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Electronicus Digitalis · 13-04-2012, 19:51

Hi there- I am thinking about downloading some plans for a home-made capacitance discharge welder {Fet driven}. The guy who made the plans has no immediate intention to order more boards but he says that the Gerber files can be sent to a PCB manufacturer who will make the boards for me.

Do we have a well known, reputable PCB manufacturer in Ireland?? If so, Anybody got any idea how much they charge or how good their work is??

The files can be downloaded here, https://secure.digitalcontentcenter....9822/products/

I don't own the files or make any profit from them, I am just throwing them up there so people can see whats involved.

Here is what the inventor/developer told me earlier today:

"I sold the bare boards and you had to buy, install and solder all the components on the boards yourself. The plans contain Gerber files which are used to manufacture the bare printed circuit boards. You can send the Gerber files to a PCB manufacturer to make the bare boards for you.
These welders are very expensive to buy and the only way to make it affordable is to build it yourself, labor is very expensive."

Cheers.

DublinDilbert · 13-04-2012, 23:56

Very few people making PCBs here these days, most are sourcing in the far easy.

Try custompcb.com your looking at €180 for a run of boards, which isn't a bad price. But you'd want to be making more than one of the machines...

Electronicus Digitalis · 14-04-2012, 03:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by DublinDilbert

Very few people making PCBs here these days, most are sourcing in the far easy.

Try custompcb.com your looking at €180 for a run of boards, which isn't a bad price. But you'd want to be making more than one of the machines...

Hi, thanks for that, that might be worth a look in due course- and you are right- i would have to be making a few of them for it to be worth it, but thats OK, these welders cost thousands, like €6000 Euro, so even if it costs me €500 to get it made I am still winning.

"the far easy" lol was that intentional?

Redisle · 14-04-2012, 15:41

These guys are cheaper. There was also another thread about PCB's recently for reference.

DublinDilbert · 14-04-2012, 18:53

Do you have a schematic of the design?

Most designs seem to just use a thyristor to discharge the cap, then a power supply to recharge it.

I wouldnt mind building one, could be handy for spot welding...

robfitz · 15-04-2012, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronicus Digitalis

Do we have a well known, reputable PCB manufacturer in Ireland??

PCB-Pool are based in Ireland though I haven't used them. I've used PCB Train in the UK for a number of different PCB orders.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronicus Digitalis

If so, Anybody got any idea how much they charge or how good their work is??

PCB-Pool about €90, PCB Train about €75. Both have cheaper prototype services (no soldermask, silk screen).

DAC · 15-04-2012, 20:36

There isn't any PCB manufacturer in Ireland - PCB-Pool (Beta Layout) carry out CAM work here but manufacture in Germany. I'd also reccomend Ship Co in Macroom they've been using good quality Chinese Manufacturers for over 10 Years. You might need a heavy copper PCB (70um + copper weight) on this design - Beta Layout have as default 35um
The Bare PCB is just the start for this do you have a Bill of Materials as well - PCB-Pool will produce an assemebled unit if you submit a BOM Ship may also provide this service.

Electronicus Digitalis · 18-04-2012, 01:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by DublinDilbert

Do you have a schematic of the design?

Most designs seem to just use a thyristor to discharge the cap, then a power supply to recharge it.

I wouldnt mind building one, could be handy for spot welding...

I have to pay for the schematic, but I am not going to do that until I have checked out the costs and logistics of printing them off.

The welder I currently have is Thyristor-driven, but these new welders are using Mosfets to get the job done. Far more tune-able than the others.

DublinDilbert · 19-04-2012, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronicus Digitalis

I have to pay for the schematic, but I am not going to do that until I have checked out the costs and logistics of printing them off.

The welder I currently have is Thyristor-driven, but these new welders are using Mosfets to get the job done. Far more tune-able than the others.

I wouldn't go paying for them plans, there's another site with free plans on it that look quite good:-
http://ultrakeet.com.au/index.php?id...&name=cdWelder

To be honest the dsPic that he's using is over kill, for what its doing....

This might be a bit simpler:-
http://www.pittnerovi.com/jiri/hobby...der/index.html

**djpbarry** · 10-05-2012, 14:17

http://batchpcb.com might be another option - pretty cheap but US-based, so shipping might be expensive.

13-04-2012, 19:51	#1
Electronicus Digitalis Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 32 Adverts \| Friends	Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer In Ireland? Hi there- I am thinking about downloading some plans for a home-made capacitance discharge welder {Fet driven}. The guy who made the plans has no immediate intention to order more boards but he says that the Gerber files can be sent to a PCB manufacturer who will make the boards for me. Do we have a well known, reputable PCB manufacturer in Ireland?? If so, Anybody got any idea how much they charge or how good their work is?? The files can be downloaded here, https://secure.digitalcontentcenter....9822/products/ I don't own the files or make any profit from them, I am just throwing them up there so people can see whats involved. Here is what the inventor/developer told me earlier today: "I sold the bare boards and you had to buy, install and solder all the components on the boards yourself. The plans contain Gerber files which are used to manufacture the bare printed circuit boards. You can send the Gerber files to a PCB manufacturer to make the bare boards for you. These welders are very expensive to buy and the only way to make it affordable is to build it yourself, labor is very expensive." Cheers.

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13-04-2012, 23:56	#2
DublinDilbert Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,575 Adverts \| Friends	Very few people making PCBs here these days, most are sourcing in the far easy. Try custompcb.com your looking at €180 for a run of boards, which isn't a bad price. But you'd want to be making more than one of the machines...

14-04-2012, 15:41	#4
Redisle Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cork Posts: 1,785 Adverts \| Friends	These guys are cheaper. There was also another thread about PCB's recently for reference.

14-04-2012, 18:53	#5
DublinDilbert Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,575 Adverts \| Friends	Do you have a schematic of the design? Most designs seem to just use a thyristor to discharge the cap, then a power supply to recharge it. I wouldnt mind building one, could be handy for spot welding...

15-04-2012, 20:36	#7
DAC Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 50 Adverts \| Friends	There isn't any PCB manufacturer in Ireland - PCB-Pool (Beta Layout) carry out CAM work here but manufacture in Germany. I'd also reccomend Ship Co in Macroom they've been using good quality Chinese Manufacturers for over 10 Years. You might need a heavy copper PCB (70um + copper weight) on this design - Beta Layout have as default 35um The Bare PCB is just the start for this do you have a Bill of Materials as well - PCB-Pool will produce an assemebled unit if you submit a BOM Ship may also provide this service.

10-05-2012, 14:17	#10
djpbarry Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: London SW4 Posts: 9,980 Adverts \| Friends Mod: Environmental Science, Postgraduates, Sustainability & Environmental Issues	http://batchpcb.com might be another option - pretty cheap but US-based, so shipping might be expensive.