Homebrew PCBs

How thick can you make a PCB ?  

I want to use one for mechanical strength as well as 
electrical wiring.

Jim Ubersetzig

At 04:58 PM 2/20/02 +0000, juberset wrote:

>How thick can you make a PCB ?
>
>I want to use one for mechanical strength as well as
>electrical wiring.

We routinely get PCBs made 1/8" thick (by a production house) for that very 
purpose.  Its not cheap - they cost 3 or 4 times the cost of a standard 
1/16" board.  But the customer wanted it that way and paid for it.  So - no 
problem!

dwayne


Dwayne Reid   <dwayner@...>
Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd    Edmonton, AB, CANADA
(780) 489-3199 voice          (780) 487-6397 fax

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In a message dated 20-Feb-02 11:00:13 Central Standard Time, 
jim.ubersetzig@... writes:


> How thick can you make a PCB ?  
> 
> 

Jim:  I haven't "looked ahead" to see if someone with more cerebral mass has 
already more intelligently answered, already, but here's MY 2¢ "hobby 
experience" worth toward this question:  

"FR-4", the Fire Retardent green epoxy-glass presently more common than the 
previously-popular G-10 "same thing" comes in 1/64" through 1/8" thick 
versions with NO copper at all, copper only on ONE side, copper on BOTH 
sides, 1/2, 1.0, and 2.0 oz. "weights) (the copper-thickness; I never learned 
how thick an "ounce" is!).  The 1/8" is plenty tough!  But if you needed 
something as thick as 1/4", to drive Sherman tanks across (that'd mess up the 
nicest solder-masks and PTH!!!), I THINK you would have to do one of TWO 
things:  Order some SPECIAL-made, or find  who may have already done so, and 
still has some on hand, he's willing to sell, or two, GLUE-UP some, putting 
non-copper-sides together.  I have never learned the howzits of multi-layer 
PCB-makin', but in that, layers are heat-laminated in a 'spensive press, once 
the inner-layers of copper are etched.  Drilling is last.  Whew, a 'spensive 
mess!

Anyway, the PRESS for glueing that up to make thicker (multi-layer) boards is 
not only expensive, but incredibly powerful in terms of PSI on the laminate, 
and I THINK they can also heat the layup.  Find a jovial PCB firm near yoy 
and go hassle 'em!

Jan Rowland, old troll


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

If you have to do it yourself, you can laminate two boards with epoxy 
resin -- won't be fireproof anymore, however.  

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., JanRwl@A... wrote:
> In a message dated 20-Feb-02 11:00:13 Central Standard Time, 
> jim.ubersetzig@l... writes:
> 
> 
> > How thick can you make a PCB ?  
> > 
> > 
> 
> Jim:  I haven't "looked ahead" to see if someone with more cerebral 
mass has 
> already more intelligently answered, already, but here's MY 
2¢ "hobby 
> experience" worth toward this question:  
> 
> "FR-4", the Fire Retardent green epoxy-glass presently more common 
than the 
> previously-popular G-10 "same thing" comes in 1/64" through 1/8" 
thick 
> versions with NO copper at all, copper only on ONE side, copper on 
BOTH 
> sides, 1/2, 1.0, and 2.0 oz. "weights) (the copper-thickness; I 
never learned 
> how thick an "ounce" is!).  The 1/8" is plenty tough!  But if you 
needed 
> something as thick as 1/4", to drive Sherman tanks across (that'd 
mess up the 
> nicest solder-masks and PTH!!!), I THINK you would have to do one 
of TWO 
> things:  Order some SPECIAL-made, or find  who may have already 
done so, and 
> still has some on hand, he's willing to sell, or two, GLUE-UP some, 
putting 
> non-copper-sides together.  I have never learned the howzits of 
multi-layer 
> PCB-makin', but in that, layers are heat-laminated in a 'spensive 
press, once 
> the inner-layers of copper are etched.  Drilling is last.  Whew, 
a 'spensive 
> mess!
> 
> Anyway, the PRESS for glueing that up to make thicker (multi-layer) 
boards is 
> not only expensive, but incredibly powerful in terms of PSI on the 
laminate, 
> and I THINK they can also heat the layup.  Find a jovial PCB firm 
near yoy 

> and go hassle 'em!
> 
> Jan Rowland, old troll
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]