Jose Pablo Campos set out to make printed circuit boards (PCB) for companies and students with CNC milling machines avoiding the use of ferric chloride that is typically used to manufacture PCBs for the electronics industry.
"This (ferric chloride) greatly destroys our environment and damages the aquifers," said Campos. "It's like chemical logging. By using our procedure we will do our bit to save our planet and our species."
Milled PCB series of conductive pathways
Process
As most of us know, PCBs are used to support and connect electronic components in a circuit using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces.
Campos' designs of the tracks are made by generating G-code which drives the computerized milling machine. They use the Gerber file generated by the program for printed circuit design to generate the G-code. The computer program runs to create the tracks, drill holes and cuts them to designated sizes. The program can design a complete and custom printed circuit board fit for specific needs. In addition, besides metal, almost any material can be used, wood, aluminum, plastic, acrylic, etc.
Campos' CNC Machine
Benefits
In addition to the environmental benefits, the CNC method is both faster and more accurate than the chemical process. It takes only about
10 minutes compared to 30 minutes using conventional methods.
Products
For now Campos makes two types of PCBs, one is a liquid level control and the other is by control pulse. Printing services are also provided for people if they have any specific design in a
Gerber file he can take that design and generate the G-code for the PCB and he can create the design for the circuit if needed.
Campos mentioned an initial challenge of first having problems with the G-code and a ground that needed to be connected to the PC and
the CNC. Without that ground the entire process didn't work properly and was not responding to some of the programmed signals. Soon they ironed out all the kinks out and got the program running smoothly. Now they are working on improving their pulse techniques.
CNC milled PCB
This My Story is the work of Jose Pablo Campos, based in San Jose, Costa Rica. More on his work may be found on his Facebook page.
Milled PCB series of conductive pathways
Campos' CNC Machine
CNC milled PCB