Continuous plating apparatus configured to control the power applied to individual work pieces within a plating tank

A continuous plating apparatus capable of continuously plating workpieces transferred through a plating tank while continuously supplying power to the workpieces, the continuous plating apparatus comprising:

• a computer system coupled to the continuous plating apparatus to control operation of the continuous plating apparatus;
• one or more workpieces, a plurality of cathode relay members, a plurality of first-side power supply units and a plurality of second-side power supply units, wherein, when a maximum number of the one or more workpieces simultaneously transferred in the plating tank in a completely immersed state is N in a workpiece transfer direction, (N+1) cathode relay members that extend in the workpiece transfer direction, wherein each workpiece is electrically connected to one of the cathode relay members, (N+1) first-side power supply units, and (N+1) second-side power supply units are provided outside the plating tank;
• a first-side anode and a second-side anode each extending in the workpiece transfer direction, the first-side anode and the second-side anode being oppositely disposed in the plating tank;
• a plurality of anode terminals of the first-side power supply units connected to the first-side anode;
• a plurality of anode terminals of the second-side power supply units connected to the second-side anode;
• a plurality of cathode terminals of the first-side power supply units and a plurality of cathode terminals of the second-side power supply units connected to the plurality of cathode relay members;
• a sensor that identifies the workpiece using a workpiece identifying component;
• and
• a memory that stores a length L of the workpiece being extended in the workpiece transfer direction and corresponding to the workpiece identified by the sensor prior to the identification of the component by the sensor,
• wherein the computer system includes a period calculation portion that calculates a partially immersed period L/V based on the length L being read from the memory a constant transferring speed V of the workpiece,
• wherein power is supplied to each of the one or more 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 plurality of cathode relay members,
• wherein each of the first-side power supply units and each of the second-side power supply units controls a current to be supplied to the workpiece under constant current control at a constant current Is when being transferred in the plating tank in a completely immersed state, under current gradual increase control to gradually increase up to the constant current Is when the workpiece is carried into a first end of the plating tank in a partially immersed state, and under current gradual decrease control to gradually decrease from the constant current Is when the workpiece is carried out from a second end of the plating tank in a partially immersed state.

A continuous plating apparatus capable of continuously plating workpieces transferred through a plating tank while continuously supplying power to the workpieces, the continuous plating apparatus comprising:

• the plating tank;
• a computer system coupled to the continuous plating apparatus to control operation of the continuous plating apparatus;
• one or more workpieces, a plurality of cathode relay members that extend in a workpiece transfer direction, and a plurality of power supply units that are provided outside the plating tank, wherein each workpiece is electrically connected to one of the cathode relay members;
• an anode that extends in the workpiece transfer direction and is provided in the plating tank;
• at least one anode terminal of the power supply units being connected to the anodes;
• a plurality of cathode terminals of the power supply units connected to the plurality of cathode relay members;
• a sensor that identifies the workpiece using a workpiece identifying component;
• a memory that stores a length L of the workpiece being extended in the workpiece transfer direction and corresponding to the workpiece identified by the sensor prior to the identification of the component by the sensor,
• wherein the computer system includes a period calculation portion that calculates a partially immersed period L/V based on the length L being read from the memory a constant transferring speed V of the workpiece,
• wherein power is supplied to each of the one or more workpieces transferred in the plating tank from a corresponding power supply unit among the plurality of power supply units through a corresponding cathode relay member among the plurality of cathode relay members,
• wherein each of the power supply units is coupled to and controlled by the computer system and controls a current to be supplied to the workpiece under constant current control at a constant current Is when being transferred in the plating tank in a completely immersed state, under current gradual increase control to gradually increase up to the constant current Is within a partially immersed period when the workpiece is carried into a first end of the plating tank in a partially immersed state, and under current gradual decrease control to gradually decrease from the constant current Is within a partially immersed period when the workpiece is carried out from a second end of the plating tank in a partially immersed state;
• a plurality of arm members each configured to carry a workpiece.