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Message

UV Light Source for Exposing PCB's

2002-04-04 by johnman9146

Several of you have written of the benefits and good quality that can 
be had by using the photoresist copper clad boards.  You now have my 
interest.

I have some of the raw materials to attempt this method including pre-
sensitized copper clad, and developer.  I even have glass plates to 
keep the transparancy in close contact with the copper.

I do not have a UV light source.  I didn't buy one as I didn't want 
to spend the money.  Some of you have told me that you made a light 
box.  What types of lights/lamps work for exposure?  I saw somewhere 
that a blacklight works.  Is this true?

Our old Diazo machine at work seems to have a long 
flourescent "black" light that it uses to expose diazo paper. 
(BLUELINE MACHINE).  How would I construct a lightbox for exposure?

Most if not all my PCB's are small.  Thje biggest board that I have 
etched was 5x7, so I don't need a giant box.

I don't need any help with making transparancies as I have access to 
a photoplotter (typesetting machine that directly exposes film).  
There are no issues with film growth as there is no heat in the 
process.  There are no issues with pinholes/banding as this is a 
professional imager used to expose printing plates for magazine 
reproduction.  All I must do is output 1-to-1 EPS file and the imager 
does the rest.

So please, if you could help me build a UV light source to expose 
small PCB's, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

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