Patent ID: 7744732
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: C25D,H01L

Abstract:
1. A plating system for plating a portion of each of a plurality of serially arranged parts of a lead frame with a plating solution, the system comprising: a tank for containing the plating solution; a first masking belt having a first plurality of guide holes; a second masking belt having a second plurality of guide holes; a drive wheel comprising a periphery, the drive wheel being rotatable relative to the tank to position a first portion of the periphery outside the plating solution in the tank, and a second portion of the periphery inside the plating solution in the tank; a first plurality of pins positioned along the periphery of the drive wheel to sequentially engage with the first plurality of guide holes of the first masking belt; a second plurality of pins laterally spaced apart from the first plurality of pins, the second plurality of pins being positioned along the periphery of the drive wheel to sequentially engage with the second plurality of guide holes of the second masking belt, the first and second masking belts being sized such that when the first plurality of guide holes of the first masking belt are engaged by the first plurality of pins and the second plurality of guide holes of the second masking belt are engaged by the second plurality of pins, a longitudinally extending opening is defined between the first and second masking belts along the second portion of the periphery of the drive wheel, the periphery of the drive wheel comprising a groove configured to receive the lead frame and register the portion of different serially arranged parts of the lead frame with the longitudinally extending opening defined between the first and second masking belts for subsequent passage of the engaged first masking belt, the engaged second masking belt, and the lead frame into the plating solution in the tank to sequentially pass the serially arranged parts through the plating solution in the tank; and a plurality of tracking rollers, each tracking roller having a periphery and a plurality of pins positioned along the periphery to sequentially engage with the first plurality of guide holes of the first masking belt to maintain alignment of the first masking belt and the second plurality of guide holes of the second masking belt to maintain alignment of the second masking belt.