Process and device for the electrochemical treatment of items to be treated

The invention relates to a process and a device for the electrochemical treatment with a fluid of mutually electrically insulated electrically conductive regions on items. Insulated, e.g. etched, structures on printed circuit boards cannot be treated electrochemically by prior art processes as there is no electrical connection between individual regions and the bath current source. According to the invention, this connection is made by means of brushes, the electrically conductive and thin fibres contact the structured surfaces to be treated. A large number of brushes, which are arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the item to be treated, ensure that all mutually insulated electrically conductive regions on the items to be treated are electrically contacted at least in succession and the contact time obtained is long enough. There are preferably counter-electrodes between the brush electrodes which may also take the form of moving brushes. The brushes are cyclically demetallized in electrochemical processes in which metal is removed. Various methods therefore are proposed.