easy, quick production of PCBs at home

Thread Starter

sesmd (stan)

Joined Sep 30, 2014
10
Hello All,
This is just a note about a project I am working on, for the interest of anyone.
I have an OLD Sweet-P X-Y plotter (step resolution 0.004 inches) Which I am mating to a diode-based UV laser (rated @ seven watts - probably
over-rated). I coat the copper-clad board with a UV sensitive photoresist, place it on the plotter, using a piece of stiff plastic sheet, and, using a
HPGL translating program that I wrote, output the PCB layout. The 'Pen Down' instructions turn on the laser, 'Pen Up' turns it off. Plots quickly,
then board is developed, and etched. I used to spend half-a-day making a board, now takes one or two hours.

Just for anyone interested....
The main issue I had was the laser was designed to focus to a small point about one inch or so in front of the lens.... I used a double concave
lens to generate a 'parallel' bem, along with pin-holes, etc. There is plenty of power to use, so some beam loss in the optics does not
matter. I 'borrowed' the focusing optics from a CD player to focus the beam just above the board. Also allows me to control baem size.
Lots of trial and error...

Hope this might be useful for someone !

Member : SESMD
 

shell.albert

Joined Jul 23, 2014
21
It sounds well. sesmd.
could you please upload some photos to show more details?
Then more interesting people will participate in.
From your description I only know little, lack imagination, can't form pictures in brain.
 
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