P.C.B. foam etching machine without nozzles or air stones

[micha1102b]

Hi there,

interested in a new generation of p.c.b. foam etching machines (D.I.Y.)?

No more need of compressors attached to batteries of air stones or ever corroding liquid pumps with always blocking nozzles.

Watch this short clip on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/OmKdW3QI5es

Thanks and best regards

Mike

[free_electron]

venturi pump ?

this years awards for most creative etcher design goes to you.

[micha1102b]

Hi there,

the second edition of my PCB etching machine is now working.
If interested, contact me for the full construction guide (pdf).

And please go on with sending in your suggestions and ideas for further improvement.

Best regards
Micha

[RoGeorge]

Nice machine in the video!

When I read 'foam etching' in the title, I thought it is about the 'dish sponge + FeCl3 + PCB inside a zip-lock bag' method.

The sponge etching is very clean, simple, fast and economic. Just squeeze the sponge bag for a while, and that's it. It's a very clean method (simply dispose the whole zip-bag after etching), much faster then bubble etching or hot&agitated bath, and you don't need so much FeCl3 as in a bath etching.

[micha1102b]

Hi there,

the second edition got an update.
Now PCB with sizes up to 43x20 cm can be etched. That's more than enough....

Best regards
Micha

[albert22]

venturi pump ?

this years awards for most creative etcher design goes to you.

It looks like an air lift pump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlift_pump

[micha1102b]

Hi,

still lots of requests for the PDF construction guide are coming in.
Some interested guys later email me asking whether the machine could be made less high.

Unfortunately I didn't mention this in the document: Since the machine is based on the "air lift pump"-system,
every cm less in height than described would reduce the etchant pump efficiency (i.e. output) exponentially.

So the answer is NO if you wish to use it without airstones and with such a tiny 5 watt air pump.
Of course, applying a high power air compressor and the use of airstones
would make an overall height reduction possible, as many other examples described in various websites clearly prove.

Best regards

[rx8pilot]

That is actually pretty cool.

I am still scared of the chemicals and still waiting for a clever way to make multilayer PCB's reasonably easy.