Method and apparatus for coating board-shaped articles, especially

Abstract

An apparatus for coating board-shaped articles, especially printed circuit boards, comprises a preheating station for the printed circuit boards which is arranged at the entrance to the apparatus, and following the preheating station, in the sequence of their arrangement, at least one coating station for coating at least one side of the printed circuit boards with preferably UV-hardenable plastics, lacquer or the like, and at least one vapour-removal and drying station, each of which processing stations has transport means for the printed circuit boards. The transport means in the vapour-removal and drying station are equipped with carrying elements for the longitudinal edges of the printed circuit boards, the width of which elements can be adjusted to the width of the printed circuit boards to be carried and which support and guide the printed circuit boards at the longitudinal edges over their entire length. In the case of the method according to the invention, the printed circuit boards are aligned only once, directly at the entrance to the first coating station. From that time onwards, the printed circuit boards are supported and guided by the various transport means of the various processing stations always only at the lateral edges. Even when the printed circuit boards, which have been coated on one or both sides, are transferred from one processing station of the coating installation to the next, they are guided and supported substantially constantly at their coating-free longitudinal edges.