Home printed circuit board manufacturing

Competency Group: Electrical Engineering

Type: Hardware Manufacture Tools

Description: Laser printers and photocopiers use plastic toner, not ink, to draw images. Like most plastics, toner melts with heat, turning into a sticky, glue-like paste. When this is transferred onto a copper board it forms a bond with the copper. This copper area is then resistant to the etching chemicals — meaning a quick version of a circuit can be produced simply and quickly. This requires some precursory chemicals, Single or double sided copper board, an iron and photographic paper and laser printer.

Citation for Description: Gehlot, Suraj. (n.d.) How to make PCB at Home. Retrieved from http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-PCB-at-Home/ 

Units: Hardware for producing prototype boards

Advantages: Very cheap method of being able to produce a hardware prototype of a circuit board.

Limitations: This can really only be considered for prototyping. May require multiple attempts to get the technique right

Regulations: Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (2001). UL Standard for Safety for Printed-Wiring Boards, UL 796. Retrieved from http://bbs.dianyuan.com/bbs/u/33/1125991649.pdf

Target Audience: Engineering

Relevant to Universal Design: No

Stages and Steps: 3.5

Free Resource: Ricci Bitti, A. (n.d.). How to make PCBs at home in 1 hour & without special materials. Retrieved from http://www.riccibitti.com/pcb/pcb.htm

Free Resource: Printed Circuits Boards. (n.d.). Homemade PCB | easy PCB manufacture. Retrieved from http://www.printedcircuitsboards.com/diy-pcb/138/home-made-pcb-easy-pcb-manufacture.html