Frame for holding laminate during processing

A method of transporting a thin laminate through a conveyor system to process the thin laminate as a part of a printed circuit board, the method comprising the steps of:

• installing the thin laminate in a rigid holder comprising a first frame member and a second frame member, said step of installing comprising:
• supporting the thin laminate on said first frame member which supports a portion of a periphery of the thin laminate at a first side of each corner of said thin laminate and a plurality of sections of said first side of said thin laminate, each said plurality of sections is between different sets of said corners of said thin laminate, wherein said thin laminate further comprises an inner section formed within said periphery, said inner section is a section of said thin laminate which is to be subjected to processing for use as part of a printed circuit structure and said periphery is to be later removed from said thin laminate after said processing;
• rotatably placing said second frame member relative to the first frame member so that the thin laminate is positioned between the first frame member and the second frame member, wherein said second frame is in contact with said thin laminate at a second side of each said corner of said thin laminate and said plurality of sections of said second side of said thin laminate;
• magnetically holding the second frame member relative to the first frame member by a plurality of magnetic sections formed in recesses in said first and second frames at each of said corners and each of said plurality of sections, wherein each of said magnetic sections are substantially flush with an adjacent section of said first or second frame where each of said magnetic sections are disposed within a respective one of said recesses, the first frame member having a window to permit access to said first side of the thin laminate and the second frame member having a window to permit access to said second side of said thin laminate;
• and
• coupling at least one edge of said first and second frame members together to prevent said first and second frame members from moving relative to each other using a releasable coupling structure;
• placing the rigid holder on the conveyor of the conveyor system;
• advancing the rigid holder through the conveyor system to expose the thin laminate to at least one chemistry treatment;
• removing the rigid holder from the conveyor of the conveyor system;
• and separating the thin laminate from the rigid holder.

A method of transporting a thin laminate through a vertical dip system to process the thin laminate as a part of a printed circuit board, the method comprising the steps of:

• installing the thin laminate in a rigid holder comprising a first frame member and a second frame member, said step of installing comprising:
• supporting the thin laminate on said first frame member which supports a portion of a periphery of the thin laminate at a first side of each corner of said thin laminate and a plurality of sections of said first side of said thin laminate, each said plurality of sections is between different sets of said corners of said thin laminate, wherein said thin laminate further comprises an inner section formed within said periphery, said inner section is a section of said thin laminate which is to be subjected to processing for use as part of a printed circuit structure and said periphery is to be later removed from said thin laminate after said processing;
• rotatably placing said second frame member relative to the first frame member so that the thin laminate is positioned between the first frame member and the second frame member, wherein said second frame is in contact with said thin laminate at a second side of each said corner of said thin laminate and said plurality of sections of said second side of said thin laminate;
• magnetically holding the second frame member relative to the first frame member by a plurality of magnetic sections formed in recesses in said first and second frames at each of said corners and each of said plurality of sections, wherein each of said magnetic sections are substantially flush with an adjacent section of said first or second frame where each of said magnetic sections are disposed within a respective one of said recesses, the first frame member having a window to permit access to said first side of the thin laminate and the second frame member having a window to permit access to said second side of said thin laminate;
• and
• coupling at least one edge of said first and second frame members together to prevent said first and second frame members from moving relative to each other using a releasably coupling structure;
• placing the rigid holder in a basket of the vertical dip system along with at least one additional rigid holder holding another thin laminate, the rigid holder and the at least one additional rigid holder keeping the thin laminate and the another thin laminate spaced apart;
• positioning the rigid holder in a tank of the vertical dip system to expose the thin laminate to at least one chemistry treatment;
• removing the rigid holder from the basket of the vertical dip system;
• and
• separating the thin laminate from the rigid holder.