3D Printed Circuit Cards

[KevinPinks7697]

Is anyone working with 3D Printed Circuit Cards. We have a situation where an extruded heatsink is being assembled directly above a PCB and the heights of the components on the PCB are critical. What would be the best way to do this? Should I get the PCB manufacturer to send an IDF file with the heights inputted?

Thanks

[mcgyvr]

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@KevinPinks7697 wrote:

Is anyone working with 3D Printed Circuit Cards. We have a situation where an extruded heatsink is being assembled directly above a PCB and the heights of the components on the PCB are critical. What would be the best way to do this? Should I get the PCB manufacturer to send an IDF file with the heights inputted?

Thanks

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Not sure what a "3d printed circuit card" is? Is it just a circuit board where the traces are just applied via a 3d printed process vs the normal process of etching?

So I'm going to assume you are just needing to know the heights and placement of all the components on this circuit board and that a valid regular cad model is not available..

If so yes... IDF with proper height information is a viable method to get a 3d model of the circuit board assembly directly from a circuit board program.

[Cadmanto]

I used to work with PCB's.  A long time ago, but what I can tell you is I hope you have a layout of the PCB to show what and where the components are laid out.  I would definitely get component sizes that are directly around and below the heat sink.  You might also have to design in a heat shield under the heatsink to make sure there is no damage caused from the heatsink that would hurt neighboring components.

Also make sure you have the dimensional layout of the heatsink itself.

Hope this helps you.

If this solved your issue please mark this posting "Accept as Solution".

Or if you like something that was said and it was helpful, Kudos are appreciated. Thanks!!!! 

     

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi KevinPinks7697,

If you're looking to do fit checks you can likely make due with a STEP file to use for your 3D PCB model as well, if the supplier can output to that file format. It typically will not include the trace and pad information, but will have the components or component envelopes.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@mcgyvr wrote:

Not sure what a "3d printed circuit card" is? Is it just a circuit board where the traces are just applied via a 3d printed process vs the normal process of etching?

 

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Hi mcgyvr,

I read it that way at first too. But I think the OP meant 3D PCB, rather than a circuit board printed using a 3D printer. But I wonder if 3D printed PCBs are something we might see in the future (or maybe someone is already doing it.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Cadmanto]

I am reading it as he needs to build a 3D model of a PCB.  Most softwares I worked on were strictly 2D used to place components and traces.

If height was an issue then we used Autocad to specify the specifics of the area in question.  In the OP's case I am assuming he has this issue with the heatsink and needs to lay it out in 3D.

If this solved your issue please mark this posting "Accept as Solution".

Or if you like something that was said and it was helpful, Kudos are appreciated. Thanks!!!! 

     

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi Cadmanto,

Good point. I'm most familiar with a 3D PCB layout program that we use, and tend to think in those terms. But if the OP's supplier is using a 2D layout program, then a 3D STEP file is not likely to be a possible output format from their software. I suppose the solution will depend on what can be obtained from the supplier.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[mcgyvr]

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@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

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@mcgyvr wrote:

Not sure what a "3d printed circuit card" is? Is it just a circuit board where the traces are just applied via a 3d printed process vs the normal process of etching?

 

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Hi mcgyvr,

I read it that way at first too. But I think the OP meant 3D PCB, rather than a circuit board printed using a 3D printer. But I wonder if 3D printed PCBs are something we might see in the future (or maybe someone is already doing it.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

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Wow.. yep you are right.. still way to drunk I guess.. 🙂

answer still applies.. IDF works great.. STEP is even better but just about all PCB programs do IDF and very few STEP..

About 5 years ago I saw an amazing demo of the bidirectional communication between Solidwors and Mentor Graphics PCB program.. Then I came home and tried it with Inventor and went...blah..Inventor sucks because it can't do any of that..

I do tons of PCB assemblies and I end up modeling each component and then exporting a dxf of my board from my PCB program and use that dxf to create the 3d board in Inventor them assembly all the components on it.. That gives me a proper parts list as we do the PCB assembly in house and I need to be able to balloon each component.. Traces don't come across and really aren't needed..

IDF isn't so nice in Inventor compared to other CAD programs IMO.....

That being said try IDF first.. And see if it works for you. There are pros/cons just like anything else.. And many PCB designers don't take the time to put the height information into the program though either so you might have that problem too