Continuous Plating Apparatus with Independent Power Supply Units
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing continuous plating apparatuses face challenges in achieving uniform coating thickness and process quality due to variations in electrical resistance and electrode-electrode distance, leading to differences in coating thickness between sides of a workpiece and along the workpiece transfer direction.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs (N+1) cathode relay members and power supply units outside the plating tank, with anodes inside, allowing for constant current control during transfer, gradual current increase when entering the tank, and gradual current decrease when exiting, ensuring each workpiece receives a set current value for uniform plating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single power supply device is used for multiple workpieces, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision (coating thickness uniformity) deteriorates due to varying electrical resistance and electrode distance
Solution Approach 1:
The single power supply device is segmented into multiple independent power supply units, each dedicated to supplying power to a specific workpiece. This segmentation allows each workpiece to receive a customized current value that compensates for its unique electrical resistance and electrode distance, thereby achieving uniform coating thickness while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Each power supply unit is configured with dedicated power supply cables and cathode relay members that are optimized for the specific electrical characteristics of its assigned workpiece. This local customization ensures that each workpiece receives the precise current it needs, addressing the individual quality requirements of each workpiece rather than using a uniform power distribution system
2Manufacturing precision
If constant current control is applied throughout the plating process, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but productivity decreases due to inability to optimize current during entry/exhaust phases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system transitions from static constant current control to dynamic current control that adapts to the workpiece's position in the plating tank. The control unit dynamically adjusts the current value based on whether the workpiece is entering, fully immersed, or exiting the tank, allowing optimization of plating efficiency during entry and exhaust phases while maintaining precision during the main plating process
Solution Approach 2:
The current control operates in distinct periodic phases corresponding to the workpiece's movement through the plating tank: a first current value is applied during entry, a second current value during full immersion, and a third current value during exhaust. This periodic adaptation of current values to process phases maximizes both productivity and quality
3Manufacturing precision
If electrical resistance variations are compensated by adjusting current values, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the actual current consumption and voltage drop for each power supply unit, allowing it to automatically adjust current values to compensate for variations in electrical resistance. This feedback-based compensation achieves uniform coating thickness while keeping the control system relatively simple through automated adjustment rather than complex manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system compensates for electrical resistance variations by changing the current parameter dynamically for each power supply unit based on measured voltage drops and resistance characteristics. This parameter adjustment approach achieves precise coating control without requiring complex structural modifications to the power supply system, maintaining simplicity while improving precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the formation of a uniform, high-quality plated coating with consistent thickness across each workpiece, improving productivity and reducing variations in coating thickness and process quality.
Implementation Method 1
a first-side anode and a second-side anode that extend in the workpiece transfer direction and are commonly used for the workpieces being oppositely disposed in the plating tank... anode terminals of the first-side power supply units being connected to the first-side anode, anode terminals of the second-side power supply units being connected to the second-side anode, and cathode terminals of the first-side power supply units and cathode terminals of the second-side power supply units being respectively connected to the cathode relay members so that power is supplied to each of the workpieces transferred in the plating tank from a corresponding first-side power supply unit among the first-side power supply units and from a corresponding second-side power supply unit among the second-side power supply units through a corresponding cathode relay member among the cathode relay members
Implementation Method 2
The electrical resistance and the electrode-electrode distance vary corresponding to each workpiece due to the structure of the electrical path (e.g., cable 17P (17PL and 17R) or power supply path 36P (36PA to 36PE)) or assembly. This causes the following problems.
Data Source
AI summary
A continuous plating apparatus, when the number of the workpieces simultaneously transferred in the plating tank in a completely immersed state is N, (N+1) cathode relay members that extend in a workpiece transfer direction and (N+1) power supply units being provided outside the plating tank, anode terminals of the power supply units being connected to opposed anodes that are provided in the plating tank, cathode terminals of the power supply units being respectively connected to the cathode relay members so that power is supplied to each of the workpieces transferred in the plating tank from a corresponding power supply unit among the power supply units through a corresponding cathode relay member among the cathode relay members, and each of the power supply units being able to be controlled by constant current control when being transferred in the plating tank in a completely immersed state, by current gradual increase control when being carried into the plating tank in a partially immersed state, and by current gradual decrease control when being carried out from the plating tank in a partially immersed state.