EP3 - DIY PCB - CNC Milling a PCB
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Finally I attempt to mill a PCB using my newly customized CNC3018. Check out this video if you want to see how that all goes…..
This is the third episode in a series where I am challenging myself to make the best possible DIY PCB’s using commonly available low cost CNC technologies.
I am having trouble figuring out how to get the laser to cut around the trace and not the actual trace. Thank you for videoing your process to figure out all this. I am using Kicad and mirroring the image and inkscape also.
If you are using KiKad and FlatCam it should work. Please see the software versions I am using and my settings are all detailed in the description of Episode 7 in this series. It is not plug and play unfortunately, and it is likely you will need to experiment a bit to figure everything out and get it working. Good luck!
You could use toner transfer for the silkscreen...
Toner transfer using the CNC3018? Not sure I understand, explain your idea a little more. Maybe it's not a fit with what I am trying to do, but I like to take all ideas on board!
Any chance you might make some of the files public that are involved in this project? Spoil boards, clamps, other 3D models?
Thanks for the question, but sorry, I don't have any mechanism set up to share that stuff at this time. If the channel ever gets any traction I might look into it, but it is not on the radar at this time.
Is your resin printer large enough to handle the board itself? You could apply the copper mask directly using the printer. Mount it to the build plate? Or carefully place it in the vat?
I can promise you it did cross my mind, and considered a way to do that. I think I also saw a video of someone doing that, or maybe they just used it to expose a UV resist layer. In any case, I have a love hate relationship with my resin printer (I love to hate it..), so we will put that to the side for now, but possibly will experiment in the future. My goal in this series is to try to do all the active stuff with the cheap CNC (laser+mill). This should naturally keep the equipment count down, and also make lining things up easier. I will avoid spoillers, but I think the outcome is pretty satisfying, with possibly some new ideas here and there. Hope you join along for the journey, or at least come back to check the outcome. Thanks for the comment!
@@ForOurGood I think Tom Sanlander did something along those lines. And as someone who currently has two non-functioning resin printers in his tinkering room, I understand your position. (Technically one is broken, and the other works but isn't meaningfully usable it was so poorly designed.)
Nice to see your experiences. May I ask where you got that spring bit?
Sure no problem. I make that spring bit in episode 2 of this series. Thanks for the comment!
@@ForOurGood Then I'll have to check it out too :-) I'm curious if you have any better ideas in the future. See many different ways. pcb scratches etc etc. am also curious about those new infrared lasers.
@@matheokoning4456 Keep watching the other episodes in this series, there is a pleasant surprise (well at least it was too me). I am also still working on this project, so hopefully even more to come!
@@ForOurGood At least you have a new subscriber. hope to see more of these videos. My goal is to make a PCB for prototypes quickly and effortlessly. videos like this give me new inspiration!
Thankyou! That's great ;-)
Hi. I'm wondering if you used FlatCAM to create G-Code file for milling the mask. I've been looking around for a while now to find a wait to create G-Code from gerber file to mill out the mask but so far I haven't seen anyway yet, even in FlatCAM. I dont' want to export it to SVG because it will loose the origin coordinate so I still want to stick with gerber to avoid calibrating. Do you have any solution?
Hi there! My design is done in KiCad, exported as Gerber files, and then G-Code all generated in Flatcam. When I use the laser, I manually modify them so they work better, but otherwise everything is pretty much done in Flatcam. To get the mask to work you need to do the following steps. (1) Use Isolation Routing [0.001mm tool, 1 passes, 0% overlap] to create an outline geometry. (2) Select the [Paint Tool] button and then configure as need be (you need to experiment to match your requirement) and then press [Generate Geometry]. (3) Return to the navigation tree and select the newly created painted geometry (does not automatically select.. bug?) and setup your CNC parameters and press [Generate Geometry] and then save your CNC job. Easy as that! Thanks for your question.
@@ForOurGood Thank you so much. Let me try out your method. But just suddenly I found out in the Tool tab, there is a Invert Gerber tool. I tried that to Invert the Mask file, then do as with the copper. It seems to work. I may need to do more testing later on.
@@TinNguyen-HEICA There is an invert Gerber Tool?? I did not know myself.. I will try that too! Thanks
@@ForOurGood I'm using the Beta version 8.9.... of FlatCAM. I haven't checked the 8.5 version yet
@@TinNguyen-HEICA I am also using 8.994 BETA version. I looked at some of the older versions and they did not seem very useful.. I just checked the invert gerber tool, it is pretty easy to use, but the options are limited compared to the paint method, and setting up the board outline/extents as a part of the mask layer seems required.. Maybe a not the best solution for what I am doing, but it is good to know about!
You can remove mask with your laser... if you could home it precision enough
Well do I have a treat for you then! Keep watching the following couple of episodes and you can confirm your excellent concept! Thanks for the comment.