Edge mask contact determination method

Abstract

To provide an edge-mask contact determination method capable of decreasing a time lag from the occurrence of the contact until recognizing the contact, and of determining the contact of individual edge masks.SOLUTION: The edge mask contact determination method according to the present invention, comprises a vibration measurement step of measuring the edge-mask vibration relative to a plate-shaped electroplating object extending in one direction, and a determination step of determining the contact of the electroplating object with the edge mask according to the vibration measured in the vibration measurement step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an edge mask contact determination method for determining contact between an object to be electroplated and an edge mask. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when electroplating an object to be electroplated such as a steel strip, edge overcoating is known to occur due to current concentration at the edge portion (end portion), resulting in excessive plating of the edge portion. In order to prevent the occurrence of this edge overcoating, an edge mask is used, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. There are various types of edge masks, but generally, an edge mask is configured with a member made of an insulator that is placed in the vicinity of the edge portion of the object to be electroplated. This prevents the current concentration at the edge portion, thereby preventing the occurrence of the edge overcoating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-181592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a plate-like object to be electroplated extending in one direction is electroplated in an electroplating apparatus, the object to be electroplated and the edge mask in the electroplating apparatus cannot be seen from the outside. Therefore, each position of the width of the object to be electroplated (the entry width position and the exit width position) is measured at each of the entry side and the exit side of the electroplating apparatus. A pair of imaginary lines connecting both ends of the entry width position and both ends of the exit width position are regarded as both ends (each edge portion) in the width direction of the object to be electroplated, and the position of the edge mask is determined for each of the pair of imaginary lines. The electroplating apparatus is relatively long in one direction, and the object to be electroplated is electroplated while being transported in the electroplating apparatus. Therefore, if the object to be electroplated meanders, the object to be electroplated will come into contact with the edge mask. If the edge mask comes into contact, the edge mask may be damaged or the object to be electroplated may be scratched. In an electroplating apparatus that is relatively long in one direction, multiple edge masks are arranged along the same direction. However, scratches on the object to be electroplated cannot be visually confirmed unless the object is removed from the electroplating apparatus, so there is a time lag between when contact occurs and when the contact is recognized, making it impossible to take prompt action and it is also impossible to determine which of the multiple edge masks has caused contact.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an edge mask contact determination method that can reduce the time lag from the occurrence of contact to the recognition of contact and individually determine edge mask contact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of various investigations, the inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by the present invention described below. That is, an edge mask contact determination method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a vibration measurement step of measuring vibration of an edge mask relative to a plate-like electroplating object extending in one direction, and a determination step of determining contact between the electroplating object and the edge mask based on the vibration measured in the vibration measurement step.

[0007] This edge mask contact determination method determines contact based on the vibration of the edge mask caused by the occurrence of contact, thereby reducing the time lag from the occurrence of contact to the recognition of contact, and since the vibration of the edge mask is measured individually in the vibration measurement process, it is possible to determine the contact of the edge mask individually.

[0008] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned edge mask contact determination method, the determination step compares a measurement value based on the vibration measured in the vibration measurement step with a predetermined threshold value, and makes the determination based on whether the same comparison result continues for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0009] This edge mask contact determination method makes the determination based on whether the same comparison result continues for a predetermined period of time or more, so that the determination can be made more appropriately than when the determination is made based on a single comparison result.

[0010] In another aspect, the above-mentioned edge mask contact determination method further includes a step of arranging a vibration measuring device for measuring vibration of the edge mask outside an electroplating apparatus for electroplating the electroplating object. Preferably, in the above-mentioned edge mask contact determination method, the step of arranging is performed by arranging the vibration measuring device on an edge mask position gauge that faces the outside of the electroplating apparatus and indicates the edge mask position.

[0011] In this edge mask contact determination method, a vibration measuring device is disposed outside the electroplating equipment, so that the vibration measuring device can be disposed as a retrofit to an existing equipment. This reduces the time lag from when contact occurs to when the contact is recognized, and enables edge mask contact determination so that edge mask contact can be determined individually using the existing equipment.

[0012] In another aspect, the above-mentioned edge mask contact determination method further includes an edge mask moving step of moving the edge mask from its current position in a direction away from the electroplating object when contact of the edge mask is determined in the determination step.

[0013] In such an edge mask contact determination method, when contact of the edge mask is determined, the edge mask is moved from its current position in a direction away from the electroplating object, thereby eliminating the contact. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The edge mask contact determination method according to the present invention reduces the time lag from the occurrence of contact to the recognition of contact, and can determine the contact of edge masks individually. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an edge mask device that implements an edge mask contact determination method according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between vibration and contact as an example. [Diagram 3] 4 is a first flowchart showing an operation of the edge mask device. [Figure 4] 4 is a second flowchart showing the operation of the edge mask apparatus following the first flowchart. [Diagram 5] 4 is a time chart illustrating an example of the operation of the edge mask device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In addition, configurations with the same reference numerals in each drawing indicate that they are the same configurations, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification, when referring to a general term, a reference numeral without a subscript is used, and when referring to an individual configuration, a reference numeral with a subscript is used.

[0017] The edge mask contact determination method in the embodiment includes a vibration measurement step of measuring the vibration of the edge mask relative to a plate-like electroplating object extending in one direction, and a determination step of determining the contact between the electroplating object and the edge mask based on the vibration measured in the vibration measurement step. The edge mask contact determination method will be described in more detail below by taking an edge mask device that implements such an edge mask contact determination method as an example.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an edge mask device that implements an edge mask contact determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between vibration and contact, as an example.

[0019] The edge mask device 1000 implementing the edge mask contact determination method in the embodiment is configured with an edge mask, which is a component made of an insulator, that is placed near the edge portion (end portion) of an object to be electroplated in order to prevent the occurrence of so-called edge overcoat, and, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, is equipped with a vibration measurement unit 1, a pre-processing unit 2, a control processing unit 3, a memory unit 7, and an edge mask movement unit 8, and in the example shown in FIG. 1, it further includes an input unit 4, an output unit 5, and an interface unit (IF unit) 6.

[0020] The vibration measuring unit 1 is connected to the pre-treatment unit 2 and is a device that measures the vibration of the edge mask relative to the electroplating object Ob. The vibration measuring unit 1 is, for example, an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration. The vibration measuring unit 1 outputs the measurement result to the pre-treatment unit 2. The vibration measuring unit 1 may be directly connected to the edge mask by, for example, waterproofing, but in this embodiment, the vibration measuring unit 1 is disposed outside the electroplating device that electroplates the electroplating object Ob before edge mask contact determination (disposing step). Preferably, the vibration measuring unit 1 is disposed on an edge mask position gauge that faces the outside of the electroplating device and indicates the edge mask position. Note that the indirect disposing location of the vibration measuring unit 1 is not limited to the above example, and may be any location where vibration generated by contact between the electroplating object Ob and the edge mask can be propagated and detected.

[0021] The pre-processing unit 2 is connected to the control processing unit 3 and is a device that performs a predetermined pre-processing. The pre-processing unit 2 outputs the processing result to the control processing unit 3. In this embodiment, the pre-processing unit 2 performs signal amplification, noise reduction, and DC conversion as the pre-processing. More specifically, the pre-processing unit 2 amplifies the output of the vibration measuring unit 1 using an amplifier circuit, filters the amplified output of the vibration measuring unit 1 using a band-pass filter to reduce noise, converts the output of the vibration measuring unit 1 from which the noise has been reduced to DC using an AC / DC converter, and outputs the DC-converted output of the vibration measuring unit 1 to the control processing unit 3. The gain of the amplifier circuit and the pass band of the band-pass filter are each appropriately set in advance based on, for example, a plurality of samples, and are, for example, 4.5 [kHz] to 6 [kHz].

[0022] The input unit 4 is connected to the control processing unit 3 and is a device for inputting various commands, such as a command to start operation, and various data required for operating the edge mask device 1000, such as the time until each timer expires and a judgment threshold value, to the edge mask device 1000, and is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and a plurality of input switches to which predetermined functions are assigned. The output unit 5 is connected to the control processing unit 3 and is a device for outputting the commands and data input from the input unit 4 and the judgment results, etc., under the control of the control processing unit 3, and is, for example, a display device such as a CRT display, an LCD (liquid crystal display device), and an organic EL display.

[0023] The input unit 4 and the output unit 5 may be configured as a touch panel. In the case of configuring this touch panel, the input unit 4 is a position input device that detects and inputs an operation position, for example, a resistive film type or a capacitive type, and the output unit 4 is a display device. In this touch panel, a position input device is provided on the display surface of the display device, and one or more input content candidates that can be input to the display device are displayed. When a user touches a display position that displays the input content that the user wants to input, the position is detected by the position input device, and the display content displayed at the detected position is input to the edge mask device 1000 as the user's operation input content. In such a touch panel, the user can easily intuitively understand the input operation, so that an edge mask device 1000 that is easy for the user to handle is provided.

[0024] The IF unit 6 is connected to the control processing unit 3 and is a circuit that inputs and outputs data to and from, for example, an external device under the control of the control processing unit 3, such as an interface circuit for RS-232C, which is a serial communication method, an interface circuit using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, and an interface circuit using the USB standard. The IF unit 6 may also be a communication interface circuit that transmits and receives communication signals to and from an external device, such as a data communication card or a communication interface circuit conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard.

[0025] The edge mask moving unit 8 is connected to the control processing unit 3, and is a device that moves the edge mask so as to move toward and away from the object Ob to be electroplated, in accordance with the control of the control processing unit 3. For example, the edge mask moving unit 8 is configured to include a known moving mechanism that supports the edge mask and moves the edge mask so as to move toward and away from the object Ob to be electroplated, and an actuator that serves as a power source for the moving mechanism.

[0026] The storage unit 7 is connected to the control processing unit 3 and is a circuit that stores various predetermined programs and various predetermined data according to the control of the control processing unit 3. The various predetermined programs include, for example, a control processing program, and the control processing program includes, for example, a control program, a judgment program, and a position control program. The control program is a program that controls each unit 1, 2, 4 to 8 of the edge mask device 1000 according to the function of each unit. The judgment program is a program that judges contact between the electroplating object Ob and the edge mask based on the vibration measured by the vibration measurement unit 1. The position control program is a program that controls the edge mask moving unit 8 to move the edge mask from the current position in a direction away from the electroplating object Ob when the judgment program judges contact of the edge mask. The various predetermined data includes data necessary for executing each of these programs, such as each time until the timers are up and a judgment threshold value.

[0027] Such a storage unit 7 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) which is a nonvolatile storage element, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which is a rewritable nonvolatile storage element, etc. The storage unit 7 also includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) which serves as a so-called working memory of the control processing unit 3 for storing data generated during execution of the predetermined program, etc. The storage unit 7 may also be configured to include a hard disk device with a relatively large storage capacity.

[0028] The control processing unit 3 is a circuit for controlling each of the units 1, 2, 4 to 7 of the edge mask device 1000 in accordance with the function of each unit, determining contact between the object Ob to be electroplated and the edge mask 101, and moving the edge mask 101 as necessary. The control processing unit 3 is configured, for example, with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits. In the control processing unit 3, a control unit 31, a determination unit 32, and a position control unit 33 are functionally configured by executing the control processing program.

[0029] The control unit 31 controls each of the units 1, 2, and 4 to 8 of the edge mask device 1000 in accordance with the function of each unit, and is in charge of controlling the edge mask device 1000 as a whole.

[0030] The judgment unit 32 judges the contact between the object Ob to be electroplated and the edge mask 101 based on the vibration measured by the vibration measurement unit 1. More specifically, for example, the judgment unit 32 may compare a measurement value (amplitude value) based on the vibration measured by the vibration measurement unit 1 with a predetermined threshold value (judgment threshold value), and judge non-contact when the measurement value is equal to or less than the judgment threshold value, and judge contact when the measurement value exceeds the judgment threshold value, but in this embodiment, the judgment unit 32 compares the measurement value (amplitude value) based on the vibration measured by the vibration measurement unit 1 with a predetermined threshold value (judgment threshold value) Th, and makes the judgment based on whether the same comparison result continues for a predetermined time (judgment time) Tw or more. In this determination, the determination unit 32 determines that there is contact when the measured value exceeds the determination threshold Th for the determination time Tw or more, and determines that there is no contact when the measured value does not exceed the determination threshold Th for the determination time Tw or more (at least when the measured value is equal to or less than the determination threshold Th and when the measured value does not exceed the determination threshold Th for the determination time Tw or more). More specifically, the determination unit 32 first normalizes the output of the vibration measuring unit 1 preprocessed by the preprocessing unit 2 by dividing it by a predetermined reference value RL to obtain a normalized measurement value (normalized measurement value, normalized amplitude value) (normalized measurement value=normalized amplitude value=(preprocessed output of the vibration measuring unit 1) / (reference value)). Next, the determination unit 32 compares this normalized measurement value with the determination threshold Th. As a result, the judgment unit 32 judges that there is contact when the normalized measurement value exceeds the judgment threshold Th for the judgment time Tw or more, and judges that there is no contact when the normalized measurement value does not exceed the judgment threshold Th for the judgment time Tw or more.

[0031] The reference value RL is obtained, for example, as follows, and the determination threshold value Th and the determination time Tw are appropriately set in advance, for example, based on a plurality of samples.

[0032] A plating liquid is stored in the electroplating device, and the object Ob to be electroplated is immersed in the plating liquid and electroplated. Since the position of the object Ob to be electroplated in the electroplating device is unknown from the outside, as described above, each widthwise position of the object Ob to be electroplated is measured at each of the entrance side and exit side of the electroplating device (entrance side width position and exit side width position), and a pair of imaginary lines LNa (=PIaPOa) and LNb (=PIbPOb) connecting both end points PIa and PIb of the measured entrance side width position and both end points POa and POb of the exit side width position with straight lines are regarded as both ends (each edge portion) in the width direction of the object Ob to be electroplated, and the position of the edge mask is determined for each of the pair of imaginary lines LNa and LNb.

[0033] When the edge mask is positioned at a position sufficiently separated from each edge portion of the electroplating object Ob (a position for generating a reference value RL (reference value generation position, non-contact position) that is not in contact with the electroplating object Ob) during operation of the electroplating apparatus, measurements are performed by each vibration measuring unit 1 for a predetermined time (reference value generation time), and the average value of these measured measurement values ​​(dark vibration value) is obtained as the reference value RL of the edge mask device 1000.

[0034] 2 shows the measurement results of the vibration measurement unit 1 in the edge mask device 1000 used in the electroplating apparatus, and shows a graph of the vibration amplitude versus time (elapsed time) at each position on the edge mask. The horizontal axis of FIG. 2 is time (elapsed time) [seconds], and the vertical axis is amplitude. The graph shown in FIG. 2 is a graph of normalized measurement values ​​(normalized amplitude values) normalized by the reference value RL generated at the reference value generation time shown in FIG. 2. The position of the above-mentioned virtual line NLa is set as the reference position WS+0 of the edge mask, and at the reference value generation time, the edge mask was placed at a position WS+5 that was non-contact and separated, for example, by 5 [mm] from the edge of the electroplating object Ob. In generating the graph shown in Fig. 2, the edge mask was sequentially positioned at a predetermined time interval (observation time interval) at a position WS-1, for example, 1 [mm] closer to the edge of the object Ob to be electroplated, a position WS-2, for example, 2 [mm] closer to the edge of the object Ob to be electroplated, a position WS-3, for example, 3 [mm] closer to the edge of the object Ob to be electroplated, and a position WS-4, for example, 4 [mm] closer to the edge of the object Ob to be electroplated. Note that in the graph shown in Fig. 2, pulses with an amplitude of 0 are generated at regular intervals, but this is because the device used to generate the graph shown in Fig. 2 was a device in which the log (record) was interrupted at regular intervals, and was simply due to the convenience of the device.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, when the edge mask is placed at the position WS+0, the amplitude is significantly larger than that at the reference value generation time, and it is inferred that the edge mask has come into contact with the object Ob to be electroplated. For this reason, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the judgment threshold Th and the judgment time Tw are set so that the vibration of the amplitude when the edge mask is placed at the position WS+0 is detected. For example, the judgment threshold Th is appropriately set to 1.2 times, 1.5 times, or 2 times the reference value RL, and the judgment time Tw is appropriately set to 2 seconds, 3 seconds, or 5 seconds. The reference value generation time is appropriately set to, for example, 5 seconds, 7 seconds, or 10 seconds. In the example shown in FIG. 2, when the edge mask is placed at the position WS-3 and when the edge mask is placed at the position WS-4, scratches are generated on the object Ob to be electroplated.

[0036] 1, when the determination unit 32 determines that the edge mask 101 has come into contact, the position control unit 33 controls the edge mask moving unit 8 to move the edge mask 101 from its current position in a direction away from the object Ob to be electroplated. More specifically, when the determination unit 32 determines that the edge mask 101 has come into contact, the position control unit 33 controls the edge mask moving unit 8 to move the edge mask 101 from its current position in a direction away from the object Ob to be electroplated by a preset amount (e.g., 0.5 mm or 1 mm).

[0037] The control processing unit 3, the input unit 4, the output unit 5, the IF unit 6 and the storage unit 6 can be configured by, for example, a desktop or notebook computer.

[0038] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a first flowchart showing the operation of the edge mask device. Fig. 4 is a second flowchart showing the operation of the edge mask device following the first flowchart. Fig. 5 is a time chart explaining the operation of the edge mask device as an example.

[0039] When the edge mask device 1000 having such a configuration is powered on, it initializes each required section and starts its operation. In the control processing section 3, a control section 31, a judgment section 32, and a position control section 33 are functionally configured by executing the control processing program. Note that the reference value generation time, the judgment threshold value Th, the judgment time Tw, the post-movement waiting time for waiting for judgment after the edge mask 101 is moved, and the like are set in advance and stored in the storage section 7.

[0040] In Figures 3 and 4, for example, when an operator inputs an instruction or an operating condition is changed, in order to obtain the reference value RL, the edge mask device 1000 moves the edge mask to the reference value generation position, which in the above-mentioned example described using Figure 2 is position SW+5, by the position control unit 33 of the control processing unit 3 (S21).

[0041] Next, the edge mask device 1000 causes the control processing unit 3 to functionally generate a timer (a timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time) set to the post-movement waiting time, and starts the timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time to begin timing (S22).

[0042] Next, the edge mask device 1000 judges whether the timer for counting the post-movement waiting time has timed out by the control processing unit 3 (S23). If the edge mask device 1000 judges that the timer has not timed out (No) as a result of this judgment, it returns the process to process S23, whereas if it judges that the timer has timed out (Yes), it next executes process S24. Therefore, process S23 is repeated until the timer for counting the post-movement waiting time has timed out (until the post-movement waiting time has elapsed). By suspending the process for the post-movement waiting time, the vibration generated in the edge mask 101 due to the movement of the edge mask 101 can be converged, and the influence of the movement of the edge mask 101 on the reference value RL can be avoided. From this viewpoint, the post-movement waiting time is appropriately set in advance to, for example, 3 [seconds] or 5 [seconds].

[0043] In this process S24, the edge mask device 1000 functionally generates a timer (a timer for measuring the reference value generation time) set to the reference value generation time by the control processing unit 3, starts the timer for measuring the reference value generation time, and begins measuring time.

[0044] Next, the edge mask device 1000 determines whether the timer for counting the reference value generation time has timed out by the control processing unit 3 (S25). If the edge mask device 1000 determines that the timer has not timed out (No) as a result of this determination, it returns to process S25, whereas if it determines that the timer has timed out (Yes), it next executes process S26. Therefore, process S25 is repeated until the timer for counting the reference value generation time has timed out (until the reference value generation time has elapsed), and during this time the vibration of the edge mask is measured by the vibration measuring unit 1 at a predetermined sampling interval.

[0045] In this process S26, the edge mask device 1000 determines, by the determination unit 32 of the control processing unit 3, the average value of the measured values ​​measured by the vibration measurement unit 1 as the reference value RL. When a plurality of edge masks 1000 are arranged for one electroplating apparatus, a reference value RL is generated for each edge mask device 1000, so that the individual variations of the edge mask devices 1000 can be taken into consideration. When the reference value RL is generated when the operating conditions are changed, the variations due to the difference in the operating conditions can be taken into consideration.

[0046] Next, the edge mask device 1000 moves the edge mask 101 to a predetermined initial position (default position) by the position control unit 33 of the control processing unit 3 (S27). The initial position (default position) is the position of the edge mask 101 when the operation of the edge mask 101 starts, and is appropriately set in advance.

[0047] Next, the edge mask device 1000, using the control processing unit 3, functionally generates a timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time, similar to the above-mentioned process S22, starts the timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time, and begins measuring time (S31).

[0048] Next, the edge mask device 1000 determines whether the timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time has timed out (S32) using the control processing unit 3, similar to the above-mentioned process S23. If the edge mask device 1000 determines that the timer has not timed out (No) as a result of this determination, it returns to process S32, whereas if it determines that the timer has timed out (Yes), it next executes process S33. Therefore, process S32 is repeated until the timer for measuring the post-movement waiting time has timed out.

[0049] In this process S33, the edge mask device 1000 determines whether or not the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) exceeds the determination threshold value Th by the determination unit 32 of the control processing unit 3. If the edge mask device 1000 determines that the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) does not exceed the determination threshold value Th (No) as a result of this determination, the process returns to process S33, whereas if the edge mask device 1000 determines that the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) exceeds the determination threshold value Th (Yes), the process next executes process S34. Therefore, process S33 is repeated until it is determined that the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) exceeds the determination threshold value Th, and during this time, the vibration of the edge mask is measured by the vibration measurement unit 1 at a predetermined sampling interval.

[0050] In this process S34, the edge mask device 1000 causes the control processing unit 3 to functionally generate a timer (a timer for measuring the judgment time) set to the judgment time Tw, and starts the timer for measuring the judgment time to begin measuring time.

[0051] Next, the edge mask device 1000 judges whether or not the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) exceeds the judgment threshold Th (S35) by the judgment unit 32 of the control processing unit 3, similarly to the above-mentioned process S33. If the edge mask device 1000 judges that the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) does not exceed the judgment threshold Th (No) as a result of this judgment, it returns the process to process S33, whereas if it judges that the normalized measurement value exceeds the judgment threshold Th (Yes), it next executes process S36. Note that when returning the process to process S33, the functionally generated timer for measuring the judgment time may be deleted from the control processing unit 3.

[0052] In this process S36, the edge mask device 1000 judges whether or not the timer for measuring the judgment time has timed out by the control processing unit 3. If the edge mask device 1000 judges that the timer has not timed out (No) as a result of this judgment, it returns to the process S35, whereas if it judges that the timer has timed out (Yes), it next executes the process S37. Therefore, if it continues to be judged in the process S35 that the normalized measurement value (normalized amplitude value) exceeds the judgment threshold value Th, the processes S35 and S36 are repeated until the timer for measuring the judgment time has timed out (until the judgment time Tw has elapsed), and during this time, the vibration of the edge mask is measured by the vibration measuring unit 1 at a predetermined sampling interval.

[0053] In this process S37, the edge mask device 1000 determines that contact has occurred through the judgment unit 32 of the control processing unit 3, and then the edge mask device 1000 controls the actuator 106 through the position control unit 33 of the control processing unit 3 to move the edge mask by the specified amount from the current position in a direction away from the electroplating object Ob, and returns the process to process S31.

[0054] The edge mask device 1000 operates in this way, and an example will be described using a time chart. In FIG. 5, when the welding point where the first steel plate and the second steel plate are welded approaches each other, the edge mask is retreated to the retreat position α1, and when the welding point passes, the operation conditions are changed from the first steel plate to the second steel plate, and the process S21 is executed, and the edge mask is moved to the reference value generation position α2. Next, the process S22 is executed, and when the timer for measuring the waiting time after the movement is up as determined in the process S23, the process S24 is executed, and when the timer for measuring the reference value generation time is up as determined in the process S25, the process S26 is executed, whereby the reference value RL is generated. Next, the process S27 is executed, whereby the edge mask is moved to the initial position α3. Next, the process S31 is executed, and when the timer for measuring the waiting time after the movement is up as determined in the process S32, the processes S33 to S36 are executed as described above. When the timer for measuring the judgment time is up as determined in step S36, step S37 is executed, followed by step S38, whereby the edge mask is moved from the initial position α3 to a position α4 that is away from the object Ob to be electroplated by the predetermined amount in a direction away from the object Ob to be electroplated. Then, the process returns to step S31. Therefore, at the position α4, the presence or absence of contact is determined after waiting for the waiting time after movement, as described above. When the timer for measuring the judgment time is up as determined in step S36 at the position α4, step S37 is executed, followed by step S38, whereby the edge mask is moved from the position α4 to a position α5 that is away from the object Ob to be electroplated by the predetermined amount in a direction away from the object Ob to be electroplated (|α1|>|α2|>|α5|>|α4|>|α3|>0 (=LN)). Then, the process returns to step S31. Therefore, at the position α5, the presence or absence of contact is determined after waiting for the waiting time after movement, as described above. If it is not determined that contact has occurred at the position α5, the processes S33 to S36 are executed as described above.

[0055] As described above, the edge mask device 1000 in the embodiment and the edge mask contact determination method implemented therein determine contact based on the vibration of the edge mask caused by the occurrence of contact, thereby reducing the time lag from the occurrence of contact to the recognition of contact, and since the vibration of the edge mask is measured individually by the vibration measuring unit 1, it is possible to determine the contact of the edge mask 101 individually.

[0056] The above-mentioned edge mask device 1000 and edge mask contact determination method make the determination based on whether the same comparison result continues for a predetermined period of time or more, so that the determination can be made more appropriately than when the determination is made based on a single comparison result.

[0057] The above edge mask apparatus 1000 and edge mask contact determination method have the vibration measuring unit 1 disposed outside the electroplating apparatus, so that the vibration measuring unit 1 can be disposed on an existing apparatus as a retrofit. This enables the time lag from the occurrence of contact to the recognition of the contact to be reduced in the existing apparatus, and enables edge mask contact determination so that edge mask contact can be determined individually.

[0058] When the edge mask device 1000 and the edge mask contact determination method determine that the edge mask is in contact, the edge mask is moved from the current position in a direction away from the electroplating object, thereby eliminating the contact.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the edge mask is moved a predetermined distance away to eliminate contact each time contact is determined, but when contact is determined, the edge mask may be moved to a predetermined retreat position where it is not in contact with the object to be electroplated Ob.

[0060] In order to express the present invention, the present invention has been described adequately and sufficiently through the embodiments with reference to the drawings in the above description, but it should be recognized that those skilled in the art can easily change and / or improve the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, unless the changes or improvements made by those skilled in the art are at a level that departs from the scope of the claims described in the claims, the changes or improvements are interpreted as being included in the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1000 Edge Mask Device 1. Vibration measurement section 2 Pretreatment section 3. Control Processing Section 7 Memory section 8 Edge mask movement section 31 Control Unit 32 Judgment section 33 Position control section

Claims

1. a vibration measurement step of measuring the vibration of the edge mask relative to a plate-like electroplating object extending in one direction; and determining whether the object to be electroplated is in contact with the edge mask based on the vibration measured in the vibration measuring step. Edge mask contact determination method.

2. The determination step compares a measurement value based on the vibration measured in the vibration measurement step with a predetermined threshold value, and performs the determination based on whether or not the same comparison result continues for a predetermined period of time or more. The edge mask contact determination method according to claim 1 .

3. The method further includes a step of disposing a vibration measuring device for measuring vibration of the edge mask outside an electroplating device for electroplating the electroplating object. The edge mask contact determination method according to claim 1 .

4. The method further includes an edge mask moving step of moving the edge mask from a current position in a direction away from the object to be electroplated when the contact of the edge mask is determined in the determining step. The edge mask contact determination method according to claim 1 .

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