Design each task in a problem-solving effort so that it is most fruitful and provides the most information or guidance
Research electrically conductive filaments to find the best material to use for our traces.
Research filaments with high melting points to find the best material to use as a base for our PCBs.
Research the post-processing steps of metal filaments to get a better understanding of our final process.
Read the documentation of the Voron Tridex (an Independent Dual EXtrusion (IDEX) printer) and the Voron StealthChanger (a mod for the Voron 2.4 printer that adds tool changing) 3D printers since we plan to use them as a base for our machine.
Use various attributes of the final solution state to guide earlier decisions made along the solution path
The final solution state is a desktop PCB manufacturing device designed for consumer use. Our design will be inspired by the Voron 3D printers, which are open-source and highly customizable. This will allow us to build a compact and user-friendly setup with a build volume of 250 mm x 250 mm x 50 mm, making it suitable for home manufacturing. Users will design PCBs on their personal computers using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and send them to the PCB printer, similar to how 3D printing works. The printer will utilize high-quality conductive and insulating materials to ensure clean, reliable PCB fabrication.Â
Define design goals and design specifications
The printer shall be compact for easy home usage and design.
The printer shall be intuitive to use for all users, regardless of skill level.
The printer shall be useful for rapid prototyping, being more cost-effective and time-efficient than other methods.
The printer shall create fully functional PCBs.
Eliminate paths that do not satisfy the desired design goals and/or specifications
The original design vision would have utilized a CNC-like approach and copper plates, etching the traces into the plate and then utilizing a UV coating to complete the PCBs. We realized that this would require the user to have a lot of extra materials, increasing cost, as well as making multi-layer PCBs nearly impossible to create on this machine.
We initially planned to use acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for its temperature resistance, making it suitable for soldering components to copper through-holes. However, we realized that the higher heat required for surface-mounted device (SMD) components necessitates a base material with greater temperature resistance.