Homebrew PCBs

Does anyone know of a laminator capable of high temperature
(250C/480F).  I built a temperature controller for one of the GBC
units, but the plastic housing started to smoke at about 200C, and
eventually the plastic side pieces holding the rollers melted.  Maybe
there's a product with an all-metal construction?

Thanks,
-Ryan

You must have a Brother printer?  I had one of those and ran the GBC laminator up around 400F and it sure got hot.... then one day I wasn't watching and allowed the temp to get up over 500F..... yep, the plastic holding the rollers melted allowing them to drop.....  Oh well, it was only $25 shipped so I ordered another..... and changed to a HP printer to get away from those high temps.

Good luck - Ken H>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Ryan Fobel <rrfobel@...> wrote:

>
> Does anyone know of a laminator capable of high temperature
> (250C/480F).  I built a temperature controller for one of the GBC
> units, but the plastic housing started to smoke at about 200C, and
> eventually the plastic side pieces holding the rollers melted.  Maybe
> there's a product with an all-metal construction?
> 
> Thanks,
> -Ryan
>

It's not my printer that's making it so hot; I was actually me
cranking it up on purpose.  Although I was originally using the
laminator to do toner transfer for pcbs, the latest (and
unfortunately, the final) application was an attempt at adhering
Teflon film to my finished pcbs.  Unfortunately, Teflon has a very
high melting point (>265C), which is more than the plastic could take.

I may end up machining replacements for the melted plastic pieces out
of aluminum unless I can find something else suitable...

-Ryan

Awww, now I understand the need for the heat.  If you can machine the parts from aluminum, that just might be the way to good....  That laminator seems to be good other than the plastic supports for the rollers.

Good luck and let us know what you do, and how it works.

Ken H>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Ryan Fobel <rrfobel@...> wrote:

>
> It's not my printer that's making it so hot; I was actually me
> cranking it up on purpose.  Although I was originally using the
> laminator to do toner transfer for pcbs, the latest (and
> unfortunately, the final) application was an attempt at adhering
> Teflon film to my finished pcbs.  Unfortunately, Teflon has a very
> high melting point (>265C), which is more than the plastic could take.
> 
> I may end up machining replacements for the melted plastic pieces out
> of aluminum unless I can find something else suitable...
> 
> -Ryan
>

Ryan Fobel pravi:
> It's not my printer that's making it so hot; I was actually me
> cranking it up on purpose.  Although I was originally using the
> laminator to do toner transfer for pcbs, the latest (and
> unfortunately, the final) application was an attempt at adhering
> Teflon film to my finished pcbs.  Unfortunately, Teflon has a very
> high melting point (>265C), which is more than the plastic could take.
>
> I may end up machining replacements for the melted plastic pieces out
> of aluminum unless I can find something else suitable...
>
> -Ryan
>
>   
Don't use aluminum.!!!!

Use some thing that is thermal insulator. If you use aluminum the thing 
will be hoot as the roller is!.
I have done it with PCB clad 2.5mm thick. (or use just two of 1.6mm 
thick) they can sustaint temperature of 200 degres C but not tried higher.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Ryan Fobel <rrfobel@...> wrote:
>
> It's not my printer that's making it so hot; I was actually me
> cranking it up on purpose.  Although I was originally using the
> laminator to do toner transfer for pcbs, the latest (and
> unfortunately, the final) application was an attempt at adhering
> Teflon film to my finished pcbs.  Unfortunately, Teflon has a very
> high melting point (>265C), which is more than the plastic could take.
> 
> I may end up machining replacements for the melted plastic pieces out
> of aluminum unless I can find something else suitable...
> 
> -Ryan
>


You might try a fuser from a Brother printer. If you can machine parts without too much effort that seems like a good approach too.

James said:

> You might try a fuser from a Brother printer. If you can machine parts without too much effort that seems like a good approach too.

Thanks for the tip.  I'm curious; is there a difference between
Brother fusers and those from other manufacturers?  Do you know of any
resources or examples of people using these fusers standalone (i.e.
not in a printer)?

The "big" difference in the Brother fuser and other fusers is the temperature they work at - Brother is up over 400F, where HP is down around 300F....  not sure about anything used stand-alone.

Ken H>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Ryan Fobel <rrfobel@...> wrote:

>
> James said:
> 
> > You might try a fuser from a Brother printer. If you can machine parts without too much effort that seems like a good approach too.
> 
> Thanks for the tip.  I'm curious; is there a difference between
> Brother fusers and those from other manufacturers?  Do you know of any
> resources or examples of people using these fusers standalone (i.e.
> not in a printer)?
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "sailingto" <sailingtoo@...> wrote:
>
> The "big" difference in the Brother fuser and other fusers is the temperature they work at - Brother is up over 400F, where HP is down around 300F....  not sure about anything used stand-alone.
> 
> Ken H>
> 
>


I've seen someone using a surplus fuser standalone, although I forget the site. They mounted it to a board and made a simple temperature controller circuit that monitored the thermistor on the rollers and switched the halogen lamps within to regulate the temperature. I believe they adapted a gearhead motor to drive the rollers, effectively building a laminator. It wasn't pretty, but it did the job.