Method for controlling the work cycle of electroplating plants

US5292424A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Atotech Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Horst Blasing · Berlin, DE
• Manfred Maurer · Tauberbischofsheim, DE
• Rolf Schroder · Wuppertal, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 18, 1992
• Grant date: Mar 8, 1994
• Expiry date: Jun 18, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05K3/241
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the flow of operations in electroplating plants with horizontal throughflow in which the parts to be electroplated, in particular plate-shaped parts, pass through the plant in succession and are electroplated by means of currents applied by anodes. In order to prevent undesirable, increased precipitation on the front faces or edges of parts to be electroplated which follow each other at undesirable distances apart, or at least to reduce this precipitation to an acceptable level, the position of the parts which pass through the plant in succession and/or the distances between these parts are detected and the application of the electroplating currents is controlled as a function of these positions and/or distances by switching the anodes on and off, in such a manner that the flux density is approximately the same in all regions of the parts.