🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <567@dtg.nsc.com>, green@dtg.nsc.com (green) writes:
> I noticed an advertisement in one of the local electronic equipment magazines
> describing an "easy" way to create PC Boards using an "TEC 200 FILM"
> process.  According to the instructions, you run this stuff through a 
> photocopier, take the result and iron it on copper board. This results
> in a photomask ready for the copper etch.  Sounds great to me! 
> 
> Has anyone had any experience with this process? good, bad?
> 
> Is this process capable of achieving 10 mil line resolution?
> 
> Who makes this stuff, and possibly a manufacturing address to pursue assuming 
> that it may do the job.
> 
> 
> The advertisement reference is in January 1991 Nuts & Volts page 28.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Dave Green

The film can be ordered from 

            DC Electronics
            2515 N. Scottsdale Rd.
            Scottsdale, AZ  85251
            602-945-7736

If I remember right, I think you have to order 10 sheets minimum
which runs about $15 or so.

Personally, I tried it and wasn't pleased, but I heard other people
say it works great.  Maybe I did something wrong, but I tried to
follow the instructions.  None of the copiers I tried would lay an even
pattern on the film (we have good quality Xerox and Ricoh copiers
here - maybe cheaper ones would give better results?).  Obviously
the etch pattern won't be any better than the dry ink laid down on
the TEC-200 paper.  I also tried printing directly to it with an
Apple LaserWriter, but this wasn't any better.

Also, the pattern is very fragile (easily smudged).  Also, it doesn't
seem to be as easy to iron on as they would have you believe (even
though I didn't get a good pattern, I wanted to see how it transferrred).
It wasn't working with the iron on top of a towel, so I thought I'd
briefly apply more direct heat.  Well, I ruined my wife's favorite
iron almost instantly.  The melting point of TEC-200 seems to be very
near the optimal transfer temperature.

Too much hassle for me.

Our copiers DO make excellent standard overhead transparencies, so
the solution I use is to copy the pattern onto a standard transparency,
and use pre-sensitized photo etch boards (about $7 for a 6" x 6" epoxy
board at Tri-Tek, another local electronics store).  I press the
tranparency against the PC board, then sandwich this between a piece
of glass and a piece of wood.  Tape the glass with masking tape to
keep it all from sliding.  About 7-8 minutes in the Arizona sun does it.

Also, for those with Macs, MacDraw II is great for designing boards.
I work at 400% and print on a LaserWriter with reduction set to 25%
(this makes it easier to work on the fine detail and positioning).
I do the component pads in one layer, the traces in another layer, a
3rd layer for text (pin #s or labels, component ID's, etc.), and a
4th layer shows components and jumpers (to work from, not printed
when printed as part of the etch pattern).  One other nice thing is
that MacDraw allows you to flip and/or invert the image.  I've created
a library of standard pads for IC's and other components, so I just
lay 'em down & move 'em around.  You can lay the pads, print a copy,
and set the components in their spot to optimize your density before
drawing the traces.

Hope this helps.  Good luck.
-- 
Mike Pflueger @ AG Communication Systems (formerly GTE Comm. Sys.), Phoenix, AZ
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