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UV LED Exposure Box

by djhamer on April 18, 2009 Table of Contents UV LED Exposure Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: UV LED Exposure Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Box Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Box Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Lid Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Fit, Fill, Sand and Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 7: UV LED Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 9 9

Step 8: Prepare the Veroboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 9: Negative and Positive Rail Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step 10: Soldering the Resistors (surface mount style) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Step 11: Soldering the LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 12: Insert LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 13: Solder 1st Leg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 14: Position LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Step 15: Finish the Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 16: Solder Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 17: Test that Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 18: Test that Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Step 19: Make the Second Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Step 20: Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Step 21: Fitting the Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Step 22: Glass and Foam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Step 23: Assembly and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Step 24: Final Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Step 25: Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Step 26: Go Make Some PCB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Intro: UV LED Exposure Box

How to build an Ultra Violet Exposure box using LED's. Your last Veroboard project! A UV exposure box is an extremely useful piece of kit. It can be used to make proper PCB's. It can also be used to make other things such as intricate photo etched parts (a subject for another instructable). The trouble is they can be a little pricey for the hobby enthusiast especially if you want the double side type. This instructable outlines the construction of a double sided UV exposure box using the recent generation of high brightness UV LEDs. Why use LEDs? LEDs are far more energy efficient than either incandescent or fluorescent lamps offering between 5-10 times more efficiency making them cheaper to run and kinder to the environment. They also (unlike fluorescent tubes) do not contain mercury. LEDs have a far greater life span than the other types of lamp measured in decades rather than months. The frequencies being emitted are also in a tighter band making UV LEDs safer than the traditional UV tubes. There's also just something cool about LEDs, I can't put my finger on it, but ever since I was a kid I've found them to be one of the more fascinating electronic components. Is there a disadvantage to using LEDs? Not really, however the UV exposure box I have detailed here is a little less powerful than the commercially available ones. This means that your exposure times will be around 2 ~ 3 minutes as opposed to 30 ~ 40 seconds, but come on, do you really need your PCB's to be produced that quickly? Anyway sometimes having a slightly slower exposure time can be an advantage allowing you a little more control. This UV Exposure box will consist of 2 UV panels; each having 84 LEDs a total of 168 LEDs. Each panel will draw about 700mA at 12v. This makes each panel 8.4watts a total of 16.8 watts for the whole thing.

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Step 1: Materials
The most critical parts of this project are the UV LEDs, you are looking for 5mm Ultra Violet LED 2000mcd 395nm, 3.4V 20~25mA. I bought two 100psc packs from eBay. If you find something better then ensure that they are; - At least 2000mcd in brightness - Have a peak wavelength of less than 400nm. - A viewing angle of at least 20 degrees. You will also need 2x 160mm x 100mm pieces of Veroboard and 56x 75R resistors. Another important choice is the PSU. I used a plug in, 12 volt 24 watt switch mode power supply. Switch mode power supply's are far more energy efficient than most other types and are also very stable. All the other parts and materials are easy to find. Some I bought, some I salvaged. This is where you own judgement and taste comes in. In the end it's up to you how closely you follow my design. I've included all the CAD drawings and schematics as metafiles so they're easier to read when you print them out.

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File Downloads

CAD files.zip (423 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'CAD files.zip']

Step 2: Box Parts

First cut out all of the parts as shown in the drawings. I used some salvaged 6mm MDF. Then cut out the holes in the glass lid, the apron and the recesses on the side inserts. And route the recess for the glass using a router cut the surface recess on the underside of the glass lid.

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Step 3: Box Sides

Now glue together the 4 outer sides of the main box using the base as a guide (make sure you don't glue the base though). Then glue the inner sides in place so that when fitted, the apron is flush with the edge and the base is slightly recessed.

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Step 4: Lid Assembly

Glue together the lid just as you did the main box but the lid can be assembled all in one go.

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Step 5: Fit, Fill, Sand and Drill

Fit the lid, hinges, catches and glue the apron and support in place. This step will require a lot of test and adjustment to get things just right. Pay particular attention to the glass lid. I've slotted the holes for the glass lid hinges to make for easy adjustment. I've also chosen some hinges that only open to 95 degrees and some toggle catches.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

Step 6: Holes
Drill holes for the PSU connector, and for a cable to go from the box to the lid. Make one final check that everything fits, drill pilot holes for the base screws. Then remove all the hinges etc. give everything one last going over with filler and sand paper and then paint all the wooden parts. I recommend using white for the inside to help reflect and diffuse the UV light but the outside can be whatever colour you like.

Step 7: UV LED Panels

I've mounted everything except the LEDs on the copper side of the board to keep the LED side uncluttered.

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Step 8: Prepare the Veroboard

First cut the tracks with a spot face cutter as per the track diagram and drill the 6 holes (3.2mm). Buzz the tracks with a multimeter at each stage to check for short circuits and bad connections.

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Step 9: Negative and Positive Rail Links

Next solder on the links putting some insulating tube between the solder joints. Put kinks in the wire where it contacts the board.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

Step 10: Soldering the Resistors (surface mount style)

Put dogleg bends in the resistors wires. Then solder in position testing each one with an Ohmmeter to check for shorts. Take care not to melt the paint on the resistors and cause a short!

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Step 11: Soldering the LEDs

Solder all the LEDs in place, note their polarity. The diagram shows which side the flats should be. This step can be tricky, as all the LED bases need to be flat against the board to ensure an even spread of light. Resist the temptation to insert them all and then solder. The best method I found follows in the next few steps.

Step 12: Insert LEDs

Do one row at a time. Insert all the LEDs in the row checking you've got them the right way round.

Step 13: Solder 1st Leg

Then place a block of foam rubber (or something similar) on top and flip over. Then solder just one of the legs of each LED.

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Step 14: Position LEDs

Now hold the board in your hand supporting an LED with your finger. Reheat the solder, as the solder melts the LED will become free and you can wiggle it with your finger till you feel it is flat against the board. Hold for a few seconds as the solder cools. Repeat this step for each LED in the row.

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Step 15: Finish the Row

Now solder the other leg of each of the LEDs in this row and clip all the legs to length.

Step 16: Solder Links

You need to create a bridge at the end of each series of three LEDs to ground. Use a small piece of wire or an offcut of the resistor wires.

Step 17: Test that Block

After you've completed every 3rd row you can test that block by applying up to 12volts to the board. I recommend using a bench PSU and turning the voltage up slowly. Be careful not to go over 12 volts and watch your eyes, don't stare directly into the LEDs!

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Step 18: Test that Panel

Finally add the red and black flying leads to the positive and negative rails. Do a final test with your bench PSU. If any of the LEDs are duds then replace them (you should have 32 spares). And remember, check the polarity!

Step 19: Make the Second Panel

Now repeat the last 10 steps for the second panel, and fit standoffs to the six holes on each board.

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Step 20: Control Panel

Make a control panel out of 1 ~ 1.5mm sheet steel and cut a hole to fit your power switch.

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Step 21: Fitting the Glass

First cut the glass to size. Then stick the upper glass into the recess on the glass lid using silicone sealant.

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Step 22: Glass and Foam

Cut some thick foam rubber (about 1 inch thick) to the same profile as the shelf. Make the cuts in the foam by compressing it with two rulers side by side and then run a craft knife between them. Then Place the foam on top of the shelf and the lower glass on top of the foam and then run a fabric strap around the ends of the glass, adjust the length of the straps so the glass sits flush with the top of the box and fix the straps to the shelf.

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Step 23: Assembly and Wiring

Fit the lid, its hinges, the toggle catches and the LED panels. Run a wire between the lid and box and either fit connectors or solder it directly to the LED Panel. You may also want to cover the wires in PVC tubing. Attach the control panel with short screws, and fit the power switch. Then fit the power connector and the power switch and wire it all up as per the schematic.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

Step 24: Final Assembly

Fit the shelf, foam and glass assembly and the glass lid and its hinges and check that everything still opens and closes smoothly.

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Step 25: Testing

You may want to check everything is OK by hooking up a bench PSU and turning the voltage up slowly. You may also want to check the voltage of you PSU. When you're confident everything is OK plug it in and switch it on. Safety note! Do not stare directly into the UV LEDs. UV light is harmful to your eyes. It's also a good idea to get hold of some laser goggles, these should block all the light below 532nm. To get an idea of the amount of time you should expose your PCBs for you can do an exposure test. Coat a piece of scrap metal with Photo resist on one-side and mark minutes on the other. Then with a piece of card mask of the metal expose for 1 minute then move the card to the next, mark expose for another minute and keep going until you reach the end. Remember start at the 10-minute mark and work down.

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Step 26: Go Make Some PCB

And you're done. Go and experiment with the photo resist and get a feel for how it responds to the UV light and the chemicals you're going to use with it. A great first project might be a timing device for your UV Exposure Box. I've deliberately left plenty of room on the control panel for this and in fact it will be the subject of my next Instructable.

Related Instructables

How to make a printed circuit board (PCB) using the UV light LED method. by JoeyJunior

The return of the dead flatbed scanner by 5Volt

Battery Powered Portable VU Meter by Vlorbschnat

Fantastic Double Sided PCBs at home using photoresist method by fluxuss

Making PCB's with an easy UV-methode by janw

UV LED Torch by XxShadowxX14

Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 85 comments

Pyroflea says:

Feb 7, 2011. 1:52 PM REPLY Would I bet better off having a 7 x 7 grid of 7000mcd LEDs, or a 10 x 10 grid of 3000mcd LEDs? I don't make very large boards, so both are of adequate size. I get get either configuration for the same price, so I'm just curious which to go with. Feb 6, 2011. 9:08 AM REPLY Hi, nice instructable! was just wondering, where you got your LEDs? well, ebay obviously! but what seller? ot Store? there are many but most dont list all the specs. some leave out hte mcd! some leave out the wavelength! one store i found was TopBright LED store. is that the place you got yours? Regards, Dean

DeanM87 says:

loluengo says:
Has anyone had experience using this UV lamp for curing UV solder mask? Is it enough powerful for this use? Great instructable!

Jan 28, 2011. 1:47 PM REPLY

Vogavt says:

Jul 7, 2010. 7:52 PM REPLY I built the box, but I seem to keep blowing LED's. I'm using the supplier that you recommeded and everything appears to be okay. However, I noticed that when I turn off the wall-wart type 12v power supply, I have some latent voltage residing on the board. I can see some residual glowing of some of the LED's immediately after turning the unit off. It does eventually fade out, but if I turn the unit back on too quickly, I have a bright flash of the LED's. It's as if there is a capacitor somewhere that's holding current in the 12v transformer. Any ideas or suggestions to bleed off the current? I'm a newbie at these sort of things.

Vogavt says:

Jul 11, 2010. 5:33 AM REPLY Okay. After surfing around the web I've found out what a "Bleed Resistor" is, but I haven't been able to find out definitively how to calculate the amount of resistance needed or exactly where to put it in the circuitry. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

panic mode says:

Why guess resistors? Calculate:

Dec 30, 2010. 11:57 PM REPLY

Most efficient way is to use make strings of few LEDs in series with resistor (and you can connect many such strings in parallel) R=(V-n*Vf)/If P=R*(If)^2 where R= resistance (Ohms) V= power supply voltage (Volts) Vf= LED forward voltage drop (usually about 2.2-3.8V for most LED, read specs) If= LED forward current (usually 20mA, read datasheet) n=number of LEDs in series (in one string) P = resistor power (Watts, minimum rating) note: you should aim to get the voltage difference to be about 2V: (V-n*Vd) ~ 2V reason: if the difference is greater, the more energy is wasted into heat by resistor (you need more powerful resistor and power supply). if the difference is too small you loose current regulation because LEDs are non-linear device.

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calculation example, assuming you are using V=12V Vf=3.2V If=0.020A (that is 20mA) n=3 R=(12-3*3.2)/0.020=120 Ohm P=120*0.02^2=0.048W (you can use 1/8W or 1/4W without problem) note how P is small. that is because we have (12-3*3.2)=2.4V using large resistors makes no sense because to get current to match spec, you would need high voltage (this is not just dangerous but also means that most of the energy is wasted in heat so those resistors would have to be for high power). for example using same scenario Vf=3.2V If=0.020A (that is 20mA) n=3 R=47k we would need resistor to have power rating of at least P=47000*0.020^2=18.8W (and that was just power three LEDs) Also DC power supply would need to provide much higher voltage which is V=n*Vf + R*If V=3*3.2 + 47000*0.020 V=9.6 + 940 V=949.6V That is way too much just for poweering few LEDs. So that was introduction for current limiting resistors. For bleeding resistors we calculate it from time constant. t=RC where t = time (seconds) C=capacitor in power supply R= resistor (note this is combined resistance of load and bleed resistor) R=t/C=Rb*Rc/(Rb+Rc) Rc=V/(m*If) this is load resistance (for m LED strings drawing current If) Rb=bleed resistor Say you have simple 12V PSU with bridge rectifier and 10000uF capacitor and 6 LED strings drawing 20mA C=0.010 F m=6 Rc=12/(6*0.020)=100 Ohm Without bleeding resistor t=RC=0.010 * 100= 1 seconds which is shourt enough adding bleed resstor in parallel, we can bleed the capacitor faster (total resistance is smaller and t=RC is smaller). Say we use Rb=18 Ohm R=18*100(18+100)=15.25 Ohm t=RC=15.25 * 0.010 = 0.1525 sec so turn off time was reduced by about 6x. note that value of bleed resistor was quite small. usinglarge value such as 10k or 47k would not make any difference. also keep in mind power disipated by bleed resistor P=12^2/18=8W (which is more than used power for LED circuit in this example). good luck

djhamer says:

Aug 15, 2010. 8:01 AM REPLY Youll need to put your bleed resistor across the whole circuit, i.e. between the + and supply. Make sure its in the 10s of K ohms e.g. 47Kohms.

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wdfitz2000 says:
Looks like a good project, think I'll try it. Does anyone know an easy way to align the front and back transparancies (masks)? Don

Nov 15, 2010. 4:52 PM REPLY

andreq says:

Jun 7, 2009. 2:25 PM REPLY Great instructable! Here is my first ever PCB using this method. I was previously making them by hand. I'll never go back to sharpies! I've built a simple UV light box using an average size plastic shoe box and 35UV led (30degree view angle). I've made some calculation, but in the end I've just placed the led 1 inch apart as it seemed to light more uniformly. This is my "test pattern" From left to right, 30 seconds to 5 minutes exposure time. The Second picture is a close-up of the best result, 3:30 minutes I'm using 3 layer of ink jet transparencies. 1 print is black, one is photo green and the third is black. I've read somewhere that photo green should have some UV repellent in it. Anyway, the result where perfect! p.s. See full size images for better comparison

Physika says:
Andreq, could you tell me what was the mcd output of the LEDs you used?

Sep 20, 2010. 5:41 PM REPLY

andreq says:
I used a mix of http://www.bivar.com/product-details.asp?PartNo=UV5TZ-400-30 and http://www.bivar.com/product-details.asp?PartNo=UV5TZ-395-30 Hope this can help :D

Sep 20, 2010. 6:11 PM REPLY

hamstanz says:
Do these work well ? And how long does it take to expose a board ? Thanks

Nov 13, 2010. 8:40 PM REPLY

andreq says:
As I said in my comment, I use 3 layer of ink on my transparency + 3:30 exposure time. They work pretty well for me!

Nov 14, 2010. 8:20 AM REPLY

You should make your own test pattern with 30sec exposure increment because I might not be using the same photo resist PCB clad board. Each brand is different. Good luck

Physika says:

Sep 20, 2010. 6:55 PM REPLY Thank you very much. I went to the site and checked out the datasheet, which was interesting. The emission spectra are only 10-20 nm wide, which is great. Also, they give the output in mW....20 mW output typical. With a forward voltage of 3.4V and a recommended forward current of 15mA, this means it is about 40% efficient in converting electrical energy to UV.

djhamer says:

Jun 19, 2009. 6:06 AM REPLY Nice one! It looks like you got some really good results. I like the tip about the green layer. I usually use the laser printer at work but I want to experiment with using my home ink jet. Isn't 3 layers a little overkill though?

andreq says:

Jun 24, 2009. 9:07 PM REPLY Here is my first "real" PCB. It's a simple PSU for an audio amp I'm currently building. I really like the result I get from my ghetto plastic shoe box :). I should post picture of the box itself.

http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

andreq says:

Jun 20, 2009. 5:44 AM REPLY Hi, I think 2 layer could be enough, but as I'm relaying on Internet for most of my information about UV Pcb making, I've read somewhere that 3 layer give pretty good result... and now I'm mostly convinced! If you don't want to waste too much transparency paper here is the method I use : 1. Print on normal paper the 3 layer close enough so it doesn't use too much area. 2. Cut a piece of transparency paper the size of the area printed. 3. Tape it to the normal paper making sure there is no tape on the pattern. 4. Reprint on the same normal paper with taped transparency paper on top. 5. Untape and cut transparency to size. 6. Align the 3 layer with some light (I use my LCD screen) and tape them making sure no tape is on the pattern (but it's not too much of a problem). Than you have a nice "thick" 3 layer ultra opaque pattern! Also, it's not mandatory to have everything flash when exposing. I mean, it should be quite flat, but for this test pattern I've moved the top piece of glasses (not on purpose) so up and down and it gave pretty good result!

andreq says:

Jun 7, 2009. 2:27 PM REPLY Ho and by the way, the smallest trace is 6mil (!!!) and it's perfectly etched! I guess I could go crazier and use 2-3 mil line, but that's overkill for my homemade PCB :)

hamstanz says:
Do you not mean 200 mcd brightness ?

Jul 7, 2010. 2:24 AM REPLY

djhamer says:

Aug 15, 2010. 7:51 AM REPLY No, I definitely mean 2000mcd. I know LEDs with the specs I provided arent the most common but they are sill fairly easy to obtain. Just keep digging and youll find them soon enough.

Physika says:

Sep 20, 2010. 5:29 PM REPLY I am wondering if anyone has deeper info about these 2000mcd UV leds. They use similar currents and have similar voltage drops as the 150200mcd uv leds, and similar view angles. Thus their consumed power is about the same, but their efficiency is about 10 times higher. This seems implausible. I suspect they have a spectrum that includes much more visible light, which increases the mcd value without adding useful uv light. Anyone have more info? BTW - great post djhamer!

f2a says:

Aug 12, 2010. 9:49 AM REPLY Nice design, however it wasn't big enough for me. Also I didn't need to do double sided boards. I made a uv light box out of a cigar box that turned out great. Here are some pictures if interested:

http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

djhamer says:
That looks really good. Have you made any PCBs yet? Id love to see some photos as and when you do.

Aug 15, 2010. 7:43 AM REPLY

f2a says:

Aug 15, 2010. 1:22 PM REPLY No I haven't made any pcbs yet, but I'll post some pictures when I do! I should add, if you are going to make one out of a cigar box you have to use flat top leds. Otherwise the light won't be even. With flat top leds you can get even light from much closer which should also allow for quick exposure times due to higher power. I also cut a piece of acrylic to fit inside the box to flatten the transparency onto the pcb. Does anyone have any good eagle test patterns? I need to make one so I can do some tests.

casper_2010 says:

Aug 13, 2010. 2:35 AM REPLY hi there, i was wondering how big your veroboards are? seems like a great instructable, just ordered myself some uv leds to make one cheers

djhamer says:
Hi, I used 2 pieces of 160mm x 100mm veroboard. Good luck with your build.

Aug 15, 2010. 7:33 AM REPLY

bogdanfirst says:

Jun 24, 2010. 12:34 PM REPLY I have made a similar UV box, with some improvement, too! Thanks for the idea! Check it out: http://www.electrobob.com/uv-exposure-box-part-1-the-box/

djhamer says:

Jun 25, 2010. 12:30 PM REPLY I checked it out, nice one. I particularly like the safety switch I thought about adding something like that but Im still experimenting. I have some laser goggles to protect my eyes but at some point I am going to need to add some built in safety.

bogdanfirst says:

Jun 25, 2010. 3:44 PM REPLY That switch provides a simple and effective way to make it safe, as long as nobody tampers with it, goggles are harder to obtain and cost more. These safety measures should come as a second protection, first line is actually us, not opening the box and staring at uv lights turned on.

Munchys says:
Could i tan my finger in this?

Jun 17, 2010. 7:35 PM REPLY

djhamer says:

Jun 25, 2010. 12:18 PM REPLY You sure could. It might take a while. If your front door faces east youd be better off sticking you fingers through your letter box on sunny mornings. Or, if you work in an office, photocopy your hands every time you walk past the copier.

phoenix62_80 says:

May 10, 2010. 12:15 PM REPLY Great work, thanks for the instructable. I'm in the process of getting all the kit together to build one. As a point though the photograph of the resistor is of a 65 ohm resistor and not 75 ohm as mentioned in the text. 65 ohm resistors are quite hard to get hold of!

djhamer says:
The resistors are definitely 75 ohm, I double checked. Purple=7, Green=5, Black=0, Gold= /10 and Brown=1%.

May 30, 2010. 7:22 AM REPLY

phoenix62_80 says:

Jun 3, 2010. 3:37 PM REPLY I agree with what you have typed, the colours you mention definitely are the code for a 75 ohm resistor, however the picture you have submitted in the instructable to my eyes clearly shows a 65 ohm resistor - blue(6), green(5), black(*1) and thats what I was trying to point out.

djhamer says:

Jun 25, 2010. 12:10 PM REPLY I dont mean to contradict you but it looks purple to me. Maybe your monitors colour balance is different to mine or maybe the brand of resistors you use has a different hue and your eyes are not used to the shades of the bands on the resistors I use. You shouldnt rely entirely on the colour bands as Ive seen huge colour variation even on the same batch from the same brand.

yazid says:

May 23, 2010. 7:59 PM REPLY great instructable. thanks, i love it. but i have a question, can i use this to expose photo emulsion silkscreen, because i see some of them using black light tubes. will LEDs work? thanks in advance.

djhamer says:

May 30, 2010. 7:41 AM REPLY In theory it should work I've thought about this but I haven't tried it and I don't have any of that silk screen emulsion. I might check it out sometime. You'd need to look for the emulsions activating frequency and compare it with the LED's band (or peek frequency).

http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

conoral11 says:

May 13, 2010. 3:48 PM REPLY I found it difficult making these dog legged bends. I simply placed the resistor through the holes as usual, Soldered them in then bent the reamaining leg back and forth. As the metal tired out it snapped flush with the top side of the veroboard. Hope that helps anyone.

djhamer says:
Great tip. You do have to be careful with the legs of some components, they can de delicate.

May 30, 2010. 7:34 AM REPLY

Heartman says:
Hi, I made one simple face in 2007, Link (French Forum) : http://soj.mesdiscussions.net/soj/Electronique/Montage/projet-insoleuse-digital-sujet_5067_1.htm

Jan 21, 2010. 5:31 AM REPLY

With schema and explanations, with a Pic Timer (2 versions are presented). I'm working one another version double face, with 28 000mcd UV LED 8mm 140 angle. I guess 10 LEDs per face will be right. My best regards,

djhamer says:
Nice one, I like it. I'm hoping to get my timer finished soon. I'll keep you posted.

May 30, 2010. 7:33 AM REPLY

Billdo22 says:
if you connected it in a certain way couldnt you power it with AC?

May 9, 2010. 12:00 AM REPLY

djhamer says:

May 30, 2010. 7:29 AM REPLY Not Really. Mains voltage can vary by 20-30 volts under normal conditions with no surges or spikes. This would mean the difference between them not lighting up and bursting in to flames, if you had a load of them in series. The way I am driving them is the cheapest and simplest way. There are may other ways that are more energy efficient but as efficiency increases so dose the cost and complexity.

jtrowbridge says:
How did you find the optimal distance for exposure between the PCB being exposed and the LED boards?

Dec 29, 2009. 4:52 PM REPLY

djhamer says:
See my comment from the Jun 4, 2009.

Jan 4, 2010. 6:58 AM REPLY

farrelan says:
Very hard to read your measurements. You have a better pic that you can send me??

Dec 18, 2009. 8:24 AM REPLY

djhamer says:

Dec 18, 2009. 9:20 AM REPLY Hi, I found this problem when I first started using Instructables. If you look at the top left hand corner of any image there's a small box with an 'i' in it. If you click on this box you get a page with options to download a higher resolution of the image. Also if you look at step 1 of my instructables there's a zip file containing vector files of the drawings. Its all in common formats so you won't need any additional software to read and print these files.

farrelan says:
Thanks alot. Learn something everyday

Dec 21, 2009. 7:47 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/

kal00 says:
Stupid question: How do you make pcb's out of uv light? Do you need a special copper clad that has a photoresist material?

Dec 7, 2009. 1:02 AM REPLY

djhamer says:

Dec 13, 2009. 4:52 AM REPLY Short answer, both. You can buy aerosol cans of UV photoresist ( I get mine here: uk.farnell.com/electrolube/prp200/photo-resist/dp/130552 ). You can also buy pre-sensitised copper clad boards but that's a more expensive solution. I am working on some more instructables that will answer all you questions, however life keeps getting in the way and I can't seem to get the next part of this one ( which will be a timer for the UV exposure box itself) finished. But keep checking back, I will get it done sometime soon.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/UV-LED-Exposure-Box/