Eurocircuits - how to make a 4-layer PCB (full version)

There is a newer version available on Vimeo - vimeo.com/201542361
We have made this film to help electronics engineering students understand how a PCB is made.
By understanding the manufacturing process you will be able design PCBs that can made more easily and cheaply. Designing boards that fit within industry standard specifications gives you two advantages: you keep down the cost of your end product, so that it will sell better; and you improve its long-term reliability, so that your customers will keep on coming back to you. And when you want to push the boundaries of technology (and who doesn't?) you can sit down with your chosen board manufacturer and discuss your requirements knowing where he is coming from.

[@derekn615]

You just helped a California, Computer Engineering Freshman pass a test.... GREAT VIDEO!!!

[@outsideworld76]

34 people watching this video have probably never made a DIY circuit board. Watching this video make the process look really easy but it takes a lot of technology to make these kind of boards. Thank you for this informative film.

[@LittleRainGames]

Its not that hard, im designing very low cost tools/machines to make industry standard PCB's so anyone can make ones like this.

[@Crazytesseract]

now they are 85 people.

[@doogulass]

This was a very instructive video...thanks! Everybody who designs a circuit board should watch this.

[@samuelchamberlain2584]

Having etched p.c.b's for though hole components . I recognise this is an entirely different ball game . I have often wondered how multilayer boards are made . This has provided a good insight

[@Pitbuller49]

Fantastic video, as a trainee electronics engineer this has given me better knowledge of how the PCBs work.

[@brianhead1907]

Great video !!! I'll try this out tomorrow...thanks for the upload.

[@Psychlist1972]

This is a great video. Thanks for putting this together and posting it.

[@royceaquino]

This video is amazing! I enjoyed the process.

[@davidespano8674]

This is a great video, very informative and detailed. I have been looking around for reputable PCB manufacturers catering for the needs of small to medium production volumes and EURO circuits is top-of-class. Thank you.

[@davidespano8674]

Extremely instructive video, definitely a bonus when having to decide who is best placed to actually build your design. Thanks.

[@dattarammore689]

⁹⁹⁰

[@dattarammore689]

9⁹⁰

[@geraldaldana933]

Thank you! Great video. now I understand fully or definitely more than before broke it down to study.. Front end tool data preparation 2:34 extended gerbers Preparing the photo tool 3:51 Print inner layers 5:09 Etched inner layers 7:08 Register punch and automatic optical inspection (AOI) 8:11 Lay-up and Bond 9:02 Drilling the PCB 11:32 Drilling and profiling machine Electroless copper deposition 14:26 Image the outer layers 16:01 Plating 17:58 25 microns copper Etch outer layer 20:15 Apply solder mask 21:35 Rohs compliant surface finishes electroless gold over nickel 24:14 Plated gold edge connectors :25:50 hard electroplated gold . Repeated inserted to connector request for hard plated gold. Siik screen and cure 27:08 10 min 5 stage conveyerized oven Electrictrical test 28:08 Profiling 28:58 router - v scored v-cut scoring 30:04 Final inspection 30:58

[@rmacfamily]

Great video. I've been trying to make simpler PCBs at home with minimal success and, seeing how difficult it was, wondered what went into the real modern process. Great job presenting that. Well paced and very interesting.

[@ShaunakDe]

Thank you for this video. Very educational. :)

[@frtnahuseyingoktas2977]

Instruction was perfect!

[@scwallac]

Outstanding video!

[@Pieh0]

Very interesting, thanks for making this.

[@Murderface666]

unbelievable process :)

[@Diegoroma70]

very interesting video! A must for every pcb designer!

[@DoRC]

man no wonder PCBs are so expensive. i had no idea it was such a hands on process.

[@SpuriousEmission]

I recognised a Circuit Automation DP1500 at Soldermask. I used these, amongst other machines in Prestwick Circuits at Irvine in Scotland. However we wore surgical gloves to keep fingerprints off of the uncovered copper.

[@skay2293]

Thanks for uploading the video. Nice one clear explanation

[@voiceoftreason1760]

This is way better than How it's made

[@Kabodanki]

no idiotics puns at least

[@rubber20021]

A wonderful presentation, quite labor involved as seen!

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@TheThore]

Somebody who can pronounce "Aachen" correctly. Thumbs up ;)

[@thoinguyenvan7934]

Thank You so much for your video

[@YoramRotbach]

Excellent presentation

[@aaa-hh8dv]

amazing factory o.o

[@dorfschmidt4833]

Ich ziehe meinen Hut, das ist einfach großartig.

[@HouseMusicLover001]

Beautiful

[@Paddington2000]

Very interesting, thanks!

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@jessstuart7495]

0:37 He's living the dream.

[@jbarragan]

Very good looking to the manufacture process, most engineers & designers just limit to design the PCB on the EDA tool and lave it to manufacture.

[@snipersquad100]

very interesting process

[@cralx2k]

AMAZING

[@krutikaborsaniya1773]

marvellous...

[@iDarkBarrage]

Thumbs up for Ian Sanderson!!! Woot Woot EDCM

[@electronic7979]

Excellent

[@MrAshwindersingh]

Osm work need more videos

[@SpuriousEmission]

Also the Soldermask ink (Carapace or Taiyo) was hazardous, and best to avoid contact with skin.

[@francisli5443]

very nice vedio, I am a beginner of PCB, beinfit a lot from it, need to review it again and again.

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@AlainMilardProd]

beau film

[@micflynn1]

I am wondering the board that was showed in this video, how much does it cost to have it made? is it just for large quantities or can a normal home brew person afford to have a board made?

[@haoliu5358]

very good

[@DanFrederiksen]

Surprisingly elaborate process. Maybe laser cutting and directed vapor deposition could make for a better process.

[@Demaflickers]

can i order pcbs made using diptrace?..it has gerber outout data

[@kirkguille]

Nice video. How many sq inch of 2 layers pcb can you make per day?

[@Spacefish007]

Really great video :) looks like a lot of work and a lot of steps.. If any of these go wrong, you need to throw away the board?

[@haiweixiang2302]

I LIKE THIS

[@y2ksw1]

Very nice. Could be more exhaustive upon certain procedures which are new to most people, such as how the layers stick and match together and how connections are made between layers, by providing still or animated pictures.

[@eurocircuits]

eurocircuits.com/pcb-prototype-and-small-batch-services/making-a-pcb-pcb-manufacture-step-by-step

[@gigiogigi5148]

Error 404 - page not found

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Thanks, I've seen several references to "hard gold plating" and just "Gold Plating," and had no clue what the difference is. Now I finally understand the difference. Is there a similar process difference/application for some kind of electroless silver plating versus a hard silver electrode-based plating?

[@eurocircuits]

We have not yet encountered silver plating for PCB. Would be more applicable for components/connectors. All we offer on finishing techniques can be found here: www.eurocircuits.com/blog/which-surface-finish-fits-your-design/ With a second chapter on hard gold connectors here: www.eurocircuits.com/blog/gold-plating-for-edge-connectors/

[@johnwilliams2877]

There is an Immersion Silver process for PCB finishes, along with Immersion Gold, Hot air solder level and OSP

[@rethnagireeshwar7199]

nice :)

[@unlokia]

The narrator is obviously a hired voice-over artist with no electronics knowledge, as he refers to "leaded components" as if they were made of the *metal* lead, and not "leaded" as in "with a lead", pronounced "My dog is leaded on his lead"

[@DrRawley]

That irked me too. :)

[@attilaherrera6857]

For the purposes of citing this video, who was the author or main contributors?

[@user-qv1oj1jq4t]

it is amazing ,as a chinese student,i hope that day which is we can equal usa in the field.

[@multitechwalker]

without blind holes?

[@mohammedasadbubere6519]

Is there any internship opportunities?

[@HoangNguyen-ks1tw]

please tell me 6.32-6.48, how to clean?....Na0H, or acide?

[@yishujia186]

Now I understand why are multi-layer PCBs so expensive.

[@HypherNet]

Oh how the times have changed. $30 for 5x 4-layer prototypes on JLCPCB. Plus shipping of course. But still, for about $50 you can have 5 4-layer boards in your hands in less than a week.

[@theatreofshadows]

@@HypherNet There is more to life than monetary cost. Chinese pollution and geopolitical implications for one. Certainly I'd rather get a board from Europe and pay what I know will be a realistic cost for the workers to get decent wages and for the company to fulfil their legal and environmental obligations. There are lots of uncounted costs in artificially cheap products, which are harmful for us all.

[@jonathanrodriguez8219]

Wow!!!

[@NRBW]

Are you able to do milling before plating so one gets an edge plated PCBs ( really nice for RF ) ?

[@eurocircuits]

Yes we can! PTH on the board edge, Copper up to the board edge and round-edge plating (the one you were referring to) are all interesting options for RF-specialists. They are in the calculator under advanced options: For RF applications we have a special pooling service: RF-pool: www.eurocircuits.com/rf-pool-all-the-benefits-of-pooling-on-rf-materials/

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@xierxu]

How can I do this at home? I need clarity on what the purpose of the different layers.

[@autechrak]

go away

[@RespawnRestricted]

What's the difference between Gerber and extended Gerber

[@eurocircuits]

In short: extended Gerber embeds all apertures needed in each individual Gerber File. All you need to know about Gerber data: www.eurocircuits.com/gerber-format/

[@LiLBitsDK]

very informative video, but this looked like "small productions/batches" how does this process compare to say running 1.000.000 motherboards would that be the exact same steps or do they do something "easier" due to the massive volume? since this way seems "very slow" if you need a large volume of PCB's

[@eurocircuits]

Sames process. More and some larger machines and more automation to produce big series. We make prototypes and small series and hence we do not automate too much to not loose flexibility. Turnaround time in our factory is in average less than 48 hours and for series this is 12 to 15 days.

[@LiLBitsDK]

@@eurocircuits which processeds do you do manually that a larger production would automate?

[@eurocircuits]

@@LiLBitsDK Process steps? None. All are done by and in the same professional machines, whether you make prototypes or big series. Only proceeding from one machine to the next is highly automated in series production and not for prototypes as that leaves us the flexibility to switch priority at every single process step which is needed to reach all deadlines in time. For mass production this is not done and they work according "first in first out" throughout the entire process which brings flexibility down but handling costs also. Different kind of game: Prototypes / Series.

[@LiLBitsDK]

@@eurocircuits thank you very much for explaining :D it looks very impressive.

[@GrubiBG]

which gerber viewer/editor was used?

[@johnwilliams2877]

Ucam (Ucamco) I use it every day.

[@studleylee]

I have a ball chair like that too!!!

[@KJ7JHN]

I realize this video is a bit dated, however the process is still mostly up to date. I have a question: for a 4-in x 6 pcb, it would cost me around 60 euros?? Do you offer price matching? A competitor has produced 5 pcb's with shipping for less than $35.00 US.

[@KJ7JHN]

Also, what is the link for your online PCB software design tool? And does it export to SVG as well as gerber easily?

[@eurocircuits]

I'm sorry but we do not negotiate nor divert from our official price calculator. I can advise you a European alternative if you wish: www.pcb4maker.com Apart from that we have recently published our oppinion on very cheap board prices www.eurocircuits.com/blog/reaction-on-some-extreme-chinese-prices/

[@VentureGalaxy]

very good commercial

[@gargaste]

This is for people WHO Ask me why a pcb is so expensive..there it is the answer..! It is a well controled process under a great infrastructure n a good quality system and that means money..moneey..it is not just like a small home shop..! This is for the pros..!

[@davegeorge7094]

Can't figure 100micron bits not breaking after 20 holes! How many use LASER drills?

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@davegeorge7094]

@@NewsDozens No, I've never drilled 100mic, just seams glass would dull bit too quicky. thanks

[@rklauco]

Great work, although you need a better sound editor :(

[@aaa-hh8dv]

amazinf factory, i wonder the use that circuit boards , some knows ?o.o

[@RicardoATBarbosa]

The silent parts are a little distracting, but the video is very good!

[@baroque_engineer]

+Ricardo Barbosa I've fixed this by opening a smooth jazz album in a neighboring browser tab (web player). :)

[@RicardoATBarbosa]

+YS akaYSembed Very appropriate Sir!

[@Dexter101x]

A lot of effort to produce boards

[@morganlouide6997]

very interesting video, but maybee need some drawings or animations to detail some processes

[@eurocircuits]

Normally you would start the series of films explaining the production process, from the website: www.eurocircuits.com/making-a-pcb-pcb-manufacture-step-by-step/ What you suggest to add is there already.

[@sto2779]

Trade secrets fully explained...

[@broderp]

So this is was interesting. They keep saying economical, for students, universities etc. but never give a price for a any project. Please define cost effective. Do they do simple 2 layer or one layer boards? What about for the USA, do they ship to the US? Inquiring minds would like to know.

[@eurocircuits]

be.eurocircuits.com/shop/orders/configurator.aspx?loadfrom=web&lang=en&deliverycountry=us&invcountry=us&service=pcbproto

[@Pigeon_FX]

"on its way to HIM to be assembled into HIS finished product"

[@0x4C4A]

Not really clear how it makes blind vias.

[@rongarza9488]

Hmm, no mention of membranes, those nasty spongy switch surfaces. Maybe they don't do them because they hate them too.

[@ShadoWDancerMKD]

Half-a-way old Machines Using Photo-films to exposure. Nowdays Lasers and CCDs are used to do such. Then, Gold Edge Connectors, Using Lamination process and exposure those panels with different dry film resist, where as hardening all copper spots except connectors.

[@eurocircuits]

Every video has a publishing date. Here is the newest version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imi2ZWN9jqqGmLs All direct imaging.

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@shaikferoz99088]

Were good

[@mlac2]

What about NPTH?

[@johnwilliams2877]

The base laminate is drilled with tooling holes, this is then sensitized with a photo resist and a negative image of the circuit is exposed onto it using UV light. This hardens the resist where exposed and the image is developed to expose the unwanted copper. This is then etched off using (ammoniacal) etchant and the photoresist is stripped to expose the wanted copper. Add the solder mask, silk screen then the metal finish as usual. Finally profile the board with an NC router. (in a nutshell). Hope this helps!

[@introprospector]

Yo check out that unshielded incidental UV frying the operator's retinas @17:00

[@eurocircuits]

The yellow light coming from below (which you see at minute 17:00) is harmless and is just a help for the operator to positions the film and panels in the machine. The UV light operates inside the machine and is totally shielded from the outside of the machine. No retina's are fried. Some process knowledge is helpful to judge the safety of the process.

[@introprospector]

@@eurocircuits Compare to @22:44. That machine has a cover over the slot in the machine the pcb goes into. The first one has no such cover, and light can be seen leaking out. I tagged the mark for the issue timestamp just before the UV turns on, the actual moment is at about @17:06.

[@eurocircuits]

@@introprospector That is a bit of stray light, briefly coming out of the 2kW exposing unit for the dry film. The second machine is exposing soldermask with 8kW and for a longer time than a few seconds thus the stray light can have effect on the next panel being prepared by the operator, hence the cover. Both techniques are not used anymore for quite some time now as they are replaced by direct imaging machines which do not need film and boost the quality of the image and registration. Both can be seen in our newer movie: vimeo.com/201542361 Or here: www.eurocircuits.com/blog/how-do-we-expose-the-soldermask-during-production/

[@Duraltia]

Hmm... At the beginning I was suspecting to see two double sided boards simply being bonded together with a separation layer in between. Not the process of an entire new layer being formed on both sides of the double sided board.

[@eurocircuits]

What you describe as "simply being bonded together" is the reverse build-up of a 4-layer and this is much more demanding in terms of registration than the traditional way of making a 4-layer. The reverse build-up is used for making blind vias in sequential build-up of a multi layer (2 x double sided board pressed to one 4-layer).

[@johnwilliams2877]

Ooops, error at 18:18 when he says carbon (not copper) layer already deposited there!

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@johnwilliams2877]

Indeed, used it for a few years. I found it to be better than Ucam10. All the scripts ran a treat. I liked it.

[@NewsDozens]

@@johnwilliams2877 ohh thx for your feedback John. but I need this software. Is possible are you able to share this software in my email-id([e-mail])?

[@johnwilliams2877]

@@NewsDozens No sorry, it's a bespoke software for the PCB industry and you have to have a licence from Ucamco to run it (it's quite expensive too) besides which, I am now retired after some 40 years in the PCB industry. Sorry.

[@NewsDozens]

@@johnwilliams2877 okay anyhow thanks

[@magicstix0r]

"Lead is outlawed because of environmental concerns, so we use the far more toxic nickel!" Way to go Europe...

[@MarianKeller]

Lead wasn't replaced by Nickel...

[@magicstix0r]

Marian Keller Apparently you didn't watch the video.

[@MarianKeller]

magicstix0r No, I watched the video and also have experience in pcb-design. The topic you're talking about is the surface finish of the PCBs, where there are two common types: HASL and ENIG. The first means "hot air solder leveling", where the PCB is basically just dipped in molten solder and excess is removed by hot air. To be RoHS compliant, the solder must be lead-free. There are some alloys containing nickel, but those are rather uncommon. ENIG is a nickel-plating, protected against oxidisation by a thin gold layer. Wouldn't want to use lead instead.

[@Landrew0]

magicstix0r When we stop using risk-assessment, and just use mindless risk-avoidance instead, nothing good results.

[@oguretsagressive]

Aren't you confusing it with cadmium? Nickel is a lot less toxic than lead.

[@TheMixmastamike1000]

MORE THAN 50 LAYERS!!!!! 🤯

[@eurocircuits]

The maximum we do is 16 layers, but there are colleagues that go way beyond 50 layers. But these applications are exceptions. The bulk of industrial electronic applications are made from 2 to 8 layers.

[@TheMixmastamike1000]

Eurocircuits before this video I thought the maximum number of layers was 4

[@bernardlim2888]

same process.... Drill the inner layer including blind vias and thruhole plating before laminating the outer layer.

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@nickpelov]

Well presented, but it's a bit pricey.

[@torpedo35]

Védőálarc!

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@xXHacksAndTipsXx]

Hmm I really don't think I oculd make these cause I don't have these machines, the video could be called How 4 layer PCB are made

[@frankieboyo1969]

Is that Prof Jim Al-Khalili narrating.

[@FelixGardner]

!!!!

[@biltema2000]

00:46 wow that guy works slow

[@NathanTheTall]

It looks like a painfully manual process. I wonder how much automation is in newer production lines.

[@eurocircuits]

Newer implies: what you see here is old :-) You are limping on the wrong foot here Nathan. A high degree of automation is typical for volume suppliers. We are a prototype and small series supplier and cannot afford this automation since that will kill the flexibility in the production flow. A flexibility that is needed to be able to make all these quick turnaround orders and deliver them on time. 2014, almost 80,000 orders and more than 98,5% on time deliveries within average delivery terms under 5 working days. www.eurocircuits.com/blog/181-Looking-back-at-2014

[@Fennecbutt]

eurocircuits Wow, you pretty much attacked him for making an extremely reasonable statement. He didn't say anything about your company or attack you in any way.

[@ftbtd]

+Fennecbutt but they are right. They don't use outdated equipment, they simply can not charge 45000$ line-setup when you order 50 PCBs for prototypes, custom upgrades or repair-jobs. Who the heck cares if they use 20 years old crt-monitors or apply the solder-mask in machines that look like they bought them from the local smith. I really like their presentation and know when I see a professionally designed workflow.

[@RWoody1995]

+Fennecbutt Wooooah calm down their comment was nothing like an attack

[@9DC-Paul]

Depends on whether the line is for prototyping or production. Based on the volume of boards, this looks like a prototyping shop. One thing we all tend to forget is that with higher volume equipment, the cost of set up is higher. Think of a printing house - the equipment they will use to print 1000 books is not the same equipment that they would use to product 10000+ books. Reason - set up costs.

[@hankbizzo5]

Wow there must be high levels of F.O.D on these panels..

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@hankbizzo5]

@@NewsDozens No i don't.

[@hulladek3]

Ye amazing but there was one "sharp eyed inspector" who was wearing goggles 30:59 So i guess she is not so sharp eyed :D

[@NewsDozens]

Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@HobbyBots]

Hilarious!

[@thekaiser4333]

@Eurocircuits Can you beat the price, delivered, of JLC-PCB?

[@eurocircuits]

Our answer can be found here: www.eurocircuits.com/blog/reaction-on-some-extreme-chinese-prices/

[@thekaiser4333]

@@eurocircuits - Thank you. Very kind. However, what exactly do you use, to remove the blue photoresist after etching? 7:35 The video unfortunately omits that. I tried Acetone at room-temperature and normal pressure, but it doesn't really work very well...

[@eurocircuits]

@@thekaiser4333 We use UltraStrip RS218P (from MacDermid) in 8% concentration. So the rest is DeIonised water and some Antifoam solution.

[@thekaiser4333]

@@eurocircuits - Most kind . Thanks a lot.

[@NewsDozens]

@@thekaiser4333 Hi, do u have UcamX software?

[@ArsenioDev]

Seed the walls with... PALLADIUM?

[@Leonelf0]

Arsenio Dev i think it's used as a catalyst, so the copper can get deposited at the walls of the pcb