![]() ![]() The laser, specifically the FiberMark and Fusion FiberMark systems, can etch away the surface material to expose the copper beneath however, even though it is exceptionally precise, there can still be trace amounts of PCB material left behind. The following PCB applications do not lend themselves to being completed using the laser. While some PCB applications are laser friendly, others are better suited to a different kind of technology. Because the layer is so thin, the fiber lasers can also cut through that material. Our fiber laser was also able to mark the same white layer, however did not result in as much contrast.ģ) Engraving Through PCB material to expose copper layer.Įpilog's FiberMark and Fusion M2 Fiber Lasers are able to engrave through PCB material to expose the copper layer underneath. This 2D data matrix code was processed using a CO2 laser from Epilog. The PCB to the right contains a white area of engineered plastics that works well for barcodes, QR codes, or in this case, data matrix codes. Many PCBs are designed with a variety of components. This is an application we would want to test with the PCB you will be using in our Applications Lab to make sure it fit your needs. When marking directly on a PCB we are able to achive a low-contrast mark with both our fiber and CO2 laser systems. If you are looking to mark a printed circuit board with a bar code, logo, or serial number, this is also possible with our laser systems.īest system for this appliation: CO2 Laser or Fiber Laser. While Epilog's CO2 systems will cut through the PCB as long as there is no copper layer, our fiber laser systems (the FiberMark 24 and Fusion M2 Fiber Laser) will cut through both with and without the copper layer.Ģ) Marking graphics/text on pre-made PCBs. Operators can use an Epilog Laser system to cut tabbed perforations around each board out so they can be easily removed from the sheet.īest type of laser for this appliation: Fiber Laser. The images below illustrate a sheet of already created circuit boards. Ideal laser PCB applications:ġ) Cutting tabs on sheets of ready-made PCBs. Here we'll take a look at some different PCB applications and how they relate to the laser. The vast majority of printed circuit boards are made by bonding a layer of copper over the entire substrate, then removing unwanted copper after applying a temporary mask (by etching), leaving only the desired copper traces.ĭepending on the desired outcome, Epilog Laser systems can be used in various capacities in the PCB realm. They support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets and then laminated onto a non-conductive substrate, such as G10 or FR4. Printed circuit boards (PCB) are most often found in a variety of electronic devices. Here we'll take a look at the some PCB applications suited for a laser as well as those that are not. This is pretty much the same workflow I use to get printed parts from F360 to Simplify 3D to the machines in my farm.One of the most common questions we get at Epilog is "can your lasers do printed circuit boards?" The answer is multifaceted and, depending on the application, there are some ways to use lasers with PCBs. That in turn would bring up a workspace that's basically a print dialog box to transfer your file to your specific laser cutting. A potential way to do this in F360 would be to right click the face and choose an option that could be called "send to engraver" or some such. I've experienced this with Universal, Epilog, Trotec and the G.Wieke/Full Spectrum I have in my shop. Most lasers, pro or prosumer 36"x24" and under use eps printer drivers to print directly from a program. Unless Autodesk changes the CAM and or printing paradigm you won't be able to go straight to your engraver/cutter without using the workaround described above or getting it into some other program (like you are doing with Corel now). ![]() On the flip side, I can take a printed part from concept to machine quite easily with F360. At that point I'm using F360 as a render app and not so much for design. I then import a raw dxf into F360 to be used strictly for modeling. For the large flat cut assemblies I do it the other way, I generate the flat parts in 2D CAD or a drawing program (mostly Corel) to use for design/manufacturing. My kits are flat packed cut parts with each assembly having as many as 40 or so parts or as few as 6. ![]() If it's a few parts or a larger assembly, it's great. For assemblies that are mostly cut parts I don't find that workflow efficient. Peter's method is the way to get to cutting the fastest. ![]()
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