Wendy and CNC Builders... Question on PCBs

[Wendy]

Hello Per-Eric,

Just visited your website. Very nice and a lot of information. I have played the video about making buttons in 3D, great, have to try this sometime.


Regards, Wendy

[Perik]

Hello Wendy,

Yes, milling 3D is fun and rewarding - you should really make a try!
You seem to be capable of whatever you want - great work I must say!

And you are lucky - if you need some practical advice you have Hessel and
Rob Jansen around you. Rob and his "El Animal" show some really great 3D work
and Hessel is at the moment drawing 3D stuff like a hero.

Talks soon!

[Redbird]

Perik, site bookmarked Very nice work, gives me some inspiration in completeing my own project.

[flatlandpilot]

Yes, thanks Perik,
that prints are really motivating.

[Wendy]

Hey Per-Erik,

If milling 3D is triple the fun of normal milling I have to start with it very soon.


Regards, Wendy

[homecockpitbuilder]

Hello all,

Just finish the tutorial on my site about making a pcb. The pcb that i want to make is the stepperpcb from Fsbus.

Software use is sprintlayout and ramsgold.

For more info, the tutorial is locate on my site under buildertips.

Regards Bas

[Jan737]

Hello all,

Just finish the tutorial on my site about making a pcb. The pcb that i want to make is the stepperpcb from Fsbus.

Software use is sprintlayout and ramsgold.

For more info, the tutorial is locate on my site under buildertips.

Regards Bas

Hi Bas,
Thanks for the tutorial!!
I've watched some of the videos you made.
Can you tell what material you use for the panels and where to buy it?
I live in the Netherlands.

Best regards

Jan Geurtsen

[iwik]

Hi Per-Erik,
Really enjoyed reading your site articles. Very impressed with what you did with O/C pcb. I see you used Sheetcam to produce your Gcode. I had been using Eagle with the appropriate plug in. I know have Cut2d to generate gcode.
Can you explain how you got your gcode from importing the DXF into Sheetcam. I know one has to mill an isolation track.
Look forward to your comments.
Thanks again for a great website.

Regards
Les Barwick.

[Perik]

Hello Les

I know there are some areas badly explained on my site – sorry

Well, I’m using Diptrace for my PCB schematics and layout. I don’t know Eagle in details and how the dxf-plugin works, but from Diptrace layout I have the possibility to export layers as layers in one DXF-file. Even if that’s not necessary, it makes the next stage in the process a lot easier.

So I select four layers like in the first attached image – Drill_Top, Board_outline, Edge_Top and Edge_bottom – the two last layers are the outline of the top and bottom traces including the pads.

Cut2d is as well unknown for me though I expect you can import dxf with layers. In SheetCam it will look like the last attached image after importing the DXF-file.
BTW – this is the OC Display-II pcb.

SheetCam shows the same layer structure as the PCB layout program.

The next will be to define the needed operations.
I always start with the top side of the PCB and the drilling layer using normally 0,7mm drill-bit. Some features like mounting holes will require a tool change during milling operation. You can of course make a separate operation for each tool. I do that often – having more control while zeroing the Z-axis.

The next operation to define will be the Edge_Top - traces on the top side of the PCB. For this operation I use 60 degrees V-cutter. Set up as an Outside Contour path with a depth of 0,05mm, but you may end up going deeper to get the isolation you want.

Added comment: The cobber layer is approx. 35um or 0,035mm, but cobber is a soft material so you may have to go even down to 0,1mm. And to be sure, I run two passes – one “Up cut” and one “Down cut” or simpler, one run in each direction. That fixes most of the remaining burs you may have in the path. Steel wool in the end makes it perfect

The Edge-Bottom operation is the same as Edge-Top and at last the Board Outline operation using e.g. a 2mm end-mill.

So, then select only the Drill operation and hit the “P” button and get ready for some action. This command sends the G-code for the selected operation(s) and in the sequence they are listed directly to Mach. Put in the right tool and of you go! When and if Mach stops for tool-change do as told.

Then back to SheetCam. Deselect Drill and select and send the Edge_top operation to Mach and prepare for a new tool-change – now to V-cutter. After Mach is done, go back to SheetCam and into Edge_top operation (double click) and select Cut Path -then select or deselect Climb-cut to change direction and run the operation again.

When finished you have to flip and line up the board for doing the bottom side. And now it is important to flip/mirror the layout in Sheetcam before you start on the bottom side operations. Do the same for Edge_bottom as for the Edge_top. Last operation is Board Cutout - also mirrored.

That’s about it...

Les, I hope I've not missed your question totally and you got some answers at least.
I’m ready for more questions if needed.
I would believe you are be able to achieve more or less the same with the combination Eagle/Cut2D though I may be wrong.

Happy milling

[iwik]

Hello Per-Erik,
Your website is quite clear and well layed out. The bit i was most interested with was using Contour outside to cut the isolation barrier. Ive had a look at
Diptrace and are experimenting with Academic Version(500 pins and 2l), its a nice package as it handles Schematic Capature/Autorouting and Milling.
The only other package that will handle similar at a low cost is eagle with the plug in. However i find Eagle to complicated for my casual usage.
What version(eg lite,standard Free) are you using?
Thanks for replying with great detail, very much appreciated.

Best Regards
Les