Printed circuit Board etch?

[Ralphxyz]

Would it be practical to use a laser to etch a PCB?

The copper foil is approximately 137 mils (0.00137 inch), 0.0347mm, 34.79µm (micron/micro meter)

What size laser?

What would the problems be?

Not a actual project just curious.

Thanks,

Ralph

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[underthetire]

Copper is highly reflective, so fixed optics lasers like inexpensive co2 types can be problematic. Can reflect and burn optics or tubes. there may be a safety coating one could apply, I've never looked in to it. A fiber laser may work, and wouldn't need much power to get through that thin.

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[A_Camera]

Would it be practical to use a laser to etch a PCB?

The copper foil is approximately 137 mils (0.00137 inch), 0.0347mm, 34.79µm (micron/micro meter)

What size laser?

What would the problems be?

Not a actual project just curious.

Thanks,

Ralph

I can't imagine this being a good idea. You will burn even a bit of the fibre glass board and, apart from giving your PCB a really ugly look, is very, very bad because the rest product is coal and coal is a conductive material.

[Ralphxyz]

Thanks for the replies, A_Camera what if I made my own PCB out of a cement board instead of the fiberglass?

Or what if I processed the copper foil while suspended in the air and then fixed it to the backing afterwards?

If I blackened the copper might a optical laser work?

I was looking at the multitude of various laser products on ebay and really got confused none of the laser listings say how to power them.

I have never dealt with any laser so this is all a new experience for me, Thanks everyone for your help.

Ralph

[grg12]

You may try to paint pcb black, laser etch paint and then etch the copper chemicaly.
Never heard of pcb on cement basis... did you mean ceramic?

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[CNCMAN172]

There are a few ways.

1) using black paint, the laser removes the paint where the traces will get etched.





2) Get yourself a Fiber Laser



3) Buy a real LPKF laser engraving and make professional quality PCBs



Russ

[Ralphxyz]

grg12, I was just trying to find a backer that would not burn as the fiberglass would.

I can buy copper foil off ebay and affix it to a backer. Of course I have no idea if the adhesive would stick.

Wow thank you Russ for the videos. that is impressive seeing the lasers at work.

I was "thinking" of removing the copper with the laser. Making it a one step operation no acid bath.

Ralph

[CNCMAN172]

Ralphxyz,

The last machine does exactly that it uses a fiber laser and burns away all the copper that is not part of the circuit board design, but they cost $200K or more. Amazing machines and they do a complex board in 20 minutes.

Russ