Abstract: An electroplating apparatus of small articles comprising: a horizontal circular bottom disk fixed on a top of a vertical drive shaft concentrically, a cover having a bottom fixing flange extending outwardly, upper opening and forming between the bottom disk a treatment room the height of the room changing gradually low as the radius increases or simply cylindrical, a minus contact ring or intermittent minus contact ring disposed between the bottom disk and flange, porous ring being disposed near the contact ring allowing only to pass an electroplating liquid in the cover by centrifugal force, supply pipes supplying electroplating liquid etc. from the opening, a cellar receiving electroplating liquid etc. scattered from the porous ring, a pump feeding the liquid gathered in the cellar to the supply pipe, an anode inserted from the opening and contacting electroplating liquid, and during the electroplating, the bottom disk and cover repeat rotation and stopping or rotation and decelerating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming abrasive surfaces on the tips of a plurality of workpieces such as the tips of gas turbine airfoil blades. The method broadly comprises the steps of providing a mechanical masking device having a plurality of openings arranged around the circumference of the device, installing an array containing a plurality of workpieces to be coated within the mechanical masking device so that portions of the workpieces including the tips thereof extend through the openings, immersing the mechanical masking device with the installed array of workpieces in a tank containing a plating bath with a matrix material and an abrasive grit material in slurry form so that the workpieces lie in a substantially horizontal plane, and applying a current through the plating bath to form the abrasive surfaces on the tips of the workpieces. The mechanical masking device protects portions of the array from the coating operation.

Abstract: Electronic parts are stuck into holes provided in an elongated retainer sheet and thereby retained. The retainer sheet as a transfer medium for the electronic parts is made to pass through a plating bath, a cleaning and drying section, an electrical characteristic measuring section, and a takeout section in turn. This allows the electronic parts 1 to be subjected to a plating process on their external electrodes, an electrical characteristic measuring process, and a taping process in a continuous manner. As a result, reduction in the number of handling manhours in the individual processes as well as space saving can be realized, while productivity can be improved.

Abstract: A process for preparing a solderable lead frame from a copper base lead frame is disclosed using plating of tin or tin alloys followed by plating of palladium. Preferably, the tin plating is a spot plating to deposit tin only on the external leads and the palladium plating is a flood plating to deposit palladium over the entire lead frame. A diffusion barrier, preferably of cobalt or nickel, can be applied by plating the base lead frame before tin plating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously forming primed circuits, the apparatus including a cylindrical drum rotatable about a generally vertical axis and a tank for holding an electrolytic plating solution. The tank is dimensioned to surround a lower portion of the drum and immerse the lower portion of the drum in the electrolytic plating solution. Means for introducing electrolytic solution into the tank are provided, and a plurality of metallic anodes are disposed within the tank surrounding and facing the lower portion of the drum defining a generally uniform gap therebetween. A plurality of cathodes are disposed above the tank and facing an upper portion of the drum, the cathodes being biased toward the drum. The apparatus is adapted to receive a movable continuous flexible web having a thin layer of conductive metal on one side thereof. The metal layer is masked to expose a plurality of patterns aligned along the web and a continuous strip of exposed metal along one edge of the web.

Abstract: A method of providing selective silver plating to a lead frame structure 10 performs the silver plating operation prior to etching the lead frame, thereby avoiding mechanical damage to the lead frame during plating, and producing finished silver spots 24 on the top surface of the lead frame only, with no plating on the gauge. The disclosed method includes the steps of applying a layer of photoresist 42 to a surface of a sheet of lead frame material 40, exposing areas of the photoresist such as to define selected regions 44, developing the photoresist 42 to uncover the lead frame material 40 at the selected regions 44, and plating the surface of the sheet defined by the layer of photoresist 42 with an electrically conductive material 46.

Abstract: A semiconductor product plating apparatus includes housings having a first mask portion for masking both the surfaces of a resin package of a semiconductor device and a second mask portion for masking the peripheral portion of a lead frame, when clamping a semiconductor product from both surface sides of the lead frame, and hollow portions surrounding outer leads between the semiconductor device and the peripheral portion of the lead frame. Electrolytic solution supply slits and electrolytic solution drainage slits are formed in the housings so as to communicate with the hollow portions. The apparatus also includes electrodes formed on portions of the inner wall surfaces of the hollow portions. The first mask portion has a tapered side surface which widens toward the end. The electrolytic solution supply slits have opening portions formed in a direction to cross the proximal end portions of the outer leads and communicating with the side surface of the first mask portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of surface-treating a half sliding bearing, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a tank which accommodates a surface-treatment solution and an anode of an alloy to be applied to the bearings as a surface treatment; successively and one by one introducing the bearings into the surface-treatment solution; performing the surface treatment in such a manner that the surface layer of the alloy is applied to the surface of the bearings by feeding an electricity between a cathode served by the bearing and the anode via the surface-treatment solution while moving, in the surface-treatment solution, the bearings being introduced into the surface-treatment solution in a state in which the bearings is brought into contact with one another; and successively and one by one drawing out the bearings, which have been applied with the surface treatment, from the tank.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a leadless ceramic package having improved solderability characteristics. The ceramic packages are singulated from the package array before electroplating. This eliminates the damage which may occur to the plating layer during singulation, and permits plating of base metal exposed by singulation. Furthermore, the plating solution is not required to penetrate small-diameter castellation holes, which would often result in incomplete electroplating of the castellation surfaces.

Abstract: A carrier web of sheet metal material joining stamped and formed components of an electrical connector is disclosed. The component is carried through the stamping and forming process by the carrier web of the sheet metal material. The component is stamped and formed from the material such that at least a portion of the component projects from one side of the original plane of the sheet metal material. The carrier web is formed into a three-dimensional configuration to reduce the spacing between adjacent components. A portion of the web may project a sufficient distance from the one side of the original plane of the sheet metal material to protect the projecting portion of the component during subsequent manufacturing operations on the component. A retaining structure may also be provided to retain the components at a predetermined spacing on the carrier web.

Abstract: Lead frames for microchips and other integrated circuit dies are produced by a continuous manufacturing method and apparatus in which silver spot plating is done prior to etching away unwanted portions of the lead frame substrate. A flexible substrate of a metal alloy is fed continuously from a reel, then spot plated with silver, coated with a photosensitive material, and exposed to intensive light in an exposure chamber using a photoresist or masking tool of predetermined design. The exposed photosensitive material is developed chemically, etched in acid, and placed in a chemical solution to remove any remaining unwanted material. The strip is then dried, cut to predetermined lengths and boxed for shipment. If necessary, the strip is downset and taped before packaging. In a presently preferred process, the metal alloy substrate is 42 alloy (Fe+Ni), and the selective spot plating is silver 100 to 150 microinches thick.