TwinTeeth: The PCB mini-factory

We developed an alternative method for making PCB vias through-hole.

There are several commercial products for making DIY PCB vias. Some based on special pins made for this purpose but they are ugly, cost money and difficult to install. Others methods are based on conductive epoxy which also is expensive and resistivity is not good.

Electroplating is the method used by the PCB industry. There are on the internet some interesting experiences, but all of them require special equipment and unpleasant chemical products difficult to find.

The traditional DIY method consists in threading a wire through the holes and then soldering it and then cutting it off. For example, if we have 100 vias in our PCB, we have to insert the thin wire on each hole, cut it and solder it 200 times. This is time-consuming, but also tedious, absurd, prone to failures and produces a melancholic state of mind.:-)

So we decide to innovate in this area developing a new method which consists in drilling blind vias instead of holes and filling them with conductive ink.

Really we don’t need holes to make vias. Well, we need holes, but not through-holes. I mean, we can avoid drilling to bottom copper layer and make tiny wells instead of vias!

Then fill the wells injecting the conductive ink. We do it from inside, inserting a needle into the well, mainly because it will be difficult to fill it from outside due to the air inside the well and also surface tension forces.

Both are simple task for a PCB robot.

We published all the information in our blog:

http://www.diyouware.com/node

We just released a new model: TwinTeeth Plus

For more information: www.diyouware.com

We published a lead-screw improvement to the original design. We decided to reduce the size of the acme screws to reduce possible wobble and we also designed a new lead-screw top support which will hold the bearing and a bolt to adjust the motor coupler flexibility.

You can see the new design here:

http://www.diyouware.com/node/193

We published last chapters of the "How to use it" tutorial.

You will find them here http://www.diyouware.com/twth_useit in English.

And here http://www.diyouware.com/es/twth_useit in Spanish.

The assembling guide is also complete:

English:

http://www.diyouware.com/twth_buildit

Spanish:

http://www.diyouware.com/es/twth_buildit

We published new chapters of the TwinTeeth building tutorial:

Chapter 4 – Wiring the electronics

Chapter 5 – Installing the Software

Chapter 6 – Calibrating the robot

Chapter 7 – Assembling the Laser ToolHead

Chapter 8 – Assembling the Drilling Toolhead

Chapter 9 – Assembling the Solder Paste Dispenser Toolhead

You can find them here in English:

http://www.diyouware.com/twth_buildit

and here in Spanish:

http://www.diyouware.com/es/twth_buildit

Diyouware Team

We designed a new ToolHead: the microscope ToolHead.

You can take a look it here.

We also published more chapters in the tutorial.

We have just published a new chapter of the TwinTeeth building tutorial.

You can find it here in English:

http://www.diyouware.com/twth_buildit

and here in Spanish:

http://www.diyouware.com/es/twth_buildit

Our plan is to write and publish a chapter every week.

We will keep you informed.

Diyouware team.