Homebrew PCBs

Roy
  I remember seeing a setup (I don't remember what it was feeding, but 
it was flat plates of some kind)  
where the plates (pcbs for us) had 2 plastic strips connected across all 
of them.  The strips had the
appropriate holes for the old tractor feed mechanism.  The strips were 
folded between boards so that it
stacked and feed like paper - except it did not bend in the middle.  The 
proof of concept is out there.
The question is where to get the plastic stripping.  Vivisimo.com search 
for "tractor feed carrier" came
back with:  
http://www.vernlib.com/sealtra.asp
They sell something that might work.  Tape strips, 3.125" by 1296" (108' 
should last a little while), 2.5"
center to center on the tractor feed holes.  Chop it in two, put it on 
the sides.  I'm guessing alignment would
be an issue unless you made some kind of a gig for aligning each board 
to the last.  It would probably be
either capital or labor intensive.
Richard

>   From: "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason@...>
>Subject: Re: Direct Printing Etch Resist (was Re: Standard inkjet inks for etch resist?)
><snip>
>Now I'm wondering if it's possible to use hardware designed to handle fanfold 
>paper to deal with boards.  :-)		I sure have enough of that sort of hardware 
>around,  from scrapping printers out,  and adapting this to work would give 
>you one axis of a CNC setup.  Maybe some sort of a "carrier" would work?
>
>  
>

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Richard Mustakos 
<rmustakos@a...> wrote:
> Roy
>   I remember seeing a setup (I don't remember what it was feeding, 
but 
> it was flat plates of some kind)  
> where the plates (pcbs for us) had 2 plastic strips connected 
across all 
> of them.  The strips had the
> appropriate holes for the old tractor feed mechanism.  The strips 
were 
> folded between boards so that it
> stacked and feed like paper - except it did not bend in the 
middle.  The 
> proof of concept is out there.
> The question is where to get the plastic stripping.  Vivisimo.com 
search 
> for "tractor feed carrier" came
> back with:  
> http://www.vernlib.com/sealtra.asp
> They sell something that might work.  Tape strips, 3.125" by 1296" 
(108' 
> should last a little while), 2.5"
> center to center on the tractor feed holes.  Chop it in two, put it 
on 
> the sides.  I'm guessing alignment would
> be an issue unless you made some kind of a gig for aligning each 
board 
> to the last.  It would probably be
> either capital or labor intensive.
> Richard
> 
> >   From: "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason@b...>
> >Subject: Re: Direct Printing Etch Resist (was Re: Standard inkjet 
inks for etch resist?)
> ><snip>
> >Now I'm wondering if it's possible to use hardware designed to 
handle fanfold 
> >paper to deal with boards.  :-)		I sure have enough of 
that sort of hardware 
> >around,  from scrapping printers out,  and adapting this to work 
would give 
> >you one axis of a CNC setup.  Maybe some sort of a "carrier" would 
work?
> >
> >  
> >


This may not be as hard as you think.

you can drill the holes across one side of the board and then use 
that in your tractor feed.  no additional parts required.

A second row may not be needed, but could be used if you make a 
simple jig to hold the boards.

Also, a carrier with holes that holds the board is probably easy and 
all you need to do is align the board with pins (probably as close to 
an industry standard as you can get) and some tape.

Dave

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Richard Mustakos
<rmustakos@a...> wrote:
...
> The question is where to get the plastic stripping.  Vivisimo.com
search 
> for "tractor feed carrier" came
> back with:  
> http://www.vernlib.com/sealtra.asp
> They sell something that might work.  Tape strips, 3.125" by 1296"
(108' 
> should last a little while), 2.5"
> center to center on the tractor feed holes. 

But the tractor feed part of that is just a backing paper.

The plastic refered to there is the label that peels off.

You should be able to drill a plastic carrier, using some tractor feed
paper as a guide.

Steve