At 06:12 AM 6/23/2011, you wrote: >On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:54:51 +0100, you wrote: > > >On 23/06/2011 10:01, Yigit Turgut wrote: > >> Yes it can. > >> > >> On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 11:32 AM, Roy=20 > Hopkins wrote: > >>> > >>> Could a 1w laser diode be used on a CNC mill to make printed=20 > circuit boards? > >>> Roy > >>> > >Unless it's some exotic wavelength, very unlikely. > > > >These people are leaders in PCB prototype production equipment. AFAIK > >their PCB gear are mill/drill based "plotters". They have laser gear for > >plastics. > >http://www.lpkf.com/products/index.htm > >They do make a laser PCB maker - >http://www.lpkf.com/products/rapid-pcb-prototyping/laser-circuit-structuri= ng/laser-structuring-printed-circuit-boards.htm >I think it uses a YAG laser. And is extremely expensive. Yes, well over $100K, and it can fry FR4 substrates quite nicely too. I don't think the average power _needs_ to be very high (except for productivity), but given the high thermal diffusivity of copper and the high reflectivity at IR wavelengths (as well as the high boiling point of copper), you're pretty much stuck with short-wavelength laser with relatively high _peak_ power (kW) focused on a small spot, such as the Q-switched Nb:YAG laser that LPKF uses (pulse repetition rates in the many 10's of kHz for reasonable throughput). Each pulse vaporizes a "bite" of copper. Of course you could use a UV laser diode to expose photoresist or use a LD to ablate a resist coating, and subsequently do a chemical etch. You could use the laser diode for light while the CNC mill is engraving. You could sell the 1W laser diode on eBay and use the proceeds to get a professionall= y made PCB.. lots of possibilities. >Best regards, Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the rewar= d" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.co= m Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.co= m --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .