JPH0121236B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention uses an electrode circulation method, that is, a method in which the electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode rows and the electrode rows are circulated within the same electrode or between different electrodes. This invention relates to a plating operation method when performing single-sided electroplating.

[Conventional technology and its problems]

When plating one side of a strip using a horizontal electroplating line, only the lower electrode Apply plating to the bottom surface. In this case, if the liquid level W is made higher than the pass line of the strip 1 by several tens of mm or more, the current from the lower electrode X will flow around, causing the non-plated surface to be plated, resulting in a deterioration in quality. However, in today's so-called high-speed plating operations, it is extremely difficult to control the liquid level in the plating tank because the flow rate of the plating liquid in the tank is high. Therefore, in this type of plating operation, it is necessary to install an insulating cover 5 as shown in the figure on the non-plated side of the strip to prevent current from flowing into the non-plated side.

By the way, when a plating method is adopted in which the electrode width is set regardless of the strip width in the horizontal electroplating operation as described above, there is a difference in the amount of melting between the electrode part outside the strip width and the electrode part inside the strip width. This creates a step in the electrode, making it necessary to replace the electrode early. As a plating operation method to solve this problem, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the self-fluxing electrode X is divided into a plurality of electrode rows
A method is known in which this electrode row x is used repeatedly within the same electrode or between adjacent electrodes. For example, in the case of the one shown in the figure,
The electrode row x _o taken out from one end in the width direction of X ₁ is inserted into one end of electrode X ₂ , and by pushing it in, the electrode X ₂ is slid in the direction of the arrow along the electrode support 2. , then the electrode row on the other end side in the width direction
The electrode array is used cyclically between electrodes X _{1 and} X ₂ by taking out x _n and inserting it into the other end of electrode X 1 . In addition, for this type of method, it is also possible to recycle the electrode rows within the same electrode, by taking out the electrode row from one side in the electrode width direction and inserting it from the other side. It cycles through the columns. In order to carry out such cyclical use of the electrode, pushers 3a, 3 are disposed on both sides of the electrode so as to press it and slide it on the electrode support.
An electrode exchange device is used, which includes an electrode array x and gripping means 4a and 4b that can grip the electrode row x at the end in the width direction and transport it to another electrode or the like. According to such a device, after suspending the electrode row x carried by the gripping means 4 from another location onto the electrode support at one end in the electrode width direction, pushing it with one pusher 3,
As a result, the electrode row x pushed out to the other end side in the width direction
The electrode array is handled in this way by lifting it with the other gripping means 4 and inserting it into another electrode end position.

However, when the above-mentioned insulating cover 5 is provided in such a plating method, there is a problem that the insulating cover obstructs the operation of the pusher 3 and the gripping means 4, and in fact, piping of the insulating cover is impossible.

The present invention was devised in view of such conventional problems, and it is possible to cover the non-plated surface of a steel plate with an insulating cover without hindering the handling of electrode arrays for cyclic use in single-sided electroplating operations using an electrode circulation method. The aim is to provide a method that allows operations to be carried out while providing coverage.

[Means and examples for solving the problem]

Therefore, in the present invention, a split type insulating cover consisting of a plurality of rows of insulating cover bodies is disposed in a position facing the electrode row and the strip by being supported by an upper electrode support, and a gripping means is used to hold the electrode row with the insulating cover. It is designed to be held and transported along with the body and used cyclically within the same electrode or between different electrodes.

The present invention will be explained below based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

In the present invention, a split type insulating cover Y is disposed at a position facing the electrode row x with the strip interposed therebetween by being supported by the upper electrode support 2. This insulating cover Y is composed of a plurality of insulating cover bodies y extending along the strip advancing direction so as to correspond to the electrode rows x. In this embodiment, insulating cover Y
is configured in the same shape as the upper electrode in the case of double-sided plating.

In the present invention, such an insulating cover body y
is held and conveyed by the holding means 4 together with the electrode array x,
It is used repeatedly. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the gripping means 4 includes upper and lower gripping bodies 41 and 42, and by moving the gripping bodies 41 and 42 toward and away from each other (in this embodiment, by moving the upper gripping body 41 up and down). The electrode row x and the insulating cover body y are to be grasped in a vertically stacked state, and since the electrode row x and the insulating cover body y are only placed on the electrode support 2, the gripping means 4 is It can be easily lifted by raising it. The entire gripping means is movable in the vertical direction, the line advancing direction, and the width direction, so that the electrode array can be inserted, taken out, and transported as appropriate.

In the case shown in FIGS. ₁ to ₃ , the electrode row _o and insulation cover body y _o
is inserted into one end side _{of block} B consisting _{of electrode}
, and then hold the electrode row x _n and the insulating cover body y _n on the other end side in the width direction with the gripping means 4
The electrode array x and the insulating cover body y are circulated between A block and B block by gripping and lifting it with b, hanging it down to the other end of A block, and pushing it in with pusher 3a. use.

In addition, for such a system, as described above, the electrode row x and the insulating cover body y can be reused within the same electrode, and the electrode row x and the insulating cover body y can be used from one side in the block width direction. The electrode array x and the insulating cover body y are circulated by taking it out and inserting it from the other side. In addition to the method described above, the electrode array x and the insulating cover body y can be used cyclically between three or more blocks.

The insulating cover body y needs to have a weight such that its lower part sinks below the liquid level, and is made of a metal material such as iron. Further, the side and bottom surfaces of the insulating cover body y are provided with a lining 6 of rubber or synthetic resin so that these parts are not exposed to the plating liquid and are not plated.

Further, it is preferable that the gap between the lower surface of the insulating cover Y and the strip 1 is set to 5 mm or less.
If it exceeds this, the plating current will flow through the gap, and there is a risk that the non-plated surface will be plated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention described above, in a single-sided electroplating operation using an electrode circulation method, the operation can be carried out while covering the non-plated surface of the steel plate with an insulating cover without hindering the handling of the electrode array. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 4 A and B show the plating equipment used to carry out the present invention and the implementation status thereof, in which Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view,
FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams showing handling conditions by the gripping means. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of implementation of conventional single-sided plating. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the implementation of single-sided electroplating using the electrode circulation method, with FIG. 6 being a cross-sectional view and FIG. 7 being a plan view. In the figure, 1 is a strip, 2 is an electrode support, 3a, 3b are pushers, 4, 4a, 4b are gripping means, X, X ₁ , X ₂ are electrodes, Y, Y ₁ , Y ₂ are insulating covers, x, x _o and x _n are electrode arrays, and y, y _o and y _n are insulating covers.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pusher that uses a horizontal electroplating line to configure the electrodes into a plurality of electrode rows along the strip advancing direction, and that can slide these electrode rows on the electrode support by pressing the electrodes in the width direction;
Operation is carried out while cyclically using the same or different electrodes using a gripping means that can grip the electrode row at the end in the electrode width direction in the vertical direction and transport and insert it into another end position in the electrode width direction. In the method of operating single-sided electroplating, a split type insulating cover consisting of multiple rows of insulating cover bodies is placed at a position facing the electrode row and the strip by being supported by an upper electrode support, and the electrode row is held by a gripping means. A method for operating single-sided electroplating with an electrode circulation type, characterized by gripping and transporting the electrode together with an insulating cover and cyclically using it within the same electrode or between different electrodes.