Resin molding device and method for manufacturing resin molded article

Abstract

To improve the operation rate of a resin molding device and reduce running cost.SOLUTION: The resin molding device comprises: a carry-in part 15 that carries in an unmolded object W to be molded to a forming mold 17; a carry-out part 19 that carries out a resin molded article P from the forming mold 17; a spray part 20 that sprays either or both of an upper mold 171 and a lower mold 172 with a mold release agent; an irradiation part 21 that irradiates either or both of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet rays; and a cleaning part 22 that cleans the mold surface of either or both of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 by means of a brush 221.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin molding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional resin sealing apparatus such as that shown in Patent Document 1, a loader carries a workpiece into a mold, where the workpiece is sealed with resin, and an unloader carries the sealed workpiece out of the mold.

[0003] In this resin sealing device, when resin sealing is repeatedly performed, dirt adheres to the surfaces of the upper and lower molds, which are the metal molds, and the dirt accumulates. The dirt may be wax-based dirt containing trace amounts of inorganic components or dirt from the resin material itself. If the accumulated dirt becomes thick, resin sealing cannot be performed properly, resulting in product defects. For this reason, in conventional resin sealing devices, after a certain number of resin sealing operations have been performed, the user manually cleans the surfaces of the upper and lower molds using cleaning resin or the like.

[0004] However, while the user is manually cleaning the device, the device cannot perform resin sealing, which reduces the production efficiency of resin molded products. Furthermore, this increases the running costs, such as the cost of consumables such as cleaning resin used in the cleaning process and labor costs associated with the cleaning process. Furthermore, the consumables, such as cleaning resin, used in the cleaning process end up as waste, which poses an environmental problem. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-105582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its main object is to improve the operating rate of a resin molding apparatus and reduce running costs and waste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] That is, the resin molding apparatus according to the present invention is a resin molding apparatus that uses a molding die having an upper die and a lower die to resin mold an object to be molded, and is characterized by comprising: a loading section that loads the object to be molded into the molding die before molding; a loading section that loads the object to be molded from the molding die after molding; a spraying section that sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper die and the lower die; an irradiation section that irradiates both or one of the upper die and the lower die with ultraviolet rays; and a cleaning section that cleans both or one of the upper die and the lower die with a brush. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention configured in this way, it is possible to improve the operating rate of the resin molding device and reduce the running costs and waste. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram showing a forming die, a first moving body, a second moving body, and their surrounding structure in the same embodiment, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a view seen from the X direction, schematically showing a cable bear connected to each moving body of the embodiment and its surrounding structure. FIG. [Figure 4] 5A is a schematic diagram showing irradiation of ultraviolet light and spraying of a mold release agent in a resin molding operation of the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 5] 1C is a schematic diagram showing the loading of a molding object / resin material and FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram showing resin molding (mold clamping) in the resin molding operation of the embodiment. [Figure 6]10(e) is a schematic diagram showing the removal of a resin molded product and cleaning with a brush in the resin molding operation of the embodiment; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, the technology according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following technology.

[0011] The resin molding device of Technology 1 according to the present invention is a resin molding device that uses a molding die having an upper die and a lower die to resin-mold an object to be molded, and is characterized by comprising: a loading section that loads the object to be molded into the molding die before molding; a loading section that loads the object to be molded from the molding die after molding; a spraying section that sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper die and the lower die; an irradiation section that irradiates both or one of the upper die and the lower die with ultraviolet light; and a cleaning section that cleans both or one of the upper die and the lower die with a brush.

[0012] This resin molding machine has a spray unit that sprays a release agent onto the mold, an irradiation unit that irradiates the mold with ultraviolet light, and a cleaning unit that cleans the mold with a brush, so it does not require the machine to be stopped and the molds cleaned manually as in the past. As a result, downtime associated with cleaning can be reduced and the operation rate can be improved. Furthermore, the amount of consumables such as cleaning resins used in the mold cleaning process can be reduced, and labor costs can be reduced, leading to lower running costs. Furthermore, the amount of consumables such as cleaning resins used can be reduced, leading to reduced waste. Furthermore, some cleaning resins, such as rubber sheet-based resins, used in conventional mold cleaning operations can generate harmful gases. When harmful gases are generated, it is necessary to protect the human body from the harmful gases. The resin molding apparatus of Technology 1 according to the present invention performs cleaning operations automatically without using, for example, rubber sheet-based cleaning resins, thereby eliminating the generation of harmful gases and improving safety. Specifically, the cleaning operation and release agent spraying can be performed automatically without opening the apparatus door, and the air is exhausted after the operation using an exhaust unit provided in the apparatus, thereby improving safety. Furthermore, the ultraviolet rays from the irradiation unit are blocked by the apparatus door or the apparatus housing, ensuring safety. Furthermore, by spraying a mold release agent onto the upper and lower dies, cleaning them with a brush, and irradiating them with ultraviolet light, it is possible to prevent the mold from becoming dirty due to resin molding, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product.

[0013] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned Technology 1, the resin molding device of Technology 2 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the loading section and the unloading section enter between the upper and lower molds from one side of the molding mold, and the spraying section, the irradiation section, and the cleaning section enter between the upper and lower molds from the other side of the molding mold. With this configuration, the operations of the carry-in unit and carry-out unit to carry the molding object into and out of the mold and the operations of the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit to clean the mold can be performed without interfering with each other. Furthermore, the movement mechanism that moves the carry-in unit and carry-out unit and the movement mechanism that moves the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit can be arranged separately, simplifying the device configuration.

[0014] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned technology 1 or 2, the resin molding device of technology 3 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the spraying unit and the irradiation unit are provided on a common first moving body, the cleaning unit is provided on a second moving body separate from the first moving body, and the first moving body and the second moving body are each independently movable. With this configuration, the spray unit and irradiation unit can be moved separately from the cleaning unit. For example, if there are multiple molding molds, the spray unit and irradiation unit can be moved to one molding mold to perform processing, and the cleaning unit can be moved to another molding mold to perform processing, allowing different processing to be performed simultaneously on multiple molding molds.

[0015] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned techniques 1 to 3, the resin molding device of technique 4 according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of the molding dies arranged in a row along the horizontal direction. With this configuration, since there are multiple molding dies, the production efficiency of resin molded products can be improved. Also, since the multiple molding dies are arranged in a row, the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit can be moved to each molding die with a simple configuration of moving them linearly in the horizontal direction.

[0016] In addition to the configuration of Technology 4 described above, it is desirable that the resin molding device of Technology 5 according to the present invention further comprises a transport moving mechanism that moves the loading section and the unloading section along the arrangement direction of the molding molds, and a processing moving mechanism that moves the spraying section, the irradiation section, and the cleaning section along the arrangement direction. With this configuration, the loading and unloading units can be moved to multiple molds, and the spraying unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit can also be moved. As a result, these units can be used in common by multiple molds, simplifying the device configuration and preventing the resin molding device from becoming larger.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned Technology 5, the resin molding device of Technology 6 according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of molding dies arranged between the transport moving mechanism and the processing moving mechanism. With this configuration, the installation space for the transport moving mechanism and the installation space for the processing moving mechanism are separated into the front and rear of the molding die, which simplifies the configuration of these moving mechanisms and their peripheral configuration. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional resin molding devices in which the loading and unloading sections are located behind the molding die, by incorporating the processing moving mechanism in front of the molding die, it is possible to add a spraying section, an irradiating section, and a cleaning section to the conventional resin molding device without making major design changes.

[0018] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned Technology 5 or 6, the resin molding device of Technology 7 according to the present invention is preferably such that the processing movement mechanism has a first processing movement part that moves the spray part and the irradiation part along the arrangement direction, and a second processing movement part that moves the cleaning part along the arrangement direction. This configuration simplifies the configuration in which the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit are moved separately in the processing movement mechanism. As a result, in a configuration with multiple molds, different processes can be performed simultaneously on multiple molds, such as by moving the spray unit and irradiation unit to one mold to perform processing, and then moving the cleaning unit to another mold to perform processing.

[0019] In addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned Technology 7, the resin molding device of Technology 8 according to the present invention is preferably such that the first processing moving unit moves the spray unit and the irradiation unit between the upper mold and the lower mold by a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the second processing moving unit moves the cleaning unit between the upper mold and the lower mold by a rack-and-pinion mechanism. With this configuration, the configuration for inserting the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit between the upper and lower molds can be simplified, and the resin molding device can be prevented from becoming larger.

[0020] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned techniques 5 to 8, the resin molding device of technique 9 according to the present invention preferably has the processing movement mechanism moving the spraying unit, the irradiation unit, and the cleaning unit to a retracted position outside the plurality of molding molds along the arrangement direction. With this configuration, by moving the spray unit, irradiation unit, and cleaning unit to their retracted positions, it becomes possible to approach the mold, thereby ensuring ease of operation when replacing the mold, etc.

[0021] The resin molding device of Technology 10 according to the present invention has, in addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned Technologies 1 to 9, an opening / closing section is provided in front of the molding die in correspondence with the molding die, and it is desirable that the opening / closing section be configured using a shutter cover. With this configuration, the opening / closing section is configured using a shutter cover, which allows the footprint of the resin molding device to be smaller than that of an opening / closing section that opens outward in the front. The footprint refers to the floor area that the resin molding device occupies when installed. Even if a processing movement mechanism that moves the spray section, irradiation section, and cleaning section is provided in front of the molding mold, the use of a shutter cover allows the footprint to be equivalent to that of a conventional resin molding device that opens outward in the front.

[0022] It is desirable that cleaning with a brush be performed after each resin molding. On the other hand, spraying of a release agent onto the molding die and irradiation of ultraviolet rays onto the molding die do not need to be performed after each resin molding. Therefore, in addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned technologies 1 to 10, a resin molding apparatus according to technology 11 of the present invention has the following features: the cleaning unit cleans the molding die with a brush after each resin molding; the irradiation unit irradiates the molding die with ultraviolet rays after each predetermined number of resin moldings; and the spray unit sprays a release agent onto the molding die each time the irradiation unit irradiates ultraviolet rays, and the predetermined number of times is preferably two or more.

[0023] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned techniques 1 to 11, the resin molding apparatus of technique 12 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the spraying unit enters between the upper mold and the lower mold in an open state before resin molding to spray the release agent, and after the spraying unit retreats from between the upper mold and the lower mold, the loading unit loads the pre-molding object between the upper mold and the lower mold. With this configuration, spraying of the release agent and carrying in of the object to be molded before molding are performed consecutively during one mold opening operation, which simplifies the operation of the resin molding device, particularly the mold opening operation of the upper and lower molds. Furthermore, resin molding can be performed immediately after spraying of the release agent, without impairing the function of the release agent. Furthermore, spraying of the release agent can be performed immediately before carrying in of the object to be molded before molding, which prevents a decrease in the operating rate due to the spraying of the release agent.

[0024] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-mentioned techniques 1 to 12, the resin molding device of technique 13 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the discharge part enters between the upper mold and the lower mold in the mold-open state after resin molding to discharge the molded object, and in conjunction with or after the discharge part retracts from between the upper mold and the lower mold, the cleaning part enters between the upper mold and the lower mold from the front to clean with the brush. With this configuration, the post-molding object and cleaning with the brush are performed consecutively during a single mold opening operation, simplifying the operation of the resin molding device, particularly the mold opening operation of the upper and lower molds. Also, the brush cleaning operation can be performed immediately after the post-molding object is removed, preventing a decrease in operating rate due to the brush cleaning operation.

[0025] Furthermore, a manufacturing method of a resin molded product according to Technology 14 of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a resin molded product using a resin molding apparatus according to any one of Technologies 1 to 13, characterized in that a pre-molded object is carried into the opened upper and lower molds, the upper and lower molds into which the pre-molded object is carried are clamped to resin mold the object, the molded object is carried out from the opened upper and lower molds after the resin molding, a mold release agent is sprayed onto the opened upper and lower molds before the pre-molded object is carried in or ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the opened upper and lower molds, and after the molded object is carried out, the opened upper and lower molds are cleaned with a brush. In this method for manufacturing a resin molded product, the upper and lower dies are sprayed with a mold release agent or irradiated with ultraviolet light before the pre-molding object is carried in, and the upper and lower dies are cleaned with a brush after the molded object is carried out, thereby suppressing contamination of the molding dies due to resin molding, and as a result, the quality of the resin molded product can be improved.

[0026] <One embodiment of the present invention> An embodiment of a resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for ease of understanding, all of the drawings shown below are drawn in a schematic manner with appropriate omissions or exaggerations. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0027] <Overall Configuration of Resin Molding Apparatus 100> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment resin-moldes a molding object W to which an electronic component (not shown) is connected, using a resin material J by transfer molding.

[0028] Here, the molding object W may be, for example, a metal substrate, a resin substrate, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a circuit board, a semiconductor substrate, a wiring board, a lead frame, or the like, with or without wiring. The resin material J for resin molding is, for example, a composite material containing a thermosetting resin, and the resin material J may be in the form of granules, powder, liquid, sheet, tablet, or the like. Furthermore, the electronic component (not shown) connected to the upper surface of the molding object W may be, for example, an electronic element such as a bare chip, a resistor element, or a capacitor element, or at least one of these electronic elements sealed with resin.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes, as its components, a supply module 100A that supplies a molding object W (hereinafter simply referred to as "molding object W") and a resin material J before molding, a molding module 100B having a molding die 17 for resin molding, and a storage module 100C that stores the molding object W (hereinafter referred to as "resin molded product P") after molding. Note that the supply module 100A, molding module 100B, and storage module 100C can be attached to and detached from the other components, and can be replaced. In this embodiment, the apparatus is configured with two molding modules 100B, but the number of each component can be increased or decreased, such as by using one molding module 100B or three or more molding modules 100B.

[0030] The operation of the resin molding apparatus 100 including the modules 100A to 100C described below is controlled, for example, by a control unit CTL provided in the supply module 100A. The control unit CTL has a processing element such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation by executing a program stored in a storage unit (not shown). The control unit CTL may be provided in modules 100B and 100C other than the supply module 100A. The control unit CTL may also have multiple processing elements. In this case, the processing elements of the control unit CTL may be arranged in at least two of the modules 100A to 100C.

[0031] Supply module 100A supplies molding workpieces W to molding module 100B and also supplies resin material J to molding module 100B. Specifically, supply module A has a molding workpiece supply section 11 that supplies molding workpieces W, a molding workpiece placement section 12 that receives and delivers molding workpieces W, a resin material accommodation section 13 that accommodates resin material J, a resin material alignment section 14 that aligns resin material J, and a carry-in section 15 (hereinafter referred to as "loader 15") that transports molding workpieces W from molding workpiece placement section 12 to molding module 100B and transports resin material J from the resin material alignment section 14 to resin molding module B. Here, loader 15 is movable at least in the X and Y directions by a transport movement mechanism 16.

[0032] The two molding modules 100B use the molding object W and resin material J transported by the loader 15 to resin-mold the molding object W. Each molding module 100B includes a molding die 17 that forms a cavity C into which the resin material J is filled, and a clamping mechanism (not shown) that clamps the molding die 17. In this embodiment, the molding dies 17 provided in the two molding modules 100B are arranged in a row along the X direction.

[0033] The molding die 17 has an upper die 171 and a lower die 172 arranged opposite to each other, and a recess that forms a cavity C is formed in both or one of the upper die 171 and the lower die 172. A pot 17a that contains a resin material J is formed in the lower die 172. Furthermore, a resin passage (not shown) that connects the pot 17a to the cavity C is formed in the upper die 171 or the lower die 172. In addition, an air vent (not shown) is formed in the upper die 171 on the side opposite to the pot 17a.

[0034] Then, with the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 clamped together by the mold clamping mechanism, the molten resin material J is extruded from the pot 17a by a plunger (not shown), and the molten resin material J passes through the resin passage described above and is injected into the cavity C. Then, the electronic components of the molding object W accommodated in the cavity C are sealed with resin.

[0035] A ceramic layer containing yttrium oxide, nitrogen, and cations of a Group 4A element is formed on the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. Here, the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172 refer to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 that face each other (the lower surface of the upper mold 171 and the upper surface of the lower mold 172). This makes the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 excellent in releasability and low adhesion (anti-fouling properties). Note that the Group 4A element may be, for example, at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), and rutherfordium (Rf).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage module 100C has a storage section 18 that stores the resin molded product P, and an unloading section 19 (hereinafter referred to as "unloader 19") that receives the resin molded product P from the molding module 100B and unloads it to the storage section 18. The resin molded product P stored in the storage section 18 can be removed from outside the device. The unloader 19 is movable in at least the X and Y directions by a transfer movement mechanism 16. In this embodiment, the loader 15 and the unloader 19 are movable by a common transfer movement mechanism 16. This transfer movement mechanism 16 is provided along the arrangement direction (X direction) of the multiple molding dies 17, and in this embodiment, is provided on one side, i.e., the rear side, of the molding dies 17.

[0037] <Automatic cleaning function of resin molding device 100> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a function of automatically cleaning the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The parts that perform the automatic cleaning function described below may be modularized, and the cleaning modules may be configured to be detachable from each of the modules 100A to 100C. When the cleaning modules are configured to be detachable, the control unit of the cleaning module may be provided inside or outside the cleaning module.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes a spraying section 20 that sprays a release agent onto the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, an irradiation section 21 that irradiates the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet rays, and a cleaning section 22 that cleans the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with a brush 221.

[0039] The spraying unit 20 sprays a release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. This spraying unit 20 is mainly used to reduce contamination caused by resin molding on the inner surface of the recess that will become the cavity C of the upper mold 171 and / or the inner surface of the recess that will become the cavity C of the lower mold 172.

[0040] The release agent may be, for example, a fluorine-based coating liquid or an oil-based release agent that is liquid at room temperature. The fluorine-based coating liquid has, for example, a three-part structure: a fluorine-based polymer part that has release properties, a functional group part that adheres to the mold surface, and a junction part that connects them, and is formed by dissolving a reactive fluorine-based compound in a fluorine-based volatile solvent. The oil-based release agent is, for example, silicone-free, halogen-free, and water-free, with a viscosity of 100 mPa·s (cP) or less.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spraying unit 20 has a nozzle 20a that sprays the release agent and a supply unit 20b that supplies the release agent to the nozzle 20a. The spraying unit 20 in this embodiment is configured to spray the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 using a common nozzle 20a. In this case, the spraying unit 20 can switch the direction of the release agent sprayed from the nozzle 20a between the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. The spraying unit 20 may also have an upper mold nozzle that sprays the release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and a lower mold nozzle that sprays the release agent onto the surface of the lower mold 172. When the spraying unit 20 enters the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, it sprays the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The spray unit 20 is provided on a first moving body 23 that is moved by a moving mechanism for processing 25 described later.

[0042] The irradiation unit 21 irradiates the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet light to remove dirt adhering to these surfaces. Here, the dirt adhering to the surfaces is mainly composed of wax contained in the resin. The irradiation unit 21 mainly vaporizes and removes wax-based dirt adhering to the inner surfaces of the recesses that will become the cavities C of the upper mold 171 and / or the inner surfaces of the recesses that will become the cavities C of the lower mold 172.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the irradiation unit 21 includes an upper mold irradiation unit 21a that irradiates the surface of the upper mold 171 with ultraviolet light and a lower mold irradiation unit 21b that irradiates the surface of the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet light. The upper mold irradiation unit 21a has a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a plane, and the lower mold irradiation unit 21b has a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a plane. The ultraviolet LEDs emit ultraviolet light in a wavelength band of, for example, 400 nm or less. When the irradiation unit 21 enters between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, the upper mold irradiation unit 21a irradiates ultraviolet light toward the surface of the upper mold 171, and the lower mold irradiation unit 21b irradiates ultraviolet light toward the surface of the lower mold 172. The irradiation unit 21 is provided on the first movable body 23 on which the spray unit 20 is provided. In other words, the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the same first movable body 23.

[0044] The cleaning unit 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with a brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 mainly removes resin adhering to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 and to the air vents.

[0045] 1 and 2, the cleaning unit 22 has an upper mold cleaning unit 22a that cleans the surface of the upper mold 171 with a brush 221, and a lower mold cleaning unit 22b that cleans the surface of the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 also has a dust collection mechanism (not shown) that collects the resin removed by the brush 221. When the cleaning unit 22 enters the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, it cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 is provided on a second moving body 24 that is separate from the first moving body 23 on which the spraying unit 20 and the irradiating unit 21 are provided. The second moving body 24 is moved by a processing moving mechanism 25, which will be described later.

[0046] 1 and 2, the above-mentioned spray unit 20, irradiation unit 21, and cleaning unit 22 are configured to enter between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172 from the front side, which is the other side of the molding die 17. Furthermore, the first moving body 23 provided with the spray unit 20 and irradiation unit 21, and the second moving body 24 provided with the cleaning unit 22 are configured to be able to move independently of each other.

[0047] 1 and 2, the resin molding apparatus 100 is equipped with a processing moving mechanism 25 that moves the spraying unit 20, the irradiating unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 along the arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of molding dies 17. The processing moving mechanism 25 is provided in front of the plurality of molding dies 17. As mentioned above, the transport moving mechanism 16 that moves the loader 15 and the unloader 19 is provided behind the plurality of molding dies 17 (see FIG. 1).

[0048] 2, the moving mechanism for processing 25 has a first moving part for processing 25a that moves the first moving body 23, on which the spraying part 20 and the irradiating part 21 are provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction), and a second moving part for processing 25b that moves the second moving body 24, on which the cleaning part 22 is provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction). Here, the first moving part for processing 25a is provided below the second moving part for processing 25b.

[0049] 2, first processing movement unit 25a has X-direction guide rails 25a1 provided along the X direction in front of forming mold 17, and a drive unit (not shown) that moves first moving body 23 along X-direction guide rails 25a1. The drive unit may be configured using, for example, a motor and an idler belt. As first moving body 23 moves along X-direction guide rails 25a1, spray unit 20 and irradiation unit 21 move to each forming mold 17. In addition, Z-direction movement unit 26 is provided between X-direction guide rails 25a1 and first moving body 23, and moves first moving body 23 up and down (Z direction). Z-direction moving section 26 moves along X-direction guide rail 25a1 and has Z-direction guide rail 261 provided along the Z direction, Z-direction slider 262 that slides on Z-direction guide rail 261, and a drive section (not shown) that moves Z-direction slider 262 along Z-direction guide rail 261. Furthermore, first moving body 23 has Y-direction moving section 27 for moving in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) toward and away from forming die 17.

[0050] Here, the Y-direction moving unit 27 uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism and has racks 27a, 28, a pinion 27b that meshes with the racks 27a, 28, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the pinion 27b. The rack 27a is fixed to a Z-direction slider 262 of the Z-direction moving unit 26. The rack 28 is provided on the forming die 17 or a peripheral member thereof. The pinion 27b is provided on the first moving body 23. In addition, the first moving body 23 is provided with support rollers 27c, 27d, such as cam followers, for supporting the load of the first moving body 23 with respect to the racks 27a, 28. The support rollers 27c, 27d come into contact with the upper surfaces of the racks 27a, 28.

[0051] Then, first moving body 23 is moved in the X direction together with Z-direction moving unit 26 along X-direction guide rail 25a1, and first moving body 23 and rack 27a are moved in the Z direction by Z-direction moving unit 26, moving first moving body 23 to the front of forming die 17. At this time, rack 28 and rack 27a are close to each other and aligned in a straight line. When pinion 27b is rotated by the motor in this state, pinion 27b advances on rack 27a and rack 28, and first moving body 23 enters between upper die 171 and lower die 172. During this entry, the rack with which pinion 27b meshes switches from rack 27a to rack 28. Furthermore, support rollers 27c and 27d also transfer from rack 27a to rack 28. In other words, the first moving body 23 is self-propelled and moves back and forth between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, so there is no need to provide a drive mechanism in the first processing moving section 25a to move it back and forth, making it possible to reduce the footprint.

[0052] 2, second processing mover 25b has X-direction guide rails 25b1 provided along the X direction in front of forming mold 17, and a drive unit (not shown) that moves second mover 24 along X-direction guide rails 25b1. The drive unit may be configured using, for example, a motor and an idler belt. As second mover 24 moves along X-direction guide rails 25b1, cleaning unit 22 moves to each forming mold 17. In addition, a Z-direction mover 29 is provided between X-direction guide rails 25b1 and second mover 24 to move second mover 24 up and down (Z direction). Z-direction moving section 29 moves along X-direction guide rail 25b1 and has Z-direction guide rail 291 provided along the Z direction, Z-direction slider 292 that slides on Z-direction guide rail 291, and a drive section (not shown) that moves Z-direction slider 292 along Z-direction guide rail 291. Furthermore, second moving body 24 has Y-direction moving section 30 for moving in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) toward and away from forming die 17.

[0053] Here, the Y-direction moving unit 30 uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism and has racks 30a, 28, a pinion 30b that meshes with the racks 30a, 28, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the pinion 30b. The rack 30a is fixed to a Z-direction slider 292 of the Z-direction moving unit 29. The rack 28 is provided on the forming die 17 or a peripheral member thereof. The pinion 30b is provided on the second moving body 24. In addition, the second moving body 24 is provided with support rollers 30c, 30d such as cam followers that support the load of the second moving body 23 relative to the racks 30a, 28. The support rollers 30c, 30d come into contact with the upper surfaces of the racks 30a, 28.

[0054] Then, second movable body 24 is moved in the X direction together with Z-direction moving unit 29 along X-direction guide rail 25b1, and second movable body 24 and rack 30a are moved in the Z direction by Z-direction moving unit 29, moving second movable body 24 to the front of forming mold 17. At this time, rack 28 and rack 30a are close to each other and aligned in a straight line. When pinion 30b is rotated by the motor in this state, pinion 30b advances on rack 28 and rack 30a, and second movable body 24 enters between upper mold 171 and lower mold 172. During this entry, the rack with which pinion 30b meshes switches from rack 30a to rack 28. Furthermore, support rollers 30c and 30d also transfer from rack 30a to rack 30. In other words, the second moving body 24 is self-propelled and moves back and forth between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, so there is no need to provide a drive mechanism in the second processing moving section 25b for moving it back and forth, making it possible to reduce the footprint.

[0055] 1, the moving mechanism for processing 25 can move the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 to a retracted position EP located outside the plurality of forming molds 17 along the arrangement direction (X direction). In this embodiment, the retracted position EP is set closer to the supply module 100A than the forming molds 17. Specifically, the first moving mechanism for processing 25a extends to the front of the supply module 100A. The first moving mechanism for processing 25a can move the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 to the retracted position EP by moving the first movable body 23 to the retracted position EP. The second moving mechanism for processing 25b extends to the front of the supply module 100A. The second moving mechanism for processing 25b can move the second movable body 24 to the retracted position EP by moving the cleaning unit 22 to the retracted position EP.

[0056] In this embodiment, when the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 are moved to the retracted position EP by the moving processing mechanism 25, the opening / closing units 31 provided corresponding to each casting mold 17 can be opened. Here, the opening / closing units 31 are provided on the front side of the apparatus, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, are provided on the front side of a housing 33 that houses the moving processing mechanism 25, each of the moving bodies 23, 24, and the cable bears 32a, 32b connected to each of the moving bodies 23, 24. The opening / closing units 31 in this embodiment are configured using a shutter cover. This shutter cover may be configured to be opened and closed manually, or may be configured to be opened and closed automatically using an actuator such as a rodless cylinder.

[0057] The cable bears 32a and 32b are configured to be movable in the X direction together with the movable bodies 23 and 24, and deform in accordance with the Y direction movement of the movable bodies 23 and 24. In addition, another cable bear (not shown) that deforms in accordance with the X direction movement of the cable bears 32a and 32b is connected to the device side ends (ends opposite the movable bodies) of the cable bears 32a and 32b.

[0058] Furthermore, the cable bear 32a of the first moving body 23 and the cable bear 32b of the second moving body 24 are configured so as not to interfere with each other. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, when viewed from the X direction, the cable bear 32b of the second moving body 24, which moves above, is arranged inside the cable bear 32a of the first moving body 23, which moves below. Each cable bear 32a, 32b extends upward from each moving body 23, 24, and is arranged so as to follow the front and top surfaces of the device main body. Note that each cable bear 32a, 32b does not have to be arranged so as to follow the top surface of the device main body.

[0059] <Method of manufacturing resin molded product P> Next, the operation of the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment and the method for manufacturing the resin molded product P will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. The following operation is performed by a control unit CTL provided in the supply module 100A, for example, controlling each unit.

[0060] Before the loader 15 loads the molding object W and the resin material J into the molding die 17, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the irradiation unit 21 irradiates ultraviolet light. Specifically, the first moving body 23 moves in front of the molding die 17 in the open state before resin molding. In this embodiment, the height position of the first moving body 23 when moving left and right (X direction) is set, and when moving left and right (X direction), the first moving body 23 first moves up and down (Z direction) to the set height position and then moves left and right (X direction). The first moving body 23 then enters between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 from the front. While the first moving body 23 is moving between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, the irradiation unit 21 irradiates ultraviolet light onto the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172.

[0061] Then, immediately after the irradiation of ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 21 is completed, a release agent is sprayed onto the open upper and lower molds 171 and 172, as shown in FIG. 4(b). Specifically, the first moving body 23 moves forward of the molding die 17, which is in an open state prior to resin molding. The first moving body 23 then enters between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172 from the front. While the first moving body 23 moves between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172, the spraying unit 20 sprays the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper and lower molds 171 and 172. Note that the ceramic layers on the surfaces of the upper and lower molds 171 and 172 have a matte finish (fine irregularities), and the spraying of the release agent supplies the release agent into the recesses of this matte finish. This reduces the anchor effect due to the recesses of the matte finish of the ceramic layer, reducing adhesion and improving releasability.

[0062] After the spraying unit 20 retreats forward from between the opened upper and lower dies 171 and 172, the loader 15 carries the molding object W and the resin material J from the rear between the upper and lower dies 171 and 172, as shown in Fig. 5(c). After the release agent is sprayed and before the molding object W and the resin material J are carried in, the space between the upper and lower dies 171 and 172 is evacuated by a dust collector (not shown) to remove the atomized release agent. In Figure 5(c), the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 are lowered when the molding object W and the resin material J are loaded (the second moving body 24 is positioned in front between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172), but the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 may be lowered after the molding object W and the resin material J are loaded, or at the latest, the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 may be lowered before the unloader 19 enters and loads the resin molded product P.

[0063] Then, as shown in FIG. 5(d), the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 into which the molding object W and the resin material J have been carried are clamped by a clamping mechanism, and the molding object W is resin-molded.

[0064] When the mold clamping mechanism opens the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 after resin molding, as shown in FIG. 6(e), the unloader 19 enters between the opened upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 from the rear and carries out the resin molded product P. At this time, the second moving body 24 moves to the front of the molding die 17. In this embodiment, the height position of the second moving body 24 when moving left and right (X direction) is set, and when moving left and right (X direction), the second moving body 24 first moves up and down (Z direction) to the set height position (different from the height position of the first moving body 23), and then moves left and right (X direction).

[0065] 6(f), in conjunction with or after the unloader 19 retreats rearward from between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, the second moving body 24 advances from the front between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. While the second moving body 24 is moving between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, the cleaning unit 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221.

[0066] Thereafter, the next resin molding operation (loading of molding object / resin material → resin molding (mold clamping) → unloading of resin molded product → cleaning with a brush) is performed a predetermined number of times. Here, the predetermined number is two or more, for example, 300 times. After the predetermined number of resin molding operations have been performed, ultraviolet irradiation and spraying of a mold release agent are performed again in succession. As described above, in the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, cleaning with a brush by the cleaning unit 22 is performed for each resin molding. Furthermore, irradiation of ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 21 and spraying of a mold release agent by the spray unit 20 are performed for each predetermined number of resin moldings (for example, 300 times). Note that, since the resin material J contains wax that functions as a mold release agent, spraying of a mold release agent by the spray unit 20 does not need to be performed for each resin molding.

[0067] <Effects of this embodiment> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a spraying unit 20 that sprays a release agent onto the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, an irradiation unit 21 that irradiates the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet light, and a cleaning unit 22 that cleans the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with a brush 221, so it is no longer necessary to stop the apparatus and manually clean the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 as in the conventional case. As a result, downtime can be reduced and the operating rate can be improved.

[0068] Furthermore, it is possible to reduce consumables such as cleaning resin used in the cleaning work of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, and it is also possible to reduce labor costs, thereby reducing running costs. Furthermore, since it is possible to reduce the amount of consumables such as cleaning resin used, it is also possible to reduce waste.

[0069] Furthermore, safety can be improved because the cleaning work is performed automatically without using, for example, a rubber sheet-based cleaning resin that is used in the cleaning work of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Specifically, safety can be improved by automatically performing the cleaning work and spraying the mold release agent without opening the opening / closing part 31 of the resin molding apparatus 100, and exhausting the air using the dust collection part of the resin molding apparatus 100 after the work. In addition, safety is maintained because the ultraviolet rays from the irradiation part 21 are blocked by the opening / closing part 31 or the housing 33 of the apparatus.

[0070] Furthermore, by spraying a mold release agent onto the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, cleaning the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221, and irradiating them with ultraviolet rays, it is possible to suppress contamination of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 due to resin molding. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product P can be improved.

[0071] <Other Modified Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0072] For example, the spraying unit 20 may be configured to spray the release agent onto only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Furthermore, the spraying unit 20 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to spray the release agent, for example, for each resin molding.

[0073] The irradiation unit 21 may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet light onto only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Furthermore, the irradiation unit 21 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to irradiate ultraviolet light, for example, for each resin molding.

[0074] The cleaning unit 22 may be configured to clean only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 22 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to be cleaned with the brush 221, for example, for each resin molding. When switching between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in this way, it is possible to move the cleaning unit 22 up and down with a vertical drive mechanism (not shown) so that the cleaning unit 22 comes into contact with only the mold to be cleaned. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 22 may be configured to clean with the brush 221 after each resin molding, or may be configured to clean with the brush 221 after a predetermined number of resin moldings.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the first moving body, but the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 may be provided on separate moving bodies. Also, the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body. Furthermore, the spray unit 20 and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body, or the irradiation unit 21 and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the processing moving mechanism 25 was configured to have a first processing moving part 25a and a second processing moving part 25b, but it may also be configured so that the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 are moved by a single processing moving part.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the loader 15 and the unloader 19 are movable by the common transfer movement mechanism 16, but the loader 15 and the unloader 19 may be configured to be movable by separate transfer movement mechanisms.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the resin molding apparatus that performs resin molding by transfer molding has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to a resin molding apparatus that performs resin molding by compression molding.

[0079] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 100...Resin molding equipment W: Object to be molded before molding P: Object after molding (plastic molded product) 15 Loader 16. Transfer mechanism 17...molding mold 171...upper mold 172...lower mold 19 Unloader 20...Spray part 21 Irradiation unit 22...Cleaning Department 221 Brush 23 First Mobile Unit 24 Second Mobile Unit 25 Processing transport mechanism 31 Opening and closing section

Claims

1. A resin molding apparatus for molding a resin into a molding object using a molding die having an upper die and a lower die, a loading section for loading a molding object before molding into the molding die; a discharge unit that discharges the molded object from the mold; a spray unit that sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold; an irradiation unit that irradiates both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold with ultraviolet light; a cleaning unit that cleans both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold with a brush.

2. the loading section and the unloading section enter between the upper mold and the lower mold from one side of the molding die, The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the spray unit, the irradiation unit, and the cleaning unit enter between the upper mold and the lower mold from the other side of the molding mold.

3. the spray unit and the irradiation unit are provided on a common first moving body, the cleaning unit is provided on a second moving body separate from the first moving body, The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first moving body and the second moving body are configured to be able to move independently of each other.

4. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the molding dies arranged in a row along a horizontal direction.

5. a transfer movement mechanism that moves the carry-in unit and the carry-out unit along the arrangement direction of the forming molds; The resin molding apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a processing movement mechanism that moves the spray unit, the irradiation unit, and the cleaning unit along the arrangement direction.

6. 6. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the molding dies are arranged between the transport moving mechanism and the processing moving mechanism.

7. The processing moving mechanism includes: a first moving unit for processing that moves the spray unit and the irradiation unit along the arrangement direction; The resin molding apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a second moving unit for processing that moves the cleaning unit along the arrangement direction.

8. the first processing moving unit moves the spray unit and the irradiation unit between the upper mold and the lower mold by a rack and pinion mechanism; The resin molding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second moving unit for processing moves the cleaning unit between the upper mold and the lower mold by a rack and pinion mechanism.

9. The resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the processing movement mechanism moves the spray unit, the irradiation unit, and the cleaning unit along the arrangement direction to a retracted position outside the plurality of molding molds.

10. an opening / closing portion is provided on the front side of the molding die in correspondence with the molding die, The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing section is configured using a shutter cover.

11. the cleaning unit cleans the molding die with a brush after each resin molding; the irradiation unit irradiates the molding die with ultraviolet light every predetermined number of resin moldings, the spraying unit sprays a release agent onto the molding die every time the irradiation unit irradiates with ultraviolet light, The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of times is two or more.

12. the spray unit enters between the upper mold and the lower mold from the front in a mold-open state before resin molding and sprays the mold release agent; 12. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading section loads the pre-molded object between the upper mold and the lower mold after the spray section has retreated from between the upper mold and the lower mold.

13. the discharge section enters between the upper mold and the lower mold in a mold-open state after resin molding to discharge the molded object; 13. A resin molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit enters between the upper and lower molds from the front and cleans with the brush in conjunction with or after the discharge unit retracts from between the upper and lower molds.

14. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, A molding object before molding is carried into the opened upper mold and lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold into which the molding object before molding has been carried are clamped to mold the resin into the molding object; After the resin molding, the molded object is removed from the upper mold and the lower mold which have been opened. Before the pre-molding object is carried in, a mold release agent is sprayed onto the upper mold and the lower mold which have been opened, or ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the upper mold and the lower mold; A method for manufacturing a resin molded product, comprising: cleaning the opened upper and lower molds with a brush after the molded object is removed from the molded resin molding.

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