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Chip Fixes

Tue Aug 23 2011, 05:43AM

Registered Member #3781 Joined: Sat Mar 26 2011, 02:25AM
Location:
Posts: 701

Well I was going to write a whole post on how cool it would be to print with conductive ink, but alas! I'ts already been done

:(

So I guess I still have some questions. I have an old working printer in the garage and I was wondering if it's possible to widen the gap between the rollers so you can fit a PCB board through it.

However, I think it would be cool to be able to print traces on a pcb with a home printer, either by using some stiff paper-like-material or just using paper and then gluing it to a pcb. This would only be viable for low current low voltage applications though.

Also, also does anyone know where to buy conductive ink in quantity?

Feel free to add your ideas about printing with conductive ink, and my printer is ready to go for experimentation if need be

Dr. Slack

Tue Aug 23 2011, 12:44PM

Registered Member #72 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659

What would be cool is to ink-jet electroless copper onto bare PCB (the stuff that makes the inside of via holes conductive when making plated thru boards) and then plate up with copper to a workable thickness. I wonder how well it adheres to bare PCB?

Ash Small

Tue Aug 23 2011, 02:34PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

Dr. Slack wrote ...

What would be cool is to ink-jet electroless copper onto bare PCB (the stuff that makes the inside of via holes conductive when making plated thru boards) and then plate up with copper to a workable thickness. I wonder how well it adheres to bare PCB?

Conductive paint is used for electroplating plastic.

Nickel is often built up this way for things like moulds for plastic toys/ models, etc.

Whether you could plate copper directly onto conductive paint/ink or whether you'd need a 'Woods strike' (flash nickel plating) first is something I'm not sure about.

Arcstarter

Tue Aug 23 2011, 03:25PM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

I don't think the viscosity of most conductive ink would allow for a typical printer cartridge to eject it properly. I think someone said that here on a previous thread about conductive ink, and it seems to make sense.

Chip Fixes

Tue Aug 23 2011, 04:19PM

Registered Member #3781 Joined: Sat Mar 26 2011, 02:25AM
Location:
Posts: 701

Arcstarter wrote ...

I don't think the viscosity of most conductive ink would allow for a typical printer cartridge to eject it properly. I think someone said that here on a previous thread about conductive ink, and it seems to make sense.

hmm, well if I find some conductive ink for cheap I will test it out

Pinky's Brain

Wed Aug 24 2011, 03:36PM

Registered Member #2901 Joined: Thu Jun 03 2010, 01:25PM
Location:
Posts: 837

Your link shows ink being used to catalyse electrodeless plating. Another method is flash sintering of nano powders deposited with solvents.

Untreated conductive ink with low enough viscosity to be jettable has too much resistance for most circuits.

Conundrum

Wed Aug 24 2011, 06:44PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4061

Has anyone experimented with DIY conductive polymers in a solvent, such as polyacetylene?

-A

Forty

Wed Aug 24 2011, 09:27PM

Registered Member #3888 Joined: Sun May 15 2011, 09:50PM
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 649

has anyone tested to see if the silver sharpie marker, or the silver oil based paint sharpie pen are conductive?

Patrick

Thu Aug 25 2011, 12:10AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

the Maker-Bot and rep rap are trying to include wire in the normal objects being made while still in process, if they can make such a wild idea work, then we all be free of acid, pens and all the rest of it!

I think as far as real printing possiblity by home/hobby/DIY, types might need to investigate using a thin conductive gel epoxy extruded (though a tiny needle) on to a plate or plastic, via pen plotter type cnc machine.

As has been said, inkjet and circuit pen markers just dont seem to work in thin layers due to the limits of current chemistry, also the circiut printing is only part of the problem, you have to be able to--after the board is"printed" be able to place your SMT/IMT components on the board then attatch via the same conductive epoxy or something. Even the circuit repair pens, which are silver, that advertise " maybe solderable" hasent prooved to be true in my experience.

Adam Munich

Thu Sept 01 2011, 04:36PM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

How about printing directly on copper clad, followed by a standard etch?

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