Resin molding device and method for producing resin molded article

Abstract

The present invention is for efficiently conveying, to a plurality of molds, a plurality of release films that have been fed with a resin material. The present invention comprises: a resin molding mechanism in which a plurality of molds that each have an upper mold and a lower mold are vertically disposed; an object-being-molded conveying mechanism which is for conveying, to the plurality of molds, a plurality of objects being molded; a resin material feeding mechanism which is for feeding a resin material into a release film disposed in the lower mold; a multi-tier film placement shelf in which the release film that has been fed with the resin material is placed; and a resin material conveying mechanism which is for conveying a plurality of release films that have been fed with the resin material, from the multi-tier film placement shelf to the plurality of molds.

Description

Resin molding apparatus and method for manufacturing a resin molded product

[0006]

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

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a resin molding apparatus in which a plurality of molding dies having an upper die and a lower die are arranged vertically has been considered. In this resin molding apparatus, a resin material is introduced onto a release film held by a holding frame, and the holding frame onto which the resin material has been introduced is conveyed to each of the plurality of molding dies by a resin material conveying mechanism.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-160547

[0004] By the way, in order to efficiently manufacture a plurality of resin molded products using a plurality of molding dies, it is necessary to convey a holding frame onto which a resin material has been introduced to the plurality of molding dies.

[0005] However, in a conventional resin molding apparatus, the configuration is such that the holding frames onto which the resin material has been introduced are conveyed to the molding dies one by one, and it is not possible to efficiently convey a plurality of holding frames onto which the resin material has been introduced to the plurality of molding dies.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its main object is to efficiently convey a plurality of release films onto which a resin material has been supplied to a plurality of molding dies.

[0007] That is, the resin molding apparatus according to the present invention includes a resin molding mechanism in which a plurality of molding dies having an upper die and a lower die are arranged vertically, a molded object conveying mechanism for conveying a plurality of molded objects to the plurality of molding dies, a resin material supply mechanism for supplying a resin material to a release film disposed on the lower die, a plurality of film placement shelves on which the release films onto which the resin material has been supplied are disposed, and a resin material conveying mechanism for conveying a plurality of release films onto which the resin material has been supplied from the plurality of film placement shelves to the plurality of molding dies.

[0008] [[ID=​​This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic front view and a schematic side view showing the configuration of the resin molding module of the same embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the mold of the same embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the interlocking mechanism, namely (a) a lever mechanism and (b) a rack and pinion mechanism. This is a schematic plan view and a schematic front view showing the configuration of the film arrangement shelf and frame arrangement shelf of the same embodiment. This is a plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view showing the film arrangement shelf of the same embodiment in a rear-sliding state and (b) in a front-sliding state. This is a plan view showing the configuration of the frame of the same embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the frame in which the release film is sandwiched at the bottom surface. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the frame in which the release film is sandwiched at the side surface. This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the frame movement part of the same embodiment. This is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the frame movement unit of the same embodiment. This is a front view showing the state in which the vertical drive unit of the frame movement unit has raised the vertically moving body in the same embodiment. This is a front view showing the state in which the left and right drive units of the frame movement unit have moved the vertically moving body to the next area in the same embodiment. This is a front view showing the state in which the vertical drive unit of the frame movement unit has lowered the vertically moving body in the same embodiment. This is a front view showing the state in which the left and right drive units of the frame movement unit have moved the vertically moving body to its original area in the same embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the frame loading unit (frame retrieval unit) of the same embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the clamp opening and closing mechanism of the same embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the release film supply mechanism of the same embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the film mounting unit of the same embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the frame unloading unit of the same embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the positioning mechanism of the same embodiment (a) before the vertically moving body rises and (b) after the vertically moving body rises. This is a schematic diagram showing configuration example 1 of the determination unit and configuration example 2 of the determination unit of the same embodiment.

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

[0011] The resin molding apparatus of Technology 1 according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a resin molding mechanism in which a plurality of molds having an upper mold and a lower mold are arranged vertically; a molded object transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of molded objects to the plurality of molds; a resin material supply mechanism for supplying resin material to a release film placed in the lower mold; a plurality of film arrangement shelves on which the release films supplied with the resin material are arranged; and a resin material transport mechanism for transporting the plurality of release films supplied with the resin material from the plurality of film arrangement shelves to the plurality of molds.

[0012] This resin molding apparatus has multiple film arrangement shelves where release films supplied with resin material are placed, allowing for the pre-preparation of multiple release films supplied with resin material during resin molding using the resin molding mechanism. Furthermore, the resin material transport mechanism transports multiple release films supplied with resin material from the multiple film arrangement shelves to multiple molds, enabling efficient transport of release films supplied with resin material to multiple molds. As a result, the throughput of resin molding can be improved.

[0013] In the resin molding apparatus of Technology 2 according to the present invention, each of the multiple film arrangement shelves is configured to be slidable, and when the multiple film arrangement shelves are slid individually, the resin material supply mechanism sequentially places the release films supplied with the resin material onto the slid film arrangement shelves, and when all of the multiple film arrangement shelves are slid, the resin material transport mechanism preferably holds up multiple release films supplied with the resin material from the slid multiple film arrangement shelves at once and transports them to the multiple molding dies. With this configuration, since the resin material supply mechanism sequentially places the release films supplied with the resin material onto each individually slid film arrangement shelf, the release films supplied with the resin material can be efficiently arranged without other film arrangement shelves getting in the way. Furthermore, since all of the resin material transport mechanisms hold up multiple release films supplied with the resin material from the multiple slid film arrangement shelves at once and transport them to the multiple molding dies, the release films supplied with the resin material can be efficiently transported to the multiple molding dies. Here, holding multiple release films at once means holding multiple release films in a single operation. The timing of holding one release film may differ from the timing of holding other release films.

[0014] As a specific embodiment of the resin material supply mechanism, it is desirable that the resin molding apparatus of Technology 3 according to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of Technology 1 or 2 described above, comprises a film mounting section for mounting a release film to a frame, a resin material supply section for supplying the resin material to the release film mounted on the frame, and a frame unloading section for sequentially arranging the release film supplied with the resin material together with the frame on the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves. With this configuration, since the resin material is supplied to the release film mounted on the frame, the resin material can be supplied to a predetermined area on the release film. Furthermore, since the release film supplied with the resin material is transported using the frame, its handling can be made easier.

[0015] The resin molding apparatus of Technology 4 according to the present invention further comprises, in addition to the configuration of Technology 3 described above, a multi-tiered frame arrangement shelf on which empty frames are placed. The resin material transport mechanism transports a multi-tiered film arrangement shelf from which the resin material is supplied along with the frames to the multi-tiered film arrangement shelf to the multi-tiered molding die, and after the release film supplied with the resin material is placed in the lower die, it is desirable to place the empty frames on the frame arrangement shelf. With this configuration, since empty frames are placed on the frame arrangement shelf, multiple empty frames can be efficiently recovered.

[0016] The resin molding apparatus of Technology 5 according to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of Technology 4 described above, is configured such that each of the multiple frame arrangement shelves is slidable. When all of the multiple frame arrangement shelves are slid, the resin material transport mechanism places multiple empty frames on the slid multiple frame arrangement shelves at once. When each of the multiple frame arrangement shelves slides individually, the resin material supply mechanism sequentially collects the empty frames from the slid frame arrangement shelves into the resin material supply mechanism. With this configuration, the resin material transport mechanism places multiple empty frames on the slid multiple frame arrangement shelves at once, allowing for efficient placement of multiple empty frames. Furthermore, since the resin material supply mechanism sequentially collects the empty frames from the individually slid frame arrangement shelves, the empty frames can be efficiently collected without other frame arrangement shelves getting in the way. Placing multiple empty frames at once means placing multiple empty frames in a single operation. The timing of placing one empty frame may differ from the timing of placing other empty frames.

[0017] As a specific embodiment of the resin material supply mechanism, it is desirable that the resin molding apparatus of technology 6 according to the present invention further includes a frame recovery unit for recovering empty frames from the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves, in addition to the configuration of technology 4 or 5 described above.

[0018] The resin molding apparatus of Technology 7 according to the present invention preferably has, in addition to the configuration of any one of the above technologies 1 to 6, the resin material supply mechanism sequentially places the release film supplied with the resin material onto the multiple-tiered film arrangement shelves during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism. With this configuration, multiple release films supplied with resin material can be prepared during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism, and the waiting time until the next resin molding (the time required to prepare multiple release films supplied with resin material) can be shortened. As a result, the throughput of resin molding can be improved.

[0019] The resin molding apparatus of Technology 8 according to the present invention preferably includes, in addition to any one of the configurations of Technology 4 to 6 above, the resin material supply mechanism recovers empty frames from the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves to the resin material supply mechanism during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism. With this configuration, multiple release films supplied with resin material can be prepared using empty frames during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism, thereby shortening the waiting time until the next resin molding (the time required to prepare multiple release films supplied with resin material). As a result, the throughput of resin molding can be improved.

[0020] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to Technology 9 of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a resin molded product using any one of the resin molding apparatuses of Technologies 1 to 8 described above, characterized in that a plurality of molded objects are transported to a plurality of molds by the molded object transport mechanism, a plurality of release films supplied with the resin material are transported to the plurality of molds by the resin material transport mechanism, and the resin material is resin-molded onto the plurality of molded objects by the resin molding mechanism to manufacture a plurality of resin molded products.

[0021] <An Embodiment of the Present Embodiment> An embodiment of the resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, all of the following figures are schematic representations that have been appropriately omitted or exaggerated for the sake of clarity. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[0022] <Overall Configuration of the Resin Molding Apparatus> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment manufactures a resin molded product P by resin molding a substrate W, which is a molded object on which electronic components Wx are fixed on one surface, using a resin material J. In the following, the molded object (substrate W) before resin molding will be referred to as "pre-molding substrate W," and the molded object (substrate W) after resin molding will be referred to as "molded substrate W" or "resin molded product P."

[0023] Here, the substrate W is, for example, rectangular in plan view, and examples of substrate W include metal substrates, resin substrates, glass substrates, ceramic substrates, circuit boards, semiconductor substrates, lead frames, silicon wafers, glass wafers, etc. In addition, the substrate W may be a carrier without wiring. Furthermore, the substrate W may have other shapes, such as a circle, in plan view.

[0024] Examples of resin materials J include powdered resins (including granular resins) and liquid resins. Examples of electronic components Wx include semiconductor chips, resistors, capacitors, and other electronic elements, or electronic components in which at least one of these electronic elements is encapsulated in resin.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the resin molding apparatus 100 comprises a substrate supply / storage module A, a resin molding module B, and a resin material supply module C as its components. Each component (modules A to C) is detachable and interchangeable with respect to the other component.

[0026] <Configuration of Substrate Supply and Storage Module A> As shown in Figure 1, the substrate supply and storage module A comprises a molding object transport mechanism 2 that loads unmolded substrates W into the molds 7A and 7B of the resin molding module B and unloads molded substrates W (resin molded products P) from the molds 7A and 7B; a first transfer stage 3 onto which the unmolded substrates W that are passed to the molding object transport mechanism 2 are transferred; a second transfer stage 4 onto which the resin molded products P unloaded by the molding object transport mechanism 2 are transferred; a molding object supply mechanism 5 that supplies the unmolded substrates W to the first transfer stage 3; and a molding object recovery mechanism 6 that recovers the resin molded products P from the second transfer stage 4.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the molding object transport mechanism 2 moves back and forth between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B, and moves along a rail 101 that spans both the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B. This molding object transport mechanism 2 receives the unmolded substrate W temporarily placed on the first transfer stage 3 and transports it to the upper mold 71 of the resin molding module B. After the resin molding of the unmolded substrate W, the molding object transport mechanism 2 receives the resin molded product P from the upper mold 71 of the resin molding module B and transports it to the second transfer stage 4.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the molding object transport mechanism 2 includes a substrate transport section 21 that holds and transports the substrate W before molding, and a molded product transport section 22 that holds and transports the resin molded product P. The molding object transport mechanism 2 is configured such that the substrate transport section 21 and the molded product transport section 22 move simultaneously. In this embodiment, the substrate transport section 21 and the molded product transport section 22 are arranged side by side along the transport direction (in this case, the left-right direction). Here, the transport direction is also the direction of movement of the molding object transport mechanism 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the molding object transport mechanism 2 has multiple substrate transport units 21 and multiple molded product transport units 22, corresponding to multiple molding dies 7A and 7B arranged in the vertical direction. The multiple substrate transport units 21 are arranged in the vertical direction so as to be able to supply unmolded substrates W to each upper die 71 in the multiple mold-opened molding dies 7A and 7B. The multiple molded product transport units 22 are also arranged in the vertical direction so as to be able to receive resin molded products P from each upper die 71 in the multiple mold-opened molding dies 7A and 7B. In addition, the height positions of the substrate transport units 21 and molded product transport units 22 corresponding to each upper die 71 are at the same height.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the first transfer stage 3 is where the unmolded substrate W supplied by the molding object supply mechanism 5 is temporarily placed (transferred) and then passed to the molding object transport mechanism 2. In addition, multiple first transfer stages 3 are provided in the vertical direction, corresponding to the multiple substrate transport sections 21 in the molding object transport mechanism 2.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the second transfer stage 4 is where the resin-molded product P is temporarily placed (transferred) and receives the resin-molded product P from the molding object transport mechanism 2. In addition, multiple second transfer stages 4 are provided in the vertical direction, corresponding to the multiple molded product transport sections 22 in the molding object transport mechanism 2.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, each first transfer stage 3 and each second transfer stage 4 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and their heights are the same. In other words, each first transfer stage 3 and each second transfer stage 4 are provided in accordance with the arrangement of each substrate transport section 21 and each molded product transport section 22 of the molded object transport mechanism 2. In this embodiment, since each substrate transport section 21 and each molded product transport section 22 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, each first transfer stage 3 and each second transfer stage 4 are also arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0033] With this configuration, the molding object transport mechanism 2 can perform both a loading operation, which transports multiple pre-molded substrates W from the first transfer stage 3 to the upper mold 71, and an unloading operation, which transports multiple resin molded products P from the upper mold 71 to the second transfer stage 4, while making one round trip between the substrate supply / storage module A and the resin molding module B.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the molding object supply mechanism 5 includes a substrate supply unit 51 for supplying the substrate W before molding, and a substrate transfer unit 52 for transferring the substrate W from the substrate supply unit 51 to the first transfer stage 3.

[0035] The substrate supply unit 51 includes a storage box 511 in which unmolded substrates W are stored, and a removal mechanism 512 for removing the unmolded substrates W from the storage box 511. The storage box 511 stores multiple unmolded substrates W stacked on top of each other with spacing in the vertical direction. The removal mechanism 512 removes one unmolded substrate W from the storage box 511, for example by clamping it, and positions the unmolded substrate W on the unmolded substrate stage 513 of the substrate supply unit 51. A guide rail 514 is provided between the storage box 511 and the unmolded substrate stage 513.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the molded object recovery mechanism 6 includes a molded product storage section 61 for storing the resin molded product P, and a molded product recovery section 62 for recovering the resin molded product P from the second transfer stage 4 into the molded product storage section 61.

[0037] The molded product storage section 61 comprises a storage box 611 in which resin molded products P are stored, and a storage mechanism 612 for storing the resin molded products P in the storage box 611. The storage box 611 stores multiple resin molded products P stacked on top of each other with spacing in the vertical direction. The storage mechanism 612 stores the resin molded products P in the storage box 611 by pushing them on the resin molded product stage 613 of the molded product storage section 61. A guide rail 614 is provided between the storage box 611 and the resin molded product stage 613.

[0038] Here, although Figure 1 shows the substrate supply unit 51 and the molded product storage unit 61 arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction for convenience, in order to reduce the installation space of the resin molding apparatus 100 (substrate supply / storage module A), the substrate supply unit 51 and the molded product storage unit 61 are arranged vertically. Note that either the substrate supply unit 51 or the molded product storage unit 61 may be placed on top of the other. Alternatively, the substrate supply unit 51 and the molded product storage unit 61 may be arranged side by side.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the substrate transfer unit 52 and the molded product recovery unit 62 of this embodiment are composed of a common transport robot 20. Specifically, the transport robot 20 has a holding unit 20a that holds the unmolded substrate W and the resin molded product P, respectively, by, for example, holding claws (not shown), and a multi-joint arm unit 20b, such as a vertical multi-joint robot (for example, a multi-joint robot with six joints), which moves the holding unit 20a.

[0040] The transport robot 20 then holds the unmolded substrate W supplied to the unmolded substrate stage 513 of the substrate supply unit 51 and passes it to the first transfer stage 3. The transport robot 20 also holds the resin molded product P that has been transferred to the second transfer stage 4 and passes it to the resin molded product stage 613 of the molded product storage unit 61.

[0041] <Configuration of Resin Molding Module B> As shown in Figure 2, Resin Molding Module B has a plurality of (two in Figure 2) molds 7A and 7B arranged vertically, a mold clamping mechanism 8 for clamping the plurality of molds 7A and 7B, and an interlocking mechanism 9 for linking the clamping and opening of the plurality of molds 7A and 7B. Here, the mold located at the top is also called the first mold 7A, and the mold located at the bottom is also called the second mold 7B. The resin molding mechanism is composed of the molds 7A and 7B, the mold clamping mechanism 8, and the interlocking mechanism 9.

[0042] The resin molding module B includes a fixed platen 10a, a movable platen 10b that can be raised and lowered by a mold clamping mechanism 8, and an intermediate plate 10c positioned between the fixed platen 10a and the movable platen 10b. A first molding die 7A is provided between the fixed platen 10a and the intermediate plate 10c, and a second molding die 7B is provided between the intermediate plate 10c and the movable platen 10b. The intermediate plate 10c is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction by a pair of side wall members 10d and 10e, to which the fixed platen 10a is fixed at the upper end. The pair of side wall members 10d and 10e are provided on the base 10f and fix the fixed platen 10a to the base 10f at a predetermined height.

[0043] The first mold 7A has an upper mold 71 and a lower mold 72 that are paired with each other. The second mold 7B also has an upper mold 71 and a lower mold 72 that are paired with each other. The upper mold 71 of the first mold 7A is provided on the lower surface of the fixed platen 10a, either directly or via another member. The lower mold 72 of the first mold 7A is provided on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 10c, either directly or via another member. On the other hand, the upper mold 71 of the second mold 7B is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate plate 10c, either directly or via another member. The lower mold 72 of the second mold 7B is provided on the upper surface of the movable platen 10b, either directly or via another member. The movable platen 10b moves up and down by a mold clamping mechanism 8 provided below the movable platen 10b.

[0044] Here, the first mold 7A and the second mold 7B will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The upper mold 71 of each mold 7A, 7B adsorbs and holds the back surface of the substrate W (the surface where the electronic component Wx is not fixed). A suction port (not shown) is formed on the lower surface of the upper mold 71, and a suction flow path (not shown) connected to the suction port is formed inside the upper mold 71. This suction flow path is connected to an external suction device (not shown).

[0045] Further, the lower mold 72 of each mold 7A, 7B has a cavity 72C for accommodating the electronic component Wx fixed to the substrate W and the resin material J. Specifically, the lower mold 72 has a bottom member 721 forming the bottom surface of the cavity 72C and a frame-shaped side member 722 surrounding the bottom member 721. The cavity 72C is formed by the upper surface of the bottom member 721 and the inner peripheral surface of the side member 722. Also, the side member 722 is provided so as to be relatively movable up and down with respect to the bottom member 721. Specifically, the side member 722 is supported by a plurality of elastic members 724 such as coil springs with respect to the base plate 723 of the lower mold 72. Further, the lower mold 72 is covered with a release film F in order to improve the releasability of the resin molded product P. Also, an air vent (not shown) may be provided on the upper surface of the side member 722 to discharge air or gas. In addition, around the upper mold 71 and the lower mold 72 in each mold, a sealing structure 11 including a side wall portion for evacuating the periphery of the upper mold 71 and the lower mold 72 during resin molding and a seal member such as an O-ring is provided.

[0046] The mold clamping mechanism 8 of the present embodiment is of a linear motion type that raises and lowers the movable platen using a ball screw mechanism that converts the rotation of a servo motor or the like into linear motion. In addition, as the mold clamping mechanism 8, other types such as a link type that transmits the power source of a servo motor or the like to the movable platen using a link mechanism such as a toggle link may be used.

[0047] The interlocking mechanism 9 interlocks the lifting and lowering of the intermediate plate 10c with the lifting and lowering of the movable platen 10b to synchronize the clamping and unclamping of the first mold 7A and the second mold 7B. That is, the interlocking mechanism 9 makes it possible to clamp the molds simultaneously while making the clamping speed of the first mold 7A the same as that of the second mold 7B.

[0048] The interlocking mechanism 9 shown in FIG. 2 is configured using a pantograph mechanism 91 that expands and contracts with the lifting and lowering of the movable platen 10b. This pantograph mechanism 91 is composed of one cross-link portion 911, an upper end link portion 912, and a lower end link portion 913. The upper end link portion 912 is fixed to the upper ends of a pair of side wall members 10d and 10e, and the lower end link portion 913 is fixed to the movable platen 10b or a fixing member 10g that moves together with the movable platen 10b. Also, the rotation axis 911a of the cross-link portion 911 is fixed to the intermediate plate 10c or a fixing member 10h that moves together with the intermediate plate 10c. When the movable platen 10b is driven by the clamping mechanism 8, the pantograph mechanism 91 expands and contracts accordingly, and the intermediate plate 10c connected to the cross-link portion 911 moves up and down in conjunction with the movable platen 10b.

[0049] As a modification example of the interlocking mechanism 9, as shown in FIG. 4(a), a lever mechanism may be used, or as shown in FIG. 4(b), a rack and pinion mechanism may be used.

[0050] For example, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the interlocking mechanism 9 using a lever mechanism has an arm 92 that rotates with one end as a fulcrum 92a, and the movable platen 10b and the intermediate plate 10c are connected to different positions of the arm 92 via connecting members 93a and 93b. When the movable platen 10b is driven by the clamping mechanism 8, the arm 92 rotates around the fulcrum 92a accordingly, and the intermediate plate 10c connected to the arm 92 moves up and down in conjunction with the movable platen 10b.

[0051] Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 9 using a rack and pinion mechanism, as shown in Figure 4(b), has a pair of rack gears 94a and 94b and a pinion gear 94c that meshes with these rack gears 94a and 94b. One rack gear 94a is provided on the side wall members 10d and 10e, and the other rack gear 94b is provided on the movable platen 10b side. The pinion gear 94c that meshes with the pair of rack gears 94a and 94b is provided on the intermediate plate 10c side. By rotating the pinion gear 94c in the forward or reverse direction with a motor (not shown), the movable platen 10b and the intermediate plate 10c move in conjunction in the vertical direction.

[0052] <Configuration of Resin Material Supply Module C> As shown in Figure 1, the resin material supply module C comprises a resin material supply mechanism 12 that supplies resin material J to a frame 30 on which a release film F is attached and which is placed in the lower mold 72; a multi-tiered film arrangement shelf 13 on which the frame 30 supplied with resin material J is placed; a multi-tiered frame arrangement shelf 14 on which empty frame 30 is placed; and a resin material transport mechanism 15 that transports the multiple frame 30 supplied with resin material J from the multi-tiered film arrangement shelf 13 to the multiple molds 7A, 7B, and then returns the multiple empty frame 30 to the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelf 14. The release film F is attached to the lower surface of the frame 30, and the resin material J is supplied onto the release film F inside the frame 30. An empty frame 30 indicates a frame without a release film F attached. A frame 30 supplied with resin material J indicates a frame on which the resin material J is supplied onto the release film F on the inside.

[0053] The resin material supply mechanism 12 supplies the resin material J onto the release film F using the frame 30. The specific configuration of the resin material supply mechanism 12 will be described later.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13 are used to temporarily hold the frame 30 to which the resin material J discharged by the resin material supply mechanism 12 has been supplied. These film arrangement shelves 13 are provided in accordance with the multiple molding dies 7A and 7B arranged along the vertical direction, and also in accordance with the multiple resin material transport sections 151 in the resin material transport mechanism 15, which will be described later.

[0055] The multi-tiered film display shelves 13 are configured to slide individually or all at once in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the multi-tiered film display shelves 13 are configured to slide in the front-to-back direction relative to a plurality of shelf support parts 131 provided vertically on the support column member 130, and slide along guide rails 132 provided on the shelf support parts 131 by actuators (not shown). Examples of actuators include those using air cylinders, ball screw mechanisms, or rack and pinion mechanisms.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6(a), each of the multi-tiered film storage shelves 13 can slide to the rear individually, and as shown in Figure 6(b), all of them can slide to the front simultaneously.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6(a), each of the multiple film arrangement shelves 13 slides to the rear independently, causing the slid film arrangement shelves 13 to protrude rearward from the shelf support portion 131. In this state, the resin material supply mechanism 12 (frame discharge portion 12e, described later) places one frame 30 containing the resin material J onto one of the slid film arrangement shelves 13.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), when all of the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13 slide forward, the slid multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13 protrude forward from the shelf support portion 131. In this state, the resin material transport mechanism 15 (resin material transport portion 151, described later) removes the frame 30 supplied with resin material J from the slid multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13 all at once.

[0059] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14 are used to temporarily hold empty frame bodies 30 transported by the resin material transport mechanism 15. These multiple frame arrangement shelves 14 are provided in accordance with multiple molding dies 7A and 7B arranged along the vertical direction, and also in accordance with multiple resin material transport sections 151 in the resin material transport mechanism 15, which will be described later.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the multi-tiered frame-type shelf 14 is arranged side-by-side with the multi-tiered film-type shelf 13 described above, with the multi-tiered frame-type shelf 14 on the left and the multi-tiered film-type shelf 13 on the right.

[0061] The multi-tiered frame-type shelf 14 is configured to slide individually or all at once in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the multi-tiered frame-type shelf 14 is configured to slide in the front-to-back direction relative to a plurality of shelf support parts 141 provided vertically on the support column member 140, and slides on guide rails 142 provided on the shelf support parts 141 by actuators (not shown). Examples of actuators include those using air cylinders, ball screw mechanisms, or rack and pinion mechanisms.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7(a), each of the multi-tiered frame-type shelves 14 can slide to the rear individually, and as shown in Figure 7(b), all of them can slide to the front simultaneously.

[0063] As shown in Figure 7(a), each of the multiple frame arrangement shelves 14 slides to the rear individually, causing the slid frame arrangement shelf 14 to protrude rearward from the shelf support portion 141. In this state, the resin material supply mechanism 12 (frame loading portion 12a, described later) retrieves one empty frame 30 from one of the slid frame arrangement shelves 14.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), when all of the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14 slide forward, the slid multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14 protrude forward from the shelf support portion 141. In this state, the resin material transport mechanism 15 (resin material transport portion 151, described later) simultaneously places multiple empty frame bodies 30 onto the slid multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14.

[0065] As shown in Figure 1, the resin material transport mechanism 15 moves back and forth between the resin material supply module C and the resin molding module B, and moves along a rail 101 that spans both the resin material supply module C and the resin molding module B. The resin material transport mechanism 15 receives the frame 30 into which the resin material J has been supplied, which is placed on the film arrangement shelf 13, and transports it to the lower mold 72 of the molding dies 7A and 7B in the resin molding module B, and removes the release film F on which the resin material J is placed from the frame 30. This supplies the release film F and the resin material J to the lower mold 72 of the molding dies 7A and 7B in the resin molding module B. After that, the resin material transport mechanism 15 transports the empty frame 30, which has been used to supply the resin material J, from the resin molding module B to the resin material supply module C, and places the empty frame 30 on the frame arrangement shelf 14.

[0066] The resin material transport mechanism 15 of this embodiment includes a resin material transport unit 151 that holds and transports a frame 30 to which resin material J is supplied, and a film recovery unit 152 that recovers used release film F from the cavity 72C of the lower mold 72. The resin material transport mechanism 15 is configured such that the resin material transport unit 151 and the film recovery unit 152 move simultaneously. The resin material transport unit 151 and the film recovery unit 152 of this embodiment are arranged side by side along the transport direction (here, the left-right direction). Here, the transport direction is also the direction in which the resin material transport mechanism 15 moves.

[0067] Furthermore, the resin material transport mechanism 15 has multiple resin material transport units 151 and multiple film recovery units 152 in the vertical direction, corresponding to the multiple molding dies 7A and 7B. The multiple resin material transport units 151 are arranged along the vertical direction so as to supply release film F and resin material J to each lower die 72 in the multiple molds 7A and 7B that have been opened. The multiple film recovery units 152 are also arranged along the vertical direction so as to be able to recover used release film F from each lower die 72 in the multiple molds 7A and 7B that have been opened. The height positions of the resin material transport units 151 and film recovery units 152 corresponding to each lower die 72 are the same. The used release film F recovered by the film recovery units 152 is disposed of in a waste box (not shown).

[0068] <Basic Operation of Resin Material Supply Module C> In the resin material supply module C configured as described above, with multiple film placement shelves 13 each individually slid to the rear (see Figure 6(a)), the resin material supply mechanism 12 sequentially places the frames 30 supplied with resin material J onto the slid film placement shelves 13. In this way, the frames 30 supplied with resin material J are placed on all the film placement shelves 13, and the module waits until these frames 30 supplied with resin material J are handed over to the resin material transport mechanism 15.

[0069] When transferring multiple frames 30 supplied with resin material J to the resin material transport mechanism 15, all of the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13 slide forward (see Figure 6(b)). The resin material transport section 151 of the resin material transport mechanism 15 then simultaneously holds the multiple frames 30 supplied with resin material J from the slid multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13. The resin material transport mechanism 15 then transports the multiple frames 30 supplied with resin material J to the lower molds 72 of the multiple molding dies 7A and 7B, and simultaneously places the release film F and resin material J into the multiple lower molds 72. After that, the resin material transport mechanism 15 transports and places the multiple empty frames 30 onto the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14.

[0070] When the resin material transport mechanism 15 places multiple empty frames 30 onto the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14, all of the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14 slide forward (see Figure 7(b)). Then, the resin material transport section 151 of the resin material transport mechanism 15 places multiple empty frames 30 onto the slid multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14 all at once.

[0071] Furthermore, holding multiple frame bodies 30 at once means holding multiple frame bodies 30 in a single operation. The timing of holding one frame body 30 may differ from the timing of holding other frame bodies 30. Also, placing the release film F and resin material J at once means placing the release film F and resin material J in a single operation. Placing multiple empty frame bodies 30 at once means placing multiple empty frame bodies 30 in a single operation. The timing of placing one empty frame body 30 may differ from the timing of placing other empty frame bodies 30.

[0072] When the resin material supply mechanism 12 supplies resin material J to an empty frame 30, the multiple frame arrangement shelves 14 slide to the rear individually (see Figure 7(a)), and the resin material supply mechanism 12 sequentially retrieves the empty frame 30 from each of the sliding frame arrangement shelves 14. Then, the resin material supply mechanism 12 attaches a release film F to the retrieved empty frame 30 and supplies the resin material J onto the attached release film F. The specific operation of the resin material supply mechanism 12 will be described later.

[0073] Then, while the resin material transport mechanism 15 is transporting, the resin material supply mechanism 12 sequentially places the frames 30 supplied with resin material J onto the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves 13. Also, while the resin material transport mechanism 15 is transporting, the resin material supply mechanism 12 retrieves empty frames 30 from the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves 14. In other words, while the resin material transport mechanism 15 is transporting, the resin material supply mechanism 12 continues to prepare the frames 30 supplied with resin material J.

[0074] Here, the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism 15 refers to the following periods: (a) while the resin material transport mechanism 15 is moving from each of the arrangement shelves 13 and 14 toward the molds 7A and 7B; (b) while the resin material transport mechanism 15 has moved toward the molds 7A and 7B and is placing the release film F and resin material J in the molds 7A and 7B; (c) while the resin material transport mechanism 15 has moved toward the molds 7A and 7B and is collecting the used release film F from the molds 7A and 7B; or (d) while the resin material transport mechanism 15 is moving from the molds 7A and 7B toward each of the arrangement shelves 13 and 14.

[0075] <Specific Configuration of Frame 30 and Resin Material Supply Mechanism 12> Next, the specific configuration of the frame 30 and the resin material supply mechanism 12 will be described.

[0076] <Specific configuration of the frame 30> As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the frame 30 holds the release film F and has a roughly rectangular frame shape in plan view. The frame 30 has a frame body 31 on which the release film F is placed on the lower surface, a clamp portion 32 that sandwiches the release film F together with the frame body 31, and an elastic body 33 that applies elastic force to the clamp portion 32 in the direction of sandwiching the release film F.

[0077] The frame body 31 has an outer frame 311 that is roughly rectangular in shape and on which the release film F is attached, and an inner frame 312 that is roughly rectangular in shape and is provided inside the outer frame 311, defining the area in which the resin material J on the release film F attached to the outer frame 311 is supplied. The inner frame 312 is provided so as to be able to move up and down relative to the outer frame 311, and when it rests on the release film F attached to the outer frame 311, the lower surface of the inner frame 312 comes into contact with the release film F and applies tension to the release film F.

[0078] As shown in Figure 8, the clamping portions 32 are rotatably provided on each of the four sides of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31. Specifically, the clamping portions 32 are rotatably provided by a rotation axis 34 provided parallel to each side. In this embodiment, two clamping portions 32 are provided on each side, but the number of clamping portions 32 on each side is not limited to two.

[0079] As shown in Figure 9, the clamp portion 32 may be configured to sandwich the release film F between itself and the lower surface 311a of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31, or as shown in Figure 10, it may be configured to sandwich the release film F between itself and the side surface 311b of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31 that faces the clamp portion 32.

[0080] As shown in Figure 9, when the clamp portion 32 is configured to sandwich the release film F between itself and the lower surface 311a of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31, the release film F can be held without bending its peripheral edges. Therefore, when the release film F and resin material J are placed in the lower mold 72, the peripheral edges of the release film F lie along the upper surface of the lower mold 72, there is no raised portion of the release film F, and the release film F does not interfere with mold clamping or other processes.

[0081] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, when the clamp portion 32 is configured to sandwich the release film F between itself and the side surface 311b of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31, the peripheral portion of the release film F is bent by the corners of the lower surface 311a and side surface 311b of the frame body 31. Therefore, the holding force of the release film F can be made stronger compared to the configuration in which it is sandwiched between itself and the lower surface 311a of the frame body 31, not only by the clamping force of the clamp portion 32 but also by the catching force of the corners of the lower surface 311a and side surface 311b of the frame body 31.

[0082] The elastic body 33 applies an elastic force to the clamp portion 32 in the direction that clamps the release film F (the direction in which the clamp portion 32 closes). Specifically, the elastic body 33 is, for example, a torsion spring provided on the rotating shaft 34. When the clamp portion 32 is released, this elastic body 33 deforms and applies its restoring force to the clamp portion 32, thereby applying an elastic force in the direction that closes the clamp portion 32. The clamp opening and closing mechanism 17 for opening the clamp portion 32 of the frame 30 will be described later.

[0083] <Specific Configuration of Resin Material Supply Mechanism 12> As shown in Figure 1, the resin material supply mechanism 12 includes a frame loading section 12a for loading empty frame bodies 30, a frame cleaning section 12b for cleaning empty frame bodies 30, a film mounting section 12c for attaching release film F to empty frame bodies 30, a resin material supply section 12d for supplying resin material J to the frame bodies 30 with the release film F attached, a frame loading section 12e for unloading the frame bodies 30 to which the resin material J has been supplied, and a frame moving section 12f for moving the empty frame bodies 30, the frame bodies 30 with the release film F attached, and the frame bodies 30 to which the resin material J has been supplied.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 11 to 16, the resin material supply mechanism 12 includes an input area R1 into which an empty frame 30 is input by the frame input section 12a, an output area R2 from which the frame 30 supplied with resin material J is output, and a plurality of work areas R3 to R5 located between the input area R1 and the output area R2, where work related to the supply of resin material J is performed, all arranged in one direction (left to right).

[0085] Here, the multiple work areas R3 to R5 include a cleaning area R3 where an empty frame 30 is cleaned by a frame cleaning unit 12b, a mounting area R4 where a release film F is mounted on the empty frame 30 by a film mounting unit 12c, and a supply area R5 where resin material J is supplied to the frame 30 with the release film F mounted by a resin material supply unit 12d. In this embodiment, the loading area R1, cleaning area R3, mounting area R4, supply area R5, and unloading area R2 are arranged in a straight line from left to right.

[0086] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 11 to 16, the loading area R1, the unloading area R2, and the multiple work areas R3 to R5 are provided with mounting surfaces 16x on which the frame 30 is placed. Specifically, the mounting surfaces 16x in each area R1 to R5 support the lower surfaces of the four corners of the frame 30, which is roughly rectangular in shape in plan view. In this embodiment, each area R1 to R5 is provided with four support columns 16 that support the lower surfaces of the four corners of the frame 30. The upper surfaces of these support columns 16 become the mounting surfaces 16x on which the frame 30 is placed.

[0087] As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the frame loading section 12a is a frame retrieval section that retrieves empty frame bodies 30 from the frame placement shelves 14. Specifically, it holds the empty frame bodies 30 placed on the frame placement shelves 14 and places (loads) them into the loading area R1. This frame loading section 12a transfers (loads) the empty frame bodies 30 one by one into the loading area R1. Specifically, the frame loading section 12a is a so-called pick-and-place system, which uses suction or gripping to pick up empty frame bodies 30 from each frame placement shelf 14 (frame placement shelves 14 that slide and protrude outwards) and places them on the mounting surface 16x of the loading area R1. The frame loading section 12a includes a holding unit 12a1 for holding the empty frame bodies 30 and a drive mechanism 12a2 for rotating and moving the holding unit 12a1 up and down.

[0088] Here, the operation of the frame loading section 12a will be explained with reference to Figure 17. The holding unit 12a1 of the frame loading section 12a is waiting in a predetermined initial position (Figure 17(a)). The predetermined initial position of the holding unit 12a1 is the position in which the holding unit 12a1 is located above the sliding frame placement shelf 14. When one of the frame placement shelves 14 slides (Figure 17(b)), the holding unit 12a1 of the frame loading section 12a descends and holds and lifts the empty frame 30 on the frame placement shelf 14 (Figure 17(c) → (d)). The sliding frame placement shelf 14 then returns to its original position (Figure 17(e)). After that, the holding unit 12a1 of the frame loading section 12a rotates (Figure 17(f)). In this embodiment, the holding unit 12a1 rotates 90 degrees backward so that it is positioned above the loading area R1. Then, the holding unit 12a1 descends and transfers the empty frame 30 it was holding to the loading area R1 (Figure 17(g)). Once the empty frame 30 is transferred to the loading area R1, the holding unit 12a1 returns to its predetermined initial position (Figure 17(h) → (i)).

[0089] As shown in Figure 1, the frame cleaning unit 12b cleans the lower surface and inner circumferential surface of an empty frame 30 placed in the cleaning area R3. This frame cleaning unit 12b cleans the lower surface and inner circumferential surface of the empty frame 30 in the cleaning area R3 from below. Specifically, the frame cleaning unit 12b has a brush (not shown) that cleans the lower surface and inner circumferential surface of the frame 30. This brush comes into contact with the lower surface and inner circumferential surface and removes dust and debris adhering to them. The frame cleaning unit 12b also has a dust collection mechanism (not shown) that rotates 90 degrees forward to collect the removed dust and debris.

[0090] As shown in Figure 1, the film mounting section 12c is used to mount the release film F onto the empty frame 30 placed in the mounting area R4. Specifically, as shown in Figure 18, the film mounting section 12c includes a clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 that opens the clamp portion 32 of the empty frame 30 in the mounting area R4, and as shown in Figure 19, a release film supply mechanism 18 that supplies the release film F to the empty frame 30 in the mounting area R4.

[0091] As shown in Figure 18, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 opens the clamp portion 32 by pressing it from above against the empty frame 30 in the mounting area R4. Specifically, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 has a plurality of pressing parts 171 for pressing the clamp portions 32 on each side provided on the outer frame 311, a support member 172 on which these plurality of pressing parts 171 are provided, a base member 173 on which the support member 172 is provided to be able to move up and down, a first lifting drive unit 174 for moving the support member 172 up and down relative to the base member 173, and a second lifting drive unit (not shown) for moving the base member 173 up and down. The plurality of pressing parts 171 are pin-shaped. In this clamp opening / closing mechanism 17, by moving the base member 173 up and down relative to the empty frame 30, and by moving the support member 172 up and down relative to the base member 173, the multiple pressing parts 171 act on the clamp parts 32 on each side, thereby opening and closing the clamp parts 32. In this embodiment, the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31 has multiple insertion parts 311h (for example, through holes or notches, see Figures 8 to 10 and 18) through which each of the multiple pressing parts 171 is inserted, along the vertical direction, and the multiple pressing parts 171 act on the clamp parts 32 via the multiple insertion parts 311h. In addition, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 has a pressing part 175 that presses downward so that the outer frame 311 of the frame body 30 does not lift off the mounting surface 16x. The support member 172 is provided with a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the pressing part 175 passes through the through hole of the support member 172.

[0092] Furthermore, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 is also provided in the resin material transport section 151 of the resin material transport mechanism 15. After the frame 30 supplied with resin material J is transported to the lower mold 72, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 of the resin material transport section 151 opens the clamp section 32, thereby distributing the release film F and resin material J from the frame 30 into the cavity 72C of the lower mold 72.

[0093] As shown in Figure 19, the release film supply mechanism 18 supplies the release film F from below to the frame 30 when the clamp portion 32 is open by the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17. Specifically, the release film supply mechanism 18 includes a lifting table 181 that adsorbs the release film F, a pull-out portion 182 that pulls the release film F from the film roll FR and places it on the upper surface of the lifting table 181, and a film cutting portion 183 that cuts the release film F when it is placed on the upper surface of the lifting table 181.

[0094] The lifting table 181 moves up and down below the empty frame 30 in the mounting area R4, and is provided with a suction part (not shown) on its upper surface for adsorbing the release film F. The pull-out part 182 grips the free end of the release film F and pulls it out so that it crosses the upper part of the lifting table 181. Furthermore, the film cutting part 183 cuts the release film F between the lifting table 181 and the film roll FR. Here, a clamping part 184 is provided between the film cutting part 183 and the film roll FR to hold the release film F when the film cutting part 183 cuts the release film F.

[0095] The operation of the film mounting section 12c will now be explained with reference to Figures 20 and 21. When an empty frame 30 is loaded into the mounting area R4 (Figure 20(a)), the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 lowers the base member 173 and presses the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31 downward with the pressing portion 175 provided on the base member 173 (Figure 20(b)). Subsequently, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 lowers the support member 172 relative to the base member 173 and opens the multiple clamp portions 32 with the multiple pressing portions 171 (Figure 20(c)).

[0096] Furthermore, the release film supply mechanism 18 holds the cut release film F on the upper surface of the lifting table 181. The lifting table 181 adsorbs and holds the release film F before it is cut by the film cutting section 183.

[0097] The release film supply mechanism 18 then raises the lifting table 181 that holds the release film F (Figure 20(d)). The pull-out section 182 releases its grip on the release film F before the lifting table 181 rises. When the lifting table 181 rises, the release film F is placed on the lower surface 311a of the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31, with the clamp section 32 released by the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 (Figure 21(e)). At this time, the lower surface of the inner frame 312 is lifted by the lifting table 181. The outer frame 311 is pressed downward by the pressing section 175 and does not float above the mounting surface 16x.

[0098] Subsequently, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 raises the support member 172 relative to the base member 173, withdrawing the multiple pressing parts 171 from the insertion part 311h, so that the multiple clamp parts 32, together with the outer frame 311 of the frame body 31, clamp the release film F (Figure 21(f)). After the multiple clamp parts 32 have clamped the release film F, the lifting table 181 releases the suction of the release film F. Then the lifting table 181 descends (Figure 21(g)). At this time, the inner frame 312 descends relative to the outer frame 311 and rests on the release film F attached to the outer frame 311, so that the lower surface of the inner frame 312 is lower than the lower surface 311a of the outer frame 311. Finally, the clamp opening / closing mechanism 17 raises the base member 173. As a result, the release film F is attached to the frame body 30 (Figure 21(h)).

[0099] As shown in Figure 1, the resin material supply unit 12d supplies resin material J to the frame 30 on which the release film F is attached, located in the supply area R5. This resin material supply unit 12d supplies a predetermined amount of measured resin material J onto the release film F attached to the frame 30.

[0100] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the frame unloading unit 12e holds the frame 30 supplied with resin material J, which is placed in the unloading area R2, and places (unloads) it onto the film arrangement shelf 13. The frame unloading unit 12e transfers (loads) the frame 30 supplied with resin material J onto the film arrangement shelf 13 one by one. Specifically, the frame unloading unit 12e is a so-called pick-and-place unit, which adsorbs or grips the frame 30 supplied with resin material in the unloading area R2 and places them on each film arrangement shelf 13 (film arrangement shelf 13 that slides and protrudes to the outside). The frame unloading unit 12e has a holding unit 12e1 that holds the frame 30 supplied with resin material J, and a drive mechanism 12e2 that rotates and moves the holding unit 12e1 up and down.

[0101] Here, the operation of the frame unloading unit 12e will be explained with reference to Figure 22. When the frame 30 supplied with resin material J is placed in the unloading area R2 (Figure 22(a)), the holding unit 12e1 of the frame unloading unit 12e rotates from a predetermined initial position (Figure 22(b)). The predetermined initial position of the holding unit 12e1 is the position in which the holding unit 12e1 is located above the slid film arrangement shelf 13. In this embodiment, the holding unit 12e1 rotates 90 degrees backward from the predetermined initial position so that the holding unit 12e1 is located above the unloading area R2. Then, the holding unit 12e1 of the frame unloading unit 12e descends to hold and lift the frame 30 supplied with resin material J in the unloading area R2 (Figure 22(c) → (d)). Then, the holding unit 12e1 rotates 90 degrees forward to return to the predetermined initial position (Figure 22(e)). Subsequently, when one of the film placement shelves 13 slides backward (Figure 22(f)), the holding unit 12e1 descends and transfers the frame 30 containing the resin material J that it was holding onto the sliding film placement shelf 13 (Figure 22(g)). After that, the film placement shelf 13 on which the frame 30 containing the resin material J is placed returns to its predetermined initial position (Figure 22(h)). The sliding film placement shelf 13 also returns to its original position (Figure 22(e)).

[0102] As shown in Figures 1, 11 to 16, the frame movement unit 12f moves each of the multiple frame bodies 30 located in the loading area R1 and the multiple work areas R3 to R5 to the next area R2 to R5. This frame movement unit 12f lifts each of the multiple frame bodies 30 located in the loading area R1 and the multiple work areas R3 to R5 from the mounting surface 16x and moves them to the next area R2 to R5. In other words, with a single movement operation by the frame movement unit 12f, an empty frame body 30 in the loading area R1 moves to the cleaning area R3, an empty frame body 30 in the cleaning area R3 moves to the mounting area R4, a frame body 30 with the release film F attached in the mounting area R4 moves to the supply area R5, and a frame body 30 with the resin material J supplied in the supply area R5 moves to the unloading area R2.

[0103] Specifically, as shown in Figures 11 to 16, the frame movement unit 12f includes a vertical movement unit 121 that lifts multiple frame bodies 30, a vertical drive unit 122 that moves the vertical movement unit 121 up and down, a horizontal movement unit 123 to which the vertical movement unit 121 is connected so as to be vertically movable, and a horizontal drive unit 124 that moves the horizontal movement unit 123 horizontally. In this embodiment, the vertical movement unit 121 is provided corresponding to each of a pair of opposing sides of the frame body 30.

[0104] As shown in Figure 11, the vertical moving body 121 is provided corresponding to each of the pair of opposing sides (front side and rear side) of the frame 30, and contacts the lower surface of multiple frame 30 to lift multiple frame 30. In this embodiment, the vertical moving body 121 is divided into two parts, left and right. Before horizontal movement, one (left) vertical moving body 121 is in a position corresponding to the loading area R1 and the cleaning area R3, and the other (right) vertical moving body 121 is in a position corresponding to the mounting area R4 and the supply area R5. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23, one or more support blocks 121a are provided on the upper surface of the vertical moving body 121 to support the lower surface of the frame 30. Note that the support blocks 121a are not shown in Figures 12 to 16.

[0105] As shown in Figures 11 to 16, the vertical drive unit 122 comprises a support body 122a that supports the vertically moving body 121 and an actuator 122b that moves the support body 122a up and down. In this embodiment, the vertically moving body 121 is divided into two parts, left and right, and the vertical drive unit 122 is provided on each of the two vertically moving bodies 121. The support body 122a is provided with rolling elements 122c, such as rollers, that contact the vertically moving body 121 and allow the horizontal movement of the vertically moving body 121 by the horizontal drive unit 124. In this embodiment, the rolling elements 122c are rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the support body 122a, and the rolling elements 122c are in contact with the lower surface of the vertically moving body 121. In other words, the vertically moving body 121 is supported by the support body 122a via the rolling elements 122c. Examples of actuators 122b include those using an air cylinder, a ball screw mechanism, or a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0106] As shown in Figures 11 to 16, the horizontal moving bodies 123 are provided corresponding to each of the pair of opposing sides of the frame 30, and the vertical moving bodies 121 are connected to them so as to be able to move up and down. These horizontal moving bodies 123 move along the left-right direction by a linear guide (not shown). Here, the horizontal moving bodies 123 and the vertical moving bodies 121 are connected by a linear guide 125 that extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, each of the two vertical moving bodies 121 on the front left and right is connected to one horizontal moving body 123 on the front by a linear guide 125. Also, each of the two vertical moving bodies 121 on the rear left and right is connected to one horizontal moving body 123 on the rear by a linear guide 125.

[0107] As shown in Figures 12 to 16, the horizontal drive unit 124 moves the horizontal moving body 123 along the left-right direction. As the horizontal moving body 123 moves in the left-right direction, the vertical moving body 121 also moves in the left-right direction. Specifically, the horizontal drive unit 124 can be configured, for example, using a rack and pinion mechanism, and can have a rack gear 124a provided on the horizontal moving body 123 and a pinion gear 124b that meshes with the rack gear 124a. Here, the distance the horizontal moving body 123 moves by the horizontal drive unit 124 is the distance the frame 30 lifted by the vertical moving body 121 can move to the next region R2 to R5.

[0108] In this embodiment, the resin material supply mechanism 12, as shown in Figure 23, further includes a positioning mechanism 126 for positioning the vertically moving body 121 and a plurality of frame bodies 30 lifted by the vertically moving body 121. This positioning mechanism 126 has a protrusion 126a provided on either the upper surface of the vertically moving body 121 or the lower surface of the frame body 30, and a recess 126b provided on the other of the upper surface of the vertically moving body 121 or the lower surface of the frame body 30, which engages with the protrusion 126a. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the protrusion 126a is provided on the upper surface of the vertically moving body 121 and the recess 126b is provided on the lower surface of the frame body 30. This positioning mechanism 126 is provided according to the number of frame bodies 30 lifted by the vertically moving body 121. When the vertically moving body 121 lifts the frame body 30, the protrusion 126a and the recess 126b engage with the positioning mechanism 126, and the frame body 30 is positioned relative to the vertically moving body 121. Note that the positioning mechanism 126 is not shown in Figures 12 to 16.

[0109] <Operation of the resin material supply mechanism 12 (pitch feeding operation)> Next, the operation of the resin material supply mechanism 12 (pitch feeding operation) will be explained.

[0110] The vertical drive unit 122 raises the vertically moving body 121 (see Figure 13). This causes the vertically moving body 121 to lift the multiple frame bodies 30. In addition, the positioning mechanism 126 positions the multiple frame bodies 30 relative to the vertically moving body 121 (see Figure 23(b)).

[0111] With the vertical moving body 121 lifting each of the multiple frame bodies 30, the horizontal drive unit 124 moves the horizontal moving body 123 horizontally toward the next region R2 to R5 (to the right) (see Figure 14). As the horizontal moving body 123 moves, the vertical moving body 121, which has lifted the multiple frame bodies 30, also moves toward the next region R2 to R5.

[0112] When the horizontal drive unit 124 moves the horizontal moving body 123 by the distance to the next region R2 to R5, the multiple frame bodies 30 that were lifted by the vertical moving body 121 are positioned above the next region R2 to R5. Then, the vertical drive unit 122 lowers the vertical moving body 121 (see Figure 15). As a result, the multiple frame bodies 30 are transferred from the vertical moving body 121 to the next region R2 to R5.

[0113] Subsequently, the horizontal drive unit 124 moves the horizontal moving body 123 horizontally toward the previous region R1, R3-R5 (to the left) while the vertical moving body 121 is in a lowered position (see Figure 16). As a result, the vertical moving body 121 returns to its original position before moving the multiple frame bodies 30.

[0114] In this way, with a single movement by the frame movement unit 12f, the empty frame 30 in the loading area R1 moves to the cleaning area R3, the empty frame 30 in the cleaning area R3 moves to the mounting area R4, the frame 30 with the release film F mounted in the mounting area R4 moves to the supply area R5, and the frame 30 with the resin material J supplied in the supply area R5 moves to the unloading area R2.

[0115] Furthermore, after the frame movement unit 12f has moved each of the multiple frame bodies 30, the frame loading unit 12a loads empty frame bodies 30 from the frame placement shelf 14 into the loading area R1 (see Figure 17). Specifically, one of the multi-tiered frame placement shelves 14 slides to the rear, and the frame loading unit 12a (frame retrieval unit) retrieves the empty frame bodies 30 from the slid frame placement shelf 14 and places the empty frame bodies 30 in the loading area R1. This operation of the frame loading unit 12a is performed each time the frame movement unit 12f moves each of the multiple frame bodies 30 until all the empty frame bodies 30 on the multi-tiered frame placement shelves 14 are gone.

[0116] Furthermore, after the frame movement unit 12f has moved each of the multiple frame bodies 30, the frame discharge unit 12e discharges the frame bodies 30 supplied with resin material J from the discharge area R2 to the film arrangement shelves 13 (see Figure 22). Specifically, one of the multiple film arrangement shelves 13 slides to the rear, and the frame discharge unit 12e places the frame bodies 30 supplied with resin material J onto the slid film arrangement shelf 13. This operation of the frame discharge unit 12e is performed each time the frame movement unit 12f moves each of the multiple frame bodies 30 until all of the multiple film arrangement shelves 13 are filled with frame bodies 30 supplied with resin material J.

[0117] In this way, each time the frame movement unit 12f moves one of the multiple frames 30, one frame 30 supplied with resin material J is manufactured and placed in the film placement shelf 13 from the output area R2, and one empty frame 30 is retrieved from the frame placement shelf 14 and placed in the input area R1.

[0118] In addition, the resin material supply mechanism 12 of this embodiment may include a determination unit 12g that determines whether the supply state of the resin material J in the supply area R5 or the discharge area R2 is good or bad, as shown in Figure 24. This determination unit 12g can be made to function by the control unit CTL, which will be described later.

[0119] When determining whether the supply condition of the resin material J in the supply area R5 is good or bad, as shown in Figure 24(a), the supply condition can be determined based on the weighing data from the weighing unit 12h provided in the supply area R5. The weighing unit 12h is located at the bottom of the support column 16. For example, if the weighing data is within a predetermined weight range, the supply condition can be judged as good, and if the weighing data is outside the predetermined weight range, the supply condition can be judged as poor.

[0120] Furthermore, when determining the quality of the supply state of the resin material J in the discharge area R2, as shown in Figure 24(b), the supply state of the resin material J can be imaged with the camera 12i, and the quality of the supply state can be determined based on the image data. Here, the image data is grayscale image data. Specifically, the determination unit 12g can binarize the image data obtained by imaging, and then determine the quality of the supply state based on the ratio of black or white pixels in a plurality of pixels corresponding to the inside of the frame 30 in the resulting black and white image. For example, if the ratio of black pixels is above a predetermined value, the supply state can be determined to be good, and if the ratio of black pixels is below a predetermined value, the supply state can be determined to be poor. Alternatively, the supply state of the resin material J can be imaged with the camera 12i in the supply area R5, and the quality of the supply state can be determined based on the image data.

[0121] If the determination unit 12g determines that the supply condition of the resin material J is poor, the release film F and the resin material J are discarded into a waste box (not shown), and the empty frame 30 is moved back to the loading area R1. This movement of the frame 30 in the case of a defect can be performed by a moving mechanism (not shown).

[0122] <An Example of Operation of the Resin Molding Apparatus 100> Next, an example of the operation of the resin molding apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 4. The operations shown below are performed by a control unit CTL provided in the substrate supply and storage module A, for example, controlling each part of the resin molding apparatus 100. The control unit CTL is a dedicated or general-purpose computer having a CPU, internal memory, input / output interface, AD converter, etc.

[0123] First, with the mold clamping mechanism 8 opening the molds 7A and 7B, the molding object transport mechanism 2 loads and holds the unmolded substrate W into the upper mold 71 of each mold 7A and 7B (see Figures 1 and 2). Also, as explained in the sections above, "Basic Operation of Resin Material Supply Module C" and "Operation of Resin Material Supply Mechanism 12 (Pitch Feed Operation)," the resin material transport mechanism 15 houses the release film F and resin material J into the cavity 72C of the lower mold 72 of each mold 7A and 7B (see Figure 1). In this way, the unmolded substrate W, release film F, and resin material J are supplied to each mold 7A and 7B (see Figure 4). The resin material J is thermosetting. While housed in the cavity 72C, the resin material J is heated by a heating mechanism (not shown). As a result, the viscosity of the resin material J temporarily decreases.

[0124] Next, the mold clamping mechanism 8 raises the movable platen 10b. As the movable platen 10b rises, the pantograph mechanism 91 retracts, and the intermediate plate 10c connected to the rotation axis 911a of the cross link portion 911 of the pantograph mechanism 91 rises. At this point, as the movable platen 10b rises, the area around the upper mold 71 and lower mold 72 is sealed by the sealing structure 11 shown in Figure 4, and the area around the upper mold 71 and lower mold 72 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown).

[0125] Subsequently, the clamping mechanism 8 further raises the movable platen 10b, completing the clamping of the first mold 7A and the second mold 7B. By maintaining this state for a predetermined time, the temperature of the resin material J rises, and the resin material J hardens. After the set time has elapsed, the resin molding is completed. Note that a thermoplastic material may be used as the resin material J. In this case, the resin material J is hardened by cooling.

[0126] After the resin molding is complete, the mold clamping mechanism 8 lowers the movable platen 10b, causing the molds 7A and 7B to open. The resin molded product P is then stored in the molded product storage section 61 by the substrate supply and storage module A (see Figure 1). The used release film F is then discarded by the resin material supply module C.

[0127] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, since it has a multi-tiered film arrangement shelf 13 on which release films F supplied with resin material J are arranged, multiple release films F supplied with resin material J can be prepared in advance when resin molding is performed by the resin molding mechanism. Furthermore, since the resin material transport mechanism 15 transports multiple release films F supplied with resin material J from the multi-tiered film arrangement shelf 13 to multiple molds 7A and 7B, the release films F supplied with resin material J can be efficiently transported to the multiple molds 7A and 7B. As a result, the throughput of resin molding can be improved.

[0128] <Other Modified Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0129] For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration included a cleaning area R3 in multiple work areas R3 to R5, but it is also possible to have a configuration without a cleaning area R3. Furthermore, the multiple work areas are not limited to the above embodiment and may include areas for other tasks.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the supply status of the resin material J was determined in the supply area R5 or the discharge area R2. However, the configuration may also include a determination area for determining the supply status of the resin material J, separate from the supply area R5 and the discharge area R2. In this case, the determination area is provided between the supply area R5 and the discharge area R2, and the frame 30 to which the resin material J has been supplied is moved from the supply area R5 to the determination area by the frame moving unit 12f.

[0131] Furthermore, the resin molding module B may have a configuration having three or more molds, in addition to a configuration having two molds 7A and 7B. In these cases, the substrate transport section 21 and the molded product transport section 22 of the object transport mechanism 2 are provided in accordance with the number of molds, and the transfer stages 3 and 4 are provided in accordance with the number of molds. Also, the resin material transport section 151 and the film recovery section 152 of the resin material transport mechanism 15 are provided in accordance with the number of molds, and the arrangement shelves 13 and 14 are provided in accordance with the number of molds.

[0132] Furthermore, the resin molding apparatus 100 may have a configuration that includes multiple resin molding modules B, or one resin molding module B may have a configuration that includes multiple resin molding mechanisms.

[0133] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit.

[0134] According to the present invention, multiple release films supplied with resin material can be efficiently conveyed to multiple molding dies.

[0135] 100... Resin molding apparatus W... Substrate before molding (object to be molded) P... Resin molded product (object to be molded) F... Release film J... Resin material 2... Object to be molded transport mechanism 7A, 7B... Molding mold (resin molding mechanism) 8... Mold clamping mechanism (resin molding mechanism) 30... Frame 12... Resin material supply mechanism 12a... Frame loading section (frame recovery section) 12c... Film mounting section 12d... Resin material supply section 12e... Frame unloading section 13... Film placement shelf 15... Resin material transport mechanism 14... Frame placement shelf

Claims

1. A resin molding apparatus comprising: a resin molding mechanism in which a plurality of molds having an upper mold and a lower mold are arranged vertically; a molded object transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of molded objects to the plurality of molds; a resin material supply mechanism for supplying resin material to a release film placed in the lower mold; a plurality of film arrangement shelves on which the release films supplied with the resin material are arranged; and a resin material transport mechanism for transporting the plurality of release films supplied with the resin material from the plurality of film arrangement shelves to the plurality of molds.

2. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple film arrangement shelves is configured to be slidable, and when each of the multiple film arrangement shelves is slid individually, the resin material supply mechanism sequentially places the release films supplied with the resin material onto the slid film arrangement shelves, and when all of the multiple film arrangement shelves are slid, the resin material transport mechanism simultaneously holds the multiple release films supplied with the resin material from the slid multiple film arrangement shelves and transports them to the multiple molding dies.

3. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resin material supply mechanism comprises a film mounting section for mounting a release film to a frame, a resin material supply section for supplying the resin material to the release film mounted to the frame, and a frame discharge section for sequentially arranging the release film supplied with the resin material together with the frame on the multi-tiered film arrangement shelves.

4. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of frame arrangement shelves on which empty frames are arranged, wherein the resin material transport mechanism transports a plurality of release films supplied with the resin material together with the frames from the plurality of film arrangement shelves to the plurality of molding dies, and after placing the release films supplied with the resin material into the lower die, places the empty frames on the frame arrangement shelves.

5. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the multiple-tiered frame arrangement shelves is configured to be slidable, and when all of the multiple-tiered frame arrangement shelves are slid, the resin material transport mechanism places a plurality of empty frames on the sliding multiple-tiered frame arrangement shelves at once, and when each of the multiple-tiered frame arrangement shelves is slid individually, the resin material supply mechanism sequentially collects the empty frames from the sliding frame arrangement shelves and returns them to the resin material supply mechanism.

6. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the resin material supply mechanism further comprises a frame recovery unit for recovering empty frames from the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves.

7. The resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the resin material supply mechanism sequentially places the release film supplied with the resin material onto the multiple film arrangement shelves during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism.

8. The resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the resin material supply mechanism retrieves empty frames from the multi-tiered frame arrangement shelves to the resin material supply mechanism during the transport operation of the resin material transport mechanism.

9. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using a resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: transporting a plurality of objects to be molded to a plurality of molds using the object transport mechanism; transporting a plurality of release films supplied with the resin material to the plurality of molds using the resin material transport mechanism; and resin molding the plurality of objects to be molded with the resin material using the resin molding mechanism to manufacture a plurality of the resin molded products.

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