Quote:
Originally Posted by techhelpbb
I can usually put a trace between 2 through-hole pads on 0.100" centers with a properly installed new contouring tool. With some calibration they both hold 0.001" repeatable accuracy with incidental accuracy of 0.0001". Depending on the PCB material, quality of contour tool and my patience at setup I can make 0.001" traces. These do not have ATC so all tool changes are basically the user's headache. I have the pneumatic SMT paste dispensor attachments for both. I usually do through via with either a short wire, a press copper barrel, or a blob of silver paste from the dispensor (through holes are usually plated and I do not like the chemicals around my house). I can do multi-layer by stacking thin copper clad and soldering through or using paste. These machines make it easy to test things at 3AM.
I recently did an RF board with a network analyzer as an accessory. Basically setup the process with short connectors on one end of the PCB then: cut, test, repeat till the PCB traces had the desired RF characteristics. Mostly because I wanted to see if I could make that work and it did: I made tuned traces, inductors, and even a really tiny value capacitor which was just a test. (Capacitors like this are usually sub-picoFarad and since the PCB is unsealed and composite PCB material absorbs moisture the value changes).
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It sounds like LPKF have improved their machine and processes. We had one where I worked 20 years ago that just sat in the corner because it didn't work well and made a lot of hazardous dust.
Your day job sounds fascinating.