Copper plating boards

This tutorial will show you how to plate the holes in your board. Budget around 3.5 hours for the entire process.

Starting up the machine

Step 1:

Turn on the machine using the button on the side. Wait for the software to boot up.

Step 2:

There may be a series of warnings regarding the status of the chemicals used for this machine.

A staff member should be there to address any warnings.

Step 3:

Mix tank 3 using a rod if not used for 24 hours.

Step 4:

Select profiles by pressing the menu icon in the top left of the screen.

Step 5:

Select copper plating profile

Step 6:

Use the arrow to move between steps.

Step 7:

Attach the board to the handle by sliding it in the slots and tightening the screws.

Step 8:

Rinse the board under tap water

Tank 1

Step 1:

Wait for the temperature of tank 1 to reach at least 50 degrees C.

Step 2:

When tank 1 is at least 50C, take off the lid and place it in the back.

Step 3:

Put the copper plate in the tank using the handle. Line up the holes and press firmly, the holder should slide down. Screw the fasteners to make them secure. Press play.

Step 4:

After 15 minutes, tank 1 should be done. Taking out the board will be difficult as it is tightly secured on the sides. Take your time. Rinse the board under tap water.

Tank 2

Step 1:

Close tank 1 and open tank 2. Place the copper plate in tank 2.

Step 2:

This bath will only run for 5 minutes.

After untwist the bolts like in the previous step and take out the copper plate.

Step 3:

Rinse the board under tap water for 30 seconds.

Step 4:

After rinsing with tap water, take the deionized distilled water water and spray the board.

Step 5:

Use the heat gun or pressured air to remove any leftover fluids on the board. It should be dry for tank 3.

Tank 3

Step 1:

Using gloves, put the board in tank 3 and press play. This will take 15 minutes. The gloves are protection against the ink in tank 3.

Step 2:

After tank 3 is done, squeegee the ink back into tank 3 as best as you can.

Step 3:

Dry the board using the heat gun at low temp (under 3).

Hit the board on a hard surface to ensure no air bubbles are trapped inside the holes.

The quality of the plating depends on how dry the ink inside the holes are.

Step 4:

Then gently wipe off the as much ink on the surface of the board as possible with a damp paper towel. Do not press into the holes because we want the ink to remain inside the holes.

Tank 5

Step 1:

On the screen, skip tank 4.

Step 2:

Place the board into tank 5 and press play.

This will take 2 hours in total. Halfway through, at the 1 hour mark, the machine will tell you to flip the board. Flip it around 180 degrees and press play again.

Step 3:

When done with tank 5, spray with deionized distilled water and let drip over tank 5.

Step 4:

Spray the citrus cleaner on the board over the sink.

Step 5:

Finally dry the PCB as quickly as possible with the heat gun. Make sure it is not too hot.

Page updated

Report abuse