TW201715095A - An electroplating machine and an electroplating method - Google Patents

Abstract

An electroplating machine (100, 200) is disclosed as including a tank (102, 202) for containing an electroplating solution, a number of carriers (104, 204) each releasably engageable with a respective workpiece (205) to be electroplated and movable relative to the tank (102, 202), each carrier (104, 204) being electrically connected and simultaneously movable with two power supplies (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b), at least one power supply (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b) of each carrier (104, 204) being electrically connected with a common anode (108, 110) or an earthed common conductor (230).

Description

Electroplating machine and plating method

The present invention relates to an electroplating machine, and more particularly to a machine having a plurality of movable workpiece carriers, and an electroplating method.

Background of the invention

In a conventional electroplating machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and generally designated 10, a plurality of workpiece carriers 12 are movable relative to a slot 14 containing a plating solution. Each workpiece carrier 12 is releasably coupled to a respective workpiece to be plated. When a workpiece is engaged with a workpiece carrier 12, the workpiece and the workpiece carrier 12 are electrically connected to each other. The workpiece carriers 12 are arranged in series, i.e., in a row, continuously moving through the slots 14 to move the workpieces in series through the slots 14. The shape of the workpiece to be plated is generally rectangular and flat. When the workpieces are engaged with and carried by the workpiece carriers 12, the opposite major surfaces of the workpieces are oriented toward the sides, and the workpieces are oriented vertically. Therefore, the electroplating machine is called a vertical continuous electroplating machine.

A cathode rod 16 is fixed relative to the slot 14 of the electroplating machine 10, and each of the workpiece carriers 12 is electrically coupled to the cathode rod 16 by a respective sliding contact 18, which can be used in the workpiece carrier 12 moves through and relative to the slot The cathode rod 16 is electrically connected at 14 o'clock. There are a plurality of anode plates 20, each powered by a respective power supply 22, disposed within the slot 14 and fixed relative thereto. Thus, when the workpieces are moved by the workpiece carriers 12 through the electrolytic solution in the tank 14, they will experience an electric field between the cathode rod 16 and the anode plate 20, and the metal in the electrolytic solution. Deposited on the workpieces.

It is generally known that the effective footprint of such an electroplating machine can be as short as a workpiece. Since the total amount of metal plated on a workpiece depends mainly on the total amount of ampere-hours used by the workpiece in the plating solution during plating, it is important to control the amount of current supplied to each workpiece. However, in the conventional electroplating machine 10, if the resistances of the workpieces are different, and if the workpiece carriers 12 are different, it is very difficult to control the current supplied to each of the workpieces moving through the slots 14, Because, when electroplating, the workpiece with a lower resistance and the workpiece carrier 12 will consume more current, while the workpiece with a higher resistance and the workpiece carrier 12 will consume less current.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electroplating machine and an electroplating method wherein the above disadvantages are alleviated or at least provide a useful alternative to the industry and the public. In particular, it has been found that it is possible to at least alleviate the above disadvantages by using further improvements and innovations of an automated plating system as disclosed in Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 103436946 A.

Summary of invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electroplating apparatus comprising at least one groove for accommodating a plating solution; a first carrier releasably engaging a first workpiece to be plated and Moving in the slot; a second carrier releasably engaging with a second workpiece to be plated and movable relative to the slot; wherein the first carrier is electrically coupled to the at least one first power supply and Simultaneously moving; wherein the second carrier is electrically connected to the at least one second power supply and can move at the same time; and wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are coupled to the at least one first common anode Or at least one grounded common conductor is electrically connected.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of electroplating at least one workpiece comprising the steps of: (a) releasably engaging and electrically connecting a first workpiece to a first carrier; (b) moving The first carrier passes through and is opposite to a slot containing a plating solution; (c) associates at least one first power supply with the first carrier to be movable simultaneously with the first carrier; The first power supply supplies a power to the first carrier; (e) releasably engages and electrically connects a second workpiece and a second carrier; (f) moves the second carrier through Relative to the slot containing the plating solution; (g) associating at least one second power supply with the second carrier to be movable simultaneously with the second carrier; (h) the second power supply Supplying a power to the second carrier; and (i) independently adjusting a current supplied to the first carrier and a current supplied to the second carrier.

10, 100, 200‧‧‧ plating machine

12, 104, 204‧‧‧ workpiece carriers

14, 102, 202‧‧‧ slots

16‧‧‧ cathode rod

18, 112a, 112b, 212a, 212b, 229‧‧ ‧ sliding contacts

20, 114, 214‧‧ ‧ anode plate

22, 106a, 106b, 206a, 206b‧‧‧ power supply

108‧‧‧First common anode

110‧‧‧Second common anode

205‧‧‧Workpiece

208, 210‧‧‧section anode

220, 224‧‧ ‧ split position

Sections 222, 226, 228‧‧

230‧‧‧Common conductor

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 1 is a schematic view of a conventional electroplating machine; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a plating machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a plating machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A schematic diagram.

Detailed description of the embodiment

A schematic diagram of a vertical continuous plating machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 and is generally designated 100.

The electroplating machine 100 includes a tank 102 for containing a plating solution. A plurality of workpiece carriers 104 (five shown in FIG. 2) are movable in series and relative to the slot 102. Each workpiece carrier 104 is releasably coupled to a workpiece to be electroplated to be physically and electrically connected to establish a physical and electrical connection therewith.

Each workpiece carrier 104 is fixedly and electrically connected to a pair of power supplies 106a, 106b, such as a current regulator. The power supplies 106a are each electrically coupled to a first common anode 108 by a respective sliding contact 112a, and are relatively slidable relative to the anode 108 when electrically connected thereto; and the power supply The switches 106b are each electrically coupled to a second common anode 110 by a respective sliding contact 112b, and are relatively slidable relative to the anode 110 while being electrically connected thereto. Thus, each pair of power supplies 106a, 106b can be moved together with the workpiece carrier 104 to which they are physically and electrically connected, simultaneously with respect to the slot 102. The power supply 106a is electrically connected between the anode 108 and the workpiece carrier 104; The power supply 106b is electrically connected between the anode 110 and the workpiece carrier 104. A plurality of anode plates 114 (six shown in Figure 2) are disposed within the slot 102 and secured relative to the slot.

Both of the anodes 108, 110 can be grounded. Alternatively, the two anodes 108, 110 can be placed at a voltage of, for example, 5V. The two anodes 108, 110 can each be set to a different voltage, if desired.

The power supplied by each of the power supplies 106a, 106b to each of the individual workpiece carriers 104 to which they are connected can be independently adjusted. In particular, the power supplies 106a, 106b can be set to a controlled current mode such that the different power supplies 106a, regardless of the possibly different resistance of the individual workpiece carriers 104 and individual workpieces, 106b will be controlled such that the current supplied to each workpiece carrier 104 (and therefore to the individual workpieces carried by each workpiece carrier 104) is the same. The total amount of metal plated on a workpiece depends primarily on the amount of ampere-hours used by the workpiece when electroplating in the bath 102, and is provided to all by the same current by controlling all of the power supplies 106a, 106b. The workpiece carrier 104 (and thus all of the workpieces carried by the workpiece carriers 104), a more uniform and consistent plating regardless of the possibly different resistance of the individual workpiece carriers 104 and individual workpieces The results will be achieved.

A schematic diagram of a vertical continuous plating machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3 and is generally designated 200.

The electroplating machine 200 includes a tank 202 for containing a plating solution. A plurality of workpiece carriers 204 are traversable and move relative to the slot 202. Each workpiece carrier 204 is releasable and a separate workpiece to be plated The 205 interfaces are physically connected and electrically connected to establish physical and electrical connections thereto.

Each workpiece carrier 204 is fixedly and electrically connected to a pair of power supplies 206a, 206b, such as a current regulator. The power supplies 206a are each electrically coupled to a segmented anode 208 by a respective sliding contact 212a, and are relatively slidable relative to the segmented anode 208 when in electrical communication therewith. The power supplies 206b are each electrically coupled to a segmented anode 210 by a respective sliding contact 212b that is relatively slipable relative to the segmented anode 210 when in electrical communication therewith. Thus each pair of power supplies 206a, 206b can be moved together with one another and simultaneously with their physically connected and physically connected workpiece carriers 204 relative to the slot 202. The power supply 206a is electrically connected between the segmented anode 208 and the workpiece carrier 204; and the power supply 206b is electrically connected between the segmented anode 210 and the workpiece carrier 204.

As noted above, the anodes 208, 210 are all segmented. In particular, the anode 208 is split at a number of locations 220 to form a plurality of electrically separated segments 222 and the like. Thus, when the electroplating machine 200 is in operation and the workpieces 205 pass through and move within the trough 202, the power supplies 206a will travel and continue with respect to the series but electrically separated segments 222 of the anode 208. They are electrically connected to them; and the power supplies 206b are moved relative to the series but electrically separated segments 226 of the anode 210 and are continuously electrically connected thereto. For example, when the workpiece carrier 204 electrically coupled to the power supply 206 moves and passes relative to the slot 202 of the plating machine 200, the power supply 206a will move continuously with one of the first segments 222 of the anode 208. Second paragraph 222, and a further third segment 222 are electrically connected, wherein the first, second, and third segments 222 are longitudinally serially connected one after another and electrically separated from each other.

With this arrangement, it is possible to independently control the voltage of each segment of each segment 222 of the anode 208 so that different plating effects can be obtained, or different products can be plated. Similarly, the anode 210 is split at a number of locations 224 to form a plurality of electrical separation sections 226 and the like. With this arrangement, it is possible to independently control the voltage of each segment of each segment 226 of the anode 210 so that different plating effects can be obtained, or different products can be plated. The respective cathode sides of the power supplies 206a, 206b are electrically connected to a common conductor 230 by a respective sliding contact 229, which is grounded, so that the respective cathode sides of the power supplies 206a, 206b (and the workpieces 205 and the like carried by the workpiece carriers 204) are also connected to each other. The grounded common conductor 230 can be a frame to which one of the electroplating machines 200 is grounded.

The power supplied by each of the power supplies 206a, 206b to each of the individual workpiece carriers 204 to which they are connected can be independently adjusted. In particular, the power supplies 206a, 206b can be set to a controlled current mode, thus, regardless of the possibly different resistance of the individual workpiece carriers 204 and individual workpieces, connected to the same segment 226 of the anode 210. The different power supplies 206a, 206b, etc. are controlled such that the current supplied to each of the workpiece carriers 204 (and therefore to the individual workpieces carried by the workpiece carriers 204) is the same. Similarly, different power supplies 206a, 206b, etc., connected to the same section 222 of the anode 208 are controlled to be supplied to each of the workpiece carriers 204 (and thus to each workpiece carrier 204) The currents of the individual workpieces sent are the same. The total amount of metal plated on a workpiece is primarily determined by the amount of ampere-hours used by the workpiece when electroplating in the bath 202, by controlling all of the power supplies 206a, 206b at the respective anodes 208, Each of the individual segments 222, 226 of 210 is supplied to all of the workpiece carriers 204 (and all of the workpieces carried by the workpiece carriers 204) at the same current, regardless of the individual workpiece carriers 204 and individual A more uniform and consistent plating result can be achieved with the possible different resistance of the workpiece.

The workpieces 205 carried by the workpiece carriers 204 are electrically connected to the grounded common conductors 230 (such as the grounded frame of the machine 200) by the respective cathode sides of the power supplies 206a, 206b. The voltage system is the same, so the edge effect is reduced. Moreover, in existing electroplating machines, a large current will pass along a common cathode conductor, which will cause more potential differences between the workpieces 205. On the other hand, in the electroplating machine 200 according to the present invention, since the power supplies 206a, 206b generate electricity locally, there is no need to pass a large current, and this further reduces the potential difference between the workpieces 205. .

The above description is only illustrative of the invention, and various modifications and/or changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The features of the present invention are also described in the context of separate embodiments for clarity and may be combined in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention are described in the <RTI ID=0.0>>

100‧‧‧Electroplating machine

102‧‧‧ slots

104‧‧‧Workpiece carrier

106a, 106b‧‧‧Power supply

108‧‧‧First common anode

110‧‧‧Second common anode

112a, 112b‧‧‧ sliding contacts

114‧‧‧Anode plate

Claims (27)

An electroplating machine comprising: at least one groove for accommodating a plating solution; a first carrier releasably engaging with a first workpiece to be plated and movable relative to the groove; and a second carrier Dissociatingly engaging a second workpiece to be plated and movable relative to the slot; wherein the first carrier is electrically coupled to the at least one first power supply and movable simultaneously; wherein the second carrier And being electrically connected to the at least one second power supply; and wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are electrically connected to the at least one first common anode or the at least one grounded common conductor. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the first power supply is slidable relative to the first common anode or the grounded common conductor by a first sliding contact. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the second power supply is slidable relative to the first common anode or the grounded common conductor by a second sliding contact. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the first carrier is electrically connected to the at least one third power supply and can be simultaneously moved. The electroplating machine of claim 4, wherein the second carrier is at least one The four power supplies are electrically connected and can be moved simultaneously. The electroplating machine of claim 5, wherein the third power supply and the fourth power supply are electrically connected to a second common anode. The electroplating machine of claim 6, wherein the second common anode is grounded. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are controllable such that a current supplied to the first carrier and a current supplied to the second carrier are substantially Same on the same. The electroplating machine of claim 5, wherein the first power supply, the second power supply, the third power supply, and the fourth power supply are controllable to supply a first carrier The current is substantially the same as the current supplied to the second carrier. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are each a current regulator. The electroplating machine of claim 5, wherein the third power supply and the fourth power supply are each a current regulator. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the power supplied to the first carrier and the power supplied to the second carrier are independently adjustable. The electroplating machine of claim 1, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are electrically connected to at least one segmented anode. The electroplating machine of claim 13, wherein the segmented anode comprises at least a first segment and a second segment that are electrically separated from one another. The electroplating machine of claim 13, wherein the grounded common guiding system is a frame of the machine. The electroplating machine of claim 15, wherein the cathode side of one of the first power supplies and the cathode side of one of the second power supplies are electrically connected to the common conductor of the ground. A method of electroplating at least one workpiece, comprising the steps of: (a) releasably engaging and electrically connecting a first workpiece and a first carrier; (b) moving the first carrier through and relative to a container a slot of the plating solution; (c) associating at least one first power supply with the first carrier to be movable simultaneously with the first carrier; (d) the first power supply supplies a power to The first carrier; (e) releasably engaging and electrically connecting a second workpiece and a second carrier; (f) moving the second carrier through and opposite to the groove for housing the plating solution; (g) associating at least one second power supply with the second carrier to be movable simultaneously with the second carrier; (h) the second power supply supplying a power to the second carrier; And (i) independently adjusting a current supplied to the first carrier and a current supplied to the second carrier. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step (j) of electrically connecting the first power supply and the second power supply to a first common anode or at least one grounded common conductor. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step (k) for supplying a third power source The first device is associated with the first carrier to be movable simultaneously with the first carrier, and a step (1) is to associate a fourth power supply with the second carrier to be compatible with the second The vehicle moves at the same time. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step (m) of electrically connecting the third power supply and the fourth power supply to a second common anode. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step (n) of electrically connecting the first power supply and the second power supply to a segmented anode, comprising at least a first segment and a second segment Electrically separated from each other. The method of claim 21, wherein the first power supply is electrically coupled to the first segment of the segmented anode, and the second power supply is electrically coupled to the second segment of the segmented anode . The method of claim 21, further comprising a step (o) of moving the first power supply to electrically connect at least the first power supply to the first segment of the segmented anode, and then electrically connecting at least the first a power supply and the second section of the segmented anode. The method of claim 21, wherein the cathode side of one of the first power supplies and the cathode side of one of the second power supplies are electrically connected to a grounded common conductor. The method of claim 24, wherein the grounded common guiding system is a frame of an electroplating machine. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step (p) of controlling the first power supply and the second power supply to supply a current supplied to the first carrier to a second load The current system is substantially the same. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step (q) for controlling the first power source a supply, the second power supply, the third power supply, and the fourth power supply, such that a current supplied to the first carrier and a current supplied to the second carrier are substantially the same.