Homebrew_PCBs

> On Jan 25, 2016, at 2:32 PM, palciatore@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> I don't know if it has been discussed before, but has anyone ever used a 3D printer to deposit a layer of plastic on a circuit board to use as the pattern for etching? It seems to me that this may be an easy way to do this as no extra steps would be needed, just print and etch.
>
> If so, how did it work? And how did they remove the plastic after the etch?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

On Mon, 1/25/16, palciatore@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Plastic Resist From 3D Printer?
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 25, 2016, 12:32 PM

I think ;this could work if the resolution is good enough. I have tried a variety of things for etch resist, from electrical tape to spray paint and indelible marker ink. Most of these are kind of difficult to apply where you want them, and only the spray paint really worked well at preventing etching. One idea someone came up with was using a CNC vinyl cutter to produce a pattern that could be stuck on. Certainly worth a try!

Bob
 









I don't know if it has been discussed before,
but has anyone ever used a 3D printer to deposit a layer of
plastic on a circuit board to use as the pattern for
etching? It seems to me that this may be an easy way to do
this as no extra steps would be needed, just print and etch.


If so, how did it work?
And how did they remove the plastic after the etch?













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>
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Mon, 1/25/16, palciatore@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
> <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Plastic Resist From 3D Printer?
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, January 25, 2016, 12:32 PM
>
> I think ;this could work if the resolution is good enough. I have
> tried a variety of things for etch resist, from electrical tape to
> spray paint and indelible marker ink. Most of these are kind of
> difficult to apply where you want them, and only the spray paint
> really worked well at preventing etching. One idea someone came up
> with was using a CNC vinyl cutter to produce a pattern that could be
> stuck on. Certainly worth a try!
>
> Bob
>

>
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Mon, 1/25/16, palciatore@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
> <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Plastic Resist From 3D Printer?
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, January 25, 2016, 12:32 PM
>
> I think ;this could work if the resolution is good enough. I have
> tried a variety of things for etch resist, from electrical tape to
> spray paint and indelible marker ink. Most of these are kind of
> difficult to apply where you want them, and only the spray paint
> really worked well at preventing etching. One idea someone came up
> with was using a CNC vinyl cutter to produce a pattern that could be
> stuck on. Certainly worth a try!
>
> Bob
>

are using extrudable conductive ink and claim to be able to make multilayer boards with their method. If one is going to go to 3D print may as well go one further and play with conductive ink. No, I don't have any connection to them. Just ran across the video the other day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqcAm7xGWJM

 I do have reservation of thought on the use of conductive ink in high speed / high amp circuits but it may have limited application I guess in some circuit situations. Cheers !

If you've seen the LPKF units, it's just all the steps in a single machine. I.e. it mills, drills and exposes prepregs. Etches if necessary. Then indexes and presses. Then a via chemical process. I've noticed most of the via guns have disappeared from most sources.
Years back when I used one the machine would "leak" vias out the bottom. At least with the chemical process there is no need for funky barreling or flaring tooling.

On Feb 21, 2016 12:02 AM, "'Jeff Heiss' jeff.heiss@... [Homebrew_PCBs]" <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

<I'd love to have a "real" pcb printer and may have one in my very near future. For those that don't know these are cutting/laminating machines that create multilayer boards on demand just like a printer.>

 

I didn’t follow what this is.  Can you provide a link?

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2016 10:09 PM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Plastic Resist From 3D Printer?

 

 

I've got a fairly high end 3d printer and could probably print fine enough for pcb resist. The trouble I see is keeping everything at the same temperature so that the material would stick. I wouldn't bother at all with PLA, I'd go with ABS because it can be dissolved with acetone and seems to print more accurately. I've printed things that had to have things dissolved off after, and had to switch filaments etc. It's definitely possible, but realize that you'd probably have to print more than one layer just to fill in the gaps. There might also be a need to bake the board afterward to really insure a bond to the copper. Also most very thin and flat things will warp and pull away from the substrate unless everything is exactly the right temperature. A super heated board and two layers could make a stable print. I've done down to .1mm nozzle, but the actual print "line" is thicker than that as the point of 3d printing is to "squish" the filament to the last layer for proper adhesion. I could easily imagine this working for through hole, but not necessarily fine pitched smt. I'm currently doing experiments myself in making SMT stencils with a cheap chinese laser engraver/cutter. I still rely on either good old photo boards, or for the really heavy stuff(50+amps) milling the board. Although for almost any prototype I still use wirewrap gear and point to point soldering. I'd love to have a "real" pcb printer and may have one in my very near future. For those that don't know these are cutting/laminating machines that create multilayer boards on demand just like a printer. In the mean time I've got a couple identical epsons that need some modification for direct board prints.

 

On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 10:16 AM, mountaindog65@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

3D print might be feasible but IMHO lots of experimentation info is lacking. For example, these guys 

are using extrudable conductive ink and claim to be able to make multilayer boards with their method. If one is going to go to 3D print may as well go one further and play with conductive ink. No, I don't have any connection to them. Just ran across the video the other day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqcAm7xGWJM

 I do have reservation of thought on the use of conductive ink in high speed / high amp circuits but it may have limited application I guess in some circuit situations. Cheers !