3D Printer Etches Copper Circuit Board

[Brian_Krassenstein]

Usually when you think of creating circuits with a 3D printer, you imagine an expensive machine which prints out an electrically conductive ink. What one Instructables user has done however, is use the 3D printer in an entirely different way. Using a MakerBot Replicator 2 he was able to print filament onto a copper clad board in the shape of a circuit. He then submerged the board with the filament on it into a ferric acid solution. This corroded the copper from the areas which were not covered in filament, leaving the printed circuit copper. More details on this project can be found here: http://3dprint.com/11367/3d-print-copper-circuit-board/

Below is a picture of the end product:

[Feign]

That is some beautifully clean results. A while back, someone tried this with the Peachy Printer with... Less impressive results. I think what people are hoping for is a machine that can print a multi-layered circuit, which is quite a bit different from this.

[old man emu]

There's always another way to skin a cat!

OME