MAKEPCB2.txt
LASER PRINT OUT - POSITIVES

This is the stage where the 'master piece' you have designed is printed
out onto CLEAR OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCY (NON AFFECTED by HEAT) FILM from,
for example OFFICE WORKS Type 901 clear film.

In other circuit board places the artwork is PHOTO-PLOT-PRINTED out 
by a family of the LINOTYPE breed as some 4,800 DPI or greater.
(This is needed for PTH in the 5 to 10thou tracking

The image when presented to the next section of processing is BLACK
TRACKS with BLACK Pads (and TEXT) presentation of the Copper Artwork as 
viewed from the COPPER SOLDER SIDE, and then you print it out at the scale 
of 1:1 so as to show how your final Bottom Solder Side should look like.

For the COPPER/SOLDER Side it is drawn in CAD on the computer screen,
as looking 'through' a clear glass circuit board, then 'flipped' 
meaning any text on the screen should appear 'BACKWARDS'

So any text identifying on the board, should be NO smaller than 60 to 80
thou High with a width of 10 to 12 thou wide. (or it may fall off
during the board making process)

* If your Bringing your own Positive * then make sure it is ready to go.

It is at this point, if you have an image of copper tracks obtained
off the web or any other source, be it a PDF, GIF, BMP, CDR  etc, then
it is here YOU introduce YOUR image already printed out on 'Clear 901'
in the scale of 1:1 - ready to go.

DO NOT bring a BMP, GIF, JPG on a floppy disc as a file 
to be printed out, bring it READY to GO, on clear film

RCS being a typical circuit board maker, does not entertain accepting
these silly graphics images for serious circuit board production, 
because of the mucking around in scaling etc, and for it to be CNC mass 
produced, this sort of presentation is both ignorant and silly
and will NOT be accepted in main stream board production, by anyone.

I should explain, it is here where, PROTEL blows away all opposition,
because it can produce an 'EXCELLON' DRILL FILE, this is the file when
presented to an XYZ (motion) CNC Drilling machine (this for mass production).

But on the 'SATURDAY 3 PROTO-DAY' Yes, we can accept the above form of rubbish
image presentation as long as it is printed on clear over head film ready to
go, with no 'modifying' because we will be Drilling OPTICALLY and not by CNC.

This procedure is ok for small runs, but idiotic for mass production.

One small item, I am under the impression (from others) that RCS is the
only circuit board maker with OPTICAL DRILLING capacity left in Australia
so for prototypes, then we have NO opposition, so I suppose, test, prove,
prototype then design in proper CAD package for 'greater production'

OPTICAL DRILLING was the first way circuit boards were ever made, and I
would say we are a tad slow at 'change' after all we are the oldest
circuit board maker in the world (circa 1943, fact), so be modern and
for mass production then CNC is a must, however we have a CNC machine
but not at our present location, as we are a Design/Proto Bureau, so
for customer mass production, they are drilled/finished off elsewhere
as it is a bit hard getting a CNC  8' x 6' (1.5m x 1.2m) through a door.

(CNC Drilling machine were first made to drill holes in roof tiles)

The actual printing out of these images from normal Protel files should
take about 15mins to 20mins, unless you already come with your 'Clear
901 type Films' ready for the next stage of production, but we have to
make Negatives and the above method is the most cost effective method.

Please do not bring your 'mickey mouse' images reversed negatives off
your Inkjet or LASER Printer.... as the standard that you can make is
basically inferior, as compared to a Ortho Type 3 Darkroom Negative.

The quality of the Negative dramatically affects the next stage, the
UV Printing transfer from negative to copper process, so if you are
bringing your master piece, then it must be a Black Positive on Clear.

The Clear Film may also be known as Crystal, (or velumn) same thing.

end of MAKEPCB2.txt