I think almost any UV source would work, probably not LEDs. Exposure time
will be dependant on the source and the thickness of the ink. Put it out on
a sunny day. :)
What is the model # and how much are the cartridges. What do you use to
clean up the mes? Just curious.
If you really get annoyed one day, I can send you some paper thin pcb
material. It feeds through an regular inkjet and laser printer just fine.
Myc
On 7/25/06, lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>
> Mycroft,
>
> I am not certain of the INK, my only exposure with it is when I have
> problems with that printer and usually it's a messy problem!!!!!!
>
> That printer has a problem that i have yet to figure out. When
> printing some drawings, it seems as though it is pissing out ink
> like a race horse. I end up with drops of black ink everywhere.
> The ink-well where I think the head goes for cleaning is now so full
> it is leaking onto the floor - just noticed that this morning.
>
> HP says it has a leaking hose - hogwash I say. I think something
> else is wrong based on my observations. HP also wants $170.00 for
> the stupid hoses so that I can replace them to "See if that corrects
> the problem".
>
> Anyway, what I am getting to is this. Usually the mess I find is
> large drops of ink. Just guessing, I would say it is thicker than
> Epson ink - just a hunch though. Furthermore, the spilled ink never
> seems to dry - it's just a big ole mess.
>
> If the printer acts up on a day when I am in a really bad mood (like
> what has been happening lately alot), I may end up running a PCB
> through that damn thing just to see if it will work for our process.
>
> I really don't know much more about that printer. It's big, it's
> expensive, it makes big messes, it annoys the heck out of me, but I
> need it for business.
>
> The next time it "Leaks ink from the hose", I will try to scoop some
> up and put it on a PCB to test. However, how would I cure the ink?
> What would I use for a UV light source for something like that?
>
> Chris
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "Myc Holmes"
>
> <mycroft2152y@...> wrote:
> >
> > I would think a UV cure system would be they way to go. You could
> even
> > 'cure' the board outside the printer. Unless your are very
> careful, light
> > 'spillage" in the printer will cure the ink on the head or glue
> the head to
> > excess ink pad.
> >
> > The high solids UV cure systems are used to reduce VOC (Volatile
> Organic
> > compounds) emissions in industry to meet air quality standards.
> These still
> > do have minor amounts of solvents and tend to be very viscous
> (thick).
> >
> > Chris, have you ever looked at the ink used in the HP? how does it
> compare
> > to the MIS or Epson ink as far as viscosity (flow
> characteristics)? Is the
> > inkjet head heated? What kind of cleaning cycle does it use?
> >
> > So what is needed? Starting with an Epson piezo print head, you
> need a
> > fluid that has the same flow and drying characteristics as the
> pigment ink.
> > That means, water based, small particle size, and 'slow' drying.
> Also it has
> > to have the proper wetting out characteristics and adhesion to the
> prepared
> > copper pcb, both before and after the cure step. Of course it has
> to be
> > applied in a layer thick enough and durable to survive the etching
> bath.
> >
> > Finally, it has to be KISS simple, inexpensive and easily
> available.
> >
> > I've been thinking about this for quite a while, and the only
> possibility
> > that I have been able to come up with, short of specially
> compounding, is
> > the spray-on photo sensitizing liquid for pcbs. It has the proper
> after
> > printer characteristics. the question is what needs to be done to
> get it
> > through the EPSON print head successfully.
> >
> > Up until just recently, I have not had an Epson printer to
> experiment with,
> > only the Lexmarks's that use the vaporized droplet method. Since
> there are 6
> > separate heads on the R220, I think a few could be sacrificed to
> try this.
> >
> > Myc
> >
> >
> >
> > On 7/25/06, Leon Heller <leon.heller@...> wrote:
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "lcdpublishing" <lcdpublishing@... <lcdpublishing%
> 40yahoo.com>
> > > >
> > > To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com><Homebrew_PCBs%
> 40yahoogroups.com>>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 1:12 PM
> > > Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Epson R220 PCB printing Report #1
> > >
> > > >I would suspect that you would be better off finding/using a UV
> > > > cured Ink. My large HP Printer (24" wide) uses UV cured ink but
> > > > being a big and expensive printer, I have not yet had the
> courage to
> > > > try and run a PCB through it.
> > > >
> > > > With that system, if I understand it correctly, the print head
> puts
> > > > the ink on the paper, and next to the print head is a UV light
> > > > source that cures it instantly.
> > > >
> > > > Some day I would like get the guts up to run a PCB through it,
> but
> > > > that won't happen anytime soon I am afraid.
> > >
> > > That's how industrial ink jet printers work, for printing on all
> sorts of
> > > materials, including PCBs.
> > >
> > > Leon
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]