Patent · US Expired

Barrel plating apparatus

US4337135A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
7References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 1980
Grant dateJun 29, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 30, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05K3/241
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A metal plating process and apparatus is disclosed and includes a plurality of pre-plating stations comprising tanks or reservoirs containing various cleaning and rinsing solutions. A pulse plating or gold flash station including a plating tank is provided after the pre-plating stations, and a plurality of post-plating stations or tanks are provided after the pulse-plating station. Rotatable barrels for containing work loads are carried along a path of travel from station to station along the process. Differential speed mechanisms are provided along the process so that the work load containers rotate at a slower rate of rotation while traveling through air than while the containers are disposed within the various tanks or stations along the process. The pulse-plating of the work load at the plating station takes place in a chemical bath while rotating the work load within the bath, controlling the chemistry of the bath including the gold concentration, controlling the duty cycle of the pulse-plating operation, controlling the rotation of the work load within the bath, and controlling such other parameters as the bath temperature.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.