The Top 6 PCB Printers on Your Desk
Technological advancements have made it possible to print circuit boards in-house. A PCB Printer makes it possible to print your circuits on copper-clad boards with high precision and quality.
These printed circuit boards (PCB) printers make printing various circuits into physical and functional boards a simple process. A Desktop PCB Printer allows you to print the boards in-house for your electronics needs.
You can read through this article on the top 6 PCB Printers for desktops to print circuit boards – their pros and cons to find the best available option.
An Overview of PCB Printers
PCB Printers were created to produce a PCB. These boards are considered an integral part of modern electronics and can be found in all electronic equipment.
The Desktop PCB Printers efficiently produce single or double-sided boards with attention to detail and meet industrial standards.
The PCB printing process involves a combination of various methods to print the circuit boards efficiently. The methods include mechanical drilling, laser machining, milling, inkjet printing, and photolithography.
The entry-level PCB Printers can print single layers of circuit boards. At the same time, advanced printers can print double-sided circuit boards and provide layer lamination.
The PCB Printers Available
The following are the six Desktop PCB Printers and a general overview of their pros and cons. You can compare the printers based on the pros and cons to decide what suits your needs and preferences.
LPKF Protomat S104
The LPKF Protomat S104 is considered to be one of the best PCB printer options available on the market. It works pretty fast at a speed of 100000 RPM.
The LPKF Protomat s104 printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 2 layers. The maximum board size of the printer is 4 inches x 6 inches.
Pros
- It is easy to use and has fully automatic operations.
- The printer is fast and offers high precision and quality.
Cons
- The printing process requires manual loading and unloading of the boards, which can be pretty time-consuming.
- This Desktop PCB printer is quite expensive.
LPKF Protomat E34
The LPKF Protomat E34 is a cost-effective and efficient Desktop PCB Printer with simple operations.
The LPKF Protomat E34 printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 1 layer. The maximum board size of the printer is 4.7 inches x 3.9 inches.
Pros
- It allows for single and double-sided printed circuit boards of high quality.
- This PCB Printer has CAM software that is easy to use for printing requirements.
Cons
- The printer requires you to load the boards for printing manually.
- It also offers only limited feature sizes and can impact the overall sizes of the circuit boards.
Voltera V-One
The Voltera V-One is one of the easy-to-use printers used for PCB printing with Wifi and USB connectivity.
The Voltera V-One printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 1 layer. The maximum board size of the printer is 5 inches x 10 inches.
Pros
- The printer offers a simple and interactive software interface.
- It is an affordable printer and is a cost-effective option to invest in.
- This printer also makes use of barrel ink cartridges to print the circuits.
Cons
- This Desktop PCB Printer offers a small print area and leads to small board sizes.
- The printing speed of Voltera V-One is relatively slow and takes a bit longer.
Nano Dimension DragonFly LDM
The Nano Dimension DragonFly LDM is a 3D-style PCB Printer that uses nano-particle inks to print your circuit boards.
The Nano Dimension DragonFly LDM printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 2 layers. The maximum board size of the printer is 7.6 inches x 7.6 inches.
Pros
- It offers simple, faster, and efficient printing operations.
- The printer requires minimal maintenance and has a self-cleaning system to simplify the task.
- The printer can print multi-layers of circuit boards with high precision.
Cons
- These 3D Desktop PCB Printers are pretty expensive.
- It requires you to use their own ink cartridges for the printing due to the nano-particles involved.
Optomec Aerosol Jet 5X
The Optomec Aerosol Jet 5X offers high-quality 3D printing options. It is suitable for printing two layers on both 2D and 3D substrates.
The Optomec Aerosol Jet 5x printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 2 layers. The maximum board size of the printer is 5 inches x 5 inches.
Pros
- This PCB Printer lessens the chances of any potential defects due to the no-contact printing feature used to print the boards.
- It also offers high-precision fine-line capabilities for quality circuits.
Cons
- These PCB printers are expensive.
- The printing area is relatively small and offers limited production capabilities.
BotFactory SV2
The BotFactory SV2 is one of the compact PCB Printers available. It combines inkjet printing with robotic methods to provide top-notch circuit boards.
The BotFactory SV2 printer can print circuit boards with a maximum of 2 layers. The maximum board size of the printer is 4 inches x 4 inches.
Pros
- These Desktop PCB Printers don’t require any chemical processing.
- The components are placed automatically as the printing process is completely automated.
- The price range of this printer is quite an affordable option to invest in for all your electronic needs.
Cons
- This printer offers only a limited range of features and offers lower levels of precision.
- The size of the circuit boards produced is relatively small, with lower yields.
Conclusion
Desktop PCB Printers make it easier and hassle-free to print physical circuit boards at home with your printer. You can easily turn your circuits into boards without relying on outside manufacturers to meet your specifications.
You can consider the pros and cons of the six PCB Printers to make a well-informed choice. Take into consideration the features offered, pros, cons, cost factors, and other aspects to find a suitable one that aligns with your preferences and requirements.
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