An automatic production system for producing printed wiring boards in which previously drilled and contoured bases having rear surfaces and copper foil front surfaces are subjected to continuous and automatic opeations, said system comprising:
- a series of successive production elements arranged to operate on said bases in a successive order to produce said wiring boards;
- transfer means for automatically transferring said bases between each of said successive production elements;
- said successive production elements including:
- (1) means for retaining a stack of said bases and automatically delivering said bases one-by-one onto said transfer means;
- (2) means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said transfer means, for automatically washing, buffing and drying said bases;
- (3) first straightening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said washing, buffing and drying means, for automatically removing warp from said bases;
- (4) first printer means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said first straightening means, for automatically printing a printed circuit pattern on said copper foil surface of each of said bases;
- (5) forced drying means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said first printer means, for automatically forced-drying said printed circuit pattern onto said copper foil surface of each of said bases;
- (6) etching means, adapted to automatically receive one-by-one said bases from said forced drying means, for automatically removing copper foil which is not beneath said printed circuit pattern from said copper foil surface to form electrical circuits on each of said bases;
- (7) washing means, adapted to automatically receive one-by-one said bases from said etching means, for automatically washing said printed circuit pattern from said bases;
- (8) second straightening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said washing means, for automatically removing warp from said bases;
- (9) first selection means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said second straightening means, for automatically detecting defective electronic circuits among the electrical circuits on each of said bases and stacking the ones of said bases having defective electrical circuitry;
- (10) first buffing and drying means, adapted to automatically receive from said first detecting and stocking means, those of said bases not detected as having defective electrical circuitry in said first detecting and stacking means for buffing and drying those of said bases received from said first detecting and stacking means;
- (11) second printing means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said first buffing and drying means for automatically printing resistance material on said printed electrical circuitry;
- (12) first cooling and hardening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said second printing means, for cooling and hardening said resistance printing on said bases;
- (13) third straightening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said first cooling and hardening means, for automatically removing warp from said bases;
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- (14) third printing means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said third straightening means, for automatically printing first indicia, corresponding to the electrical characteristics of said resistance printing such as a service map on said base;
- (15) second cooling means, adapted to automatically receive one-by-one said bases from said third printing means, for cooling said bases;
- (16) fourth straightening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said second cooling and for automatically removing warp from said bases;
- (17) first reverser means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said fourth straightening means, for automatically reversing the front and rear faces of said bases;
- (18) fourth automatic printing means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said first reverser means, for printing on said rear face of said bases, second printed indicia corresponding to a load map for said electrical circuit;
- (19) second drying means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said fourth printing means, for drying said rear face of said bases;
- (20) fifth automatic straightening means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said second drying means, for automatically removing warp from said bases;
- (21) second automatic reverser means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said fifth automatic straightening means, for automatically reversing the front and rear faces of said bases;
- (22) second buffing and drying means, adapted to automatically receive bases one-by-one from said second reverser means, for automatically buffing and drying said bases;
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- (23) fluxing finisher means, adapted to automatically receive said bases one-by-one from said second buffing and drying means, for automatically fluxing said bases to form completed printed wiring boards.