Hardware Podcasts

Chemical-Free PCB Production: How uFab is Changing Everything

OnTrack · 12 Aug 2025 · 33m · Episode 308

What this episode covers

Tyler Richards, founder of uFab, explains how his company is revolutionizing PCB manufacturing with the PCBee system, a laser-based printer that produces multi-layer boards in under 4 hours without chemical etchants. Richards details the technology's ability to handle materials like FR-4, Rogers, and flex substrates with 2-mil feature sizes, addressing the supply chain disruptions of 2020 that inspired the venture. The discussion covers the economic and environmental benefits of eliminating hazardous waste, the technical challenges of plating and via drilling, and the potential for reshoring production to smaller, localized facilities.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
uFab, DuPont, Panasonic, Rogers, Upwork, RadioShack
Products
PCBee, Arduino
Materials
FR-4, Rogers 4000

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