PCB Renewal: Iterative Reuse of PCB Substrates for Sustainable Electronic Making

TL;DR

This paper presents PCB Renewal, a technique for reusing PCB substrates by selectively depositing conductive epoxy to erase and reconfigure traces, significantly reducing waste and supporting sustainable electronics manufacturing.

Contribution

Introduction of PCB Renewal, a novel method for reusing and reconfiguring PCBs through selective epoxy deposition, with workflow, software tools, and demonstrated versatility across multiple projects.

Findings

Effective reconfiguration of PCBs demonstrated in multiple projects

Significant material and cost savings shown through sustainability modeling

PCB performance and durability maintained after renewal process

Abstract

PCB (printed circuit board) substrates are often single-use, leading to material waste in electronics making. We introduce PCB Renewal, a novel technique that "erases" and "reconfigures" PCB traces by selectively depositing conductive epoxy onto outdated areas, transforming isolated paths into conductive planes that support new traces. We present the PCB Renewal workflow, evaluate its electrical performance and mechanical durability, and model its sustainability impact, including material usage, cost, energy consumption, and time savings. We develop a software plug-in that guides epoxy deposition, generates updated PCB profiles, and calculates resource usage. To demonstrate PCB Renewal's effectiveness and versatility, we repurpose a single PCB across four design iterations spanning three projects: a camera roller, a WiFi radio, and an ESPboy game console. We also show how an outsourced double-layer PCB can be reconfigured, transforming it from an LED watch to an interactive cat toy. The paper concludes with limitations and future directions.