[Systems Engineering Teachers' Mailing List] PCB Router

[Powter, Aaron D]

Dear Alex,

I have done much PCB milling over my time.  However, this has been with Roland CNC machines and using software such as Circuit Wizard and PCB Design & Make.

There are many cheap CNC routers out there on the market.  However be very careful, as many of these do not comply with Australian Standards or meet OH&S laws.  For example, I purchased a small YOOCNC 3040 milling machine for home use.  The little mill works fine and I've kicked many goals with it.  However, I would not place it in a school environment.  The machine has no interlock switches or limit switches.  If you placed this in a school environment someone could easily get hurt.  The Roland machines may be expensive, but they are fully compliant, safe and easy to use.

Alex, I'm not sure of your level of CNC skill.  However, if you would like to see some more in action please check out my YouTube site.  I have some big machines here at NCAT and my home CNC is also on display.  

http://www.youtube.com/user/DCTTeacher1?feature=mhee


Kind regards,

Mr. Aaron Powter
Adv.Dip.E / B.Tech-Ed
Engineering Faculty Leader

62 Murray Rd Preston. 3072.
t: 9478 1333  f: 9471 0920   
Web www.ncat.vic.edu.au
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NCATtechnology



 
> Dear colleagues
> 
> I teach SE at Penola Catholic College and I have around $2-3K to spend on PCB computerised router and I am asking for your advice.
> 
> What sort of router and from whom/where can I buy for such modest budget?
> Ebay is full of different offers for type of routers but which one and what are cons?
> 
> Please advise by return email.
> 
> Regards, Alex Roujnikov.
> 
> P.S. Roland's product is robust, versatile but too expensive.
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:08:40 +1000
From: "Neville YOUNG" <NYO at gwsc.vic.edu.au>
Subject: Re: [Systems Engineering Teachers' Mailing List] PCB router
To: "Systems and Engineering Teachers' Mailing List"
	<syseng at edulists.com.au>, 	"Systems and Engineering Teachers' Mailing
	List" <syseng at edulists.com.au>
Message-ID:
	<8C4377DCBFF50449802769D925A4C7DB047FEA05 at gwsc-mail.gwsc.vic.edu.au>
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Hi Everyone,
My school also has a T-Tech circuit board milling machine and it does work really well. However, it is really suited to one off PCB designs. I used it for a while doing class sets of my students PCB's that they designed for their projects. Every PCB was different. It meant that I was doing a lot of the prep work collecting files and putting them into another larger file for the machine to use and it then took quite a while to complete the routing of a 18 x12 inch board. When you compare the time preparing and organising the students files and then making the PCB, using an etching tank is much faster and less demanding of the teachers time.
 
 I would suggest that you look at one of the machines from Carba-Tec that they carry. They have 2 versions of the CNC Shark. They are both above your budget at just under $5 and $6K. They both come with VCarve pro (the same software that comes with the Roland CNC). When I enquired some time ago about the PCB software that came with the Roland, it only drilled the component holes and didn't rout the tracks, but this may have changed. 
 
We also have the large Roland machine and it has been of much greater use than the T-Tech machine. If it was me I would see about trying to increase the budget and buy the bigger of the Carba-Tec machines and concentrate on cutting out parts for student projects, it's amazing what ideas the students can put the CNC machine to use on .
 
Neville Young


Message: 3
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:25:48 +0000
From: "Powell, Warren S" <powell.warren.s at edumail.vic.gov.au>
Subject: Re: [Systems Engineering Teachers' Mailing List] PCB router
To: "Systems and Engineering Teachers' Mailing List"
	<syseng at edulists.com.au>
Message-ID:
	<1E2FD353B634644B9515E745DFA2E1A41F1A82A5 at EDUMBX10.education.vic.gov.au>
	
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I have only used a Roland 350 to engrave my circuit boards. I haven't used any other machine to compare.
You might pay a bit more, I think around $8k but It does everything. I have engraved and cut out plastic key tags and signs with Y7-12 and engraved, drilled and cut out PCB's. You can use Yenka or Circuit wizard 2 with other software like PCB design and make or Copper Cam with ease.

Regards,
Warren Powell
Copperfield College
Delahey Campus
Ph 9307 5555 Fax 9307 5444



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