The ‘Hardie Kids’ Workshop

By Administrator

Over the past couple of months we have been asked about our workshop and what it has to do with printed circuit boards well we’re here to tell you.

Both in the Uk and Ireland we have attended events and run workshops where people can manufacture a small printed circuit board (PCB) badge with our help. These PCBs are generally green but can be changed for different events e.g our PCB printed circuit boards used for the badges during InspireFest event was purple.

The PCB layout can also be changed from a circular disk like shape to a more relevant PCB. We get our PCB manufacturer to supply our printed circuit boards after we give them the PCB design.

We buy in the components and all the necessary materials to make the flashing LED circuit board badges.

Whats Needed

  • Components
  • Reflowster Machine (which you can find in our PCB shop)
  • Toaster oven
  • Printed circuit boards
  • Soldering paste
  • Soldering iron
  • Pins
  • Card
  • Wire
  • PCB stencil
  • Tweezers

How Do We Do It?

In order to make our badge we place a stencil on our printed circuit board and line the empty spaces up to where the components will be positioned. Then we spread the soldering paste across this stencil in order to have the paste on the area where the components will be held. This is to ensure the components will stay on the PCB board and to provide connectivity and conductivity to the components later on in this cycle.

Next we use the tweezers to pick up the components and place on the board as is needed (its very delicate work so you would need a steady hand).

Then we stick the badge/ PCB into the Reflowster oven making sure to set temperature as is needed and wait for the reflow to do its work.

Next we take it out of the oven, ensuring the soldering paste has now turned silver which shows its conductivity and then we test it using a battery.

Successful Badges

If it’s a success, we then solder the back on to hold the battery in place and insert a pin to make it a badge.

The reason we do this is to show people our printed circuit boards and that they too could make a PCB prototype in the future. If so, we do hope they avail of our PCB services!

Mint Tek Circuits are a proud sourcer of Printed Circuit Boards Ireland And Printed Circuit Boards UK as well as an avid supporter of the Maker Community.

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