Uncoppered circuit boards.

[factory]

This video was posted on another forum, I haven't watched the whole thing, just skimmed to the printing bit.

We already have unleaded circuit boards, now someone has decided uncoppered boards are a good idea, even better a car dashboard. It just looks a terrible idea to me, the unleaded solder they have "printed" will just corrode & turn to dust with moisture & the whole thing will end up unreliable* scrap.



*Ignoring the fact it's a mini, already unreliable scrap to start with.

Edit: To save people having to waste time watching the youtube video, here is a picture from it.



David

[Gyro]

You're too late... https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ive-never-seen-a-circuit-board-made-like-this/

[factory]

Your right, there are more sections/threads on this forum, than I have time to read.

[tggzzz]

Your right, there are more sections/threads on this forum, than I have time to read.

Yup.

That's why I only read...
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[Helio_Centra]

I've seen people using a 3D printer to put down traces of conductive plastic before. But since conductive plastic isn't nearly as good as copper or tin you need to make your traces very thick.

Laying down solder traces seems like a bad idea to me because there's nothing holding them to the board.

[PlainName]

With that setup he could've milled a PCB and he'd just need a milling bit instead of the solder bath and all that gubbins. The result would be neater and more robust, but I guess the project is about clicks rather than doing a good job.

[Analog Kid]

Laying down solder traces seems like a bad idea to me because there's nothing holding them to the board.

Again, keep in mind that this is just a prototype, not a production unit.

[PlainName]

A prototype still needs to be reasonably robust, otherwise you end up fixing issues with the prototype that are nothing to do with the project.

[factory]

Exactly, it's crap, they would have been much better spending the time taken to create this mess, to learn KiCad and get a prototype board made at one of the Chinese PCB houses.
Normal prototype (& some production boards) boards can be easily modified to correct errors, by cutting traces and adding link wire, or components where needed. Once corrected another board can be made if needed.

David

[langwadt]

Laying down solder traces seems like a bad idea to me because there's nothing holding them to the board.

Again, keep in mind that this is just a prototype, not a production unit.

only took about a 100 times longer than making it right...

[Analog Kid]

Laying down solder traces seems like a bad idea to me because there's nothing holding them to the board.

Again, keep in mind that this is just a prototype, not a production unit.

only took about a 100 times longer than making it right...

So what? I don't remember efficiency being one of the criteria for their project. These guys just wanna have fun, and they seem to have succeeded at that. (Including producing a working prototype.)

[thm_w]

With that setup he could've milled a PCB and he'd just need a milling bit instead of the solder bath and all that gubbins. The result would be neater and more robust, but I guess the project is about clicks rather than doing a good job.

Don't assume malice when they could just be naive. Its a car channel, the picture is of a car, most of their subscribers probably don't even care, and the comments indicate they spent a LONG time making this happen.
But yes, milling bit would have made more sense.

You're too late... https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ive-never-seen-a-circuit-board-made-like-this/

Doesn't really belong in projects to be fair.

[PlainName]

Don't assume malice when they could just be naive.

Definitely not thinking malice! But they clearly aren't naive - they have a firm grasp of what's required and ways of going about that. I would be very unsurprised if they dreamt this up over a beer (or several) and are doing it like this because no-one else has, and not because it seemed to be the best or simplest or quickest or cheapest way.

[thm_w]

Definitely not thinking malice! But they clearly aren't naive - they have a firm grasp of what's required and ways of going about that. I would be very unsurprised if they dreamt this up over a beer (or several) and are doing it like this because no-one else has, and not because it seemed to be the best or simplest or quickest or cheapest way.

Yeah that makes sense.
Would have been an opportunity to draw the design, do a test fit with a piece of machined aluminum sheet, and then just hand it off to another channel as a collaboration.

Clearly there was no real rush here (last channel video 7 months ago).