Is this the F1 Ultra? I'm really interested in this type of machine! For making PCBs in a Makerspace, it seems much simpler than milling or chemical processes.
The thing is you are always going to need to drill (unless your laser is *really* powerful) which is why I always ended up with a CNC workflow.
With the right CNC its actually very straight forward, the thing that sucks most is the software which only Bantam sorta solved with Makera catching up slow
this is exactly how i felt about milling, bantam did the best so far but they stopped making the small mill and IIRC gerber processing is gated behind a subscription. glad to hear makera is working towards it!
I had good luck with CopperCAM but its def. a bit clunky to setup. Makera has their CAM software in beta now which supports Gerber processing but had no chance to try it yet.
The machine itself is infinitely less work than the Othermill to setup, even with worse CAM its faster turn around.
it is! i’m in the same boat, i want an acid free, fast, consistent process. i’m going to be running a bunch of tests and trying to get a process nailed down!
Great! I'll follow this with interest! Most of the time, I see people only doing engraving, but I've always wondered if drilling and cutting were possible, especially with FR1 (FR4 seems problematic in this case). I think my robotics students would love to have this type of machine on my floor! :D
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With the right CNC its actually very straight forward, the thing that sucks most is the software which only Bantam sorta solved with Makera catching up slow
The machine itself is infinitely less work than the Othermill to setup, even with worse CAM its faster turn around.
Just imagine sintering a vat of nylon powder with that……
D'oh!