Eagle and Laser cutter

Question

Has anyone here used a laser cutter in conjunction with eagle to make pcbs?

im using pcb-gcode to create the code to use with a milling machine (modding it to turn the laser on and off once it generates the code), then running it through EMC2 that controls our 40w cutter. I spray paint the side of the copper board I intend to use and vaporize the traces with the laser...

im just curious if anyone else has a similar workflow, the only real problem I'm having is spotting/marking the holes so enough copper gets etched away so my hand drilling is a bit more accurate (yes I could completely use a drill press but I don't have one )

MAybe a modified method that results in bigger holes being marked?

thanks for reading!

e14 Contributor · Accepted Answer

Previously I was using toner transfers to do PCBs. The images posted here are from my first attempt at lasered PCB's (which still need to be etched afterwards anyway )

The original place for the pcb-gcode plugin is pcbgcode.org, which is meant for milling the board using a mechanical cutter.

My modified version can be found https://www.dropbox.com/s/jsx7z02rd623boq/pcb-gcode3.6.2.4-laser.zip and should have a bunch of warnings attached to it but doesn't

(My cutter is setup to where that spindle on/off turns the laser on/off; the modified code turns the laser on when the Z is negative and off when the Z is positive)

I would dry run any output from this first...

Here's a board from the newer code, its not perfect but my hand drilled holes are a little better since I had better markers...

Perhaps later I can try putting the board back after etching and have the laser cut the holes since theres no copper protecting them now

dougw · Answer

Looks good. It also looks like you have enough laser accuracy to make the pads a bit bigger and easier to drill. A smaller drill bit might help as well. I would try to go through the copper with a center punch to provide a drill guide, but might also try a secondary punch to break the copper circles so the drill doesn't tear up the copper. You could make the second punch with a broken drill bit shaft (with the correct hole diameter) - grind it flat or concave if you can and use it as a punch just to break through the copper layer, or at least define where the copper will get cut. Another trick is to stick a piece of clear tape on the copper side (or both sides) before drilling - this reinforces the copper you don't want removed and minimizes burrs. I guess it is too much to ask the laser to burn all the way through the copper so you could skip the etching step?