I’m considering building an MPCNC to start dabbling in making PBC’s, could I ask a few questions of you guys/gals? I like the making-aspect of things, plus like the idea that (1) if it breaks, I can fix it, (2) if I need another, I know what to do. But I’m sat on the fence between this and a desktop aliexpress 3018 as my first dabble… So onto my pop quiz!..
Would MPCNC be decent at PCB milling?
Would it be a bad first CNC for this usage, with a cheap aliexpress 3018 better for desktop usage? I mean, I gotta learn somewhere, but will I just be making my life hard starting here? Overkill for small projects?
If I build my first very small, with say an A5 milling space, could I scale up with the same parts later if the bug hits (excepting the tubing of course)?
Do these designs work well with metric parts? I watched a <certain video I won’t name> proclaiming things didn’t work well with metric.
I also work what feels like way too much. This gives me limited hobby time, so it’s important to me to know I won’t be restricted in future, or waste what could be many hours if I have to move away from MPCNC. I don’t intend to sell things, but the dream of breaking free from the shackles of work is alluring!
If I make things with an MPCNC (excluding MPCNC parts), I can sell them, right?
If somehow I end up running a business making stuff, I can keep using MPCNC(s) without restrictions?
If I make something (excluding MPCNC parts), there’s no royalties, licencing or ownership implied by it being made by an MPCNC?
Will the existing designs stay free from being restricted? Or could they start having charges applied (I’m thinking 2 years down the line, I break it after finally getting it assembled and need to build another one, and find the price has rocketed… Or would the versions out in the open now always be available [the BOM + STLs + assembly guide]?).
Thanks in advance guys! Looks like an awesome community you’ve got here!
Yes. No problems at all there. You will need an absolutly levelled platform, but unlike the 3018, you can do that with the machine itself easily enough.
A Primo is a little overkill for 6" PCBs, but is also good for things like heat sinks and cases for the finished project, which a 3018 would have dubious usage capabilities.
Yes. I’m actually planning to scale mine down from where it is now, to be closer in usage to what you’re looking at. Do keep in mind that the footprint of the machine is about 30cm larger in both X and Y than your work area. I’d advise to plan accordingly.
I do all of my work in metric. The firmware default is to expect metric, and the “F” side parts expect metric 25mm tubing. (Mine is 25.4mm 1" tube though.)
Yes, the license model does not restrict you to non commercial use. You aren’t allowed to make and sell parts (Though used parts or machines is acceptable)
Several people do use an MPCNC for business purposes.
All clear.
Who knows about future versions, but it would be really hard to “put the toothpaste back in the tube” so to speak. All of the parts exist in the wild on the Internet now. If you’re worried about it (Stuff does get supplanted, and the old versions can get buried as new ones become available) keep an archive of all of the parts and BOM yourself. I have all of the .STL files and the documentation for my builds backed up, in case I need something. Not because I am worried about it disappearing, but more for convenience.
The MPCNC can absolutely do PCBs! I’ve done a few, very simple, single sided. I imagine with some ingenuity applied to fixture/registration, one could do double sided as well. I would bet there are some advanced DIY techniques that the MPCNC could help with that I haven’t even conceived of (I am no expert in PCB manufacturing). Maybe masks and stencils for etchants, solder paste?
one thing to note with any machine an milling PCB’s
Probe leveling is an absolute must, so use a controller that supports it (or nick a limit switch input for it)
the reason is that if your bed is not completely level (like to within 0.01mm) and your doing your isolation routing using V bits, the small changes in Z result in much thinner tracks then you wanted, or no isolation cut.
I learned this the hard way doing PCB’s on my MPCNC (and it has a probe setup now)
Usually you’d put another spoil board on top of your spoil, then mill a pocket with a friction fit for the pcb. This makes sure the pocket is coplainer with the gantry.
For doing double sided PCB’s you can use flatcam to do the hard work of putting peg holes in the PCB
that way you drill 4 or 5 mm into the spoil board, stick dowels or thin bits of bar stock into the holes, so act as studs (nice and tight) lift the PCB off, flip it, and put it back down onto the studs, and its exactly where you had it before, and you can now mill the other-side.
Good luck. I’ve tried once or twice to mill PCBs and never had the best of luck. I need to try again as I keep having small projects that it’d be really nice to quickly cut a one-off board.
I’m also working on trying to use my laser to burn paint off of a copper board and then etching it normally. I haven’t had a lot of success with that either, but I only spent a few hours on it.