Software support for the "scratch and etch"-method?

[danielpub...@gmail.com]

Hi!

Quick question:
Are there some kind of easily accessible option in the GUI software (or is it softwares these days?) to specify how the depth on milling passes?

(Now.. I could have checked the software and there aught to be one I suppose, but it might give someone some food for thought.)

If there was a Scratch n' Etch-option, one could say:
 · First let ones Cyclone do the PCB probing for flatness, if then needed, drilling(?),
 · One applies the marking blue paint; wait for/force it to dry. (A permanent Staedtler lumocolor works as well, the colour red seems to be the best.)
 · Let the Cyclone do one or two quick passes to just "scratch" the former off.
 · And finally Cyclone cuts the desired PCB shape.
 · Then etch it as with your favourite chemical etching process.

Thoughts/ideas?

Thanks for all the hard work you all are putting into this project and keeping it Free!

[Samuel Kranz]

why do you suggest to scratch the board if the cyclone is able to mill the whole board when you go a few steps deeper??

I dont think that scratch n etch is more exact than milling.. 

[danielpub...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, November 14, 2013 11:08:04 AM UTC+1, Samuel Kranz wrote:

why do you suggest to scratch the board if the cyclone is able to mill the whole board when you go a few steps deeper??

I dont think that scratch n etch is more exact than milling.. 

It's not about the repeatable exactness imho, to me it's about noise and not having to deal with the by products such as dust and secondly speeding up the process. Combined with a voronoi path, it should be pretty fast manufacturing.

[Samuel Kranz]

ahh ok.. good point..havent thought of that..

the Cyclone is at least able to do it.. just change the milling depht 

[Kobus du Toit]

So you want actually a laser