How to deal with CNC PCB Particles


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Thread: How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

  1. #1
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    Default How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

    Hi all!
    I am new to CNC machining, and this is my first post!

    I have recently acquired a cnc machine to speed up my PCB production.

    After reading about using CNC for PCB production I realize that this is creating some very small, and very dangerous particles :/

    Trying to limit this I have placed the CNC machine inside an acrylic box to try to contain the particles. (See attached image)

    I am wondering if this enough, or if this helps at all? Does the particles fly around in the container forever, or will eventually end up on the floor in the continer?

    Do I also need a vacuum cleaner?

    It is very hard to determine what to do, as I don't see the micron sized particles, and don't know if I can measure this in any way.


    Espen

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

    Enclosure is OK, but mostly for safety, in case you break a bit which comes flying at you. It is not a replacement for dust extraction. Yes, you should have a dust shoe. Highly recommended.

    https://www.youtube.com/c/AdaptingCamera/videos
    https://adapting-camera.blogspot.com


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    Default Re: How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

    Thank you for your reply! I'll try to obtain / make a dust shoe!



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    Default Re: How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

    Quote Originally Posted by h0lesp View Post
    Thank you for your reply! I'll try to obtain / make a dust shoe!
    I made my own dust shoe, it is pretty simple, but very efficient.



    I have upgraded my spindle since this video was made, but I am still using the same dust shoe.

    Perhaps if you plan large scale PCB manufacturing then it is better to spend money on water cooled spindle. The one you have is similar to what I used before, and that fan was very inefficient in terms cooling but it was very good at blowing dust around. I think it also makes a difference in what kind of cutting tools you are using. For PCB I am using 30 degree 0.2mm V-bits, in my opinion they give the best results. Also, most of what is cut remains on the PCB because the cutter has no lifting built in, so almost everything stays on the board or very near. I have just made my first PCB with my new spindle and I must say the results are amazing. You can read about my experience here:

    https://adapting-camera.blogspot.se/...d-diy-cnc.html

    Please note that I am still using air cooled spindle but it seems that the spindle is not creating a storm under the cutter, not even at 22krpm, which I am cutting with. It is really unbelievable that there is this little dust flying around. After all, when I debated air cooled vs. water cooled, I was more or less declared an idiot because I did not want to use water cooled and since my previous spindle had a top speed of 9krmp I was expecting much more blowing around with the more efficient cooling of a high speed spindle at high speed... but it seems to be the opposite, higher rpm, more efficient fans and less air flow outside.

    And yes, before anyone says something about "there must be something wrong with your fan..." no, there is nothing wrong. It cools the spindle and is definitely working.

    Anyway, My conclusion is that a dust shoe is a very good idea but may not be necessary for small series PCB if you use the right cutter and have the cover you have. However, your setup is not protecting the moving parts of your machine, which also must be taken care of, so if you can, you should use a dust shoe. My CNC is not covered from the top, just the sides, so I can start the vacuum cleaner occasionally and clean regularly during a longer job if I don't want to use the dust shoe on a job.

    https://www.youtube.com/c/AdaptingCamera/videos
    https://adapting-camera.blogspot.com


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How to deal with CNC PCB Particles

How to deal with CNC PCB Particles