Precious Plate, Inc.

Molex Corporation

Precision Process Equipment, Inc.

William J Copping

Paul M Bronschidle

Richard J Zimmermann

John Paul Cassoni

William Clayton Lekki

Bretton I Rickett

A method for continuously electroplating metal webs by coating a masking ink thereto in a fashion resembling flexographic printing, then electroplating the uncoated areas of the web and finally removing the ink, is described. The masking ink is applied continuously from a reservoir to an &ldquo;anilox&rdquo; roller which synchronously and rotatingly contacts either a plate roller or an intermediate roller. Contact between the rollers transfers the masking ink from one roller to the other. The plate roller has &ldquo;proud&rdquo; or raised areas in which the ink is drawn and contacts a guided metal web that is coated with the ink in a pattern matching that of the plate roller. Electroplating is effected after cleaning the inked web in an aqueous acid media. Finally, the masking ink is removed in an alkali medium.

Method for continuously masking a web

A method of fabricating an electrical component includes the steps of providing a metal electrical component and immersing the component in a bath of resist material. A selected area of the component is prepared by an ink-jet process for reception of a conductive plating material. The plating material is applied to the selected area, and the resist material is removed from the component.

Method of fabricating an electrical component

An apparatus and process for adding electrolytically dissolved tin to the electrolyte solution of a tin plating cell is described. The tin plating process cell has an insoluble anode. In conventional plating processes, this requires the addition of tin salts to the process cell electrolyte. The tin salts represent a substantial cost, both in term of materials and waste removal. The present plating apparatus includes a secondary cell, separate from the main process plating cell, which has a dedicated rectifier, and in which a soluble tin anode and a cathode are separated by a perm-selective ion exchange membrane. The anode compartment of the secondary cell is hydraulically connected to the process cell and serves to continuously add tin to the plating process, as needed.

Apparatus and method for electroplating tin with insoluble anodes

An apparatus for continuously electroplating metal webs by coating a masking ink thereto in a fashion resembling flexographic printing, then electroplating the uncoated areas of the web and finally removing the ink, is described. The masking ink is applied continuously from a reservoir to an 'anilox' roller which synchronously and rotatingly contacts either a plate roller or an intermediate roller. Contact between the rollers transfers the masking ink from one roller to the other. The plate roller has 'proud' or raised areas in which the ink is drawn and contacts a guided metal web that is coated with the ink in a pattern matching that of the plate roller. Electroplating is effected after cleaning the inked web in an aqueous acid media. Finally, the masking ink is removed in an alkali medium.

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Youngstown, NY, United States of America

William J Copping