You can now PRINT PCBs! Creating a homemade PCB with the Voltera V-One PCB Printer!
Voltera V-One PCB Printer on Elektor.com: bit.ly/Voltera-more-information
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Previous video: csworld.info/mem/video/ppmIeZ6Iu5yjqJ0.html
From Idea to Schematic to PCB - How to do it easily!: csworld.info/mem/video/ZpiOrX2Dt6CWfKU.html
Homemade PCB Etching (through hole parts) - Part 1: csworld.info/mem/video/jK2ckG2Fw2iijKk.html
Homemade PCB Etching (through hole parts) - Part 2: csworld.info/mem/video/adh-ppWlj4iannM.html
How NOT to Mill a PCB (except for SMD): csworld.info/mem/video/ksSgaH2Bt4Fye5k.html
DIY Trailing Edge Dimmer: csworld.info/mem/video/dcuGj4Otk2R_lpk.html
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In this video I will be testing out the Voltera V-One PCB printer and create a homemade PCB version of one of my older PCB projects in order to find out whether such a PCB printer is a good replacement for proper PCB manufacturers. Along the way we will discover all the advantages and disadvantages such a printer comes with. Let's get started!
Thanks to Elektor for sponsoring this video!
Visit www.elektormagazine.com/ to read their magazines and buy electronic components.
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
Killing Time, Kevin MacLeod
(incompetech.com)
0:00 Introduction (Why PCBs are important!)
1:17 Introducing the PCB printer
1:55 Intro
2:42 Unpacking the PCB printer
3:19 Installing the software
3:52 Deciding on an example PCB project
4:21 Drill process
5:48 Printing the top layer
7:35 Printing the bottom layer
8:04 Adding the rivets
8:25 Soldering the components
8:51 Homemade PCB of one of my older projects
10:51 Verdict of the PCB printer
I think the high price tag is a significant deterrent for a great number of tinkerers. The company could think about metal dust and laser sintering rather than fluid printing, in order to lower the price, other than allowing even finer traces and up to a certain extent, even laser soldering.
Just use OSHpark if you are in the US, its much faster
you need to use FLUX.. when applying solder
Great idea but looks like an expensive inconvenience.
Very cool concept!
Nice toy....too expensive for me, when I can get 5 prototype boards for about $20.00 which includes shipping from JLCPCB. Sure, I have to wait a little over a week, but I'm never in that much of a rush.
As a PCB designer, I’d make the investment if I could do larger, high density, even inner layer boards. But it can’t do any of that. This is only suitable for HOBBYISTS and the $4100 price tag is out of range for a hobbyist. Wanna build a one-off circuit? USE A BREADBOARD INSTEAD
And your soldering skill still ugly. :D
(sees price tag) Nevermind, breadboard it is
Where do i get the rtx 3090 blueprint
Or you could get a pocket nc and just order the pcbs.
Dang, they didn't even let you keep it?
cool idea though $3000 !! you can buy a cnc router that does pcb's for about 200
Is this a synthetic voiceover video? it is most annoying to hear a pitch change at the end of a statement. I am hearing more and more video's do this. And if it is, why the foriegn accent? And its still easier to wait a week and go do something else in the mean time. Maybe design a few breakout boards for those hard to solder parts before you start designing.
To me it looks like it doesn't offer any advantage compared to home etching. I can etch pretty complicated PCBs at home, with two layers and then install riveted vias. This ink seems that it will not stick to the PCB that much, the soldering doesn't seem to flow to the ink well enough and there is no soldermask. So basically the same quality than homemade etching but for 4000€... I guess the technology is not ready yet, but surely will be in the future.
"You can now print PCBs at home! It just takes a $4200 printer!"
you should practice soldering !!!
Im involved with tube amps, its my hobby. Kinda doubt this PCB can withstand heat that a tube amp produces and around 450 volts in some cases at the same time :)
Well explained, cool information,thanks :)
It's a very clever piece of equipment. I do think that it needs a bit of retraction adjustment on the nozzle though, judging by the blobs of solder paste at the ends of the tracks!
"But for me, who creates silly youtube videos, I will need professional equipment"
For the $4199.98 I can buy a half of fabrics in China, platinum membership or tons of PCB with free shipping. Interesting idea, not price. Cheers.
it seems milling or etching a board would probably be better for some things.
So Much Solder!
"Home made" pcb with a 4000€ pcb printer 😐
i would love to have one of these.
la la la this looks fun la la HOLY FUCK THE PRICE IS WHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT??????? fuck no I"ii order pcbs in solid GOLD and have them FEDEX'd next day and save 95% of that !!
Someone poured a lot of cash in this bad idea.
For fast prototyping I still prefer etching. The price is insane and the refill cartridges, etc etc etc ... man, nope.
It's never going to be future if it's this costly
You can now print printed circuit boards?
I think an UV printer would be cheaper and more cost effective.
Great Job! Thanks for sharing.
Somebody get this man some flux, no one should have balls of solder that big. It’s legal now, no one likes a cold joint.
Exchange develop etching solution time with rivet punching time.
Thanks bro, really like your vids
Mate, don't ever accept products like this on a "loan". The company can pay you for your advertisement.
Not for that Price of the Printer.. Even if it is just a Prototype... Even a PermaProto Board with Solder Traces looks better and is cheaper that this.. Maybe if they would sell it for 200€.
sorry my english please tell me it is very difficult (beginner)
Somehow the finished board shown here falls woefully short of the quality and utility of a manufactured board.
Why do you talk so weird
Seems nifty and all but they got you by the balls for the ink and accessories.
Of course you can print PCBs; we've been able to do that ever since the PCB was invented; that's what the P from "PCB" stands for!
I saw the voltera when it came out, thought it was really cool back then... there seems to have been NO improvements, i mean there is a probe and you can probe for your blank, but it cant find it after you flip it over?? and the dispensing seems kinda crap, it should be really at least as good as a 3dprinter, but better details than that would actually be needed in order to provide a better value than etching or milling.. very dissapointed actually :(
I guess rapid prototyping in a comercial setting is the only realistic use-case for this device
4000€ to need to cut traces (or separate) wtf??
What a waste of money Scott lol. Reminds me of a child playing around making corny PCB stuffs. You're better off going through china to make PCBs. No one on their right minds would purchase such product, not even professionals since it can not make BGA or FPGA traces. The toner transfer method is still better than this product, sadly...
For new technology, this is fantastic! FF a few years and it will be 10% the price and 100% better, fantastic for prototyping!
Omg that’s frikin amazing. I see you maybe not get in much sleep for the next while lmfao.
So expensive and useless, the printing is not perfect and the printer not to do anti solder mask. Crappy printer for usd 4000? this is a joke! I prefer the cheap thermal transfer toner using the iron with solder mask ink cured by UV with a photolith. the wegstr printer is more better than this by almost the same price of this printer. these two printers are better for universities and companies, they are useless for us, the price not justifies the utility. Great Scott you don't do a siily youtube videos. You have good abilities on electronics. don't subestimate yourself.
Awesome that such a thing exists!! But way too expensive for the occasional hobbyist. I'll wait a week.
Hi Scott, I love seeing what you do. I was an electronic hobbyist when I was a kid but once I entered Med school, it kinda died out. After a 100 years, electronic circuitry is still pretty much two dimensional. I hope someday someone will pioneer 3D matrix electronics incorporating 3D printing technology. For a start, it would be nice if circuit boards were cylindrical with a fan mounted at one end. Wanna give it a shot?
The process is finicky. This would be fine if we were modifying an Ender 3 to accept multiple tools or something like that. Not fine for a multi thousand dollar machine - which could be justified if it was a hands-off process. End result doesn't look too different from using a conductive filament. Heck, the old "printer tonner + acid" transfer method gives nicer results.
Muito ruim.
It's no way for BGA chips, especially vias needed!
It will catch my interest again when i am able to print with finepitch solderpaste directly (Needs special substrate for that i guess).
Great Scott: "Ähm, nein nein nein nein!!!! geh weg PCB Drucker!!, weil du zu teuer bist!!,,
I need to make a small audio RCA IO board for a tape deck, all I have a wiring diagram of it, how do I convert that to a goebel file so so I can get one made?
I think its faster to wire it on breadboard.
My dog just farted and it's BRUTAL
Classy review! This thing is cool, but it's not for everybody.
This printer would be usefull for some school to teach about eletronical components
Good video, kind of janky product. Better waiting a week for a proper PCB.
If you want a really crap PCB then this is indeed the way to do it.
but always good to watch your content :)
consumables seem ten times or more overpriced on their site... just crazy
Homemade PCB printer: Exists JLPCB: Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!
Using the positive pre-sensitized laminate to make the boards is MUCH more practical! You can easily do 15 mil traces and trace spacing. Not practical with the ink or the milling method. The laminate is about $30 a square foot so it is sort of expensive but looking at the cost per board it usually is only a few dollars for most prototype projects.
$4,100 For that wtf are they selling pure gold internals? You can buy an actual professional PCB manufacturing unit for almost that price no joke I have looked into buying one for $5000 and it automatically etches PCB's. You can just use a drill and rivets for vias. Price is just outrageous not to mention etching your own PCBs is very cheap and easy to learn. You can spend $40 in supplies learning to etch your own PCB and the cost goes way down when you know what you're doing. Edit Not to mention they make laser cutters for way cheaper that can cut traces and get an ultra-fine resolution for way cheaper. I just can't justify this price point the whole thing seems way overpriced knowing that there are kits out there that can do what this thing does at a fraction of the cost and better.
Not my cup of tea, I agree with your final comments 100%. I would like a simpler one which only drills the holes though. Before ordering the final version to our favorite PCB manufacturer, I do etch my own prototypes, and the worst part of it is the drilling of those holes by hand.
This device is perfect for it's intended purpose - making prototypes on the fly. Though even with that, they can only be non-sensitive designs, and designs with not high density. The conductive ink's different electrical properties vs copper could really skew some RF or measuring designs. I do not know how much life expectancy such ink would have, such as how the boards would hold up to time, etc. This is brilliant for quick same day testing of layouts and etc, before commiting them to a FAB shop... But that 4k euro price tag... plus expensive consumables that certainly have a shelf life... It costs too much. This sadly lands it as being one of those things universities get wowed by, purchase, use for a bit, and then forget it in a corner. If they can get the price down to say 800 euros, then it is more reasonable. Until then, for quick boards I just stick to laser printer transfer and etching.
Hey Scott I'm curious why you don't use flux to help with the ease and flow of soldering components?
printing pcb would be better and faster and cheaper and causing less pollution. cos most of copper is removed from pcb
By being sponsored by the company of which product you are reviewing you are affiliating yourself with the company and discrediting your video in my opinion
thank you
Great demo and technology video.
you well deserve your name! all and every of your videos are Great. Thank you!
To mutch expensif for what it does...Long proccess and quality is So...SO....
I'm wondered how there are no local quick manufacturers available for most parts of the world and people must send their designs to china and wait week(s) to get them. Here I can get my PCBs maskless in less than 10 hours or 3-4 days with solder masks and overlays. I'm wondered how developed countries are ignoring these fundamental industries, forwarding them to China. What would you do if China sanctions you or if they increase their prices like the increase in the cost of silicon wafers recently?
Wow, your accent is really phucked up.
Jlc pcb is sad after this video was published!!!
Well currently some of us have FDM 3d printers at home. This device not looks different from FDM 3d printer. It should not be to hard to modify our 3d printers, for them to instead of extruding hot molten plastic, for it extrude this paste from syringe. Maybe something like interchangeable Head one for 3d printing, one for light CNC drilling, and for extruding syringes.
For finished product? Not really. For rapid prototyping? It's absolutely perfect.
price kind of puts it outside of scope for prototyping even basic PCBs when online PCB ordering services are way cheaper and give you multiple PCBs to test with. imo
I was using WEGSTR at work, it had its issues, even quite a lot. This device is not a breaking tech, it might be better than WEGSTR but in some particular cases, do you know anything better for professional quick pcbs design?
Trying to learn how to setup and use that printer, then do some trial & error would've took me more than a week to figure everything out. So, I'd rather wait for a week to have my PCB made instead! 😂🤣
That's crap...
JLCPCB can get you a professional PCB all over the world for a low price in one week. One week is an acceptable wait, I work on the PCB design during the weekend, I send for production on Saturday or Sunday, the PCB normally arrives to work on them by the next weekend.
"You can now PRINT PCBs!" PCB: Printed Circuit Board
The masks used to etch the board are, in fact, printed.
"You can now PRINT Printed Circuit Boards!"
At 1:18 - that's you? Strange, you don't _sound_ like you have a beard ...
You should make a video on the raspberry pi Pico as an Arduino alternative. It would be intresting.
My question is if I could just make a pcb ink head for my 3d printer
This video is not sponsored by JLCPCB lol
Hopefully this technology develops to a better one. This looks like the first 3D printer back in the day.
This feels like a complete sell-out, hope you at least got one to keep or a decent amount for it..
good idea but quite gimmicky :))
Too expensive for a poor result
My uni bought one of these. They are very usefull for fast (in comparison instant) prototyping. However you do have to treat ground planes differently. The software is amazing and student proof. Not sure if they fixed it in the mean time, but you can't skip the heating fase on double sided prints. We have an external oven that can heat way faster would save about an hour. If you do get one, get extra spare nozzles.
This video sponsor is: Elektor! btw, dont buy their PCB printers🤣 good review👍🏻
Far better results with pre-sensitized etching.