Talk:Automated Circuitry Making
placing actual wires
Just a quick idea perhaps naive idea: would it not be possible to lay out standard (thin and flexible) cables with some kind of toolhead with a cable cutter and a mechanism for (temporary) attachment (perhaps melt some of the cable insulation into the part, or some kind of stapler, but that'd propably put too much force on the reprap). If it'd work it could also be used to create parts with integrated circuitry without the problem of incompatible melting tempratures etc, though it might become a bit too complex mechanically...
Just a thought.
- It's been discussed to some degree.
- An example currently being developed: SpoolHead
- Primarily the things to over come are proper placement, and assurance that the wire does not create a short-circuit. This would be easier with a wire that :has it's own insulation, but if you're working at high temperatures, you risk melting the insulation. The thoughts I've had on the matter have involved :laying stranded wire into a channel and laying plastic over it as you go.
- --User:SirCastor
conductive ink
Another naive idea: Does anyone know if metallic ink Sharpies could be used to lay down circuits? I was thinking if the dried ink were conductive enough, and if the ink would not erode under soldering conditions, perhaps mounting a fine point metallic sharpie in some sort of spring loaded holder could work to draw circuits with.[1]
Isn't graphite also conductive? --User:Markthompsonst45
Mark,
I don't think it would be successful. The metallic sharpie is either a powdered shiny plastic pigment, or a thin metal powder; either way, very little metal to make up a pcb trace.
But the best thing to do is try it and see; take a metallic sharpie, manually draw a line on plastic, and then measure the resistance with and ohm-meter.
You'll like this, by the way:Plotting#Pen --Sebastien Bailard 08:39, 1 September 2010 (UTC)
Good ideas.
Yes, graphite is conductive. I hear that some POWs secretly built radio receivers using (among other things) "pencil lead" graphite. [2] [3]
Conductive ink pens do exist. [4] [5] [6] --DavidCary 16:37, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
