GB2292952A

GB2292952A - Holder for electroplating and chemically treating contact elements of plastics moulded or ceramic encapsulated electronic components

Info

Publication number: GB2292952A
Application number: GB9418339A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yee Kiong Khong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-09-12
Filing date: 1994-09-12
Publication date: 1996-03-13
Also published as: GB9418339D0

Abstract

A holder for components of the type known as P-Dip strips or C-Dip units comprises vertical fingers, the upper fingers being movable and the lower fingers being fixed to the holder bracket. The holder bracket has two top and front rollers placed on a rail, and is activated by a chain, running in a horizontally aligned loop with the holder suspended vertically. Single electronic components or components in strip form may be plated, and the holder acts as one of electrodes. The components may be loaded automatically by a loading arm coordinated with a mechanism to raise the upper fingers. Upon retraction of the mechanism, the components are securely held between the upper and lower fingers with gravity force. The loaded holder is then moved continuously through the loading, plating and unloading sections where the plated components are extracted by an unloading arm mechanism. <IMAGE>

Description

PPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING AND CHEMICALLY TREATING CONTACT ELEMENTS OF PLASTIC MOULDED OR CERAMIC ENCAPSULATED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND THEIR LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The innovation relates to apparatus for electroplating the contact elements of plastic moulded or ceramic encapsulated electronic components; it relates. particularly. to apparatus designed to hold such plastic moulded or ceramic encapsulated components either in strip form or single unit, and like devices, by the vertically perpendicular force and carried the parts securely yet not damaging the frames or leads, through the electrolytic buth where the plating takes pl2ce, preceded and followed by such preparatory and consequential treatment stations as may be appropriate ro the particular plating process employed.

In the electronic component field ir is well-known to manufacture discrete or integrated components which are, after the completion of manufacture moulded or encapsulated in an electrically non-conductive mass, such a plastic, wax, paper or ceramic sheath. In the general practice of electronic component manufacture such leads - commonly of an iron or copper-based alloy required plating before final employment Plating may be undertaken for several reasons; to provide corrosion resistance, to enhance appearance, ancl, most commonly. to facilitate interconnection with other electronic components by means of soldering. For the Latter purpose plating with metallic tin is commonly employett.

often preceded by a thin 'flash' coating of copper in the case of leads made from an iron-based alloy.

The leads may be in the form of cylindrical wires.

more commonly they are flat tines punched from sheet material.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the invention is teach the construction of apparatus for electroplating the contact elements of singular ceramic encapsulated electronic unit or encapsulated P-dip in strip form, in which such elements are carried through the treatment station, including the principal plating bath or baths, on an EPIC holder constructed from an electrically conductive material. placed on a continuously rail activated by a chain wherein the EPIC holder acts as one of the electrodes of the plating current system is is another object of the invention to teach the construction of EPIC holder placed on a continuously rail activated by a chain, intn which the pars to be plated may be engaged by the action of gravity forces, for conveyance through the plating process steps.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a conrinuous. automatically operated plading apparatus of the kind described, adapted to the automatic loadina of components. and the automatic discharge of finished components therefrom, so as w minimize manual handling and mechanical interference with the pane to be plated.

It is a particular objective of the invention to provide plating apparatus adapted to the electrodeposition of metallic coatings to the contact elements cf ceramic encapsulated electronic components commonly known as c-dips, wherein the active portions of such components are ensheathed in a chemically inert ceramic material.

It is yet another object of the invention to cach the construction of plating apparatus as hereinabove described, which are capable of uniformly and reliably plating the projecting contact elements of ceramic encapsulated components. and their like, with a minimum of mechanical or chemical damage and at an economic cost.

Claims

1 In the present plating Technology, there is one machine doing the ELECTROPLATING for (ceramic IC lead plating) in Fully Automatic by use of Epic holdcr holding the ccnmic IC unit one by one continuously plating.

2 In the present plating Technology, there is strip to strip IC lead plating, but there is no strip to strip or ceramic IC singulate onc by one continuously plating in one system.

3 The inventor claims that the ideal, concept, design are only one invented Say as follows: Idel - a machine can plate all lype of part in one system.

Concept - to reduce the production floor space to reduce the number of operator from six to one.

Design - to improve a better environment to automate the operate function to standard the quality