Combining 3D Printing and PCB Printing

Controlling Compliancy of Flex Circuits with a BotFactory Squink PCB Printer and a 3D Printer

BotFactory

Following Follow project

Liked Like project

Become a Hackaday.io member

Just one more thing

To make the experience fit your profile, pick a username and tell us what interests you.

OK, I'm done! Skip

Similar projects worth following

257 views

0 comments

185 followers

3 likes

View Gallery

Description

So the great thing about having a PCB Printer is that you can quickly experiment with flexible circuitry, as a device like a BotFactory Squink can print conductive silver traces on flexible substrates like Kapton sheets. In addition, we can dispense and assemble the PCB, creating a complete circuit.

One problem with flexible circuitry is trying to keep the portions of the layout where there are ICs, passives and connectors stiff enough so that the substrate and connection pads do not break or disconnect. Providing a stiff framework, often a thicker piece of FR4 or more layers of kapton - provide a solution. An alternative is to place some sort of framing around the particular components.

Details

As the kapton is quite thin, it's possible to place a circuit right within the print. The way we do this is by running a print, pausing it and placing it upside down and then continuing the print. Kapton meshes well with PLA plastic, so the strength of the 3D print isn't reduced in the Z-axis.

Refer to this post for all the video content and files here