PCB Front Panels? Anyone use this?

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matriachamplification

matriachamplification

Wall Thomas
Joined
Feb 3, 2019
Messages
447
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hello GDIY

I was sent a option from a colleague to use PCB as front panels for audio gear.

Has anyone had any expereince building faceplates or backplanes with this material?

Wall

link to a pedal using this material
https://www.audiothingies.com/product/doctor-a-matte-black-gold/
 
It seems it could scratch easy and I'd be worried about the weight of the builds. Many projects here use multiple transformers and can get heavy.  Also some need the front panel grounded.
That said it could be a solution for 50p series stuff.
 
It is often used in the modular synth scene. Igor used it for 500series modules too.
Grounding shouldn't be a problem since you can use the copper layers.
However, the silkscreen on PCBs isn't always the best.
 
You can go one stage further and use a single sided aluminium PCB for the front panel. The solder resist becomes the background colour and the the silk screen colour is your panel legend. This is definitely more expensive than a regular PCB but still considerably cheaper than a front panel from Schaeffer for example.

Cheers

Ian
 
Rocinante said:
It seems it could scratch easy and I'd be worried about the weight of the builds. Many projects here use multiple transformers and can get heavy.  Also some need the front panel grounded.
That said it could be a solution for 50p series stuff.
Click to expand...
The ones I’ve seen have a ground plane on the back with no solder mask for grounding
 
ruffrecords said:
You can go one stage further and use a single sided aluminium PCB for the front panel. The solder resist becomes the background colour and the the silk screen colour is your panel legend. This is definitely more expensive than a regular PCB but still considerably cheaper than a front panel from Schaeffer for example.

Cheers

Ian
Click to expand...

This was our exact thought, an extra "lining" of some kind. I know Schaeffer works with some acrylics. I will connect with them after the holidays.
A PCB mold seems like an easy way to figure out some mechanicals hands on and experiment with a few aesthetics and graphics prior to committing to a steel faceplate design.
 
Rocinante said:
It seems it could scratch easy and I'd be worried about the weight of the builds. Many projects here use multiple transformers and can get heavy.  Also some need the front panel grounded.
That said it could be a solution for 50p series stuff.
Click to expand...

Scratching  and weight would be a factor. We had envisioned an acrylic lacquer of some fashion to layer over the silkscreening.
 
Actually I don't really get it. The cost of milling/drilling should be very similar (set-up and tooling being the major part of it), the cost of silk-screening is exactly the same, and I don't see the cost of raw Al being significantly more expensive than PCB material.
 
[silent:arts] said:
It is often used in the modular synth scene. Igor used it for 500series modules too.
Grounding shouldn't be a problem since you can use the copper layers.
However, the silkscreen on PCBs isn't always the best.
Click to expand...

We have received 4 modular synth Polivock DIY Kits from Erica Synths for our creative lesson plans. MAN they are tiny!
Silkscreening... we were going to use stickers and layer, layers of lacquer over it at first.
 
abbey road d enfer said:
Actually I don't really get it. The cost of milling/drilling should be very similar (set-up and tooling being the major part of it), the cost of silk-screening is exactly the same, and I don't see the cost of raw Al being significantly more expensive than PCB material.
Click to expand...

Very good point.
The cost of materials are irrelevant. This is immediately passed onto the buyer. What the cost reflects is the machinery.
X Machine can cut both Metal and PCB but Y Machine can only cut PCB.
To take X, the expensive machine, offline to cut PCB means revenue lost.

...I think, I am no industrial engineer.
 

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