multilayer PCB manufacturing machines?

[Rene Tschaggelar]

What exactly are the names of those machines used for making
multilayer PCBs? I am referring to those professional machines
big companies such as IBM, HPs, Lucents etc use to manufacture
PCBs for their goods. How much do these things costs new? used?

Lastly, do they make scaled down version for the average hobbyist
to buy (I know u are all gonna fall on the floor and laugh).

[ snip ]

I can't imagine even getting started on building professional state of the
art boards such as the ones mentioned without millions in equipment costs.
A good argument for outsourcing huh!....Ross

It is not only just the cost, it also is the knowledge.
Meaning all the bucks are useless without the people trained and
familiar with the equipment.

Rene

 

[Ross Mac]

What exactly are the names of those machines used for making
multilayer PCBs? I am referring to those professional machines
big companies such as IBM, HPs, Lucents etc use to manufacture
PCBs for their goods. How much do these things costs new? used?

Lastly, do they make scaled down version for the average hobbyist
to buy (I know u are all gonna fall on the floor and laugh).

[ snip ]

I can't imagine even getting started on building professional state of the
art boards such as the ones mentioned without millions in equipment costs.
A good argument for outsourcing huh!....Ross

It is not only just the cost, it also is the knowledge.
Meaning all the bucks are useless without the people trained and
familiar with the equipment.

Rene

So true! A business is only as good as the people. I was fortunate to have
worked for a company, before I retired in May, that had an average tenure of
10 years or so with many folks in the 25 to 30 year tenure. What a
difference it makes! If you look at some of the PCB shops that went
bankrupt, such as Via Systems or DDI, you will notice that many of the key
people left when the stock hit the ceiling.
You have a Happy New Year Rene, Ross

 

[Gary Cho]

Hello Kenjis

I run a PCB prototype business. So we use small scale machines like
the ones you mentioned. They DO exist but designed for PCB business
because it is not cheap either. The leader in small scale professional
machines are Bungard in Germany www.bungard.de). They make excellent
quality small production machines.

What exactly are the names of those machines used for making
multilayer PCBs?

There is a whole line of machines involved. Process goes like this

Step 1 : Pinning hole drilling (pinning CNC Drill)
Step 2 : Stack pinning (pneumatic pinner)
Step 3 : Drilling (CNC Drill - capable of minimum 80k rpm)
Step 4a : Deburring (Deburring Machine).
Step 4b : Layers stacking (Pinning machine).
Step 4c : Stack Presssing (Multilayer Press)
Step 5a : Desmearing (Chemical Bath)
Step 5b : Micro-etch (Chemical Bath)
Step 5c : Hole-wall Catalyzing (Chemical Bath)
Step 5d : Salt Remover (Chemical Bath)
Step 5e : Electroless Copper (Chemical Bath)
Step 6 : Surface Scrubbing Brushing (Scrubbing or Brushing Machine)
Step 7 : Photoresist Application (Laminator)
Step 8 : Photoresist Imaging for pattern plating (UV Exposure Machine)
Step 9 : Solder Plate (Chemical Bath)
Step 10 : Etching (Etching Machine)
Step 11 : Solder Stripping
Step 12 : More Scrubbing (Brushing machine).
Step 15 : Soldermask Application (LPI applicator or Dry Film
Laminator)
Step 16 : Soldermask Imaging (UV Exposure Machine)
Step 17 : Soldermask Hardening (UV Curing Machine)
Step 18 : Silkscreen Stencil Preparation
Step 19 : Silkscreening.
Step 20 : Silkscreen Curing (Hot Air Oven or UV Curer depending on ink
type).

Note: This is simplified version of the process we run. The actual
list goes for more than 30 steps.

I am referring to those professional machines
big companies such as IBM, HPs, Lucents etc use to manufacture
PCBs for their goods.

IBM, HP and Lucent do not necessary manufacture their own PCB. In
modern days PCB production is sent to dedicated PCB contract
manufacturers. They can produce more efficiently than OEM run fab. In
very high volume, PCB are made at
5-6 cents/sq inch for double layer and 7-9 cents/sq inch for 4 layer
boards. By high volume, I mean like contracts of no smaller than USD
50,000.00

How much do these things costs new? used?

New machines from Bungard (our main machine supplier) ranges from
5,000 Euro to 20,000 Euro each. By the time you assemble set of
machines capable of multilayer, we are looking at 50,000 Euro to start
with - this is laughable startup cost by industry standard - this is
how much it took us to get going in the business.

Lastly, do they make scaled down version for the average hobbyist
to buy (I know u are all gonna fall on the floor and laugh).

Small professional quality machines do exist. We use them on our
production with results comparable to those of large industrial
machine (minus the speed). But for the average hobbyist the effort
involved would be totally beyond practicality.

By the way, we have a desktop CNC drill (Xenon) for sale $500 if you
are interested. Minor fixing and it should work well for hobbyist. We
bought it as a pinning drill but barely used it because it is too
small.

Gary Cho
Custom PCB
www.custompcb.com