JPS6059997B2 - plating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in a plating apparatus, particularly a plating apparatus of a type that sprays a plating solution toward a mask opening.

In place of plating equipment that immerses the material to be plated in a plating solution, recently a type of plating device that sprays plating solution and applies the plating solution only to the areas that require plating has been recently introduced. Various plating apparatuses have been developed and put into practice.

The use of such plating equipment is particularly intended for cost reduction in the plating of gold, silver, and other precious metals.
In such a plating apparatus, a mask means is used to plate only the necessary portions of the material to be plated. Various methods have been proposed for this masking method, but in order to make the boundary between the masked part and the non-masked part (i.e. the non-plated part and the part to be plated) clear, the most reliable method is to tape the non-plated part. This is a method of attaching.

If you don't mind applying the tape and separating it after plating, it is quite possible to clearly expose the parts to be plated and the parts not to be plated. However, in this case, the adhesiveness of the tape
Peeling takes time and effort, and in extreme cases, the tape may damage the area to be plated.

Therefore, an apparatus that has recently attracted attention is a device that forms openings in a sheet or plate-shaped mask material, brings the mask material into close contact with a material to be plated, and injects a plating solution into the openings.
Although the mask means in this apparatus requires some ingenuity in forming the openings, it is much easier to use than the above-mentioned tape and is particularly suitable for plating a large amount. However, with this masking means, it is difficult to completely clarify the boundary between the part to be plated and the part not to be plated. This is because the plating solution may remain in the openings of the mask or on the material to be plated, and if the mask material and the material to be plated are separated after plating, the openings or the part to be plated may This is because the remaining plating solution oozes out onto areas other than the parts to be plated on the surface of the material to be plated, and is deposited electrolessly. In some cases, electrolytic deposition may also be performed. Of course, various improvements have been made to minimize the amount of residual plating solution and the degree to which electroless or electrolytic deposition occurs on non-plated areas, but ideally the amount of plating solution should be minimal. Even if it is, it is undesirable for it to remain and leak out after the plating process. The present invention was developed under these circumstances, and various measures have been taken to prevent the plating solution from remaining in the opening of the mask and furthermore on the part to be plated of the material to be plated. There is also an attempt to propose a plating device with some innovations.

That is, the present invention specifically provides a plating box having a nozzle therein for spraying a plating solution in a horizontal direction, a lid body having a plating solution spraying opening and being replaceably attached to the side of the plating box, and a cover to be plated. A mask body is fixed to the outside of the lid body and has an opening for sectioning and exposing the desired plated portion of the material, and is brought into close contact with and separated from a pre-positioned material to be plated, and the material to be plated is made to face this mask body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plating apparatus comprising a means for positioning a material to be plated, and an air nozzle for injecting air into an opening of a mask body is provided in the plating box.

The details will be explained below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, numeral 1 denotes a plating box, which is equipped with an anode nozzle 2 for spraying a plating solution horizontally. 3 is an insoluble anode.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a lid body which has a plating solution injection opening 5 and is replaceably attached to the side surface of the plating box 1.

Therefore, during the plating process, if the plating solution injection opening 5 is closed by the material to be plated 6, the inside of the plating box 1 will be in a sealed state. A mask body 7 has an opening 8 for sectioning and exposing a desired plated portion A of the material to be plated 6, and is fixed to the opposite side of the lid body 4 where the plating box is attached.

This mask body 7 has a conductive band 18 for a cathode on its surface, and is generally plate-shaped as a whole, and comes into close contact with and separates from the material 6 to be plated, which also has a plate shape. Therefore, a mask body having a shape matching the surface shape of the material to be plated 6 is used.
This mask body 7 is fixed to the lid body 4, and when the mask body 7 is selectively used, the entire lid body 4 can be replaced. The lid body and mask body are so-called R. 'The two components may constitute the screen means and may be formed by integrating them in advance. Incidentally, the opening 8 of the mask body 7 is communicated with the plating solution injection opening 5, and the injection opening 5 is formed of a tapered inclined surface 9. Reference numeral 10 denotes a positioning means for the material to be plated, which causes the material to be plated 6 to face the mask body 7.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, a pin 12 is formed protruding from a base plate 11 disposed vertically to constitute a positioning means, but of course other pins can be adopted depending on the shape of the material 6 to be plated.
At least one of the positioning means 10 and the plating box 1 to which the mask body 7 is attached via the lid 14 is capable of approaching, adhering to, and separating from the other. 1st
In the illustrated example, the plating box 1 is movable and retracted in the direction of arrow X by an air cylinder (not shown). 13 is a flexible hose that also serves as an anode nozzle 2.
Plating solution is supplied under pressure. Reference numeral 14 is a plating solution recovery vibe, which is connected to a plating tank (not shown).

The air nozzle 15 is built into the plating box 1 based on the configuration of the plating apparatus as described above.

This is the most distinctive feature of the present invention. Air can be blown to the opening 8 at various positions. For this reason, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle tip 16 is made swingable via a joint 17. The air nozzle 15 is placed close to the anode nozzle 2 for spraying the plating solution, but it is preferably placed in a position where it does not interfere with the recovery of the plating solution, that is, the flow of the plating solution that is sprayed and returned. Therefore, the air nozzle 15 may be integrated with the anode nozzle 2. Another specific example will be described with reference to FIG.

The basic configuration is the same as that in Figure 1, but the plating boxes are shown as a pair facing each other, and the air nozzle is formed integrally with the anode nozzle, and one of the lids itself is plated. The difference is that means for positioning the material is embodied. For ease of understanding, parts that are the same or similar to those in Fig. 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals at 10 in Fig. 2. Hereinafter, particularly different points will be explained in detail, and the explanation of Fig. 1 will be repeated. I will briefly mention such things. The plating boxes 101a and 101b are a pair of oppositely arranged plating boxes, and at least one of the plating boxes can move toward or away from the other.

In the illustrated example, the right plating box 101b1 is movable to the left and restored by a pressure cylinder (not shown). In these plating boxes 101a and 101b, integrated anode nozzles 102a and 102b and air nozzles 115a and 115b are provided. That is, insoluble anodes 103a, 103b are provided in the lower portions of the anode nozzles 102a, 102b, and slit-shaped openings constituting air nozzles 115a, 115b are formed diagonally downward in the upper portions. , air supply boxes 20a, 20b are attached to this opening, which communicate with air vibes 19a, 19b. The air jet direction of the air nozzles 115a and 115b is set to the mask body 1.
It is adjusted in advance toward the openings 108a and 108b of 07a and 107b. The mask bodies 107a, 107b are fixed to the opposing surfaces of the lid bodies 104a, 104b,
Conductive bands 118a and 118b for cathodes are provided on each surface. The lid body 104a is also used as a positioning means 110 for the material to be plated 106, and a pin 112 is projected upward. A front view of the lid body 104a with the mask body 107a is shown in FIG. 4, and a front view of the material to be plated 106 suspended from the pin 112 of the lid body 104a is shown in FIG. The illustrated material to be plated (printed circuit board) 106 has a plating target portion 100A below, and the opening 108a of the mask body 107a sections and exposes this plating target portion. Note that the printed circuit board 106 has holes 21 at appropriate locations, so these holes were aligned with the pins 112. However, if the material to be plated is different, the position of the pins, the positioning means itself, and even the mask body and lid body may be changed as appropriate. Modification is what is used.
Next, except for the difference between single-sided plating (specific example in Figure 1) and double-sided plating (specific example in Figure 2) on the material to be plated, the effects are the same, so double-sided plating I will explain each case. As shown in FIG. 3, only the parts to be plated of the material 106 to be plated, which are held between mask bodies 107a and 107b on both sides, are sectioned and exposed through the openings 108a and 108b of the mask bodies, and the anode is placed here. Plating liquid is ejected horizontally as shown by the arrow from the dual-purpose nozzles 102a and 102b, and the conductive bands 118a and 1
Electrolytic plating is performed on the plating target portion 100A which is cathodized through the plating portion 18b. The plating solution applied to the plating target portion 100A exits through the openings 108a and 108b along the slope of the injection opening of the lid and is collected. and,
After the plating process, air is injected from the air nozzles 115a and 115b to collide with the entire opening. Then, the plating solution remaining on the plating target part 100A and the plating solution slightly remaining in the opening are completely blown away and forcibly removed from the plating target part and the opening, and are also recovered. Of course, the above-mentioned plating process and removal and recovery process of the remaining plating solution are performed in the sealed plating boxes 101a and 101.
This will be done within b. Next, the mask body 107a
, 107b are separated from the material to be plated 106, the material to be plated 106 is taken out, and this series of operations is repeated. If the surface shape of the material to be plated 106 or the position, width, etc. of the part to be plated are different, match the mask body with the lid body, and adjust the air nozzle to match the opening of the replaced mask body. The injection direction can be adjusted. As explained above, according to the present invention, the plating solution is sprayed horizontally from the anode nozzle toward the part to be plated on the material to be plated, electrolytic plating is performed within the opening of the mask body, and the plating solution is sprayed onto the lid body. Most of the liquid is recovered from the opening of the mask body by using the slope of the formed plating liquid injection opening, and in addition, a small amount of the plating liquid may remain in this opening and/or the plating remaining on the part to be plated. The liquid is forcibly blown away and collected by spraying air across the entire opening and colliding with it, so the plating liquid oozes out from the mask opening onto the surface of the material to be plated, which is separated from the mask body after plating. Further, the residual plating solution on the part to be plated will not ooze out and cause electroless or electrolytic deposition. Furthermore, since the series of processes including plating, recovery of the plating solution, and forcible removal and recovery of the remaining plating solution are performed in a sealed plating box, many advantages such as safety and ease of operation can be expected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of an apparatus showing a basic example of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sectional view of a main part of a plating apparatus showing another example, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of a lid and a mask, and FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of a printed circuit board as a material to be plated. In the figure, 1,101a, 101b...Plating box, 2,102a, 102b...Anode nozzle, 3,103a, 103b...Anode,
4,104a,104b...Lid body, 5,105
a, 105b... Plating liquid injection opening, 6, 1
06... Material to be plated, 7, 107a, 107b
...Mask body, 8, 108a, 108b...
・Opening portion, 9, 109a, 109b... Inclined surface, 10, 110... Positioning means for plated material, 12, 112... Zen, 15, 115a, 115b
...Air nozzle, 18, 118a, 118b
...Cathode conductive band, A, lOOA...
・Part to be plated.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plating box equipped with a nozzle for spraying a plating solution horizontally, a lid having a plating solution spray opening and replaceably attached to the side of the plating box, and a material to be plated. A mask body is fixed to the outside of the lid body and has an opening that exposes the desired plating portion, and is brought into close contact with and separated from a pre-positioned material to be plated, and the material to be plated is opposed to this mask body. 1. A plating apparatus comprising: means for positioning a plating material; and an air nozzle for injecting air into an opening of a mask body is provided in the plating box. 2. The upper plating box with the plating solution nozzle and the air nozzle inside is a pair, and at least one is placed facing the other so that it can approach and move away from the other. 2. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lid body and the mask body are provided on one side, and the means for positioning the material to be plated is provided on one of the lid bodies. 3. The plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air nozzle is integrated with a plating solution nozzle. 4. The plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air nozzle is provided in a plating box separately from the plating solution nozzle and has a variable air jet angle. 5. The plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mask body has a cathode conductive band disposed on its surface. 6. The plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plating liquid injection opening of the lid body is formed by a tapered inclined surface.