On Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:01:26 -0600, you wrote:
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>Hi all, pcb making methode thinkerers,
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>You all know that the basic concept of a laserprinter is that a laser writes a dotpattern on a electronically charged photosensitive drum. Toner is then attracted to that pattern which is reversed in polarity by the light of the laser. Next the transfer and fusing to the paper gives us the crisp copy's we all like so much.
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>Now, and this is probably for the engineers among us, could it be possible to make the copper clad board the same photosensitive surface and let the laser write directly on it. Then apply toner on it, and fuse the toner. Then a bath in photo resin desolver where the unprotected surfaces will be cleared from resin and the pattern with toner stays. Then etching and remove toner. For solder mask there are good systems on the market.
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Hmmm, the copper is not photosensitive. To make it photosensitive,
you'd need a special kind of coating which is the same as on the drum.
What the conventional laser printer does is to transfer the charge
pattern on the drum, which you know, and then transfer the charge
pattern to the paper, then fuse that to the paper.
There's no good way that I know of to make the board photosensitive,
other than to coat it in photoresist.
That would be the same as a throw away sensitive drum for each board.
If you mean to coat the board and write on it with a laser, that has
been done, however, the laser in a printer is infrared, the laser
needed to expose photoresist is ultraviolet, if not just plain blue
(depends).
I think that the average photoresist cannot "see" the infrared laser,
and as such, cannot be exposed by the laser in the printer.
Had you a different idea of how this would work?
Harvey
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>Wonder what it would take to alter a laser printer to do something like this?
>Would it be possible anyway?
>There is a guy who had already rebuild his E 230 lexmark to print on pcb, but he did not used the fuser.
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>I myself try to do the same with a hp 4100 but all I did so far is broke it down...LOL
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>I keep you posted of my progress...
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>camillus
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