PC boards produced from PDF files

2 April 2008 Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services

A company called C-Boards is offering a unique service of producing printed circuit boards based on a PDF source file. Using PDF files is said to be simpler and faster than the traditional Gerber files, enabling the company to make a board in under an hour. The company boasts that customers can e-mail an order just after lunch, and receive the board the next morning by courier.

The key transformation of a PDF file into a precision drilled and etched product is the function of advanced Hole Recognition software, which was developed by company owner James Chalmers upon returning to Pretoria in 2003 after mathematical training in the United States.

C-Boards concentrates on rapid turn­around single sided boards, targeted specifically at prototype PCBs for electronics developers and enthusiasts. The company’s facilities enable it to mill out a variety of substrates and etch stainless steel solder paste stencils and aluminium face plates.

For more information contact C-Boards, +27 (0)12 332 4062, [email protected], www.cboards.co.za

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