PCB milling - Revision history

Posborn: Adding more scary warnings to the top

2014-09-02T15:06:56Z

Adding more scary warnings to the top

Harry.braviner at 22:21, 30 August 2014

2014-08-30T22:21:19Z

Harry.braviner: /* Setup CopperCAM for milling */

2014-08-30T22:19:51Z

‎Setup CopperCAM for milling

Harry.braviner: /* Set up the machine and mill */

2014-08-30T22:17:05Z

‎Set up the machine and mill

Harry.braviner: /* Import into CopperCAM */

2014-08-30T22:14:21Z

‎Import into CopperCAM

Harry.braviner: /* Export from Kicad */

2014-08-30T22:11:24Z

‎Export from Kicad

Harry.braviner: /* Import into CopperCAM */

2014-08-30T22:09:21Z

‎Import into CopperCAM

Harry.braviner: /* Import into CopperCAM */

2014-08-30T22:08:48Z

‎Import into CopperCAM

Harry.braviner: /* Import into CopperCAM */

2014-08-30T22:08:10Z

‎Import into CopperCAM

Harry.braviner at 08:14, 6 May 2014

2014-05-06T08:14:27Z

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 This page is intended to contain instructions on milling PCBs using the [[Equipment/CNC_Model_Mill|Roland CNC Mill]]. It is still a work in progress.
-* The Roland CNC Mill is class red equipment - you MUST NOT use it without specific training.
+* '''The Roland CNC Mill is class red equipment - you MUST NOT use it without specific training.
-* The Roland's communal milling bits will be easily damaged by copper and fiberglass - do NOT use the communal milling bits! I will leave a tin of specific PCB milling bits near the machine, clearly labelled as such.
+* '''The Roland's communal milling bits will be easily damaged by copper and fiberglass - do NOT use the communal milling bits! Use only dedicated PCB tools.
 The toolchain described on this page is as follows:

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 [[Image:Mill_back.png|Settings for the back milling operation.]]
 Congratulations! You should now have a double-sided PCB. All that remains is to cut it out. I find Vectric Cut2D is best for this, since it allows me to leave tabs on the board.
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 * Set the origin in the bottom left.
 * Width and height to at least the size of our board (48.8mm x 18.4mm in this example)
 Read off the bottom left corner of the board outline in CopperCAM (x = 3mm, y = 3mm in this example).

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 * In "Drilling tools" select "Use for each drills the closest greater tool, without circular boring." Set the first tool in the list to tool number 9, and clear all of the others. Set the drilling depth to 2.0mm.
 [[Image:Tool_selections.png|Tool selection settings.]]
 Now go to Parameters --> Output data format. Check that:

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 To remove the communal bed, unscrew the four screws in the corners. Put the PCB milling bed in its place, and screw this firmly in place. Don't over-tighten the screws!
-Insert the PCB blank into the pocket in the milling bed, and tighten the nuts to hold it in place. You must be pushing the PCB blank into the BOTTOM LEFT corner while doing this.
+Insert the PCB blank into the pocket in the milling bed, and tighten the nuts to hold it in place. You must be pushing the PCB blank into the BOTTOM LEFT corner, and to the LEFT SIDE while doing this.
-FIXME - photo of PCB insertion
 Once the PCB is secured in the bed, switch on the Roland mill and open VPanel. Select 'Machine Coordinate System' from the drop-down menu, move the head to X=97.50, Y=70.00, and click set the XY origin to that point.
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 * Set the XY origin to this point.
 * Move the tool to where the top right of the circuit will be, and check visually that it will fit.
 We will do the drilling operation first, since this seems to result in less burring. Insert the drill into the 1/8 inch chuck (imperial chucks for the Roland have a blue end) and insert the chuck into the mill. Set Z0 using the sensor. In CopperCAM go to Machine --> Mill. You should now be presented with a dialogue:
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 If you're confident that you've done everything correctly, press 'OK' and the Roland should start to drill the holes. Be ready to hit the E-stop button if it heads towards any of the clamps!
-When the spindle has stopped and VPanel has returned control of the machine to you, open the lid and brush/vacuum out the swarf. Change the drill for the engraving bit. Make sure that the chuck is gripping the full shank, not the half-moon section:
+When the spindle has stopped and VPanel has returned control of the machine to you, open the lid and brush/vacuum out the swarf. Change the drill for the engraving bit. Make sure that the chuck is gripping the full shank, not the half-moon section!
-−
-FIXME: tool image
 Re-set Z0 using the sensor. In CopperCAM go to Machine --> Mill:
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 As with the drilling, if you're confident that you've done everything correctly, press 'OK' and the Roland will start milling.
-We now have our holes drilled and our front layer milled, we need to mill the traces on the back. Loosen the clamps, remove the board, flip it left to right, and re-insert it. This time you are trying to push it as far as possible in the BOTTOM RIGHT corner while you tighten the clamps.
+We now have our holes drilled and our front layer milled, we need to mill the traces on the back. Loosen the clamps, remove the board, flip it left to right, and re-insert it. This time you are trying to push it as far as possible in the BOTTOM RIGHT corner and against the RIGHT side while you tighten the clamps.
 In VPanel, select 'Machine Coordinate system' and position the tool at X = 202.50 - DeltaX, Y = 70.00 + DeltaY. Set the XY origin to this point. The 'User Coordinate system' origin is now in the same place relative to the circuit as when the board was the other way up!

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 == Import into CopperCAM ==
-You can get the KiCad files for the example I show here [http://wiki.makespace.org/images/c/cc/WS2812B_breakout.zip|//wiki.makespace.org/images/c/cc/WS2812B_breakout.zip].
+You should have produced some gerber files in the previous section. Alternately, you can get the ones I made from here [http://wiki.makespace.org/images/b/b8/WS2812B_breakout_gerbers.zip] if you just want to verify that the following steps work.
 Open CopperCAM. Go to File --> Open --> New circuit and select the "WS2812B_breakout-Front.gtl" file. You'll be given a dialog about with a certain track is a 'card contour'. Click "no", this is just related to routing out the board. Well use a different program for this. Your window should now look like this:

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 == Export from Kicad ==
-Download the example Kicad project from FIXME, open "WS2812B_breakout.pro" using Kicad, and then open the PCB editor. You should be faced with a routed board, all ready to be exported.
+Download the example Kicad project from here[http://wiki.makespace.org/images/c/cc/WS2812B_breakout.zip], open "WS2812B_breakout.pro" using Kicad, and then open the PCB editor. You should be faced with a routed board, all ready to be exported.
 [[Image:Initial_Kicad.png|The project on first opening in Kicad.]]

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 If you have pushed the PCB firmly into the bottom left of the pocket then (0, 0) of the 'User Coordinate System' is now aligned with the bottom left corner of the PCB.
+You achieve this by doing the following:
-FIXME - change bed, machine on, set origin, then offset the origin, check circuit will fit!
+* Make sure that the 'User Coordinate System' is selected, and the origin of this is set to the bottom left of the PCB (see above).
 FIXME - calculate contours
-FIXME - drill, set Z0, only one operation, UNcheck "Flip X". Watch machine, wait for spindle to stop before opening lid. Remove swarf.
+We will do the drilling operation first, since this seems to result in less burring. Insert the drill into the 1/8 inch chuck (imperial chucks for the Roland have a blue end) and insert the chuck into the mill. Set Z0 using the sensor. In CopperCAM go to Machine --> Mill. You should now be presented with a dialogue:
-FIXME - change to engraving tool, re-set Z0
+[[Image:Mill_back.png|Settings for the back milling operation.]]
 FIXME  - flip board left-right, re-secure it. Set XOrigin using machine coords 202.5 - X1. Re-set Z0.
-FIXME - layer 2, CHECK "Flip X", and set origin to "South-East corner".
+Congratulations! You should now have a double-sided PCB. All that remains is to cut it out. I find Vectric Cut2D is best for this, since it allows me to leave tabs on the board.
 Open Vectric Cut2D. Click on "Create new file."