> William Carr wrote:
> Hi. I'm new to the group, can I ask a newbie
> question?
>
> Why the emphasis on development of a direct
> inkjet process?
>
> From High School in the early 80's, I recall
> the way PCB's were done is to use the UV
> boards, a photo mask, and the sun. Not that
> I've done any lately.
<big snip>
The _WAY_ (in big capitals with underlining) is
still photographic.
For quality of board, repeatability, freedom from
process variation, speed of production (if making
more than a few) it wins. No buts, No ifs - it
just wins.
If you can't tell, I'm on of the photographic ways
biggest defenders.
I started with photo when the only option easily
available was negative acting. I switched to
Toner Transfer a bit over a decade ago after
reading an article about Xerox playing with it.
(I think a long time before pulsar brought out
TTS with all the trademarks and stuff).
I could get 8 thou tracks 8 thou spacing with
toner. However waiting till the 3rd full moon
after the solatice, cleaning and preping the
blank board with 7 different solutions, drawing
the pentagram on the floor and slaugtering the
goat all took time.
I switched back to photo about 5 or 6 years
ago. And although I have resorted to toner a
few times in the last five years - it's only
when I desperatly need a board and have run
out of photo-stuff.
Photo does have drawbacks - mostly related to
cost AND the amount of space the equpiment
takes up. The cost that I talk of is mainly
setting up your shop to do a good job of it.
Cost of production is in the same ballpark as
toner transfer.
Even with a shop set up to do photographic
boards to quite reasonable quality. AND my
one eyed bigotry in favour of photo. I still
have an interest in this ink-jet direct method.
Apart from novelty (which seems to be the biggest
winner of hearts around). It has two big looking
advantages.
1, If requires neither a photo-tool, like the UV
photographic method or sheet of paper that is
destroyed in the process like toner transfer.
This means that ONE OFF boards can be produced
for a lower cost.
2, If a sytem of ink/printer that would allow
air drying to happen it could reduce the
number of attended steps in a home shop.
Step 1 - load blank board to printer.
Step 2 - Etch board.
This would be a big advantage in a home shop
that is more interested in person time than
product throughput.
I am watching the thread with interest.
If it can be worked out to give acceptable
results I WILL get one to suppliment my photo
setup.
andrewm.