Toner Transfer Methodologies
If you're dealing with an innovative idea that may eventually grow to be a successful product, it will help to understand the toner transfer method that is used for this process. It's a crucial part of the entire PCB fabrication method and involves the use of two toners. The first toner is designed for the purpose of bonding with the copper foil material that will be used to create the PCB. This is done through a special chemical process that involves dip coating the copper material with an acid solution. Once this has been done, a particular type of coating is then applied on top of the copper coating in order to provide a protective layer. This provides an area in which the design elements of the PCB can be located and etched into the copper foil.
The second toner is then used in the creation of the silk-screen design that will be transferred to the copper surface. This method uses a special printer that utilizes a ink jet printer. Instead of using inks that are printed from paper, the pcb manufacturing company uses the inks created by the laser printer. This is a crucial aspect of the custom pcb etching process because it helps to prevent smudges and smearing from occurring on the front side of the finished product.
One of the most crucial aspects of the custom pcb fabrication process is ensuring that the images and colors are properly labeled and positioned correctly on the pcb surface. This is typically done by using what is called a roll label machine. These types of machines that are typically used by graphic printing companies because they are able to print on the web with a variety of different size formats, including letter, legal, glossy and even landscape format.
The method of custom pcb manufacturing usually works when the image or color is applied to a sheet of copper foil. What happens here is that the foil is first coated with an acid wash. This acid wash is used to help with creating a raised film on the surface of the web material and will prevent the image from bleeding or peeling off.
After this process has been completed, the toner droplets are transferred from the copper foil to the toner tray. The toner drops are then pressed into the copper foil. What happens here is that the image or colors will be printed directly onto the toner droplets. Typically, the toner will be allowed to dry for around two hours before it is then wrapped in an acid-free protective coating.
The method pcb fabrication industry is indeed a very popular one. There are many different companies that utilize this method in order to create a variety of different products. From plastic to metal, the ability to utilize this method to create a variety of different items is amazing. The method is so versatile that it is often utilized in conjunction with another similar process such as screen printing.
