Transparent solder mask - jlcpcb (vid.puffyan.us)

submitted 1 year ago by nydas@lemmy.world to c/mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml

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Hey there,

Referring to around 1m40s in the attached Ben Vallack video, he refers to a transparent solder mask to show the traces on the pcb clearly. He’s using pcbway, which seems to be considerably more expensive than jlcpcb who I usually use for my prints.

Does anyone know if jlcpcb has this same capability, and if so what the settings are?

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[-] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 2 points 1 year ago

JLC does not have a clear soldermask.

You could simply not have a soldermask also and spray a clear coat on it.

JLC and PCBway are actually very comparable in price for just the basics with the basic colors and everything.

But when you put very advanced setting like dyed FR4 PCB cores and new transparent soldermasks, the cost will double or triple.

The issue isn't that those things are hard to do, it is the number and availability of machines with those settings since switching out a soldermask color is pretty expensive labor-wise and then all following runs through that machine have to use that mask color.

[-] nydas@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I must be doing something wrong. For what looks to be exactly the same spec, jlcpbc is quoting A$14.85 (US$9.92)while pcbway are quoting just over US$100 for the same thing.

[-] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 1 points 1 year ago

Depending on rules you set for track width, track distance, annular rings, etc... will put you in different classes of PCBs depending on specs that both list due to using different tools.

You might have to adjust rules in KiCAD or whatever you use to adapt it to PCBway.

It is all automated systems, so it won't let you slip into the lower class if you have just one thing out of spec

[-] nydas@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, maybe. 10x the cost for a default print is a bit too much for me to bother fiddling to make it right for them. Think I’ll just stick with jlcpcb and make do without the transparent coat.

[-] nydas@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Gotcha, thank you!

[-] nydas@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

video

this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023

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