Post by thread:[EE]: Plated Through Holes for prototypes

A lot of people would like to have the capability to PTH. There appears to be a new way to do it. A paste is sqegeed onto the drilled and etched board and then sucked to the other side with a mild vacuum. At least one video on Youtube shows a home vacuum being used. Is anyone using this here? Any experiences? Especially whether it keeps once opened? I mean the paste packaging, its storage conditions. http://www.lpkf.com/products/rapid-pcb-prototyping/through-hole-plating/chemical-free/index.htm (paste on one line please) The milling method is specific to lpkf but the paste would work with anything I guess. -- Peter

Looks interesting Peter, thanks. Sean On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 4:14 AM, Peter <spam_OUTplpeter2006TakeThisOuTyahoo.com> wrote: {Quote hidden}> A lot of people would like to have the capability > to PTH. There appears to be a new way to do it. A > paste is sqegeed onto the drilled and etched board > and then sucked to the other side with a mild vacuum. > At least one video on Youtube shows a home vacuum > being used. > > Is anyone using this here? Any experiences? Especially > whether it keeps once opened? I mean the paste > packaging, its storage conditions. > > http://www.lpkf.com/products/rapid-pcb-prototyping/through-hole-plating/chemical-free/index.htm > > (paste on one line please) > > The milling method is specific to lpkf but the paste > would work with anything I guess. > > -- Peter > > > >

On 11/03/2011 09:14, Peter wrote: > A lot of people would like to have the capability > to PTH. There appears to be a new way to do it. A > paste is sqegeed onto the drilled and etched board > and then sucked to the other side with a mild vacuum. > At least one video on Youtube shows a home vacuum > being used. > > Is anyone using this here? Any experiences? Especially > whether it keeps once opened? I mean the paste > packaging, its storage conditions. > > http://www.lpkf.com/products/rapid-pcb-prototyping/through-hole-plating/chemical-free/index.htm > Just took a quick look - does look quite interesting and worth knowing about. Says it can be used for multilayer boards, with sizes down to 0.4mm (and below in special cases)

Very interesting. One of the things that held me back from picking up one of these machines a couple years ago, was the ordeal of being able to add plated-through holes. Back then, there were manually-inserted "eyelets", which were also relatively large. Need to re-investigate if this is viable for me nowadays. I have a couple fairly-accurate machines now which I could probably use to mill the PCB's, and just use their through-hole plating kit. In the meanwhile, that through-hole process looks like squeegeeing solder paste in the holes and reflowing them. Watched the video, but I'm still unsure how it plates non-vias (holes that would have component leads) and what the tolerance is on these holes. Cheers, -Neil. Quoting Sean Breheny <.....shb7KILLspam@spam@cornell.edu>: {Quote hidden}> Looks interesting Peter, thanks. > > Sean > > > On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 4:14 AM, Peter <plpeter2006KILLspamyahoo.com> wrote: >> A lot of people would like to have the capability >> to PTH. There appears to be a new way to do it. A >> paste is sqegeed onto the drilled and etched board >> and then sucked to the other side with a mild vacuum. >> At least one video on Youtube shows a home vacuum >> being used. >> >> Is anyone using this here? Any experiences? Especially >> whether it keeps once opened? I mean the paste >> packaging, its storage conditions. >> >> www.lpkf.com/products/rapid-pcb-prototyping/through-hole-plating/chemical-free/index.htm >> >> (paste on one line please) >> >> The milling method is specific to lpkf but the paste >> would work with anything I guess. >> >> -- Peter >> >> >> >> -

PICdude <picdude3 <at> narwani.org> writes: > In the meanwhile, that through-hole process looks like squeegeeing > solder paste in the holes and reflowing them. Watched the video, but > I'm still unsure how it plates non-vias (holes that would have > component leads) and what the tolerance is on these holes. I tried to look up prices apparently a set of 20 2.5 gram paste sachets is $220 (may depend on your location and taxes). That is not cheap. I don't know how it handles vias with pins. I assume it is a high temperature conductive epoxy or silver based resin. So maybe it can be soldered onto directly. I am trying to find out more. -- Peter