Resin sealing device and resin sealing method

Abstract

To provide a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method which removes dust stirred up in a sealing mold, when a mold is opened and a film is exchanged, and thereby can prevent occurrence of molding failures caused by the dust.SOLUTION: A resin sealing device 1 seals workpiece W with a resin R and processes the workpiece W into a molded article Wp using a press device 250 having a sealing mold 202 having an upper mold 204 and a lower mold 206, includes a supply duct 267 for supplying air from outside, and a discharge duct 268 for discharging the air to the outside, and has a first passage 272 for flowing the air between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206, and discharging dust, as a passage for passing the air through the discharge duct 268 from the supply duct 267.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin sealing apparatus and a resin sealing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Examples of resin sealing devices and methods that seal a workpiece having electronic components mounted on a substrate with sealing resin (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin") and process it into a molded product include those that use transfer molding and compression molding.

[0003] The transfer molding method is a resin-encapsulating technique in which a pot is provided to supply a predetermined amount of resin to a pair of encapsulation areas (cavities) provided in an encapsulation mold comprising an upper and lower mold. Workpieces are placed in positions corresponding to the encapsulation areas, clamped between the upper and lower molds, and resin is poured from the pot into the cavities. The compression molding method is a resin-encapsulating technique in which a predetermined amount of resin is supplied to a encapsulation area (cavity) provided in an encapsulation mold comprising an upper and lower mold, a workpiece is placed in the encapsulation area, and the upper and lower molds are clamped together. For example, when using an encapsulation mold with a cavity in the upper mold, a known technique is to supply resin all at once to the center of the workpiece and then mold it. On the other hand, when using an encapsulation mold with a cavity in the lower mold, a known technique is to supply a film and resin that cover the mold surface including the cavity and then mold it (see Patent Document 1: JP 2021-178411 A). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-178411 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventionally, when sealing a workpiece with resin, a problem has been that molding defects occur due to dust consisting of fine resin powder adhering to the sealing mold or release film (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "film").

[0006] To address this issue, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing molding defects by cleaning the workpiece before it is carried into the sealing mold of the press machine.

[0007] On the other hand, dust that causes molding defects is not limited to dust that adheres to the workpiece and enters the sealing mold. For example, a small amount of resin used for sealing (molding) may remain in the sealing mold or film, and when the mold is opened or the film is replaced, this may become a fine powder that is blown up inside the sealing mold and become a source of dust. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method that can prevent molding defects caused by dust by removing dust that becomes airborne inside the sealing mold when opening the mold or replacing the film, etc.

[0009] The present invention solves the above problems by the solution means described below as one embodiment.

[0010] The resin sealing apparatus according to the present invention is a resin sealing apparatus that uses a press machine equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product, and is equipped with a supply duct that supplies air from the outside and an exhaust duct that exhausts the air to the outside, and a first flow path that flows the air between the upper mold and the lower mold and exhausts dust as a flow path for flowing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct. and a second flow path for passing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct, the second flow path passing the air above the sealing mold to discharge heat from the sealing mold. The following are requirements.

[0011] According to this, by passing air through the first flow path, dust floating in the space between the upper and lower dies can be discharged, thereby preventing molding defects caused by dust.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the flow path for passing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct further includes a second flow path for passing the air above the sealing mold to discharge heat from the sealing mold. In this way, by passing the air through the second flow path, heat from the sealing mold can be discharged.

[0013] It is also preferable to further include a shutter that allows the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path, thereby allowing the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path by switching between them at a predetermined timing.

[0014] Preferably, the sealing mold further includes a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section for supplying a roll of film between the upper mold and the lower mold, and the first flow path is configured to pass the air in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section to the winding section. In this way, by passing the air in the direction in which the used film is fed, dust floating in the space between the upper mold and the lower mold can be discharged to the outside of the sealing mold while preventing it from adhering to the unused film.

[0015] Preferably, the press apparatus includes two press apparatuses, a first press apparatus and a second press apparatus, the film supply mechanisms of the press apparatuses being arranged such that the unwinding section is far from the other and the winding section is close to the other, so that the film is fed in opposing directions, and the discharge duct common to the first flow paths of the press apparatuses is disposed midway between the first press apparatus and the second press apparatus. This allows for a simplification of the apparatus structure by sharing the same mechanism.

[0016] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first flow path has at least one of an inlet rectifying plate that introduces the air supplied from the supply duct toward the gap between the upper mold and the lower mold, and an outlet rectifying plate that introduces the air discharged from between the upper mold and the lower mold toward the exhaust duct. By providing the inlet rectifying plate, the air supplied from the supply duct can be efficiently introduced into the gap between the upper mold and the lower mold. Furthermore, by providing the outlet rectifying plate, the air discharged from between the upper mold and the lower mold can be efficiently introduced into the exhaust duct.

[0017] Furthermore, the resin sealing method according to the present invention is a resin sealing method in which a workpiece is sealed with resin and processed into a molded product using a resin sealing device that includes a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, and a shutter that opens and closes a flow path that allows air supplied from the outside to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold, and requires that the shutter be opened when the upper mold and the lower mold are opened to allow the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to remove dust that is blown up inside the sealing mold when opening the mold, replacing the film, etc. Therefore, it is possible to prevent molding defects caused by dust. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view illustrating an example of a resin sealing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a press device of the resin sealing apparatus in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing mold of the resin sealing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration including two press devices of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5A to 5C are explanatory views of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] (Overall composition) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. For ease of explanation, arrows in the drawing indicate the left-right direction (X direction), the front-rear direction (Y direction), and the up-down direction (Z direction) of the resin sealing apparatus 1. In addition, in all the drawings used to explain each embodiment, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted.

[0021] The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs resin sealing molding of a workpiece (molded article) W using a sealing mold 202 that includes an upper mold 204 and a lower mold 206. Hereinafter, the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described taking as an example a compression molding apparatus that collectively seals a plurality of workpieces W with resin R using a sealing mold 202 that has a plurality of cavities 208 (208A, 208B, 208C) in the upper mold 204 and a plurality of workpiece holders 205 (205A, 205B, 205C) corresponding to the lower mold 206. However, the resin sealing apparatus 1 is not limited to this configuration.

[0022] First, the workpiece W to be molded has a configuration in which a plurality of electronic components Wb are mounted in a matrix on a substrate Wa. More specifically, examples of the substrate Wa include rectangular plate-shaped components (so-called rectangular workpieces) such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers. Examples of the electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive components, spacers, and the like. Note that other examples of the substrate Wa may include components formed in a circular or square shape (not shown).

[0023] Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb on the substrate Wa include wire bonding mounting, flip-chip mounting, etc. Alternatively, in the case of a configuration in which the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) Wa is peeled off from the molded product Wp after resin sealing, the electronic components Wb can be attached using a heat-peelable adhesive tape or an ultraviolet-curable resin that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.

[0024] On the other hand, examples of resin R include granular (including cylindrical, etc.), pulverized, or powdered (sometimes collectively referred to as "granular" in this application) thermosetting resins (for example, filler-containing epoxy resins, etc.). Note that resin R is not limited to the above states, and may be in other states (shapes), such as liquid, plate, or sheet, and may be resins other than epoxy thermosetting resins.

[0025] As an example of the film F, a film material having excellent heat resistance, easy peelability, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, polyvinylidine chloride, etc. is preferably used. In this embodiment, a roll-shaped film is used as the film F. As a modified example, a strip-shaped film may be used (not shown).

[0026] Next, an overview of the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the resin sealing apparatus 1 mainly comprises a work supply unit 100A that mainly supplies workpieces W, a press unit 100B that mainly seals the workpieces W with resin and processes them into molded products Wp, a resin supply unit 100C that mainly supplies resin, and a molded product storage unit 100D that mainly stores the molded products Wp after resin sealing. Note that a control unit 150 that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit is disposed in the work supply unit 100A, but it may be disposed in another unit.

[0027] In this embodiment, the work supply unit 100A, press unit 100B, resin supply unit 100C, press unit 100B, and molded product storage unit 100D are arranged in this order along a predetermined direction (for example, the X direction in FIG. 1). Here, a work transport section 104 is provided to transport the work W between the work supply unit 100A and the press unit 100B, and a molded product transport section 106 is provided to transport the molded product Wp between the press unit 100B and the molded product storage unit 100D. In addition, a resin transport section 108 is provided to transport the resin R between the resin supply unit 100C and the press unit 100B.

[0028] In this embodiment, the workpiece transport section 104 is configured with a workpiece loader 210, and a moving device 130 having a slider 116, a guide 117, etc. The molded product transport section 106 is configured with a molded product loader 212, and a moving device 132 having a slider 118, a guide 119, etc. The resin transport section 108 is configured with a resin loader 304, and a moving device 134 having a guide 305, etc. For example, the moving devices 130 and 132 use linear motion mechanisms such as linear conveyors. The moving device 134 uses a combination of a linear motion mechanism such as a linear conveyor and a lifting mechanism such as an elevator. However, the present invention is not limited to these configurations.

[0029] It should be noted that the overall configuration of the resin sealing apparatus 1 can be changed by changing the configuration of the units. For example, the configuration shown in Fig. 1 is an example in which two sets of press units 100B are installed, but a configuration in which only one set of press units 100B is installed, or a configuration in which other units are additionally installed, etc. are also possible (neither of which are shown).

[0030] (Work supply unit) Next, the workpiece supply unit 100A provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

[0031] The work supply unit 100A includes a work stocker 110 used to store the work W, a work transport section 104 that transports the work W into the sealing mold 202, and a supply pickup 120 that delivers the work W from the work stocker 110 to the work transport section 104. Note that a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like is used as the work stocker 110.

[0032] The slider 116 of the workpiece transport unit 104 receives the workpiece W from the supply pickup 120, transports it, and hands it over to the workpiece loader 210. As a configuration example, three rows of workpiece holding units 116A, 116B, and 116C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one workpiece W. They are also configured to be movable in the X direction between the workpiece supply unit 100A and the press unit 100B along a guide 117. Note that the workpiece holding units 116A, 116B, and 116C use a known holding mechanism (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

[0033] The work loader 210 of the work transport unit 104 receives the work W from the slider 116, transports it, and delivers it to the sealing mold 202. As a configuration example, three rows of work holding units 210A, 210B, and 210C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one work W. They are also configured to be movable in the Y direction (a direction perpendicular to the X direction in a horizontal plane) within the press unit 100B. Note that the work holding units 210A, 210B, and 210C use known holding mechanisms (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

[0034] According to this configuration, a maximum of three workpieces W can be loaded into the sealing mold 202 at one time using the workpiece transport unit 104 and held by the workpiece holding units 205 (205A, 205B, 205C) of the lower mold 206.

[0035] In this embodiment, the workpiece transport unit 104 is configured such that the slider 116 moves in the X direction and the workpiece loader 210 moves in the Y direction to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202. However, this is not limited to this, and the workpiece transport unit 104 may also be configured such that one workpiece loader moves in the X direction and the Y direction to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 (not shown).

[0036] The slider 116 also includes a heater (not shown) that heats the workpiece W from the bottom side (the substrate Wa side). As an example, a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.) is used as the heater. This allows the workpiece W to be preheated before being carried into the sealing mold 202 and heated. Note that a configuration without a heater is also possible.

[0037] (Press unit) Next, a detailed description will be given of the press unit 100B provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1. Here, a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of a press device 250 provided in the press unit 100B is shown in Fig. 2. Also, a side cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of a sealing mold 202 provided in the press device 250 is shown in Fig. 3.

[0038] The press unit 100B includes a sealing mold 202 having a pair of molds that can be opened and closed (for example, a combination of a plurality of mold blocks, mold plates, mold pillars, and other members made of alloy tool steel), and a press device 250 that opens and closes the sealing mold 202. In this embodiment, of the pair of molds, one mold on the upper side in the vertical direction is an upper mold 204, and the other mold on the lower side is a lower mold 206. The sealing mold 202 is closed and opened by the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 moving toward and away from each other. In other words, the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the mold opening and closing direction.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the press device 250 is configured with a pair of fixed platens 252 and a movable platen 254, a plurality of connecting mechanisms 256 to which the platens 252, 254 are connected, a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 that raises and lowers the movable platen 254, and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 262, etc.

[0040] The sealing mold 202 is disposed between a fixed platen 252 and a movable platen 254 in the press device 250. In this embodiment, the upper mold 204 is assembled to the fixed platen 252, and the lower mold 206 is assembled to the movable platen 254. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the upper mold 204 may be assembled to the movable platen and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the fixed platen, or both the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the movable platen (neither is shown).

[0041] First, the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper mold 204 includes an upper plate 222, a cavity piece 226, a clamper 228, etc., which are assembled together. In this embodiment, a cavity 208 is provided on the lower surface of the upper mold 204 (the surface facing the lower mold 206).

[0042] More specifically, the cavity piece 226 is fixedly attached to the lower surface of the upper plate 222. Meanwhile, the clamper 228 is configured in an annular shape to surround the cavity piece 226, and is attached via a biasing member 232 so as to be spaced (floating) from the lower surface of the upper plate 222 and movable up and down. The cavity piece 226 forms the innermost part (bottom) of the cavity 208, and the clamper 228 forms the side part of the cavity 208. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, three sets of cavities 208 are arranged side by side in the X direction in one upper mold 204 (208A, 208B, 208C in the drawing), and three or less workpieces W are collectively sealed with resin, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0043] Here, a suction groove (not shown) is provided on the mold surface 206a of the lower mold 206 facing the clamper 228, and this groove is connected to a suction device (not shown). In addition, by providing a seal structure surrounding these, it becomes possible to evacuate the cavity 208 in a closed mold state by driving the suction device to reduce the pressure.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a suction mechanism is provided that suction-holds the film F supplied from a film supply mechanism 214 (described later) to the upper mold 204. As an example, this suction mechanism is connected to a suction device (not shown) via suction paths 230a, 230b that are disposed penetrating the clamper 228 and a suction path 230c that is disposed penetrating the upper plate 222 and the cavity piece 226. Specifically, one end of the suction paths 230a, 230b, 230c leads to the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204, and the other end is connected to a suction device disposed outside the upper mold 204. This makes it possible to suck the film F through the suction paths 230a, 230b, 230c by driving the suction device, and to hold the film F by suction against the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208.

[0045] In this way, by providing a film F that covers the inner surface of the cavity 208 and (part of) the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204, the portion of the resin R on the upper surface of the molded product Wp can be easily peeled off, making it possible to easily remove the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202 (in this case, the upper mold 204).

[0046] A gap of a predetermined dimension provided between the inner peripheral surface of the clamper 228 and the outer peripheral surface of the cavity piece 226 constitutes part of the suction path 230a. Therefore, a seal member 234 (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed at a predetermined position in the gap to provide a seal when the film F is sucked.

[0047] In this embodiment, an upper die heating mechanism is provided that heats the upper die 204 to a predetermined temperature. This upper die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 150 (all of which are not shown). As an example, the heater is built into the upper plate 222 or a mold base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire upper die 204 and the resin R (described later). As a result, the upper die 204 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

[0048] Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower mold 206 includes a lower plate 224, a holding plate 236, etc., which are assembled together. Here, the holding plate 236 is fixed to and assembled on the upper surface of the lower plate 224 (the surface on the upper mold 204 side).

[0049] In this embodiment, a workpiece holding section 205 is provided to hold the workpiece W at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding plate 236. As an example, the workpiece holding section 205 has a suction passage 240a that penetrates the holding plate 236 and the lower plate 224 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction passage 240a is connected to the die surface 206a of the lower die 206, and the other end is connected to a suction device disposed outside the lower die 206. This allows the suction device to be driven to suck the workpiece W through the suction passage 240a, and the workpiece W can be sucked and held on the die surface 206a (here, the upper surface of the holding plate 236). Furthermore, a configuration (not shown) may be provided in parallel with the configuration that includes the suction passage 240a and that includes holding claws that clamp the outer periphery of the workpiece W.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lower die heating mechanism is provided that heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature. This lower die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 150 (all of which are not shown). As an example, the heater is built into the lower plate 224 or a die base (not shown) that houses them, and is configured to apply heat mainly to the entire lower die 206 and the workpiece W. As a result, the lower die 206 is heated and adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C).

[0051] In this embodiment, the configuration of the upper mold 204 described above, i.e., the configuration in which three sets of cavities 208 are arranged side by side in the X direction (208A, 208B, 208C in the figure), corresponds to the configuration in which three sets of cavities 208 are arranged side by side in the X direction, and one lower mold 206 has a configuration in which three sets of work holding portions 205 are arranged side by side in the X direction (205A, 205B, 205C in the figure), but this is not limited to this.

[0052] Here, the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a supply duct 267 that supplies air from the outside and a discharge duct 268 that discharges air to the outside. Furthermore, as channels for flowing air from the supply duct 267 to the discharge duct 268, a second channel 271 that passes air above the sealing mold 202 and a first channel 272 that passes air between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 are provided. By passing air through the second channel 271, heat from the sealing mold 202 can be discharged (cooled). Furthermore, by passing air through the first channel 272, dust floating in the space between the inside and outside of the sealing mold 202 (particularly the space between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206) can be discharged. Therefore, molding defects caused by dust can be prevented.

[0053] As an example, the supply duct 267 is disposed in the press unit 100B, but this is not limiting and the duct may be disposed in the work supply unit 100A adjacent to the press unit 100B, the molded product storage unit 100D, etc. Also, the discharge duct 268 is disposed in the resin supply unit 100C adjacent to the press unit 100B, but this is not limiting and the duct may be disposed in the press unit 100B, etc.

[0054] Furthermore, the resin sealing apparatus 1 (specifically, the press unit 100B) according to this embodiment is equipped with a film supply mechanism 214 that transports (supplies) a roll of film F to the inside of the sealing mold 202 (specifically, between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206). This film supply mechanism 214 is configured so that unused film F is sent out from an unwinding section 214a and supplied to the opened sealing mold 202, and after being used for resin sealing in the sealing mold 202, is wound up by a winding section 214b as used film F. Note that, as a modified example, the film supply mechanism 214 may be configured to individually supply film F depending on the number of installed cavities 208, etc. (not shown).

[0055] The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with two press devices 250: a first press device 250A and a second press device 250B. Here, the film supply mechanisms 214 provided in each press device 250 (film supply mechanism 214A provided in the first press device 250A and film supply mechanism 214B provided in the second press device 250B) are disposed such that the unwinding section 214a is located far from each other and the winding section 214b is located close to each other. In other words, the feed direction of the film F in the film supply mechanism 214A and the feed direction of the film F in the film supply mechanism 214B are configured to face each other.

[0056] Furthermore, the first flow path 272 described above is configured to allow air to flow in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section 214a to the winding section 214b in each of the film supply mechanism 214A and the film supply mechanism 214B. This allows dust (fine powder of resin R) that is blown up inside the sealing mold 202 when the mold is opened and the film F is replaced (sent out) to be discharged to the outside of the sealing mold 202 while preventing the dust from adhering to the unused film F by allowing air to flow in the same direction as the sent-out direction of the used film F.

[0057] In this embodiment, the resin supply unit 100C is disposed between (at an intermediate position) the press unit 100B having the first press device 250A and the press unit 100B having the second press device 250B. Therefore, the resin supply unit 100C is provided with an exhaust duct 268 common to both the second flow path 271 and the first flow path 272 of the first press device 250A and the second flow path 271 and the first flow path 272 of the second press device 250B (see FIG. 4). This simplifies the device structure.

[0058] Furthermore, a shutter 274 for opening and closing the first flow path 272 is provided at a position upstream of the position where air enters between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). This allows the first flow path 272 to be opened and closed at a predetermined timing, thereby enabling or stopping the flow of air between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 (details will be described later).

[0059] Furthermore, the first flow path 272 is provided with an inlet rectifying plate 276 that introduces air supplied from the supply duct 267 toward the gap between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206. This allows the air supplied from the supply duct 267 to be efficiently guided between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206. Furthermore, the first flow path 272 is provided with an outlet rectifying plate 278 that guides air sent out from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 toward the exhaust duct 268. This allows the air sent out from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 to be efficiently guided to the exhaust duct 268. Note that one or both of the inlet rectifying plate 276 and the outlet rectifying plate 278 may be omitted.

[0060] (Resin supply unit) Next, the resin supply unit 100C provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

[0061] The resin supply unit 100C includes a resin stocker 302 used to store resin R, a dispenser 312 that supplies resin R from the resin stocker 302, and a resin loader 304 that transports the supplied resin R into the sealing mold 202. Three dispensers 312 are provided so that resin R can be simultaneously supplied to three pressure plates 314 (described below) that are provided corresponding to the three sets of cavities 208. In this embodiment, the resin loader 304 is configured to transport resin R into the sealing mold 202 along the X direction.

[0062] The resin supply unit 100C also includes a resin heater 306, located adjacent to the dispenser 312, for heating the resin R transported by the resin loader 304. As an example, a known heating mechanism (e.g., an electric wire heater, an infrared heater, etc.) is used for the resin heater 306. This allows the surface of the granular resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 to be heated and melted or softened, preventing dust (fine powder of resin R, etc.) from being generated from the resin R during transport, and preventing molding defects in products and malfunctions of the device. Note that the resin heater 306 may not be included.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 6 , the resin loader 304 includes a pressure plate 314 that deposits the resin R dispensed from the dispenser 312 onto an upper surface 314a, and a guard 316 having a peripheral wall 316a that surrounds the entire outer periphery of the pressure plate 314 up to a position higher than the upper surface 314a. In this embodiment, one upper mold 204 has three cavities 208, and three workpieces W (e.g., rectangular workpieces) are placed in one lower mold 206 and collectively sealed with resin, thereby simultaneously obtaining three molded products Wp (a configuration of fewer than three is also possible). Therefore, three pressure plates 314 (314A, 314B, 314C) are provided corresponding to the positions of the cavities 208. The guard 316 is configured such that the peripheral wall 316a surrounds the entire periphery of the three pressure plates 314 (314A, 314B, 314C). That is, the guard 316 is configured as a frame provided around each pressing plate 314 .

[0064] 6, the resin loader 304 is configured to be movable up and down (i.e., reciprocable in the Z direction). Furthermore, the resin loader 304 is provided with a moving bonding mechanism 315 that moves the pressure plate 314 upward to press the placed resin R against the film F within the cavity 208. This allows the resin loader 304 to be raised, bringing the peripheral wall 316a of the guard 316 into contact with the upper mold 204 (e.g., the mold surface 204a of the clamper 228). Furthermore, in this state, the moving bonding mechanism 315 can move the pressure plate 314 upward to press the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 against the film F within the cavity 208 of the upper mold 204, which has been heated to a predetermined temperature (see FIG. 7). Therefore, heat from the upper mold 204 can be transferred to the resin R via the film F, causing the resin R to soften (melt), generating an adhesive force that allows the resin R to be bonded to the underside of the film F. However, this configuration is not limited to this, and a mechanism for raising and lowering the guard 316 may be provided in the resin loader 304, and the guard 316 with the peripheral wall portion 316a removed may be raised and lowered relative to the resin loader 304 (not shown).

[0065] As a modified example of the resin sealing device 1 for supplying the resin R, a dispenser may be provided in the work supply unit 100A to supply the resin R onto the work W, and the resin R may be transported together with the work W into the sealing mold 202 by the work transport section 104 or the like (not shown).

[0066] (Molded product storage unit) Next, the molded product storage unit 100D provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

[0067] The molded product storage unit 100D includes a molded product stocker 112 used to store the molded products Wp, a molded product transport section 106 that transports the molded products Wp to the outside of the sealing mold 202, and a storage pickup 122 that delivers the molded products Wp from the molded product transport section 106 to the molded product stocker 112. Note that a known stack magazine, slit magazine, etc. is used as the molded product stocker 112.

[0068] The molded product loader 212 of the molded product transport section 106 receives the molded products Wp from the sealing mold 202, transports them, and hands them over to the slider 118. As an example of a configuration, three rows of molded product holding sections 212A, 212B, and 212C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one molded product Wp. The molded product holding sections 212A, 212B, and 212C are configured to be movable in the Y direction within the press unit 100B. The molded product holding sections 212A, 212B, and 212C use a known holding mechanism (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

[0069] The slider 118 of the molded product transport section 106 receives the molded products Wp from the molded product loader 212, transports them, and hands them over to the storage pickup 122. As an example of a configuration, three rows of molded product holding sections 118A, 118B, and 118C are arranged in parallel in the X direction, each capable of holding one molded product Wp. The molded product holding sections 118A, 118B, and 118C are configured to be movable between the press unit 100B and the molded product storage unit 100D along a guide 119. The molded product holding sections 118A, 118B, and 118C use a known holding mechanism (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction configuration with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

[0070] According to this configuration, up to three molded products Wp that have been resin-sealed and are held in the cavities 208 (208A, 208B, 208C) of the upper mold 204 can be transported out of the sealing mold 202 at once using the molded product transport section 106.

[0071] In this embodiment, the molded product transport section 106 is configured such that the molded product loader 212 moves in the Y direction and the slider 118 moves in the X direction to transport the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202. However, this is not limited to this, and the molded product transport section 106 may also be configured such that one molded product loader moves in the X direction and the Y direction to transport the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202 (not shown).

[0072] In the resin sealing apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the work loader 210 is configured to load the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 along the Y direction, and the molded product loader 212 is configured to load the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202 along the Y direction. Meanwhile, the resin loader 304 is configured to load the resin R into the sealing mold 202 along the X direction. This makes it possible to ensure that the path for loading the workpiece W and the path for unloading the molded product Wp into the sealing mold 202 do not overlap with the path for loading the resin R, and also ensures that the work transport unit 104, the molded product transport unit 106, and the resin transport unit 108 are separated from each other. This prevents foreign matter (such as burrs) generated from the molded product Wp and foreign matter (such as dust) generated from the resin R during transport from adhering to the workpiece W or the sealing mold 202, thereby improving molding quality.

[0073] Furthermore, the work stocker 110 and the molded product stocker 112 are disposed relatively above the device, while the resin stocker 302 is disposed relatively below the device. Furthermore, the movement devices 130 and 132 and the movement device 134 are disposed so that their movement directions are perpendicular to each other. This allows the overall dimensions of the device to be made compact. This configuration also contributes to ensuring the separation of the work transport section 104 and molded product transport section 106 from the resin transport section 108. Furthermore, since the worker can replace the work stocker 110 and molded product stocker 112 without bending over, workability can be improved.

[0074] (Resin sealing operation) Next, the operation of resin sealing using the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment (i.e., the resin sealing method according to this embodiment) will be described. Here, an example will be given in which three sets of cavities 208 are provided in one upper mold 204, and three workpieces W (e.g., strip-shaped workpieces) are placed in one lower mold 206, and resin sealing is performed all at once to simultaneously obtain three molded products Wp. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0075] As a preparation step, a heating step (upper die heating step) is carried out in which the upper die 204 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100°C to 200°C) using the upper die heating mechanism. Also, a heating step (lower die heating step) is carried out in which the lower die 206 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100°C to 200°C) using the lower die heating mechanism. Furthermore, a step (initial film supply step) is carried out in which the film F is transported (sent out) from the unwinding section 214a to the winding section 214b by the film supply mechanism 214 and supplied to a predetermined position in the sealing mold 202 (a position between the upper die 204 and the lower die 206).

[0076] The following description will be given in the order of performing the work transport process to transport the work W from the work supply unit 100A to the press unit 100B, followed by the resin transport process to transport the resin R from the resin supply unit 100C to the press unit 100B, but the resin transport process may also be performed before the work transport process.

[0077] First, as a workpiece transport step, a step of transporting the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece transport unit 104 is carried out. As an example, the workpiece W is preheated by the slider 116 while being transported to the press unit 100B. Next, the workpiece W is transported into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece loader 210 and held at a predetermined position in the lower mold 206 (not shown). In this embodiment, three workpieces W are held in a side-by-side state by the workpiece holding units 205A, 205B, and 205C. The preheating step may be omitted.

[0078] Next, as a resin transport process, a process of transporting the resin R from the resin supply unit 100C to the press unit 100B is performed. As an example, the resin loader 304 transports the three pressure plates 314 together with the guards 316 surrounding the pressure plates 314 so that they are positioned directly below the nozzles of the three dispensers 312. At this time, the guards 316 (peripheral wall portions 316a) surround the entire periphery of the pressure plates 314 up to a position higher than the upper surface 314a of the pressure plates 314. In this state, a loading process is performed in which a predetermined amount of resin R is dropped (supplied) from the nozzles of each dispenser 312 onto the upper surface 314a of each pressure plate 314 and loaded. As described above, the guards 316 are frames disposed surrounding the entire periphery of the pressure plates 314. Therefore, when the resin R is dropped, it is possible to prevent the resin R from spilling from the pressure plates 314. In this embodiment, the resin R is supplied to make it more flat, but as a variant, after the placing step, a step may be carried out in which the pressing plate 314 is vibrated to spread the resin R placed on the upper surface 314a of the pressing plate 314 to the outermost peripheral position and flatten it (make the thickness uniform).

[0079] Next, a process is carried out in which the resin heater 306 heats (preheats) the resin R while it is being transported by the resin loader 304. For example, the resin R is preheated to a temperature (e.g., 60°C to 80°C) at which it does not completely melt or dissolve by pressing a heated portion against it or by radiant heat, and the particles of resin R are welded (or softened) and integrated together. This makes it possible to weld (or soften) the surfaces of the granular resin R placed on the pressure plate 314, preventing the generation of dust (fine powder of resin R, etc.) during transport and preventing molding defects in the product and malfunctions of the device. The preheating process may be omitted.

[0080] Here, in parallel with (or before or after) the process of transporting resin by resin loader 304, a process (film supply process) is carried out in which film supply mechanism 214 transports (feeds out) film F from unwinding section 214a to winding section 214b and supplies film F to a predetermined position (a position between upper die 204 and lower die 206) in sealing mold 202. In this process, only unused film F is supplied the first time, but from the second time onwards, the feeding (discharge) of used film F and the supply of unused film F are carried out simultaneously.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the film supplying step is performed (i.e., when the film F is fed out from between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206), the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is switched from a closed state (see FIG. 5(a)) to an open state (see FIG. 5(b)), and air supplied from the outside is introduced between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 and caused to flow in the feeding direction of the film F. Note that the step of causing the air to flow may be performed when the sealing mold 202 is opened instead of or together with the film supplying step.

[0082] Normally, when replacing (sending out) the film F, the film F is released from its adsorption to the upper die 204 and moved, which makes it easy for dust (fine powder of resin R adhering to the used film F, etc.) to fly up inside the sealing die 202. In contrast, according to the above process, air is circulated into the sealing die 202 along the direction in which the used film F is sent out, making it possible to discharge the dust outside the sealing die 202 while preventing it from adhering to the unused film F.

[0083] 6, an adsorption process (film adsorption process) is performed in which the adsorption mechanism adsorbs and holds the film F on the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208. Next, a process is performed in which the resin loader 304 transports the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 into the sealing mold 202 (between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206). In this process, the resin loader 304 is placed at a predetermined position in the sealing mold 202 (between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206), and then begins to rise from that state. Note that the rise of the resin loader 304 is stopped when the peripheral wall portion 316a of the guard 316 comes into contact with the upper mold 204 (in this case, the mold surface 204a of the clamper 228).

[0084] 7, the moving adhesion mechanism 315 is driven to start raising the pressure plate 314. At this time, only the pressure plate 314 moves upward (i.e., into the cavity 208), and the resin R placed on the upper surface 314a is pressed against the lower surface of the film F to adhere it thereto.

[0085] In this way, the resin R placed on the pressure plate 314 can be pressed against the film F within the cavity 208 of the upper mold 204, which is heated to a predetermined temperature. Therefore, heat from the upper mold 204 can be transferred to the resin R via the film F, causing the resin R to soften (melt) and generate adhesive force, thereby adhering to the underside of the film F. The adhering process is preferably performed in a short time so that the mobile adhering mechanism 315 is not heated by radiant heat or heat transferred via the resin R. In this regard, by performing the preheating process described above to integrate the resin R in advance, the process of adhering the resin R to the underside of the film F can be performed efficiently. Specifically, because the resin R is integrated, the resin R can be adhered to the underside of the film F in a short time. Furthermore, because the resin R is integrated, it is possible to prevent particles of the resin R from remaining on the pressure plate 314.

[0086] Next, a step of driving the moving adhering mechanism 315 to start the descent of the pressure plate 314 and a step of starting the descent of the resin loader 304 are performed. Next, a step of moving the resin loader 304 to the outside of the sealing mold 202 is performed.

[0087] As a modified example of the resin transport process, as described above, the resin R may be supplied onto the workpiece W and transported together with the workpiece W into the sealing mold 202 by the workpiece transport unit 104 or the like (not shown).

[0088] Next, in the mold closing process, the sealing mold 202 is closed and the workpiece W is clamped under heat and pressure. At this time, the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is closed (it may be left open, but since the mold is closed, air cannot flow between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206).

[0089] In the mold closing process, in each cavity 208, the cavity piece 226 descends relatively to heat and pressurize the resin R onto the workpiece W (there may be cases where the workpiece W is not held on some of the workpiece holding portions 205A to 205C). This thermally hardens the resin R, completing resin sealing (molding).

[0090] Next, as a mold opening step, the sealing mold 202 is opened, and the molded product Wp is removed from the sealing mold 202 by the molded product transport unit 106 (molded product loader 212).

[0091] In this embodiment, when the sealing mold 202 is opened, the shutter 274 of the first flow path 272 is switched from a closed state (see FIG. 5(a)) to an open state (see FIG. 5(b)), and air supplied from the outside is introduced between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 and allowed to flow along the feeding direction of the film F. As described above, the step of allowing air to flow may be performed when the film supply step is carried out, instead of or together with the time when the sealing mold 202 is opened.

[0092] Normally, when the sealing mold 202 is opened, the sealing mold 202 is moved (opened) and the molded product Wp is ejected, which tends to cause dust (fine powder of the resin R adhering to the sealing mold 202, etc.) to fly up inside the sealing mold 202. In contrast, according to the above process, air is circulated into the sealing mold 202, i.e., between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206, making it possible to discharge the dust to the outside of the sealing mold 202.

[0093] Finally, the molded product Wp is transported by the molded product transport section 106 (slider 118) from the press unit 100B to the molded product storage unit 100D, and a step of storing the molded product Wp in the molded product stocker 112 is carried out.

[0094] The above are the main operations of resin sealing performed using the resin sealing apparatus 1. However, the above process order is just an example, and the order of steps can be changed or performed in parallel as long as there is no problem. For example, in this embodiment, since the configuration includes multiple (for example, two sets of) press units 100B, performing the above operations in parallel enables efficient formation of molded products.

[0095] As described above, the resin sealing apparatus and resin sealing method according to the present invention can remove dust that becomes airborne inside the sealing mold when opening the mold, replacing the film, etc. Therefore, molding defects caused by dust can be prevented.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, although the above description has been given using granular, pulverized, or powdered thermosetting resin as the sealing resin, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and can also be applied to configurations using resin in liquid, plate, or sheet form.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the resin sealing device and resin sealing method are described as an example of a compression molding method with a cavity in the upper mold, but the present invention can also be applied to a compression molding method with a cavity in the lower mold, and further to a transfer molding method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Resin sealing equipment 202 Sealing mold 267 Supply Duct 268 Exhaust Duct 271 Second Channel 272 First Channel double work

Claims

1. A resin sealing apparatus that uses a press device equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product, A supply duct for supplying air from the outside and a discharge duct for discharging the air to the outside, a first flow path that causes the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold to discharge dust, as a flow path that causes the air to flow from the supply duct to the discharge duct; a second flow path for passing the air from the supply duct to the exhaust duct, the second flow path passing the air above the sealing mold to exhaust heat from the sealing mold; A resin sealing device characterized by the above.

2. The air conditioner further includes a shutter for allowing the air to flow through either the first flow path or the second flow path.

2. The resin sealing device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. A resin sealing device that uses a press device equipped with a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold to seal a workpiece with resin and process it into a molded product, a supply duct for supplying air from the outside, and a discharge duct for discharging the air to the outside; a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section and supplying a roll-shaped film between the upper mold and the lower mold, a first flow path that causes the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold to discharge dust, as a flow path that causes the air to flow from the supply duct to the discharge duct; The first flow path is configured to allow the air to flow in the same direction as the direction from the unwinding section to the winding section. A resin sealing device characterized by the above.

4. the press device includes two press devices, a first press device and a second press device, and the film supply mechanisms provided in the press devices are arranged such that the unwinding section is located far from the other press device and the winding section is located close to the other press device, thereby feeding the film in opposite directions; The exhaust duct, which is common to the first flow paths provided in the first press machine and the second press machine, is disposed at an intermediate position between the first press machine and the second press machine.

4. The resin sealing device according to claim 3, wherein:

5. A resin sealing method for processing a molded product by sealing a workpiece with resin using a resin sealing device including a sealing mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, a shutter for opening and closing a flow path for allowing air supplied from outside to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold, and a film supply mechanism having an unwinding section and a winding section for supplying a rolled film between the upper mold and the lower mold, When the film is fed out from between the upper mold and the lower mold, the shutter is opened to allow the air to flow between the upper mold and the lower mold. A resin sealing method characterized by the above.

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