Homebrew PCBs

>
> I know that "real" circuit board houses don't etch away all the copper they don't want, I believe they plate up where the copper is desired over a very thin layer, then etch just a little copper away from everywhere.  Does anyone know how long it takes to lay down the 1oz (0.0014in) of copper on a "real" circuit board in the panel plating part of the process?
> 
> Thanks,
> Donald.
> --
> *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> ()  no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> /\  ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
>

> From: "twb8899" <twb8899@...>
> To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:55:16 AM
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Plating rate
> I was in the PWB business for many years. Most jobs started with half
> ounce copper (.0007"). After drilling and electroless processing the
> panel was laminated with dry film photoresist, exposed, and then
> developed. At this point the only copper showing was the trace pattern
> which was then copper plated at 25 to 30 amps per square foot.
> 
> After copper plating the panels were solder plated. The solder plating
> was also used as the etch resist. After stripping the dry film the
> panel had solder plated traces with a copper background that was only
> .0007" thick so the etching time was only a couple of minutes. That's
> the basic method of how it was done. Of course there was more
> processing after etching depending on the job requirements such as
> soldermask over bare copper etc.
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Donald H Locker <dhlocker@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > I know that "real" circuit board houses don't etch away all the
> > copper they don't want, I believe they plate up where the copper is
> > desired over a very thin layer, then etch just a little copper away
> > from everywhere. Does anyone know how long it takes to lay down the
> > 1oz (0.0014in) of copper on a "real" circuit board in the panel
> > plating part of the process?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Donald.
> > --
> > *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> > () no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> > /\ ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and
> Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
>

>
> Thanks, TWB.  I was just wondering how long it took to add the additional 0.00007 inches of copper for the traces.  I presume it is minutes to tens of minutes (and not hours because you probably can't afford that much time on the line) but I just don't know.
> 
> Donald.
> --
> *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> ()  no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> /\  ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "twb8899" <twb8899@...>
> > To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:55:16 AM
> > Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Plating rate
> > I was in the PWB business for many years. Most jobs started with half
> > ounce copper (.0007"). After drilling and electroless processing the
> > panel was laminated with dry film photoresist, exposed, and then
> > developed. At this point the only copper showing was the trace pattern
> > which was then copper plated at 25 to 30 amps per square foot.
> > 
> > After copper plating the panels were solder plated. The solder plating
> > was also used as the etch resist. After stripping the dry film the
> > panel had solder plated traces with a copper background that was only
> > .0007" thick so the etching time was only a couple of minutes. That's
> > the basic method of how it was done. Of course there was more
> > processing after etching depending on the job requirements such as
> > soldermask over bare copper etc.
> > 
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Donald H Locker <dhlocker@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > I know that "real" circuit board houses don't etch away all the
> > > copper they don't want, I believe they plate up where the copper is
> > > desired over a very thin layer, then etch just a little copper away
> > > from everywhere. Does anyone know how long it takes to lay down the
> > > 1oz (0.0014in) of copper on a "real" circuit board in the panel
> > > plating part of the process?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Donald.
> > > --
> > > *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> > > () no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> > > /\ ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ------------------------------------
> > 
> > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and
> > Photos:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> >
>

> From: "twb8899" <twb8899@...>
> To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 10:32:12 AM
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Plating rate
> The copper plating rate on my system was about .001 inches in 30
> minutes at 30 amps per square foot of copper surface area. This was in
> a 500 gallon tank with air agitation.
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Donald H Locker <dhlocker@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks, TWB. I was just wondering how long it took to add the
> > additional 0.00007 inches of copper for the traces. I presume it is
> > minutes to tens of minutes (and not hours because you probably can't
> > afford that much time on the line) but I just don't know.
> >
> > Donald.
> > --
> > *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> > () no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> > /\ ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "twb8899" <twb8899@...>
> > > To: "Homebrew PCBs" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:55:16 AM
> > > Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Plating rate
> > > I was in the PWB business for many years. Most jobs started with
> > > half
> > > ounce copper (.0007"). After drilling and electroless processing
> > > the
> > > panel was laminated with dry film photoresist, exposed, and then
> > > developed. At this point the only copper showing was the trace
> > > pattern
> > > which was then copper plated at 25 to 30 amps per square foot.
> > >
> > > After copper plating the panels were solder plated. The solder
> > > plating
> > > was also used as the etch resist. After stripping the dry film the
> > > panel had solder plated traces with a copper background that was
> > > only
> > > .0007" thick so the etching time was only a couple of minutes.
> > > That's
> > > the basic method of how it was done. Of course there was more
> > > processing after etching depending on the job requirements such as
> > > soldermask over bare copper etc.
> > >
> > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Donald H Locker <dhlocker@>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I know that "real" circuit board houses don't etch away all the
> > > > copper they don't want, I believe they plate up where the copper
> > > > is
> > > > desired over a very thin layer, then etch just a little copper
> > > > away
> > > > from everywhere. Does anyone know how long it takes to lay down
> > > > the
> > > > 1oz (0.0014in) of copper on a "real" circuit board in the panel
> > > > plating part of the process?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Donald.
> > > > --
> > > > *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
> > > > () no proprietary attachments; no html mail
> > > > /\ ascii ribbon campaign - <www.asciiribbon.org>
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files,
> > > and
> > > Photos:
> > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and
> Photos:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBsYahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
>