Copper Clad PCB Boards – Pros and Cons
Using copper-clad boards is one of the most cost-effective ways to create printed circuit boards (PCBs) for hobbyists or prototypes. A copper clad board is a laminate of non-conductive substrate (often fiberglass and epoxy) and copper, used to create printed circuit board tracks that connect components of a circuit soldered to it. They are fairly inexpensive and can be made into professional-looking boards with simple household materials.
Advantages:
- Cheap: Creating your board from copper plating is usually cheaper than ordering a prototype batch from a manufacturer, as they often charge an installation fee or base price, which when buying in high volume is not a problem, since it represents a small percentage of the general order, but buying one or two plates can be up to ten times the cost of a copper clad one, plus shipping.
- Fast: Placing an order with a manufacturer can be time consuming. Most orders ship in five or six days for the basic shipping option, but if you need a board quickly, you can expect to pay a lot more, and it still takes two or three days to arrive. Making a board with a copper coating is very quick, especially if you already have the necessary materials at home or in the laboratory.
- Customizable: Building your own copper clad boards has the great advantage of creating custom shapes and sizes, something most manufacturers can’t (or won’t) do, or charge exorbitant fees. This gives you the flexibility to make your circuits fit into weird shapes or make really small boards.
Cons:
- Chemical products: To turn a copper coating into a usable PCB, you have to work with some corrosive chemicals to remove the copper and create the tracks that connect the components. Wearing protective equipment, working in a well-ventilated area, and proper handling could mitigate the hazards, but disposal of used chemicals remains an issue.
- The process: The process itself is one of the downsides to working with copper plating, as you will be working with heat, special paper, and printing the design if you use the popular toner transfer method. Since you will be doing it yourself and not using professional equipment, there is a chance that the toner will not transfer properly or etch artifacts, rendering that particular plate unusable.
- Welding mask: Soldermask is that commonly green lacquer that covers most commercially manufactured circuit boards. It covers the copper tracks and allows for easier soldering, especially on high-density boards where the pads (area where components are soldered to the board) are close together. There are ways to apply a solder mask yourself for a professional look, but for hobby circuits it is more often than not purely cosmetic, as the same protection can be achieved by tinning the tracks.
- Tinned: Tin plating the tracks is another potential con if you don’t opt for the solder mask finish. Manual tinning is quite monotonous and prone to bulk as a layer of solder is manually applied over the tracks. There are some chemicals that tin coat the tracks, but they are dangerous and require special considerations in their use and disposal.
When considering using copper-clad pegboard for your project, consider these pros and cons and decide if making your own pegboard is right for you.
