Experimental prediction of multi-nozzle spray characteristics for optimal design in a lead frame etching process

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to provide quantitative information of uniform impact forces on the sprayed surface in order to optimize the multi-nozzle spray etching system. Spray characteristics obtained from optical non-intrusive measurements using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle motion analysis system (PMAS) are measured in single- and twin-nozzle sprays, and then the multi-nozzle spray characteristics is simulated based on those of measurement data. The influences of the multi-nozzle arrangement, nozzle pitch, and pipe pitch on the spray characteristics such as droplets’ velocity, diameter, number density, impact force and their uniformity are properly evaluated. The experimental cases E1 and E2 represent single-spray nozzle A and B, respectively. For twin-spray tests, three nozzle combinations, namely E3 (nozzle A-A), E4 (nozzle A-B) and E5 (nozzle B-B) are considered with different nozzle pitches. The multi-spray simulation cases S1 and S6 represent the multi-spray cases with a homo-nozzle arrays which is consisted in all nozzles of nozzle A or B. For cases from case S2 to S5, the multi-spray cases with a hybrid-nozzle arrays which is consisted in all nozzles of nozzle A and B. The results show that the impact force increases approximately twice as much for changing of experimental test cases from E1 to E5 owing to the differences in nozzle characteristics of single-sprays and the overlap region between two adjacent nozzles. For the multi-nozzle spray simulation, the uniformity of impact force (UI) is increased with increasing the number of nozzle B which has larger orifice diameter and a wider spray angle. The optimum multi-nozzle spray arrangement is case S4 with more than 90 % UI, based on the fact that the UI is quite stable with increasing the nozzle pitch ranging from 90 mm to 145 mm.