Laser Cube - maybe usefull for PCB prototyping

[con-f-use]

The Laser Cube might an option for prototyping PCBs. Just spray black paint on your copper clad, and put it under the laser, then etch it.

A working area of 4.2 x 4.2 cm (1.65in) is tiny, but might be useful to build small modules. You can connect the modules together for prototyping and debug individually.

It's chinese qualtity though and not worth the $200,- in my opinion. I'd buy it for < $70 and shield it to provide at least some protection from scattered light. What do you think?

[mij59]

Nice toy, nothing more.

Working area of 20x30 cm would be better.

[mikeselectricstuff]

without protection and interlocks it will probably be illegal to sell this to many countries
One comment on their attitude to such things.
"3) we don't have the CE. It cost too much. However, we will test all of our products and make sure their quality before shipping out. If there's any shipping damager, we'll provide replacement."

[janoc]

So, basically a laser engraver using something like a Bluray burner diode? It would take ages to produce a more complicated PCB (comparable to milling, IMO) and you still have to etch it.

Why is everyone so hell bent on these laborious and poor quality methods of making boards? Toner transfer works just fine for simple boards, especially if you are using vinyl foil and not paper. I would probably have the design transferred, etched and drilled 3x already while you are fiddling with setting up this laser gizmo, not to mention the time it would take to spray paint the board, let it dry and then to "expose" it. For more complex things photolithography is hard to beat. And still faster than milling or this.

Even more complex things or where professional finish is required go to a board house anyway. So what's the point of these gadgets?

[con-f-use]

Nice toy, nothing more.

Exactly but not at a toys price. Also toys don't fuck with your eye sight - no matter how flashy they look.

I'd just like a small (A4 size) laser engraver under $100 bucks for some artwork and PCB masking. The Laser Cube was the only thing even coming close besides Mr. Beam at 1W and $450,-.

[matkar]

A laser engraver for under $100? That's 74 euro. I'm currently designing a simple XY stage to be used for this purposes. I've estimated it will cost more than that. And we are not even talking electronics yet, let alone the laser module with a driver.
The speed (even with a 3W diode with single element lens) is poor. It takes way too long to consider this anything but a toy.

[janoc]

A laser engraver for under $100? That's 74 euro. I'm currently designing a simple XY stage to be used for this purposes. I've estimated it will cost more than that. And we are not even talking electronics yet, let alone the laser module with a driver.
The speed (even with a 3W diode with single element lens) is poor. It takes way too long to consider this anything but a toy.

Except that your XY stage is likely going to work a whole lot better than this cheap/cut-every-corner-possible-for-the-lowest-cost design. With mechanicals you get what you pay for. People who have got suckered into buying those ridiculously cheap 3D (<$500) printers could probably tell stories about the mechanical problems with them. $100 is a cost of a crappy inkjet - and you can see easily what kind of "quality" is inside those things, and that is mass manufactured, with the economy of scale in place, not a Kickstarter project.

[DomesticHacks]

Looks like a simple DVD Burner to Lasercutter Hack.
I did a video series about how to build one yourself, and also did an layout for an Arduino shield to control it.

Project Page (in German):
http://www.domestichacks.info/projekte/laserplotter/

GitHub repository with the schematics and board layout for the Arduino schield:
https://github.com/johannes85/laserplotter

I never tried to etching boards with it, but i think it wouldn't be that easy.
Theoretically there are two possible ways:
 - Using black painted PCBs and etch away the paint.
   Could work, but i think the resolution isn't that good. I have to try this when i have more time.
 - The exposure of photo sensitive PCB material with an UV (Blu-ray) laser.
   I can't try this out, since I use red laser, but i think the scattered light would overexposure other areas of the board.

So, as already mentioned: It's a toy.

[mcinque]

One comment on their attitude to such things.
"3) we don't have the CE. It cost too much."

Terrific.

[jeremy]

- The exposure of photo sensitive PCB material with an UV (Blu-ray) laser.
   I can't try this out, since I use red laser, but i think the scattered light would overexposure other areas of the board.

I've seen some papers on this, apparently it works extremely well, as in better than 4mil/4mil well. But you have to use photoresist that is designed for 405nm, have very good focussing optics, and your XY stage has to be stupidly good (the stage would probably be several times the cost of everything else). It still is slow though, so film + exposure is much faster and more economical anyway