An FPC structure and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of automotive electronics, and discloses an FPC structure and a manufacturing method. In a first aspect, an FPC structure is provided, comprising a supporting substrate and an aluminum substrate, wherein the supporting substrate comprises an integrally formed flexible board body and a flexible board connecting piece, and the aluminum substrate is covered on the supporting substrate; in a second aspect, a manufacturing method for the above-mentioned FPC structure is provided, comprising the following steps: Step 1: cutting and blanking, cutting the raw material into rectangular sheets required for production; Step 2: performing laser drilling on the rectangular sheets; Step 3: laminating a protective film on the rectangular sheets; Step 4: corroding the unprotected aluminum material through exposure, development, and etching to expose the final circuit pattern; Step 5: covering with a protective film to protect the formed circuit; and at the same time, the flexible board body and the flexible board connecting piece are integrally punched and formed. The present application can simplify the manufacturing process of the FPC and improve the processing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of automotive electronics, and particularly relates to an FPC structure and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A flexible printed circuit (FPC), also known as a flexible printed circuit board, is a printed circuit board made of a flexible insulating substrate, with the characteristics of being bendable and rollable, and is widely used in fields such as aviation, aerospace, military, automotive, and consumer electronics. In the field of automotive electronics, FPC boards are commonly used in vehicle braking control systems and other aspects to control and connect the mechanical structures inside the wheels.

[0003] Traditional FPC structures are mainly made of a base material and a conductive layer material. Generally, copper is selected as the conductive layer material. The connection port of the FPC to the external battery pack generally requires a relatively large connection strength. Since copper has a large mass, in order to balance the mass and cost of the entire FPC, windows are usually reserved at the positions connecting the battery pack. During the subsequent processing, nickel sheets are welded at these window positions and connected to the external battery pack through these nickel sheets.

[0004] In view of the above related technologies, the method of using windows to weld nickel sheets during the processing of FPC and connecting to external structures through nickel sheets makes the process relatively complex and cumbersome. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to simplify the manufacturing process of FPC and improve processing efficiency, this application provides an FPC structure and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0006] In the first aspect, this application provides an FPC structure, adopting the following technical solution:

[0007] An FPC structure includes a support substrate and an aluminum substrate. The support substrate includes an integrally formed flexible board main body and a flexible board connecting piece, and the aluminum substrate covers the support substrate.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the flexible board main body and the flexible board connecting piece are directly integrally formed, which greatly reduces the processing time and processing cost of welding nickel sheets in the later stage; at the same time, the conductive layer uses aluminum, and compared with copper, aluminum has a lighter mass and a lower price, and the connection strength of the connecting piece can be ensured by thickening the aluminum substrate.

[0009] In the second aspect, this application provides a manufacturing method for the above FPC structure, including the following steps:

[0010] Step 1: Cutting and blanking, cutting the raw material composed of the support substrate and the aluminum substrate into rectangular sheet materials required for production;

[0011] Step 2: Perform laser drilling on the rectangular sheet material. There are multiple FPC structures on the same rectangular sheet material;

[0012] Step 3: Press a protective film on the rectangular sheet material to protect the corresponding positions on the aluminum substrate according to the FPC circuit;

[0013] Step 4: Through exposure, development, and etching, corrode the unprotected aluminum material to expose and form the final circuit pattern;

[0014] Step 5: Cover with a protective film to protect the formed circuit; at the same time, punch the rectangular sheet material according to the shape of the required FPC, and the flexible board body and the flexible board connecting piece are integrally punched and formed.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solutions, through a series of steps such as cutting and blanking, laser drilling, pressing the protective film, exposure, development, etching, and punching, the efficient production of FPC is realized; especially in the process of cutting and blanking, the method of integrally punching and forming the flexible board body and the flexible board connecting piece can reduce the processing steps and improve the processing efficiency.

[0016] Optionally, in the step 4, an etching device is used to etch the rectangular sheet material. The etching device includes: a machine case, a conveying guide rail, a connecting component, a chemical liquid spray head, and a sheet material clamping plate; the sheet material clamping plate includes two mutually connected clamping plate frames, and the rectangular sheet material is clamped between the two clamping plate frames; the conveying guide rail is circularly installed along the length direction of the machine case, and one end of the conveying guide rail extends outside the machine case. The connecting component is used to connect the sheet material clamping plate to the conveying guide rail, and the connecting component can move forward along the conveying guide rail under the drive of the conveying guide rail; the chemical liquid spray heads are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail along the length direction of the conveying guide rail, and the chemical liquid spray heads spray etching chemical liquid towards the conveying guide rail direction.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solutions, the rectangular sheet material is clamped and hoisted on the conveying guide rail for double-sided etching, which can not only reduce the etching process flow and improve the etching efficiency, but also ensure that the etching progress on both sides of the rectangular sheet material is the same due to double-sided etching at the same time, and can also improve the etching effect.

[0018] Optionally, the conveying guide rail includes a support frame, a guide rail body, a transmission chain, a sprocket, and a power source. The connection assembly includes a connecting rod and a first pulley provided on the connecting rod. The guide rail body is mounted on the support frame, and a first sliding track for the first pulley to slide is provided in the guide rail body. The sprocket is engaged with the transmission chain, and the power source is used to drive the sprocket to rotate. The upper end of the connecting rod is connected to the transmission chain.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the annular transmission of rectangular sheet materials is realized. The conveying guide rail is composed of a support frame, a guide rail body, a transmission chain, a sprocket, and a power source. Through the engagement of the sprocket and the transmission chain, and the drive of the power source, the continuous movement of the connection assembly and the sheet material clamping plate is realized. The first pulley slides in the first sliding track, enhancing the stability and smoothness of the movement, and ensuring the stable conveyance of the sheet material during the etching process.

[0020] Optionally, the etching device further includes a mounting disk. An installation groove for mounting the sheet material clamping plate is provided in the mounting disk, and a through hole penetrating both sides is provided on the side wall of the installation groove of the mounting disk. The connection assembly further includes a second pulley provided at the lower end of the connecting rod. A second sliding track for the second pulley to slide is provided on the side wall of the mounting disk. The connection assembly further includes a flipping member for driving the mounting disk to rotate along its own axis direction.

[0021] Optionally, the flipping member includes a first gear sleeved on the side wall of the mounting disk, and a first rack provided on the guide rail body. The first gear is engaged with the first rack.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, an installation groove is provided in the mounting disk for mounting the sheet material clamping plate. The flexible movement of the mounting disk is realized by the sliding of the second pulley in the second sliding track. The flipping member drives the mounting disk to rotate along its own axis direction through the engagement of the first gear and the first rack, enabling the etching efficiency of the FPC structures at different positions on the rectangular sheet material to be consistent and improving the etching effect.

[0023] Optionally, the machine case includes an etching area, a cleaning area, and a drying area. The conveying guide rail passes through the three areas in sequence. The liquid medicine spray heads are all arranged in the etching area. Cleaning spray heads are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail in the cleaning area. Electric heating tubes are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail in the drying area.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the machine case is divided into an etching area, a cleaning area, and a drying area. The conveying guide rail passes through these three areas in sequence, completing the whole process of etching, cleaning, and drying, and realizing the continuous processing of the sheet material after etching.

[0025] Optionally, the connecting component further includes a rotating member for driving the mounting disc to rotate in the vertical direction, and a limiting member for restricting the mounting disc from rotating in the vertical direction. The limiting member and the flipping member are both disposed in the etching area and the cleaning area, and the rotating member is disposed in the drying area.

[0026] Optionally, the connecting rod includes a first rod at the upper end and a second rod rotatably connected to the lower end of the first rod. The first pulley is disposed on the first rod, and the second pulley is disposed on the second rod. The rotating member includes a second gear disposed on the side wall of the second rod and a second rack disposed on the side wall of the guide rail body. The second gear meshes with the second rack, and the second rack is disposed in the drying area.

[0027] Optionally, the limiting member includes a limiting block disposed on the side wall of the second rod and a limiting strip disposed on the side wall of the guide rail body. The limiting strip is disposed in the etching area and the cleaning area, and the sides of the limiting block and the limiting strip that are close to each other are parallel and in contact with each other.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solutions, through the cooperation of the rotating member and the limiting member, the mounting disc is flipped under the cooperation of the flipping member and the limiting member in the etching area and the cleaning area, improving the etching effect; in the drying area, it rotates rapidly to improve the drying efficiency.

[0029] In summary, the present application includes at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. By integrally cutting and forming the FPC structure, the production efficiency of the FPC is improved;

[0031] 2. Through the integrated etching device and the automated conveying guide rail design, continuous and stable conveying and etching treatment of the sheet material are realized, significantly improving the etching efficiency and quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the FPC structure;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the etching device;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying track;

[0035] Figure 4 is an exploded structural diagram of the mounting disc;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting component in the etching area;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting component in the drying area.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals: 101, rectangular sheet; 1, FPC structure; 11, support substrate; 12, aluminum substrate; 13, flexible board body; 14, flexible connecting piece; 2, chassis; 21, etching area; 22, cleaning area; 221, cleaning nozzle; 23, drying area; 231, electric heating tube; 3, conveying guide rail; 31, support frame; 32, guide rail body; 321, first slideway; 33, transmission chain; 34, sprocket; 35, power source; 4, connecting component; 41, connecting rod; 411, first rod; 412, second rod; 42, first pulley; 43, second pulley; 44, flipping piece; 441, first gear; 442, first rack; 45, rotating piece; 451, second gear; 452, second rack; 46, limiting piece; 461, limiting block; 462, limiting strip; 5, liquid medicine nozzle; 6, sheet clamping plate; 7, mounting disc; 71, mounting groove; 72, second slideway; 8, loading assembly line; 9, unloading assembly line. Detailed implementation mode

[0039] The following further elaborates on this application in conjunction with the attached Figure 1-6 drawings. Embodiment

[0040] A kind of FPC structure 1 provided by the embodiment of this application, referring to Figure 1 , the FPC structure 1 includes a support substrate 11 and an aluminum substrate 12. The support substrate 11 includes a flexible board body 13 and a flexible board connecting piece, and a part of the flexible board body 13 is integrally formed with the flexible board connecting piece. The aluminum substrate 12 covers the support substrate 11, that is, the circuit part on the flexible board body 13 and the flexible board connecting piece are both covered with the aluminum substrate 12; the conductive layer is made of aluminum. Compared with copper, aluminum has a lighter mass and a lower price. The connection strength of the connecting piece can be ensured by thickening the aluminum substrate 12. Therefore, compared with the related technology, the FPC structure 1 in this embodiment does not need to reserve a window opening position and weld nickel sheets later. Instead, the aluminum material is directly covered on the connecting piece in an integrally formed manner, which greatly reduces the processing time and processing cost.

[0041] Referring to Figure 1 , in this embodiment, the aluminum substrate 12 is respectively arranged on the front and back sides of the support substrate 11, that is, in the form of a double-sided board. In other embodiments, the aluminum substrate 12 can also be covered on one side to be set as a single-sided board.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flexible board body 13 is made of one or more materials among polyimide (PI), polyester film (PET), and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). The aluminum substrate 12, as part of the conductive layer, directly affects the conductive performance and abrasion resistance of the FPC. In this embodiment, an aluminum substrate 12 with a thickness of 70um to 130um is used, and preferably an aluminum substrate 12 with a thickness of 100um is used, so as to have better connection strength in the automotive field. The aluminum substrate 12 is preferably fixed and covered on the surface of the support substrate 11 by hot pressing and is cut together with the support substrate 11.

[0043] The implementation principle of an FPC structure 1 in an embodiment of the present application is as follows: The support substrate 11 and the aluminum substrate 12 are integrally formed into the flexible board body 13 and the flexible board connection piece, eliminating the need for later welding of nickel sheets, which can reduce the processing time and improve production efficiency. At the same time, by using the aluminum substrate 12 instead of the copper substrate, while balancing the weight and price of the FPC structure 1, the thickness of the conductive layer can be increased, thus ensuring the connection strength at the flexible board connection piece. Embodiment

[0044] An FPC manufacturing method provided by an embodiment of the present application is mainly used to produce the FPC structure 1 in Embodiment 1 and mainly includes the following steps:

[0045] Step 1: Cutting and blanking, cutting the raw material composed of the support substrate 11 and the aluminum substrate 12 into rectangular sheets 101 of the required specifications.

[0046] Step 2: Laser drilling on the cut rectangular sheet 101, using a high-precision laser to generate multiple through holes on the surface of the same sheet for subsequent circuit routing. It should be noted that multiple FPC structures 1 are produced simultaneously on the same rectangular sheet 101.

[0047] Step 3: Pressing a protective film on the rectangular sheet 101 to protect the corresponding positions on the aluminum substrate 12 according to the FPC circuit; when pressing the protective film, it is necessary to protect the front and back sides of the FPC structure 1 respectively.

[0048] Step 4: Through exposure, development, and etching, the unprotected aluminum material is corroded, and the remaining part of the aluminum substrate 12 forms the final circuit pattern.

[0049] Step 5: Finally, covering a protective film to protect the formed circuit, and at the same time punching the rectangular sheet 101 according to the required shape of the FPC. It should be noted that at this time, the flexible board body 13 and the flexible board connection piece are integrally cut and formed.

[0050] In step four of the embodiment of the present application, the rectangular sheet 101 is mainly etched by an etching device. In the related art, for the etching of the rectangular sheet 101, generally, the rectangular sheet is placed flat on the surface of the conveyor belt and then fed into the corresponding etching machine. The conductive base layer is etched by spraying the liquid medicine onto the surface of the rectangular sheet 101. After the front side etching is completed, it is cleaned and then flipped, and then fed into another etching machine to etch the back side, so as to complete the double-sided etching of the rectangular sheet 101. The whole etching process is relatively cumbersome and the efficiency is low.

[0051] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in the embodiment of the present application, the method of hoisting the rectangular sheet 101 is adopted to synchronously etch the front and back sides of the rectangular sheet 101. Specifically, the etching device includes a chassis 2, a conveying guide rail 3, a connecting component 4, a liquid medicine nozzle 5 and a sheet clamping plate 6. Among them, the sheet clamping plate 6 is used to clamp and position the rectangular sheet 101, and the connecting component 4 can clamp the sheet clamping plate 6 on the conveying guide rail 3. It should be noted that the front and back sides of the sheet clamping plate 6 face the two sides of the conveying guide rail 3 respectively; the conveying guide rail 3 is circularly installed along the length direction of the chassis 2, and one end of the conveying guide extends outside the chassis 2. The liquid medicine nozzles 5 are symmetrically and evenly distributed on both sides of the conveying guide rail 3, and spray the liquid medicine towards the guide rail direction, that is, towards the front and back sides of the sheet clamping plate 6. The etching liquid medicine preferably adopts acidic copper sulfate solution. By using the above etching device for double-sided etching, not only can the etching process flow be reduced and the etching efficiency be improved, but also because the double-sided etching is carried out simultaneously, the etching progress on both sides of the rectangular sheet 101 can be ensured to be the same, and the etching effect can be improved.

[0052] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , in this embodiment, the sheet clamping plate 6 includes two interconnected clamping frames. The cross-section of the clamping frame is in the shape of a "hui" character, and the peripheral edge of the rectangular sheet 101 is clamped between the two clamping frames. The two clamping frames can be connected to each other by clamping or by means of countersunk bolts.

[0053] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5, in this embodiment, the conveying guide rail 3 includes a support frame 31, a guide rail main body 32, a transmission chain 33, a sprocket 34 and a power source 35; the connection assembly 4 includes a connecting rod 41 and a first pulley 42 arranged on the connecting rod 41, and the sheet material clamping plate 6 is connected to the lower end of the connecting rod 41. The guide rail main body 32 is erected on the support frame 31, and a first slideway 321 for the first pulley 42 to slide is opened in the guide rail main body 32. The first slideway 321 extends along the length direction of the guide rail main body 32, and a slot is opened in the first slideway 321 towards the outer wall direction for the rotating shaft connected to the first pulley 42 to extend out of the guide rail main body 32. The first pulley 42 is rotatably installed on the side wall of the connecting rod 41 through the rotating shaft. The transmission chain 33 is annularly arranged above the guide rail main body 32, the sprocket 34 is rotatably arranged on the chassis 2, and the sprocket 34 is engaged with the transmission chain 33. The power source 35 is used to drive the sprocket 34 to rotate, and the power source 35 can be a power device such as a motor. The upper end of the connecting rod 41 extends upward below the transmission chain 33. The lower surface of the transmission chain 33 can be connected to a support, and is connected to the upper surface of the connecting rod 41 through the support. Thus, as the transmission chain 33 rotates, the connecting rod 41 can be driven to move forward along the transmission chain 33, and drive the sheet material clamping plate 6 and the rectangular sheet material 101 to move. Among them, the first pulley 42 slides in the first slideway 321, playing a role in guiding and stabilizing the connecting rod 41.

[0054] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , in the embodiment of the present application, the etching device further includes a mounting disk 7. The mounting disk 7 is a disk, and a mounting groove 71 for mounting the sheet material clamping plate 6 is opened in the mounting disk 7. And the mounting disk 7 is provided with a through hole on the side wall of the mounting groove 71, and the through hole and the mounting groove 71 form a stepped shape; when the sheet material clamping plate 6 is clamped in the mounting groove 71, the liquid medicine nozzle 5 can spray onto the side wall of the rectangular sheet material 101 through the through hole. For the convenience of loading and unloading, the sheet material clamping plate 6 and the mounting disk 7 can be fixed by means of magnetic attraction cooperation or interference fit.

[0055] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5 , in the embodiment of the present application, the connection assembly 4 further includes a second pulley 43 arranged at the lower end of the connecting rod 41. The second pulley 43 is also rotatably installed on the side wall of the connecting rod 41 by means of a rotating shaft; a second slideway 72 for the second pulley 43 to slide is opened on the side wall of the mounting disk 7, and the second slideway 72 is arranged in a circular ring shape along the side wall of the mounting disk 7. The connection assembly 4 further includes a flipping member 44 for driving the mounting disk 7 to rotate along its own axis direction. Correspondingly, when the mounting disk 7 rotates, the second pulley 43 slides along the second slideway 72.

[0056] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5, in the present embodiment of the application, the flipping member 44 includes a first gear 441 sleeved on the outer sidewall of the mounting disk 7 and a first rack 442 fixed to the lower surface of the guide rail main body 32. The first rack 442 extends along the length direction of the guide rail main body 32, and the first gear 441 meshes with the first rack 442. When the mounting disk 7 moves forward driven by the connecting rod 41 under the drive of the transmission chain 33, the first gear 441 on the outer side of the mounting disk 7 meshes with the second rack 452, and under the mutual cooperation, drives the mounting disk 7 to flip forward, so as to drive the rectangular sheet material 101 on the mounting disk 7 to slowly flip accordingly. Each rectangular sheet material 101 has a plurality of FPC structures 1. When the liquid medicine is sprayed onto the rectangular sheet material 101, it will flow downward under the action of gravity; in this case, it is possible that the conductive layer, i.e., the aluminum substrate 12, on the FPC structure 1 at the lower end is corroded faster, while the conductive layer at the upper end is corroded relatively slower, resulting in the corrosion degree of the FPC structures 1 on the same rectangular sheet material 101 being difficult to be consistent, affecting the quality of the FPC structures 1; by flipping the rectangular sheet material 101 through the above-mentioned flipping member 44, the etching efficiency of the FPC structures 1 at different positions on the rectangular sheet material 101 can be made consistent.

[0057] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in an optional embodiment, the chassis 2 is divided into an etching area 21, a cleaning area 22 and a drying area 23. The conveying guide rail 3 passes through these three areas in sequence, and the size of each area can be distributed according to the actual processing duration. Different areas are separated by means of baffles or shielding curtains. The liquid medicine nozzles 5 are all arranged in the etching area 21 to etch the rectangular sheet material 101; cleaning nozzles 221 are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail 3 in the cleaning area 22 for spraying clean water or cleaning liquid to clean the rectangular sheet material 101 and wash away the residual liquid medicine on the rectangular sheet material 101; electric heating tubes 231 are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail 3 in the drying area 23 for drying the rectangular sheet material 101.

[0058] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6, Further, the connecting component 4 further includes a rotating member 45 for driving the mounting disk 7 to rotate in the vertical direction, and a limiting member 46 for restricting the rotation of the mounting disk 7 in the vertical direction. The connecting rod 41 includes a first rod 411 at the upper end and a second rod 412 at the lower end. Among them, the first rod 411 is connected to the transmission chain 33, and the first pulley 42 is arranged on the first rod 411; the upper end of the second rod 412 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the first rod 411 by means of a bearing, etc., and the second pulley 43 is arranged on the side wall of the second rod 412. The rotating member 45 includes a second gear 451 arranged on the side wall of the second rod 412, and a second rack 452 arranged on the side wall of the guide rail main body 32, and the second rack 452 is only arranged on the part of the guide rail main body 32 located in the drying area; when the connecting rod 41 enters the drying area, through the meshing of the second gear 451 and the second rack 452, the second rod 412 can be driven to rotate in the vertical direction; since the diameter of the second gear 451 is relatively small, the rotation speed of the mounting disk 7 is relatively fast, and the moisture can be centrifuged while baking, improving the drying efficiency.

[0059] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the limiting member 46 includes a limiting block 461 arranged on the side wall of the second rod 412, and a limiting strip 462 arranged on the side wall of the guide rail main body 32. The limiting block 461 is preferably a rectangular block, and the cross section of the limiting strip 462 is also rectangular. It extends along the guide rail main body 32 into the etching area 21 and the cleaning area 22. When the connecting rod 41 moves in these two areas, the side wall of the limiting block 461 abuts against the side wall of the limiting strip 462, so as to restrict the rotation of the second rod 412; when the connecting rod 41 moves into the drying area, the connecting rod 41 contacts the control, and at the same time can rotate under the action of the rotating member 45. Correspondingly, the first rack 442 also only extends into the etching area 21 and the cleaning area 22. After the connecting rod 41 enters the drying area 23, the mounting disk 7 stops flipping.

[0060] Refer to Figure 1 , in an alternative embodiment, a loading assembly line 8 and an unloading assembly line 9 can be arranged outside the chassis 2 to facilitate the loading and unloading of the rectangular sheet material 101. Both the loading assembly line 8 and the unloading assembly line 9 are arranged on a section of the conveying guide rail 3 extending out of the chassis 2. At the same time, at the connection between the loading assembly line 8 and the unloading assembly line 9 and the chassis 2, a manipulator can be arranged for loading and unloading. A suction cup is arranged on the manipulator for picking and placing the sheet material clamping plate 6, so as to realize automatic loading and unloading production.

[0061] The implementation principle of an FPC manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present application is: by cutting the raw materials to integrally process the flexible board main body 13 and the flexible board connecting piece in the FPC structure 1, and replacing the copper base material with a thicker aluminum base material 12, the process flow of welding nickel sheets can be reduced, and the processing efficiency is relatively high.

[0062] Meanwhile, in the etching process of the FPC structure 1, a method of clamping and hoisting the rectangular sheet 101 is adopted to synchronously etch both sides of the rectangular sheet 101, which not only improves the processing efficiency but also makes the etching effects on the front and back sides of the rectangular sheet 101 the same. Further, by setting the flipping member 44 to drive the rectangular sheet 101 to rotate during etching, the etching efficiency of all the FPC structures 1 on the same rectangular sheet 101 is made the same, avoiding the problems of over-etching or under-etching caused by different efficiencies and improving the etching quality.

[0063] The above are all the preferred embodiments of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereby. Therefore, all equivalent changes made according to the structure, shape, and principle of the present application shall be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an FPC, the FPC comprising a supporting substrate (11) and an aluminum substrate (12), the supporting substrate (11) comprising an integrally formed flexible board body (13) and a flexible board connecting sheet, the aluminum substrate (12) covering the supporting substrate (11), characterized in that: The production of the FPC structure comprises the following steps: step 1: cutting and blanking, cutting the raw material composed of the supporting substrate (11) and the aluminum substrate (12) into rectangular sheets (101) required for production; step 2: laser drilling on the rectangular sheet (101), wherein the same rectangular sheet (101) has a plurality of the FPC structures (1); step 3: laminating a protective film on the rectangular sheet (101), and protecting the corresponding position on the aluminum substrate (12) according to the FPC circuit; step 4: corroding the unprotected aluminum material through exposure, development, and etching to expose the final circuit pattern; step 5: covering with a protective film to protect the formed circuit; and at the same time, punching the rectangular sheet (101) according to the required FPC shape, and punching the flexible board body (13) and the flexible board connecting sheet into a single piece; In the step 4, the rectangular sheet (101) is etched using an etching device, the etching device comprising: a chassis (2), a conveying guide rail (3), a connecting component (4), a liquid medicine nozzle (5) and a sheet material clamp (6); the sheet material clamp (6) comprises two mutually connected clamp frames, and the rectangular sheet material (101) is clamped between the two clamp frames; the conveying guide rail (3) is arranged in a ring shape along the length direction of the chassis (2), and one end of the conveying guide rail (3) extends outside the chassis (2); the connecting component (4) is used to connect the sheet material clamp (6) to the conveying guide rail (3), and the connecting component (4) can move forward along the conveying guide rail (3) under the drive of the conveying guide rail (3); the liquid medicine nozzle (5) is respectively arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail (3) along the length direction of the conveying guide rail (3), and the liquid medicine nozzle (5) sprays the etching liquid in the direction of the conveying guide rail (3); The conveying guide rail (3) comprises a support frame (31), a guide rail body (32), a transmission chain (33), a sprocket (34) and a power source (35); the connecting assembly (4) comprises a connecting rod (41) and a first pulley (42) arranged on the connecting rod (41); the guide rail body (32) is mounted on the support frame (31), and a first slideway (321) is provided in the guide rail body (32) for the first pulley (42) to slide; the sprocket (34) is meshed with the transmission chain (33); the power source (35) is used to drive the sprocket (34) to rotate; the upper end of the connecting rod (41) is connected to the transmission chain (33); The etching device further comprises a mounting plate (7), wherein a mounting groove (71) for mounting the sheet clamping plate (6) is provided in the mounting plate (7), and a clearance hole penetrating through both sides is provided on the side wall of the mounting groove (71); the connecting assembly (4) further comprises a second pulley (43) arranged at the lower end of the connecting rod (41), and a second slideway (72) for sliding the second pulley (43) is provided on the side wall of the mounting plate (7); the connecting assembly (4) further comprises a flip member (44) for driving the mounting plate (7) to rotate along its own axis direction; The flip member (44) comprises a first gear (441) sleeved on the side wall of the mounting plate (7), and a first rack (442) arranged on the guide rail body (32), the first gear (441) meshing with the first rack (442); The chassis (2) comprises an etching area (21), a cleaning area (22) and a drying area (23); the conveying guide rail (3) passes through the three areas in sequence; the liquid medicine nozzles (5) are all arranged in the etching area (21); cleaning nozzles (221) are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail (3) in the cleaning area (22); and electric heating pipes (231) are arranged on both sides of the conveying guide rail (3) in the drying area (23); The connecting assembly (4) further comprises a rotating member (45) for driving the mounting plate (7) to rotate in a vertical direction, and a limiting member (46) for limiting the mounting plate (7) from rotating in a vertical direction, wherein the limiting member (46) and the flip member (44) are both arranged in the etching area (21) and the cleaning area (22), and the rotating member (45) is arranged in the drying area (23).

2. A method for manufacturing an FPC according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod (41) comprises a first rod (411) at an upper end and a second rod (412) rotatably connected to a lower end of the first rod (411); the first pulley (42) is arranged on the first rod (411); the second pulley (43) is arranged on the second rod (412); the rotating member (45) comprises a second gear (451) arranged on a side wall of the second rod (412) and a second rack (452) arranged on a side wall of the guide rail body (32); the second gear (451) and the second rack (452) are meshed with each other; and the second rack (452) is arranged in a drying area (23).

3. A method for manufacturing an FPC according to claim 2, characterized in that: The limiting member (46) comprises a limiting block (461) arranged on the side wall of the second rod (412), and a limiting strip (462) arranged on the side wall of the guide rail body (32); the limiting strip (462) is arranged in the etching area (21) and the cleaning area (22); and the sides of the limiting block (461) and the limiting strip (462) that are close to each other are parallel to each other and fit together.

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