The Laser4DIY project aims to build an open-source laser engraver to make PCB prototypes by direct laser ablation of the copper layer. This will allow creating PCB prototypes without using nasty chemicals (when using the etching method) and without the resolution limitations (when using isolation milling).
This method is used in the industry already, but machines are very expensive (>100k€). Our aim is to build such a machine with 2000 Euro (material cost), making the technology much more accessible. We hope that this will be a tool that can push the electronics prototyping possibilities of fablabs and hacker spaces beyond what they can do today.
As part of the project we are designing a DIY solid-state laser source suitable for the ablation of PCB copper layers. Our plan is to use a Nd:Yvo4 crystal pumped by a 60W diode laser, arranged in a bounce geometry, together with a frequency doubling crystal and a passive Q-switch.
We also build electronics to run the laser, namely a constant-current power source to power the laser diode (65A, 1.8V) and a 4-channel TEC controller for precisely controlling the temperature of the laser components.
Furthermore we do research in how to build a safe but cheap enclosure for laser projects like Laser4DIY. We evaluate different materials to measure how well they are suited for this purpose.
All our plans and findings will be released under an open license, allowing others to use it to build their own Laser4DIY machine.