JP7777006B2 - Resin sealing device and resin sealing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method.

Examples of resin sealing devices and methods that use sealing resin (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin") to seal a workpiece, consisting of a substrate mounted with electronic components, and process it into a molded product include transfer molding and compression molding.

The transfer molding method is a resin-sealing technique in which a pot is provided to supply a predetermined amount of resin to a pair of sealing regions (cavities) in a sealing mold comprising an upper and lower mold. Workpieces are placed in positions corresponding to the sealing regions, clamped between the upper and lower molds, and resin is poured from the pot into the cavities. The compression molding method is a resin-sealing technique in which a predetermined amount of resin is supplied to a sealing region (cavity) in a sealing mold comprising an upper and lower mold, a workpiece is placed in the sealing region, and the upper and lower molds are clamped together. For example, when using a sealing mold with a cavity in the upper mold, a known technique is to supply resin all at once to the center of the workpiece and mold it. On the other hand, when using a sealing mold with a cavity in the lower mold, a known technique is to supply a film and resin that cover the mold surface, including the cavity, and mold it (see Patent Document 1: JP 2021-178411 A).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-178411

Conventionally, when sealing workpieces with resin, dust consisting of fine resin powder and other particles can adhere to the sealing mold or release film (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "film"), resulting in molding defects, which has been an issue.

To address this issue, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that prevents molding defects by cleaning the workpiece before it is loaded into the sealing mold of the press machine.

However, dust that causes molding defects is not limited to dust that adheres to the workpiece and enters the sealing mold. For example, small amounts of resin used in sealing (molding) may remain in the sealing mold or film, and when the mold is opened or the film is replaced, this can become a fine powder that is blown up inside the sealing mold and becomes a source of dust.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a resin sealing device and resin sealing method that can prevent molding defects caused by dust by removing dust that becomes airborne inside the sealing mold when opening the mold or replacing the film, etc.

The present invention solves the above problem by the solution described below as one embodiment.

The resin sealing device of the present invention is a resin sealing device that uses a press device equipped with a sealing mold having upper and lower molds to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product, and is equipped with a supply duct that supplies air from the outside and an exhaust duct that exhausts the air to the outside, and has a first flow path that flows the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct and exhausts dust by flowing the air between the upper and lower molds, and a second flow path that flows the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct and exhausts heat from the sealing mold by flowing the air above the sealing mold .

By passing air through the first flow path, dust floating in the space between the upper and lower dies can be expelled. This prevents molding defects caused by dust.

It is also preferable that the flow path for passing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct further includes a second flow path that passes the air above the sealing mold to discharge heat from the sealing mold. In this way, heat from the sealing mold can be discharged by passing air through the second flow path.

It is also preferable to further provide a shutter that allows the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path. This allows the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path by switching between them at a predetermined timing.

It is also preferable that the device further includes a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section, which supplies rolled film between the upper mold and the lower mold, and that the first flow path is configured to flow the air in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section to the winding section. In this way, by flowing air in the direction in which the used film is fed, dust floating in the space between the upper mold and the lower mold can be discharged outside the sealing mold while preventing it from adhering to the unused film.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the press devices include two units, a first press device and a second press device, and that the film supply mechanisms provided in each are arranged such that the unwinding section is located far from the other and the winding section is located close to each other, thereby feeding the film in opposing directions, and that the discharge duct, which is common to the first flow path provided in each of the first press device and the second press device, is arranged in a position intermediate between the first press device and the second press device. This makes it possible to simplify the device structure by sharing the mechanism.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the first flow path has at least one of an inlet rectifying plate that introduces the air supplied from the supply duct toward the space between the upper mold and the lower mold, and an outlet rectifying plate that introduces the air discharged from between the upper mold and the lower mold toward the exhaust duct. By providing the inlet rectifying plate, the air supplied from the supply duct can be efficiently guided between the upper mold and the lower mold. Furthermore, by providing the outlet rectifying plate, the air discharged from between the upper mold and the lower mold can be efficiently guided to the exhaust duct.

The resin sealing method according to the present invention is a resin sealing method for processing a molded product by sealing a workpiece with resin using a resin sealing device equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, and a shutter that opens and closes a flow path that allows air supplied from the outside to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold. When the upper mold and the lower mold are opened, the shutter is opened to allow the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold.

This invention makes it possible to remove dust that becomes airborne within the sealing mold when opening the mold or replacing the film. This prevents molding defects caused by dust.

1 is a plan view illustrating an example of a resin sealing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a press device of the resin sealing apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing mold of the resin sealing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration including two press devices shown in FIG. 2 . 5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(Overall structure)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. For ease of explanation, arrows in the drawing indicate the left-right direction (X direction), the front-rear direction (Y direction), and the up-down direction (Z direction) of the resin sealing apparatus 1. In addition, in all drawings used to explain each embodiment, components having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations of such components may be omitted.

The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs resin sealing molding of a workpiece (molded product) W using a sealing mold 202 that includes an upper mold 204 and a lower mold 206. Below, the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described as an example of a compression molding apparatus that collectively seals multiple workpieces W with resin R using a sealing mold 202 that has multiple cavities 208 (208A, 208B, 208C) in the upper mold 204 and multiple workpiece holders 205 (205A, 205B, 205C) corresponding to the lower mold 206. However, the apparatus is not limited to this configuration.

First, the workpiece W to be molded has a structure in which multiple electronic components Wb are mounted in a matrix on a substrate Wa. More specifically, examples of the substrate Wa include rectangular plate-shaped components (so-called rectangular workpieces) such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers. Examples of the electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive components, spacers, and the like. Note that other examples of the substrate Wa may also include a configuration using the above-mentioned components formed in a circular or square shape (not shown).

Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb on substrate Wa include wire bonding and flip-chip mounting. Alternatively, in configurations where the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) Wa is peeled from the molded product Wp after resin sealing, electronic components Wb can be attached using heat-peelable adhesive tape or ultraviolet-curing resin that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.

On the other hand, examples of resin R include granular (including cylindrical, etc.), pulverized, or powdered (sometimes collectively referred to as "granular" in this application) thermosetting resins (for example, filler-containing epoxy resins, etc.). Resin R is not limited to the above state, and may be in other states (shapes) such as liquid, plate, or sheet, and may be resins other than epoxy thermosetting resins.

Examples of film F that can be suitably used include film materials with excellent heat resistance, ease of peeling, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, and polyvinylidine chloride. In this embodiment, a roll-shaped film is used as film F. Alternatively, a strip-shaped film may be used (not shown).

Next, an overview of the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the resin sealing apparatus 1 mainly comprises a work supply unit 100A that primarily supplies workpieces W, a press unit 100B that primarily seals the workpieces W with resin and processes them into molded products Wp, a resin supply unit 100C that primarily supplies resin, and a molded product storage unit 100D that primarily stores the molded products Wp after resin sealing. Note that a control unit 150 that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit is located in the work supply unit 100A, but it may also be located in another unit.

In this embodiment, the work supply unit 100A, press unit 100B, resin supply unit 100C, press unit 100B, and molded product storage unit 100D are arranged in this order along a predetermined direction (for example, the X direction in Figure 1). A work transport section 104 is provided to transport workpieces W between the work supply unit 100A and press unit 100B, and a molded product transport section 106 is provided to transport molded products Wp between the press unit 100B and molded product storage unit 100D. A resin transport section 108 is also provided to transport resin R between the resin supply unit 100C and press unit 100B.

In this embodiment, the work transport unit 104 is configured to include a work loader 210 and a moving device 130 having a slider 116, guide 117, etc. The molded product transport unit 106 is configured to include a molded product loader 212 and a moving device 132 having a slider 118, guide 119, etc. The resin transport unit 108 is configured to include a moving device 134 having a resin loader 304 and guide 305, etc. For example, the moving device 130 and the moving device 132 use a linear motion mechanism such as a linear conveyor. The moving device 134 uses a combination of a linear motion mechanism such as a linear conveyor and a lifting mechanism such as an elevator. However, the configurations are not limited to these.

The overall configuration of the resin sealing device 1 can be changed by changing the configuration of the units. For example, the configuration shown in Figure 1 is an example in which two press units 100B are installed, but it is also possible to install only one press unit 100B, or to install other units additionally (neither of which are shown).

(Work supply unit)
Next, the workpiece supply unit 100A provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The work supply unit 100A includes a work stocker 110 used to store the workpieces W, a workpiece transport section 104 that transports the workpieces W into the sealing mold 202, and a supply pickup 120 that transfers the workpieces W from the workpiece stocker 110 to the workpiece transport section 104. The workpiece stocker 110 may be a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like.

The slider 116 of the workpiece transport unit 104 receives the workpiece W from the supply pickup 120, transports it, and hands it over to the workpiece loader 210. As an example configuration, three rows of workpiece holding units 116A, 116B, and 116C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one workpiece W. They are also configured to be movable in the X direction between the workpiece supply unit 100A and the press unit 100B along guides 117. Workpiece holding units 116A, 116B, and 116C use known holding mechanisms (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction hole connected to a suction device for suction, etc.) (not shown).

The work loader 210 of the work transport unit 104 receives the workpiece W from the slider 116, transports it, and hands it over to the sealing mold 202. As an example configuration, three workpiece holding units 210A, 210B, and 210C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one workpiece W. They are also configured to be movable in the Y direction (a direction perpendicular to the X direction in a horizontal plane) within the press unit 100B. Workpiece holding units 210A, 210B, and 210C use known holding mechanisms (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes connected to a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

With this configuration, up to three workpieces W can be loaded into the sealing mold 202 at one time using the workpiece transport unit 104 and held by the workpiece holding units 205 (205A, 205B, 205C) of the lower mold 206.

In this embodiment, the workpiece transport unit 104 is configured such that the slider 116 moves in the X direction and the workpiece loader 210 moves in the Y direction to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202. However, this is not limited to this, and the workpiece transport unit 104 may also be configured such that a single workpiece loader moves in both the X and Y directions to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 (not shown).

The slider 116 also includes a heater (not shown) that heats the workpiece W from its underside (the substrate Wa side). As an example, a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.) is used as the heater. This allows the workpiece W to be preheated before being carried into the sealing mold 202 and heated. Note that a configuration without a heater is also possible.

(Press unit)
Next, a detailed description will be given of the press unit 100B provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1. Here, a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of a press device 250 provided in the press unit 100B is shown in Fig. 2. Also, a side cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of a sealing mold 202 provided in the press device 250 is shown in Fig. 3.

The press unit 100B includes a sealing mold 202 having a pair of molds that can be opened and closed (for example, a combination of multiple mold blocks, mold plates, mold pillars, and other components made of alloy tool steel), and a press device 250 that opens and closes the sealing mold 202. In this embodiment, the upper mold of the pair of molds in the vertical direction is the upper mold 204, and the lower mold is the lower mold 206. The sealing mold 202 is closed and opened by the upper mold 204 and lower mold 206 moving toward and away from each other. In other words, the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the mold opening and closing direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the press device 250 is configured with a pair of fixed and movable platens 252 and 254, multiple linking mechanisms 256 to which the platens 252 and 254 are connected, a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 that raises and lowers the movable platen 254, and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or toggle link mechanism) 262.

The sealing mold 202 is disposed between a fixed platen 252 and a movable platen 254 in the press device 250. In this embodiment, the upper mold 204 is assembled to the fixed platen 252, and the lower mold 206 is assembled to the movable platen 254. However, this configuration is not limited to this; the upper mold 204 may be assembled to the movable platen and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the fixed platen, or both the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the movable platen (neither is shown).

First, we will explain the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202. As shown in Figure 3, the upper mold 204 is composed of an upper plate 222, a cavity piece 226, a clamper 228, etc., which are assembled together. In this embodiment, a cavity 208 is provided on the lower surface of the upper mold 204 (the surface facing the lower mold 206).

More specifically, the cavity piece 226 is fixedly attached to the underside of the upper plate 222. Meanwhile, the clamper 228 is configured in an annular shape to surround the cavity piece 226, and is attached via a biasing member 232 so that it is spaced apart (floating) from the underside of the upper plate 222 and can move up and down. The cavity piece 226 forms the innermost (bottom) portion of the cavity 208, and the clamper 228 forms the side portion of the cavity 208. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, three sets of cavities 208 are arranged side by side in the X direction in one upper mold 204 (208A, 208B, 208C in the figure), and three or fewer workpieces W are collectively resin-sealed, but this is not a limitation.

Here, a suction groove (not shown) is provided on the mold surface 206a of the lower mold 206 facing the clamper 228, and this is connected to a suction device (not shown). Furthermore, by providing a seal structure surrounding these, it is possible to evacuate the cavity 208 while the mold is closed by driving the suction device to reduce the pressure.

In addition, this embodiment is provided with a suction mechanism that suction-holds the film F supplied from the film supply mechanism 214 (described below) to the upper mold 204. As an example, this suction mechanism is connected to a suction device (not shown) via suction paths 230a, 230b that extend through the clamper 228 and suction path 230c that extends through the upper plate 222 and cavity piece 226. Specifically, one end of the suction paths 230a, 230b, and 230c leads to the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204, and the other end is connected to a suction device disposed outside the upper mold 204. This allows the suction device to be driven to suck the film F through the suction paths 230a, 230b, and 230c, thereby suction-holding the film F to the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208.

In this way, by providing a film F that covers the inner surface of the cavity 208 and (part of) the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204, the resin R on the upper surface of the molded product Wp can be easily peeled off, making it possible to easily remove the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202 (in this case, the upper mold 204).

The gap of a predetermined dimension provided between the inner surface of the clamper 228 and the outer surface of the cavity piece 226 constitutes part of the suction path 230a. Therefore, a seal member 234 (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed at a predetermined position in the gap to provide a seal when the film F is sucked in.

In addition, in this embodiment, an upper mold heating mechanism is provided that heats the upper mold 204 to a predetermined temperature. This upper mold heating mechanism is equipped with a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 150 (all not shown). As an example, the heater is built into the upper plate 222 or the mold base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire upper mold 204 and the resin R (described below). As a result, the upper mold 204 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the lower mold 206 is configured by assembling together a lower plate 224, a holding plate 236, etc. Here, the holding plate 236 is fixed to and assembled on the upper surface of the lower plate 224 (the surface facing the upper mold 204).

In addition, in this embodiment, a workpiece holding section 205 is provided that holds the workpiece W at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding plate 236. As an example, this workpiece holding section 205 has a suction passage 240a that penetrates the holding plate 236 and the lower plate 224 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction passage 240a leads to the die surface 206a of the lower die 206, and the other end is connected to a suction device disposed outside the lower die 206. This allows the suction device to be driven to suck the workpiece W through the suction passage 240a, and the workpiece W can be adsorbed and held on the die surface 206a (here, the upper surface of the holding plate 236). Furthermore, a configuration that includes holding claws (not shown) that clamp the outer periphery of the workpiece W may be configured in parallel with the configuration that includes the suction passage 240a.

In addition, in this embodiment, a lower die heating mechanism is provided that heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature. This lower die heating mechanism is equipped with a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 150 (all not shown). As an example, the heater is built into the lower plate 224 or the die base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire lower die 206 and the workpiece W. As a result, the lower die 206 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

In this embodiment, a single lower mold 206 has three workpiece holding portions 205 arranged in parallel in the X direction (205A, 205B, 205C in the figure), corresponding to the configuration of the upper mold 204 described above, i.e., three sets of cavities 208 arranged in parallel in the X direction (208A, 208B, 208C in the figure), but this is not limited to this.

The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a supply duct 267 that supplies air from the outside and an exhaust duct 268 that exhausts air to the outside. Furthermore, as flow paths for air flowing from the supply duct 267 to the exhaust duct 268, a second flow path 271 that allows air to flow above the sealing mold 202 and a first flow path 272 that allows air to flow between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 are provided. By passing air through the second flow path 271, heat from the sealing mold 202 can be discharged (cooled). Furthermore, by passing air through the first flow path 272, dust floating in the space inside and outside the sealing mold 202 (particularly the space between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206) can be discharged. This prevents molding defects caused by dust.

As an example, the supply duct 267 is arranged in the press unit 100B, but this is not limited to this and it may also be arranged in the work supply unit 100A adjacent to the press unit 100B, the molded product storage unit 100D, etc. Furthermore, the discharge duct 268 is arranged in the resin supply unit 100C adjacent to the press unit 100B, but this is not limited to this and it may also be arranged in the press unit 100B, etc.

The resin sealing apparatus 1 (specifically, press unit 100B) according to this embodiment also includes a film supply mechanism 214 that transports (supplies) rolled film F to the interior of the sealing mold 202 (specifically, between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206). This film supply mechanism 214 is configured so that unused film F is fed from the unwinding section 214a and supplied to the opened sealing mold 202, and after being used for resin sealing in the sealing mold 202, it is wound up by the winding section 214b as used film F. As a variant, the film supply mechanism 214 may be configured to supply film F individually depending on the number of cavities 208 installed, etc. (not shown).

The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with two press devices 250: a first press device 250A and a second press device 250B. The film supply mechanisms 214 provided in each press device 250 (film supply mechanism 214A provided in the first press device 250A and film supply mechanism 214B provided in the second press device 250B) are arranged such that the unwinding section 214a is far from each other and the winding section 214b is close to each other. In other words, the film F feed direction in film supply mechanism 214A and the film F feed direction in film supply mechanism 214B are configured to face each other.

Furthermore, the aforementioned first flow path 272 is configured to allow air to flow in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section 214a to the winding section 214b in each of the film supply mechanisms 214A and 214B. This allows dust (fine powder of resin R) that is blown up inside the sealing mold 202 when the mold is opened and the film F is replaced (sent out) to be expelled from the sealing mold 202 without adhering to the unused film F by allowing air to flow in the same direction as the used film F is sent out.

In this embodiment, the resin supply unit 100C is positioned (at an intermediate position) between the press unit 100B having the first press device 250A and the press unit 100B having the second press device 250B. Therefore, an exhaust duct 268 common to both the second flow path 271 and the first flow path 272 of the first press device 250A and the second flow path 271 and the first flow path 272 of the second press device 250B is provided in the resin supply unit 100C (see Figure 4). This simplifies the device structure.

In addition, a shutter 274 that opens and closes the first flow path 272 is provided at a position upstream of the position where air enters between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 (see Figures 5(a) and 5(b)). This allows the first flow path 272 to be opened and closed at a predetermined timing, allowing or stopping the flow of air between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 (details will be described later).

Furthermore, the first flow path 272 is provided with an inlet rectifying plate 276 that introduces air supplied from the supply duct 267 toward the gap between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206. This allows the air supplied from the supply duct 267 to be efficiently guided between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206. The first flow path 272 is also provided with an outlet rectifying plate 278 that guides air discharged from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 toward the exhaust duct 268. This allows the air discharged from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 to be efficiently guided to the exhaust duct 268. Note that one or both of the inlet rectifying plate 276 and the outlet rectifying plate 278 may be omitted.

(Resin supply unit)
Next, the resin supply unit 100C provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The resin supply unit 100C includes a resin stocker 302 used to store resin R, a dispenser 312 that supplies resin R from the resin stocker 302, and a resin loader 304 that transports the supplied resin R into the sealing mold 202. Three dispensers 312 are provided so that resin R can be simultaneously supplied to three pressure plates 314 (described below) that are provided corresponding to the three sets of cavities 208. In this embodiment, the resin loader 304 is configured to transport resin R into the sealing mold 202 along the X direction.

The resin supply unit 100C also includes a resin heater 306, located adjacent to the dispenser 312, that heats the resin R being transported by the resin loader 304. As an example, the resin heater 306 uses a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.). This allows the surface of the granular resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 to be heated and melted or softened, preventing dust (such as fine powder of resin R) from being generated from the resin R being transported, and preventing molding defects and malfunctions of the device. Note that the resin heater 306 may not be included.

As shown in FIG. 6, the resin loader 304 includes a pressure plate 314 that deposits resin R dispensed from a dispenser 312 onto its upper surface 314a, and a guard 316 with a peripheral wall 316a that surrounds the entire outer periphery of the pressure plate 314, extending to a position higher than the upper surface 314a. In this embodiment, one upper mold 204 has three cavities 208, and three workpieces W (e.g., rectangular workpieces) are placed in one lower mold 206 and collectively sealed with resin, simultaneously producing three molded products Wp (a configuration of fewer than three is also possible). Therefore, three pressure plates 314 (314A, 314B, 314C) are provided corresponding to the positions of the cavities 208. The guard 316 is configured so that the peripheral wall 316a surrounds the entire periphery of the three pressure plates 314 (314A, 314B, 314C). In other words, the guard 316 is configured as a frame provided around each pressure plate 314.

As shown in Figure 6, the resin loader 304 is configured to be able to move up and down (i.e., reciprocate in the Z direction). Furthermore, the resin loader 304 is provided with a moving attachment mechanism 315 that moves the pressure plate 314 upward to press the placed resin R against the film F within the cavity 208. This allows the resin loader 304 to be raised, bringing the peripheral wall portion 316a of the guard 316 into contact with the upper mold 204 (for example, the mold surface 204a of the clamper 228). Furthermore, in this state, the moving attachment mechanism 315 can move the pressure plate 314 upward to press the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 against the film F within the cavity 208 of the upper mold 204 heated to a predetermined temperature (see Figure 7). Therefore, heat from the upper mold 204 can be transferred to the resin R via the film F, causing the resin R to soften (melt) and generate adhesive force, allowing it to adhere to the underside of the film F. However, this configuration is not limited to this, and a mechanism for raising and lowering the guard 316 may be provided in the resin loader 304, and the guard 316 with the peripheral wall portion 316a removed may be raised and lowered relative to the resin loader 304 (not shown).

As a modified example of the resin sealing device 1 for supplying resin R, a dispenser may be provided in the work supply unit 100A to supply resin R onto the work W, and the resin R may be transported together with the work W into the sealing mold 202 by the work transport unit 104 or the like (not shown).

(Molded product storage unit)
Next, the molded product storage unit 100D provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

The molded product storage unit 100D includes a molded product stocker 112 used to store molded products Wp, a molded product transport section 106 that transports the molded products Wp outside the sealing mold 202, and a storage pickup 122 that transfers the molded products Wp from the molded product transport section 106 to the molded product stocker 112. The molded product stocker 112 may be a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like.

The molded product loader 212 of the molded product transport section 106 receives the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202, transports it, and hands it over to the slider 118. As an example configuration, molded product holding sections 212A, 212B, and 212C are arranged in three rows in the X direction, each capable of holding one molded product Wp. They are also configured to be movable in the Y direction within the press unit 100B. The molded product holding sections 212A, 212B, and 212C use known holding mechanisms (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes connected to a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

The slider 118 of the molded product transport section 106 receives the molded products Wp from the molded product loader 212, transports them, and hands them over to the storage pickup 122. As an example configuration, molded product holding sections 118A, 118B, and 118C are arranged in three rows in the X direction, each capable of holding one molded product Wp. They are also configured to be movable along guides 119 between the press unit 100B and the molded product storage unit 100D. The molded product holding sections 118A, 118B, and 118C use known holding mechanisms (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes connected to a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

With this configuration, up to three molded products Wp that have been resin-sealed and held in the cavities 208 (208A, 208B, 208C) of the upper mold 204 can be transported out of the sealing mold 202 at once using the molded product transport section 106.

In this embodiment, the molded product transport unit 106 is configured so that the molded product loader 212 moves in the Y direction and the slider 118 moves in the X direction to transport the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202. However, this is not limited to this, and the molded product transport unit 106 may also be configured so that a single molded product loader moves in both the X and Y directions to transport the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202 (not shown).

In the resin sealing apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the work loader 210 is configured to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 along the Y direction, and the molded product loader 212 is configured to load the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202 along the Y direction. Meanwhile, the resin loader 304 is configured to load the resin R into the sealing mold 202 along the X direction. This ensures that the workpiece W load path and molded product Wp unload path for the sealing mold 202 do not overlap with the resin R load path, and also ensures that the work transport section 104, molded product transport section 106, and resin transport section 108 are separated from each other. This prevents foreign matter (such as burrs) generated from the molded product Wp and foreign matter (such as dust) generated from the resin R during transport from adhering to the workpiece W or the sealing mold 202, improving molding quality.

The work stocker 110 and the molded product stocker 112 are positioned relatively higher in the device, while the resin stocker 302 is positioned relatively lower in the device. Furthermore, the movement devices 130 and 132 and the movement device 134 are positioned so that their movement directions are perpendicular to each other. This allows the overall dimensions of the device to be compact. These configurations also contribute to ensuring the separation of the work transport section 104 and molded product transport section 106 from the resin transport section 108. Furthermore, the operator can replace the work stocker 110 and molded product stocker 112 without having to bend over, improving workability.

(Resin sealing operation)
Next, the operation of resin sealing using the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment (i.e., the resin sealing method according to this embodiment) will be described. Here, an example will be given in which three sets of cavities 208 are provided in one upper mold 204, and three workpieces W (e.g., strip-shaped workpieces) are placed in one lower mold 206, and resin sealing is performed collectively to simultaneously obtain three molded products Wp. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

As a preparation process, a heating process (upper die heating process) is carried out in which the upper die heating mechanism adjusts and heats the upper die 204 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C). Furthermore, a heating process (lower die heating process) is carried out in which the lower die 206 adjusts and heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) using the lower die heating mechanism. Furthermore, a process (initial film supply process) is carried out in which the film supply mechanism 214 transports (sends out) the film F from the unwinding section 214a to the winding section 214b and supplies the film F to a predetermined position in the sealing mold 202 (a position between the upper die 204 and the lower die 206).

The following description will be given in the order of performing the work transport process, in which the workpiece W is transported from the workpiece supply unit 100A to the press unit 100B, followed by the resin transport process, in which the resin R is transported from the resin supply unit 100C to the press unit 100B; however, the resin transport process may be performed before the workpiece transport process.

First, as a workpiece transport process, the workpiece W is transported into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece transport unit 104. As an example, the workpiece W is preheated by the slider 116 while being transported to the press unit 100B. Next, the workpiece W is transported into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece loader 210 and held in a predetermined position in the lower mold 206 (not shown). In this embodiment, three workpieces W are held in a side-by-side state by the workpiece holding units 205A, 205B, and 205C. The preheating process may be omitted.

Next, the resin transport process involves transporting resin R from resin supply unit 100C to press unit 100B. As an example, the resin loader 304 transports three pressure plates 314 together with guards 316 surrounding the pressure plates 314 so that they are positioned directly below the nozzles of the three dispensers 312. At this time, the guards 316 (peripheral wall 316a) surround the entire outer periphery of the pressure plates 314, up to a position higher than the upper surface 314a. In this state, a loading process is carried out in which a specified amount of resin R is dispensed (supplied) from the nozzles of each dispenser 312 onto the upper surface 314a of each pressure plate 314. As mentioned above, the guards 316 are frames that surround the entire outer periphery of the pressure plates 314. Therefore, when the resin R is dispensed, it is possible to prevent the resin R from spilling from the pressure plates 314. In this embodiment, the resin R is supplied to achieve a flatter surface, but as a modification, after the placing step, a step may be carried out in which the pressure plate 314 is vibrated to spread the resin R placed on the upper surface 314a of the pressure plate 314 to the outermost periphery and flatten it (make the thickness uniform).

Next, the resin heater 306 heats (preheats) the resin R while it is being transported by the resin loader 304. For example, the resin R is preheated to a temperature (e.g., 60°C to 80°C) at which it will not completely melt or dissolve by pressing a heated part against it or by radiant heat, causing the resin R particles to fuse (or soften) and become one. This fuses (or softens) the surfaces of the granular resin R placed on the pressure plate 314, preventing the generation of dust (fine powder of resin R, etc.) during transport and preventing molding defects and malfunctions of the device. The preheating step may be omitted.

Here, in parallel with (or before or after) the process of transporting resin by the resin loader 304, a process (film supply process) is carried out in which the film supply mechanism 214 transports (feeds out) film F from the unwinding section 214a to the winding section 214b and supplies film F to a predetermined position (a position between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206) in the sealing mold 202. The first time this process is carried out, only unused film F is supplied, but from the second time onwards, the used film F is fed out (discharged) and unused film F is supplied simultaneously.

In this embodiment, when the film supplying process is performed (i.e., when the film F is fed out from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206), the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is switched from a closed state (see FIG. 5(a)) to an open state (see FIG. 5(b)), and air supplied from the outside is introduced between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 and allowed to flow in the direction in which the film F is fed out. Note that this air flowing process may be performed when the sealing mold 202 is opened, instead of or in addition to the film supplying process.

Normally, when replacing (sending out) film F, the film F is released from its adsorption to the upper die 204 and moved, which can easily cause dust (fine powder of resin R adhering to used film F, etc.) to fly up inside the sealing die 202. In contrast, the above process allows air to flow into the sealing die 202 in the direction in which the used film F is sent out, making it possible to expel the dust outside the sealing die 202 without it adhering to the unused film F.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, an adsorption process (film adsorption process) is carried out in which the adsorption mechanism adsorbs and holds the film F on the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208. Next, the resin loader 304 transports the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 into the sealing mold 202 (between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206). In this process, the resin loader 304 is placed in a predetermined position within the sealing mold 202 (between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206), and then begins to rise. The resin loader 304 stops rising when the peripheral wall 316a of the guard 316 abuts against the upper mold 204 (in this case, the mold surface 204a of the clamper 228).

Next, as shown in Figure 7, the moving adhesion mechanism 315 is driven to start raising the pressure plate 314. At this time, only the pressure plate 314 moves upward (i.e., into the cavity 208), and the resin R placed on the upper surface 314a is pressed against the lower surface of the film F to adhere it.

In this way, the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 can be pressed against the film F within the cavity 208 of the upper mold 204, which has been heated to a predetermined temperature. Therefore, heat from the upper mold 204 can be transferred to the resin R via the film F, causing the resin R to soften (melt), generating adhesive force and adhering to the underside of the film F. The adhering process is preferably performed in a short time to prevent the mobile adhering mechanism 315 from being heated by radiant heat or heat transferred via the resin R. In this regard, by performing the preheating process described above to integrate the resin R in advance, the process of adhering the resin R to the underside of the film F can be performed efficiently. Specifically, the integrated resin R allows the resin R to be adhered to the underside of the film F in a short time. Furthermore, the integrated resin R also prevents particles of resin R from remaining on the pressure plate 314.

Next, the process of driving the moving adhesion mechanism 315 to start the descent of the pressure plate 314 and the process of starting the descent of the resin loader 304 are carried out. Next, the process of moving the resin loader 304 out of the sealing mold 202 is carried out.

As a variation of the resin transport process, as described above, the resin R may be supplied onto the workpiece W and transported together with the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece transport unit 104 or the like (not shown).

Next, in the mold closing process, the sealing mold 202 is closed and the workpiece W is clamped under heat and pressure. At this time, the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is closed (it may be left open, but since the mold is closed, air cannot flow between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206).

During the mold closing process described above, the cavity pieces 226 in each cavity 208 descend relatively to each other, applying heat and pressure to the resin R onto the workpiece W (although some of the workpiece holders 205A-205C may not hold a workpiece W). This causes the resin R to thermally harden, completing resin sealing (molding).

Next, in the mold opening process, the sealing mold 202 is opened and the molded product Wp is removed from the sealing mold 202 by the molded product transport section 106 (molded product loader 212).

In this embodiment, when the sealing mold 202 is opened, the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is switched from a closed state (see FIG. 5(a)) to an open state (see FIG. 5(b)), and air supplied from the outside is introduced between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206, and allowed to flow along the feed direction of the film F. As mentioned above, the air flowing process may be performed when the film supply process is carried out, instead of or in addition to opening the sealing mold 202.

Normally, when the sealing mold 202 is opened, the sealing mold 202 moves (opens) and the molded product Wp is ejected, which can easily cause dust (fine powder of resin R adhering to the sealing mold 202, etc.) to fly up inside the sealing mold 202. In contrast, the above process allows air to flow into the sealing mold 202, i.e., between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206, making it possible to expel the dust from the sealing mold 202.

Finally, the molded product Wp is transported from the press unit 100B to the molded product storage unit 100D by the molded product transport section 106 (slider 118), where it is stored in the molded product stocker 112.

The above are the main operations for resin sealing performed using the resin sealing device 1. However, the above process order is only an example, and the order of the steps can be changed or performed in parallel as long as no problems occur. For example, in this embodiment, the configuration is equipped with multiple (for example, two sets) press units 100B, so performing the above operations in parallel enables efficient formation of molded products.

As explained above, the resin sealing device and resin sealing method according to the present invention can remove dust that becomes airborne inside the sealing mold when opening the mold or replacing the film. This can prevent molding defects caused by dust.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, while the sealing resin has been described using granular, pulverized, or powdered thermosetting resin as an example, the present invention is not limited to these and can also be applied to configurations using resin in liquid, plate, or sheet form.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a resin sealing device and resin sealing method using a compression molding method with a cavity in the upper mold have been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to a resin sealing device and resin sealing method using a compression molding method with a cavity in the lower mold. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a resin sealing device and resin sealing method using a transfer molding method.

1 Resin sealing device 202 Sealing mold 267 Supply duct 268 Discharge duct 271 Second flow path 272 First flow path W Work

Claims (5)

A resin sealing apparatus that uses a press device equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product,
A supply duct for supplying air from the outside and a discharge duct for discharging the air to the outside,
a first flow path that causes the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold to discharge dust, as a flow path that causes the air to flow from the supply duct to the discharge duct;
a second flow path for passing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct, the second flow path passing the air above the sealing mold to discharge heat from the sealing mold;
A resin sealing device characterized by the above. 2. The resin sealing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a shutter for causing the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path. A resin sealing apparatus that uses a press device equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product,
a supply duct for supplying air from the outside, and a discharge duct for discharging the air to the outside;
a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section and supplying a roll-shaped film between the upper mold and the lower mold,
a first flow path that causes the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold to discharge dust, as a flow path that causes the air to flow from the supply duct to the discharge duct;
The resin sealing device is characterized in that the first flow path is configured to allow the air to flow in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section to the winding section. the press device includes two press devices, a first press device and a second press device, and the film supply mechanisms provided in the press devices are arranged such that the unwinding section is located far from the other press device and the winding section is located close to the other press device, thereby feeding the film in opposite directions;
4. The resin sealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the discharge duct common to the first flow paths provided in the first press device and the second press device is disposed at an intermediate position between the first press device and the second press device. A resin sealing method for processing a molded product by sealing a workpiece with resin using a resin sealing device including a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, a shutter for opening and closing a flow path for allowing air supplied from outside to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold, and a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section for supplying a rolled film between the upper mold and the lower mold,
A resin sealing method characterized in that the shutter is opened when the film is fed out from between the upper mold and the lower mold , thereby allowing the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold.