High-Speed Convention 2024: Speedy Boards Packed with Advanced Circuit Etchings via The Circuit Engraver
In the modern world, DIY enthusiasts and makers are constantly seeking ways to create extraordinary projects, and a custom PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is just what they need for a cool, compact, and robust creation. Yet, the drawback is the time it takes to order PCBs, especially if you're outside the renowned Shenzhen board houses' shadows.
Luckily for us, [Zach Fredin] has cracked the code on fast and efficient home PCB production, leaving other makers green with envy! At our 2024 Supercon, [Zach] generously shared insights on the remarkable engineering value provided by Circuit Graver.
Home PCB production has long been a possibility; people have experimented with irons, toner, etchant baths, and milling machines to varying results. However, creating high-quality, intricate boards can be tricky with traditional methods, and achieving small traces—a crucial requirement for many projects—is challenging.
Enter the Circuit Graver, [Zach']s innovative creation built to manufacture high-feature boards right in his apartment. Unlike conventional laser-etching or PCB milling machines, the Circuit Graver employs a unique approach - it uses a pointed tool to scrape copper-clad boards to create desired traces.
[Zach] was inspired to develop this method due to frustrations with traditional PCB milling machines' limitations. He found them noisy, messy, slow, and limited in resolution. With these machines, achieving smaller features than DIP or SOIC chips was near impossible in his experience.
Inspired by techniques he developed years ago, using a modified box cutter blade to carve boards by hand, [Zach] later realized that incorporating Computer Numerical Control (CNC) could make the process even more accurate. Instead of moving the tool manually, why not have the computer do it for you?
The machine design itself is conventional but packed with clever details and made from eBay parts and 3D-printed components. The system uses a Cartesian motion platform to move the tool over a copper clad board, offering X and Y axes for positioning and a Z axis for lifting the tool and controlling downward pressure. [Zach] added a stepper motor for the tool, ensuring that it stays lined up with the direction of the trace to be carved.
To secure the desired precision, [Zach] equipped the Circuit Graver with a carbide insert previously used for lathe tooling. With a 100 micron tip radius, this tool can create a 0.2 mm trench in copper-clad board out of the box, enabling the creation of traces roughly 8 mil or so. With some sharpening, the tool can reach 0.1 mm or less, opening the door for working with even smaller feature size parts.
[Zach]'s Supercon talk provided a realistic assessment of the Circuit Graver's real-world performance. Currently, it successfully carves 8/8 (0.2 mm) features on small boards with ease, while 6/6 (0.15 mm) features are "marginal." The aim is to reach the 4/4 (0.1 mm) level with future upgrades. The Circuit Graver's speed is impressive too, shredding good traces at 20-50 mm/s. However, manual setup is still essential to ensure correct zeroing, tooling pressure, and quality.
Production-grade PCBs always trump homemade ones, but for quick prototyping with modern, fine-featured components, the Circuit Graver presents immense value! Imagine designing and creating a unique project board mere minutes or hours after you finish your design on your PC. Doesn't that sound intoxicating?
Our blog actually spotlighted the Circuit Graver last year, and design files are available on our website.io for the curious. So if you're eager to start whipping up simple high-feature boards right at home, the Circuit Graver might be your ticket to DIY bliss!
- Armed with the Circuit Graver, a home-and-garden marvel invented by Zach Fredin, DIY enthusiasts can now produce high-quality custom PCBs, bringing their technology-driven lifestyle creations to life more swiftly than ever before.
- In the realm of data-and-cloud-computing and technology, the Circuit Graver offers an innovative solution for makers, allowing them to rapidly prototype unique boards and immerse themselves in the DIY world with minimal hassle.
