Overview
In this guide, we will learn how you can make PCB at home by etching PCB with 3D Printers. Have you ever thought of creating your own PCB board? Maybe you’ve got a unique design you want to print, or you just don’t want to wait for delivery.
With a decent 3D printer that supports plotting, a few chemicals, and household items, you’re well on your way to creating a custom PCB board.
The method we’ll describe in this article is the etching method.
The principle is to expose photosensitive material to an etching solution that eats away at the surface. So, you make marks with a permanent pen on a PCB board, drop it into an etching solution, and the solution etches away the board, except for those parts covered by the permanent marker.
In the end, you’ll have a product like this:
Ready? Let’s get into the step-by-step guide on how to etch your own PCBs at home.
Materials needed:
- 3D printer
- PCB board
- Etching solution
- Permanent marker or pen
- Software for designing the PCB
- Pen holder for printer
- Acetone
- Tapes
- Safety gloves and masks
Etching PCB with 3D Printer
1. Design the PCB in a software
The first step is to create the PCB in software and export it in the appropriate format. Popular software for designing PCBs includes KiCAD, EAGLE, and EasyEDA.
The best format to export a PCB design file is the Gerber format. It allows you to create different circuit board design layers as separate image files. You can also export the design as a txt file.
3D printers most commonly read data in G-code.
2. Attach a permanent pen and plain PCB board to the printer
When your design is ready, attach the etch-resistant permanent pen to the printer head (sharpies can be effective). You may need to create the pen holder from scratch.
Note, that your permanent pen should have the best ballpoint diameter to neatly replicate your PCB design. A good range is 0.2mm to 0.3mm.
Next, attach the empty PCB board to the platform. This is where you use tape to hold down the board at several edges. It should be tight enough to prevent any movements.
3. Home printer or set the starting point
The next step is to set a starting point for the printer and set it to act as a plotter. In the machine settings, set the temperature to 0, and the nozzle point to 1mm.
Then start the start and end codes. Set the printer to lift the pen off the board once printing is over.
I recommend homing your printer, turning it off, and rebooting it. If not, the printer will begin homing when you press “print” and therefore offset the results.
4. Begin printing
When everything is set to run, press print. The machine will begin to plot the design on the board with the permanent marker. Depending on the complexity of the design, this process takes anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours.
If you can manage it, sit by and watch for any errors in the printing, or errors in design. You can stop the process at any time and wipe out the already made marks with an acetone solution.
5. Place printed PCB in an etching solution
When printing is done, and you’re satisfied with the results, place the printed board in an etching solution. The common ones are Ferric Chloride, Sodium Persulphate, and Ammonium Persulphate.
Put on safety gloves and masks. Etching solutions are extremely toxic to the skin and they may have strong smells.
The container should be wide and deep enough to comfortably contain the board, and the solution should be enough to cover its surface.
For the best results, agitate the container every few minutes. To speed up the process, you can apply temperature. Without any temperature, leave the board in the etching solution for at least half an hour.
6. Wipe out the permanent marker
After etching, bring out the board. Dry off the solution. Then, use acetone and a microfiber towel to wipe out the pen marks.
What you’ll have is a beautifully etched PCB board, with the areas covered by the marker completely untouched.
The result is affected by how well you follow the steps and your level of experience. So be patient, as you gain more experience, the result is neater.
Conclusion
Our method only works with a printer that can also work as a plotter. Some printers make it super easy for you. SLA resin 3D printers remove any need for an etching solution.
We wish you the best of luck as you create your homemade PCB boards.
