Homebrew_PCBs

How thick can you make a PCB ?

I want to use one for mechanical strength as well as
electrical wiring.

Jim Ubersetzig

At 04:58 PM 2/20/02 +0000, juberset wrote:

>How thick can you make a PCB ?
>
>I want to use one for mechanical strength as well as
>electrical wiring.

We routinely get PCBs made 1/8" thick (by a production house) for that very
purpose. Its not cheap - they cost 3 or 4 times the cost of a standard
1/16" board. But the customer wanted it that way and paid for it. So - no
problem!

dwayne


Dwayne Reid <dwayner@...>
Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA
(780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax

Celebrating 18 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2002)
.-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-'
Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address.
This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited
commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email.

In a message dated 20-Feb-02 11:00:13 Central Standard Time,
jim.ubersetzig@... writes:

> How thick can you make a PCB ?
>
>

Jim: I haven't "looked ahead" to see if someone with more cerebral mass has
already more intelligently answered, already, but here's MY 2¢ "hobby
experience" worth toward this question:

"FR-4", the Fire Retardent green epoxy-glass presently more common than the
previously-popular G-10 "same thing" comes in 1/64" through 1/8" thick
versions with NO copper at all, copper only on ONE side, copper on BOTH
sides, 1/2, 1.0, and 2.0 oz. "weights) (the copper-thickness; I never learned
how thick an "ounce" is!). The 1/8" is plenty tough! But if you needed
something as thick as 1/4", to drive Sherman tanks across (that'd mess up the
nicest solder-masks and PTH!!!), I THINK you would have to do one of TWO
things: Order some SPECIAL-made, or find who may have already done so, and
still has some on hand, he's willing to sell, or two, GLUE-UP some, putting
non-copper-sides together. I have never learned the howzits of multi-layer
PCB-makin', but in that, layers are heat-laminated in a 'spensive press, once
the inner-layers of copper are etched. Drilling is last. Whew, a 'spensive
mess!

Anyway, the PRESS for glueing that up to make thicker (multi-layer) boards is
not only expensive, but incredibly powerful in terms of PSI on the laminate,
and I THINK they can also heat the layup. Find a jovial PCB firm near yoy
and go hassle 'em!

Jan Rowland, old troll


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

If you have to do it yourself, you can laminate two boards with epoxy
resin -- won't be fireproof anymore, however.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., JanRwl@A... wrote:
> In a message dated 20-Feb-02 11:00:13 Central Standard Time,
> jim.ubersetzig@l... writes:
>
>
> > How thick can you make a PCB ?
> >
> >
>
> Jim: I haven't "looked ahead" to see if someone with more cerebral
mass has
> already more intelligently answered, already, but here's MY
2¢ "hobby
> experience" worth toward this question:
>
> "FR-4", the Fire Retardent green epoxy-glass presently more common
than the
> previously-popular G-10 "same thing" comes in 1/64" through 1/8"
thick
> versions with NO copper at all, copper only on ONE side, copper on
BOTH
> sides, 1/2, 1.0, and 2.0 oz. "weights) (the copper-thickness; I
never learned
> how thick an "ounce" is!). The 1/8" is plenty tough! But if you
needed
> something as thick as 1/4", to drive Sherman tanks across (that'd
mess up the
> nicest solder-masks and PTH!!!), I THINK you would have to do one
of TWO
> things: Order some SPECIAL-made, or find who may have already
done so, and
> still has some on hand, he's willing to sell, or two, GLUE-UP some,
putting
> non-copper-sides together. I have never learned the howzits of
multi-layer
> PCB-makin', but in that, layers are heat-laminated in a 'spensive
press, once
> the inner-layers of copper are etched. Drilling is last. Whew,
a 'spensive
> mess!
>
> Anyway, the PRESS for glueing that up to make thicker (multi-layer)
boards is
> not only expensive, but incredibly powerful in terms of PSI on the
laminate,
> and I THINK they can also heat the layup. Find a jovial PCB firm
near yoy
> and go hassle 'em!
>
> Jan Rowland, old troll
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]