unit 5 changes the posture of the hanger H supporting the work W from the horizontal posture to the standing posture. The hanger H put in the standing posture by the work posture changing part 5 is carried in the hanger conveyance part 7, and both frame insertion ends are attached to the hanger support part (hanger insertion part 8a) fixed to the endless belt chain 8. The inside of the drying chamber 2 is conveyed in the chain rotation direction with FE (see FIG. 7 (A) and FIG. 7 (B)) inserted and supported.

The hanger conveyance part 7 has the both-frame insertion end part in the hanger insertion part 8a by which the hanger insertion part 8a was provided in predetermined | prescribed pitch in the endless belt chain 8 which moves around in the drying chamber 1 through which dry wind circulates. The FE is inserted to support the hanger H supporting the work W in an upright position, and the inside of the drying chamber 2 is transferred in the chain rotation direction. That is, the workpiece W is double-sided drying while conveying the inside of the drying chamber 2 non-contactedly.

The hanger take-out part 9 is conveyed by the hanger conveyance part 7 and the hanger H is taken out from the hanger insertion part 8a which became the horizontal attitude | position from the vertical attitude | position, and the chuck release position P2 is sequentially performed. Is transferred to. The workpiece | work sending part 10 releases the clip K of the workpiece | work W from the hanger H taken out to the chuck release position P2, and conveys the said workpiece | work W to the downstream side.

The second hanger elevating unit 11 descends while receiving the hanger H separated from the work W at the chuck release position P2, and delivers the hanger H to the hanger returning unit 12. The hanger return part 12 conveys the hanger H toward the workpiece support part 3 of the workpiece conveyance direction upstream.

The conveyance drive source and the mechanical sliding part are arrange | positioned below the workpiece | work W in the workpiece conveyance path | route in the drying chamber 2 mentioned above. Thereby, at least in the drying chamber 2, there exists no possibility that the dust from a conveyance drive source or a mechanical sliding part to the workpiece | work W, or the volatile solvent which adhered to the said drive source falls to a workpiece | work, and dry on both sides in a clean environment. Can be done.

Next, the structure of each part of the drying apparatus 1 is demonstrated.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the workpiece | work W conveyed from both sides of the workpiece conveyance direction upstream and is conveyed to the receiving conveyor 13 (refer FIG. 5). In the chuck position P1, the hanger H is supported by the 1st hanger elevating part 4 in a horizontal position, and is waiting. As shown in FIG. 4, the hanger H is a rectangular frame and is supported by a state in which tension is applied by chucking each side of the workpiece W by a pair of clips K provided on four sides. have.

7 (A) to 7 (C) are a front view and a constant view showing another configuration of the hanger H. FIG. As shown in Fig. 7A, the workpiece W is chucked by clips K on both sides or three sides of the hanger H, or the L-shaped guide 24 shown in Fig. 7C. Both sides of the furnace work W may be supported to provide support pins and the like provided on the bottom side to support a glass plate having a relatively high rigidity. In addition, the chuck position of the clip K may be provided so that attachment or detachment is possible so that it may change according to the size of the workpiece | work W. FIG. That is, in FIG. 7 (B), the attachment plate 25 having the chuck K or the L-shaped guide attached to the upper and lower frames F of the hanger H is attached to and detached from both sides in the width direction or up and down. May be changed. Thereby, the workpiece | work W of various sizes and the various workpiece | work W with different rigidity can be supported and dried.

In FIG. 5, the workpiece W is supported by the first pickup 14 from the receiving conveyor 13 and transferred to the chuck position P1 on the hanger H. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the clip K provided on the four sides of the hanger H is lifted by the first unclamping mechanism U1 when the clip K is raised to the chuck position P1 by the first hanger lifter 4. It remains open. In this state, when the workpiece | work W is transmitted to the hanger H by the 1st pick-up apparatus 14, the 1st unclamp mechanism U1 closes the clip K, and simultaneously makes four sides of the workpiece | work W. Pretend Opening and closing of the clip K is performed by the actuator (solenoid, cylinder, etc.) provided in the 1st unclamp mechanism U1, for example.

In the case of the workpiece | work W which is comparatively low rigidity like a thin film-form board | substrate, it is preferable that four sides are chucked with respect to the hanger H, and are conveyed. In the case of the workpiece | work W which tends to generate | occur | produce curvature by drying, deformation | transformation, such as a curvature and a wave | undulation of a workpiece | work, can be suppressed by chucking four sides. In addition, in the case of the workpiece | work W which is comparatively high rigidity, such as a glass plate, it does not necessarily need to pretend but only guides both sides with an L type guide etc.

In FIG. 4, when the workpiece W is supported by the hanger H at the chuck position P1, the hand 15a of the attitude changing robot 15 capable of the lifting and rotating operation included in the workpiece posture changing unit 5 is possible. ), While holding the frame on both sides of the hanger H, ascending in the horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3, rotated 90 degrees in the clockwise direction at the raised position, and the attitude is changed to the vertical position (see Fig. 1). ). At this time, the workpiece | work W is chucked by the hanger H in the conveyance direction back side. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper frame of the hanger H in a vertical posture is gripped by the slidable slide hand 16 and brought into the drying chamber 2.

The endless belt chain 8 provided in the hanger conveyance part 7 is provided in pair along the longitudinal direction of the drying chamber 2, as shown in FIG. The pair of endless belt chains 8 are driven by a drive motor (not shown), and a cylindrical hanger inserting portion 8a (hanger support portion) is assembled to each belt chain 8 at a predetermined pitch. At the upstream end of the pair of hanger inserts 8a, the hangers H held by the slide hand 16 are released to lower both ends (frame inserting end FE; Figs. 7A and 7A). 7 (B)) is conveyed in the chain rotation direction with the insertion and support of the hanger inserting portions 8a respectively. Thereby, by inserting many hangers H into the hanger insertion part 8a by space saving, the workpiece | work W can be supported in the drying chamber 2 in a non-contacting vertical position, and can be dried on both sides. In addition, the apparatus can be miniaturized by reducing the number of sheets of the hanger H to half or less and repeatedly using the same. Furthermore, since the size change of the workpiece | work W is sufficient only if the hanger H is changed, the extensive change of an apparatus becomes unnecessary, and versatility improves. In addition, since the workpiece | work W is conveyed in the drying chamber 2 sequentially with the hanger H, and drying is performed for a predetermined time, since the temperature profile acting on each workpiece | work W is constant, the workpiece | work W is By this, the dry state is not disturbed and the desired drying quality can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 6, the blowing fan 17, the filter 18, the heater 19, and the like are disposed in the drying chamber 2. The circulation which blows dry air heated by the heater 19 from the upper part to the workpiece | work W through the filter 17 by the blowing fan 17, and dries, and reheats and circulates partly while supplying and exhausting a circulation. Blowing path 2a is formed. Thereby, since the solvent etc. which volatilized in the drying chamber 2 are removed through the filter 18, there is no possibility that it adheres to the ceiling and falls to the workpiece | work W. As shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, when the hanger H conveyed by the endless belt chain 8 in the vertical position from the upstream side to the downstream side in the chain rotation direction is in a horizontal position, the slide provided in the hanger take-out part 9 shown in FIG. Both sides of the hanger H are gripped by the hand 20a of the mechanism 20 and are taken out to the chuck release position P2 in the horizontal direction. Then, the clip K is released by the second unclamp mechanism U2 provided in the slide mechanism 20.

In addition, in FIG. 5, the conveyor W which only the workpiece | work W is supported by the 2nd pick-up apparatus 21, and conveys the workpiece | work W by which the chuck by the clip K was released in the chuck release position P2 is conveyed. ) Is conveyed to the downstream side.

In addition, the hanger H separated from the workpiece | work W is transmitted to the 2nd hanger elevating part 11 shown in FIG. 3, and descends, and is conveyed to the conveyer conveyor 23 provided in the hanger return part 10. FIG. Is given. The hanger H mounted on the conveyer 23 is conveyed to the position below the work support part 6. An endless iron rubber belt or the like is used for the conveying conveyor 23 so that dust is not generated. Subsequently, it is transmitted to the 1st hanger elevating part 4, and it prepares for the next chuck of the workpiece | work W, is raised to the chuck position P1, and waits.

As described above, the endless belt chain 8 is supported by the hanger H from the hanger insertion portion 8a so as to be detachably supported, and the hanger H is repeatedly used. Compared with the drying apparatus, the use of the hanger H can be suppressed to half or less, and the height of the apparatus can also be lowered, thereby miniaturizing.

In addition, since the hanger H is not fixed to the belt chain 8, even if the board | substrate size is changed, it can respond only by changing the hanger H, and can improve the versatility of the apparatus.

In addition, since the clip position by the clip K is an unnecessary part as a board | substrate product, both surfaces of a board | substrate can be dried simultaneously.

In addition, since there is no mechanical driving part such as a conveying drive source, a caterpillar or its circumferential mechanism above the workpiece W which is conveyed in the hanger conveying portion 7 provided in the drying chamber 2 in a vertical posture, the workpiece W There is no fear of falling of dust or other foreign matters.

Moreover, by providing a prefilter or a hepa filter in the circulation blower 2a in the drying chamber 2, it becomes possible to perform both-side drying in a clean furnace.

In the said embodiment, although the workpiece | work attitude | position change part 5 was arrange | positioned at the upstream of the hanger conveyance part 7, and the workpiece | work sending part 10 was provided downstream, you may arrange | position them interchangeably. That is, the hanger insertion part 8a in which the workpiece | work W is supported by the clip K of the hanger H in a horizontal position, carried in the drying chamber 2 in a horizontal position, and the hanger H is in a horizontal position. Insert into the support.

The hanger H which supported the workpiece | work W changes from the horizontal attitude | position to a vertical attitude | position with the rotation of the belt chain 8, and is conveyed inside the drying chamber 2 downstream as it is. Then, at the downstream end of the vertical posture of the belt chain 8, the hanger H is gripped by the slide hand 16 provided in the work posture changer 5 and transmitted to the posture change robot 15 to counterclockwise rotation. The posture may be changed to a horizontal posture by rotating 90 degrees to release the clip K to separate the workpiece W from the hanger H.

In addition, the number of hangers H supported by the hanger support part 7 can be arbitrarily increased or decreased by the number of hanger insertion parts 8a and the length change of the belt chain 8. In addition, the workpiece | work W supported by the hanger H may not only be a four side chuck but a three side chuck, a two side chuck, or both side guides, etc. may be sufficient as it. When the L type guide 24 is provided in the hanger H and the chuck is not used, the first unclamp mechanism U1 and the second unclamp mechanism U2 can be omitted.

Claims (7)

A drying apparatus in which drying of both sides of a workpiece is sequentially performed in a predetermined temperature profile while a thin sheet workpiece is transported in a drying chamber in a non-contact manner while being supported by a hanger.
The hanger supporting the workpiece is sequentially supported on the hanger support portion provided with the hanger support portion at a predetermined pitch on an endless belt chain which is circulated in the drying chamber where the drying wind circulates, and the inside of the drying chamber is moved in the chain rotation direction while standing upright. Hanger transfer part to do,
And a hanger return unit for separating the work from the hanger conveyed by the hanger conveying unit and sending it to the downstream side, and returning the hanger separated from the work to the work conveying direction upstream in preparation for the next work support. Drying apparatus. The method of claim 1,
A conveying drive source and a mechanical sliding part are arranged below the said work | work in the workpiece conveyance path | route in the said drying chamber, The drying apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The method of claim 1,
The said hanger support part is a drying apparatus characterized by the cylindrical hanger insertion part being assembled to a pair of endless belt chain by predetermined pitch. The method of claim 1,
Drying apparatus characterized in that the workpiece is chucked or guided relative to the hanger. The method of claim 1,
And a circulation blower for circulating dry air through the filter and for supplying and exhausting a part of the dry air in the drying chamber. The method of claim 1,
A workpiece support part which conveys the thin plate-shaped workpiece conveyed from the upstream of a workpiece conveyance direction to a support position, and supports the said workpiece to the hanger mounted on the 1st hanger elevation part which rose to the said support position,
It is provided with the workpiece | work attitude change part which posture changes the hanger which supported the said workpiece from a horizontal posture to an upright posture,
And a hanger made in the standing posture by the work posture changing unit to support the hanger support unit, and the hanger conveying unit transports the inside of the drying chamber in the chain rotation direction. The method of claim 1,
A hanger take-out part which feeds the hanger sequentially to the support release position from the hanger support part which is conveyed by the hanger transfer part and becomes a horizontal attitude from a vertical attitude;
A workpiece dispensing unit which releases the support from the hanger drawn out to the support release position and conveys the dried work to the downstream side;
And a second hanger elevating portion which receives the hanger separated from the work at the support release position, passes the hanger to the hanger return portion, and returns to the work support portion.

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