I just had an idea (please tell me if it is original or not) : Why not use copper wire despensed from a reel, through an auto-chopping head and onto reprapped posts? (and IC legs, component legs etc). A PCB has milled/etched copper to make connections & a rigid insulator to mechanically support the components & connections. THe FFF forms the board (forget double sided - you have 3 whole dimensions to play with), the copper wire is the tracks. You could even wind inductors, motor coils etc. https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15268#msg-15268 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 22:08:23 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16086#msg-16086 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16086#msg-16086
i did some wirebonding with a 'cheap' manual system (price ~10.000Euros) and it's a hard fiddling until you get the parameters for temperature, pressing force and ultrasonic energy.

I bonded with 17 micron and 25 micron gold-wire, what's the 'easiest' process - with thicker wires you have mostly more problems until the process runs ...

Better look in the direction of spot-welding - charge some big capacitors, press a small piece of copper over your wire and shortcut the capacitors through the wire-/copper-/surface-junction. With the right parameters the melting area melts the wire but is covered by the piece of copper, so it didn't rip up the wire ...

Viktor]]> VDX Plastic Extruder Working Group Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:28:14 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16049#msg-16049 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16049#msg-16049
oh, hang on. It's been done minus the laser, and it's called wire bonding. Maybe we can do that? :) Just have to scale it up a bit...

[en.wikipedia.org]

I could see this working with a lot of work. I'm too busy churning out RepRap Power Rings myself at the moment, but we'll see!

Wade]]> Wade Plastic Extruder Working Group Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:41:49 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16003#msg-16003 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,16003#msg-16003
A wire head would be most useful for complex motor windings and so forth. But I think the main focus should be on getting the electronics done, and for that the metal extrusion head looks like it'll get there first.

Vik :v)]]> VikOlliver Plastic Extruder Working Group Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:38:18 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15287#msg-15287 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15287#msg-15287 As you say, not good for HF but probably v good as a replacement for and etched PCB and saves mucking about with hot metal alloys in channels but Im sure they have a place in replication too)]]> Lampbus Plastic Extruder Working Group Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:12:02 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15273#msg-15273 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15273#msg-15273 Forrest Higgs Plastic Extruder Working Group Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:46:30 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15268#msg-15268 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?70,15268,15268#msg-15268 Why not use copper wire despensed from a reel, through an auto-chopping head and onto reprapped posts? (and IC legs, component legs etc).

A PCB has milled/etched copper to make connections & a rigid insulator to mechanically support the components & connections.

THe FFF forms the board (forget double sided - you have 3 whole dimensions to play with), the copper wire is the tracks. You could even wind inductors, motor coils etc.]]> Lampbus Plastic Extruder Working Group Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:51:20 -0400