Addendum Notes:
The factory printer head cams do not allow such an extreme height adjustment. You must secure the print head guide bar up to its max. obtainable height yourself.
1/4" is the absolute max. height you can raise the print head in this mod for this printer.
This mod converts your standard PCB printer to a 1/4 inch thick "SMD module printer"
As you will want to print out(onto your temporary substrate) an SMD "component placement outline screen" before "pick and placing", simply print this screen on a blank 8.5" by 11" by 1/4" thick Corian. Then your transport carrier stacks on top for pick and place.
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard.liberatoscioli@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Project update:
>
> In my modified Epson Artisan 50:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Inkjet_PCB_Construction/photos/album/166497487/pic/list
>
> I added a very simple 15 minute mod to allow the print head to pass my experimental "Flip n' Print" module.
>
> The mod is simply to remove the two existing print head adjustment cams and permanently raise both ends of the print head "guide bar" to their maximum vertical heights. I used heavy gauge magnet wire to do this. DONE!
>
> The printer now expects anything I want to print is 1/4" thick.
>
> This thickness is ideal for my project even allowing for the 1/4" mini-pin header for connections to the outside world (USB,I/O,Battery,etc).
>
> I will now be fabricating the "potting molds" representing the board size of my project (can be of any size from 3/4" by 3/4" up to 7" by 10"). I will be using 1/4" thick Dupont "Corian" for its easy to machine router and cut very precisely. Not only does the Corian serve as the potting mold, but also serves as the carrier transport for feeding the potted SMDs through the printer. No matter what size "potted board" your making, the carrier transport dimensions will always be 8 1/2" by 11"(for stable printer feeding through the printer). The "potting mold" templates are 100% reusable.
>
>
>
> Other stuff:
>
> As I pointed out before, by not having PCB traces and vias on the same surface as your SMDs, an over 50% reduction in "board size" is afforded. Something else I realized tonight, since the SMDs are "picked and placed" onto the "micro adhesive only"(no soldering) the SMDs can be placed "end to end" or "side to side" depending on the design of your schematic.
>
> For instance, 3 legs from my 64 pin QFN IC go to 6 capacitors, each leg going to two capacitors, then all caps go to vdd-.
>
> This normally would take 16 PCB tracks just to do this. By joining the SMDs "physically", soldered end to end without wires, from the top surface, I have now reduced my "printed wiring" down to just 4 connections. Similar printed wiring reductions are reflected throughout the entire assembly. Basically, your eliminating approximately 50 to 80% of the total "printed wiring" required!!
>
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard.liberatoscioli@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hello Homebrew Printed Circuit Group!
> >
> > I have successfully modded my Epson Artisan 50 printer Epson Printer
> > Mod
> > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Inkjet_PCB_Construction/photos/album/1664\
> > 97487/pic/list> to make PCB boards. I did this, as I'm sure as all in
> > this forum, want to quickly build working devices from all the many
> > awesome microchips out there (ie: MCU, RFID,WIFI,GSP, etc.)
> >
> > In my current project, I need to fabricate a "system-in-package" (SIP)
> > module containing an RFID reader chip (QFN), MCU chip and WIFI
> > chip(QFN) on two PCB's (1 1/4" x 3/4") including the required discrete
> > SMD's (resistors, capacitors, inductors, x-tal, etc).
> >
> > This project requires very small SMD's and a very small and dense
> > multi-layer PCB with micro vias for fabrication.
> >
> > This project well exceeds my existing "Homebrew" equipment capability to
> > fabricate this module.
> >
> > In assessing the demands for the size and scope of this project (for a
> > "homebrew" solution) the "show stopper" was all in the fabrication of
> > the PCB itself.
> >
> > Here I began my quest for a different "homebrew" solution.
> >
> > Could I build this module without the complex multi-layer PCB?
> >
> > Could I interconnect all SMD's (IC's and discrete's) without soldering?
> >
> >
> >
> > Concept proposal:
> >
> > Start with a blank substrate (metal, glass, FR4,ceramic,etc) in place of
> > a conventional PCB.
> >
> > Apply double sided releasable 3M "micro adhesive" tape covering the top
> > surface of the substrate.
> >
> > "Pick and Place" all SMD's onto the top surface of the substrate. Note:
> > with no PCB traces or vias to contend with, a 50% reduction in SMD
> > spacing is obtained.
> >
> > "Epoxy Pot" the top surface embedding all the SMD's.
> >
> > Flip over the substrate (now working from the bottom side) and release
> > the tape and substrate from the potted assembly. Clean off any residual
> > adhesive.
> >
> > At this point, you should see only the exposed metal contacts of all the
> > SMD's.
> >
> > Using the modified Epson Artisan 50 printer (set head height to pass the
> > 1/8" thick epoxy pot assembly depth) and print with special UV curable
> > conductive ink (Metalon®)
> >
> > UV cure (need to build a "homebrew" UV source for curing the conductive
> > ink). The commercial version does it in 3 or 4 seconds.
> >
> > Subsequent conductive traces (emulating the multi-layers of a
> > conventional PCB) are first "masked out" by printing with a different
> > inkjet of NON-conducting ink at the conductive trace crossovers.
> >
> > DONE! : )
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>