System for electroplating a strip

Abstract

A system for continuously electroplating a portion of a strip includes an unwinding reel station from which the non-electroplated strip is unwound, a first electroplating station, a driven winding reel station in which the electroplated strip is wound on a reel, and a control unit. The first electroplating station includes: a circular horizontally disposed support means at which outer edge the strip is held, the area to be plated protruding downward, an endless drive belt abutting a part of the circumference at the outer edge, the strip being held between the outer edge and the drive belt and conveyed in the circumferential direction, a drive for rotating the support means, electroplating baths distributed over part of the circumference of the support means and arranged below the support means so that the region to be plated of the strip is conveyed through the baths and electroplated there.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . System ( 10 ) for continuously electroplating a portion of a strip ( 12 ) having an unwinding reel station ( 14 ) from which the non-electroplated strip ( 12 ) is unwound and having a first electroplating station ( 16 ) and having a driven winding reel station ( 18 ), in which the electroplated strip ( 12 ) is wound up on a reel, and having a control unit ( 20 ), wherein the first electroplating station ( 16 ) comprises:
 a circular horizontally disposed support means ( 22 ) that rotates about a vertical axis and at which outer edge ( 28 ) the strip ( 12 ) is held, wherein the area to be plated ( 38 ) protrudes downward,   an endless drive belt ( 30 ) which lies against a part of the circumference at the outer edge ( 28 ) and the strip ( 12 ) is held between the outer edge ( 28 ) and the drive belt ( 30 ) and is conveyed in the circumferential direction,   a drive ( 35 ) for rotating said support means ( 22 ),   electroplating baths ( 42 ), which are distributed over part of the circumference of the support means ( 22 ) and arranged below the support means ( 22 ) so that the region ( 38 ) to be plated of the strip ( 12 ) is conveyed through the baths ( 42 ) and electroplated there.   
     
     
         2 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the unwinding reel station is driven and the drive of the unwinding reel station is adjusted and the speed of the drive is matched to the drive speed of the supporting means via a first speed matching device. 
     
     
         3 . System according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the first speed matching device has a roller which is mounted movably to the side with regard to the conveying direction of the belt, the unwounded strip runs over the roller and the roller keeps the strip in tension and the displacement of the roller is detected by the control unit and the control unit adjusts the speed of the drive of the unwinding reel station in that the drive of the unwinding reel station is regulated to a desired displacement of the roller. 
     
     
         4 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first electroplating station comprises a pre-tensioned arranged feed roller for correctly feeding the strip between the outer edge of the supporting means and the drive belt. 
     
     
         5 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the winding reel station has a second speed matching device for matching the speed of the drive of the winding reel station to the driving speed of the supporting means. 
     
     
         6 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that there is at least a second electroplating station to which the strip leaving the first electroplating station is fed. 
     
     
         7 . System according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the second electroplating station comprises a further speed matching device which is associated with a feed roller of the second electroplating station, and the feed roller is mounted pre-tensioned and movable to the side, so that a change of the displacement of the feed roller is a measure of a difference in speed of the drives of the two electroplating stations, said change is detected and regulated by the control unit. 
     
     
         8 . System according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the control unit adjusts all the drives to be controlled according to the drive of the first electroplating station. 
     
     
         9 . System according to  claim 6 , characterized in that a third electroplating station is provided. 
     
     
         10 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the electroplating baths of the electroplating station are arranged hexagon-like, forming five sides of a hexagon, and the feed of the strip to and from the station is done via the sixth side. 
     
     
         11 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each electroplating bath comprises an electrical connection and in that a code characterizing a corresponding electroplating bath can be transmitted to the control unit through the electrical connection. 
     
     
         12 . System according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the electroplating baths and/or the unwinding reel station and/or the winding reel station rest on wheels.