Making circuit boards in 20 seconds with DLP projector

Every Maker like me dream a PCB printer which can quickly and precisely convert our electronic idea into a psychical circuit board. I know there are plenty of project going on the subject. (see the end of the article) What I tried here is something different, quick and precise. If you have lots of electronic idea in your mind and most of them have a high probability of fail, the system must be quick and easy.

Making circuit boards in 20 seconds with DLP projector

Like other professional methods I am using photo-resist dry film.

Everything up to here is standard photoresist film application. My method getting different from now on. As you know the photoresist dry film is sensitive to uv light. So we can use a DLP projector which is modified to get smaller image. I am working on DLP 3d printers so I have one in my hand The main idea here is modifiy the distance of the projector optics to get smaller image. My Projector is XGA 1024×768 I can get 50 microns XY resolution because of the optic modification. I heard about some projectors which can display images without any modification. Please comment on the article if you know the brand and the model name.

I inverse the projector upside down. Because my setup is a DLP 3d Printer. I adjust the distance to get fine clear projection. After that I export the eagle design as PDF and inverse the colors. The white parts of the objects will cure the photoresist and this parts of the circuit will stay. I draw lines distanced as 1 cm and project that image on a ruler. I try to get the correct zoom factor in order to mach the image lines and the lines on the ruler. So that I am sure the image projected is scaled 1-1

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About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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