Wet lamination process and apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for wet laminating a photopolymerizable film onto circuit board panels or other substrates. The apparatus is easily and quickly convertible from dry laminating to wet laminating with the rollers therefor mounted in bearing blocks which are insertable in slots in brackets at each end and removable therefrom. The lower roller thereof has a gear the teeth of which are meshable with the teeth of an idler gear for transmission of rotation power thereto. Elongate tubes for applying a fluid, which comprises between about 0.1 and about 10 wt. % of a heterocyclic metal-chelating agent, to the wet insertion rollers for application thereof to the panels are contained in a yoke which is adjustable next to wet insertion rollers for wet laminating or away from dry insertion rollers for dry laminating. The flow rate of fluid to the elongate tubes is controlled, and excess fluid applied to the wet insertion rollers is collected in a tray and returned to the system in order to prevent waste and undesirable environmental effects. In accordance with an alternative embodiment, fluid is applied to a substrate by a first pair of insertion rollers and the amount of fluid retained on the substrate is regulated by applying and regulating a pressure between a second pair of insertion rollers and the substrate. The lower of the first pair of insertion rollers, which transmits driving force to the second pair of insertion rollers, comprises a roller member removably attached to a pair of fixedly mounted stub shafts so that it may be easily removed and replaced for conversion between wet and dry lamination.