6. Adding Rivets
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Now that both layers are printed, it's time to add rivets to the circuit to connect the front and back of the board!
The V-One Drill shipped with two rivet sizes, the smaller rivets are better suited for vias, while the larger rivets are suited for plated through holes.
To insert rivets, you will need:
A set of tweezers
A hammer or mallet
To secure the rivets you need to use the specialized rivet tools. Two were included with your drill bundle, one for each rivet size. Take a moment now to familiarize yourself with them.
There are seven 0.7 mm holes that need small rivets and ten 1.6 mm holes for the larger rivet. The larger rivets allow us to have a secure mechanical connection.
Using fine tweezers, carefully pinch the rivet and place it in the hole. Repeat this process for all the rivets.
The small (0.4mm) rivets can be tricky to handle, we recommend placing the substrate flat on a table then pinching the rivets from their side. Pinching them from the head can send them shooting across the room.
Place a flat plate on top of your PCB and flip the board upside down so that all the rivets are facing up. Ensure you are working on a hard surface/table that will not deflect.
Be careful: all of your rivets may fall out if the boards are not pressed together!
Position the rivet tool on top and ensure the tip of the tool is centered on the rivet. Ensure the tool is centered before pressing down. Otherwise the rivet may buckle inwards.
Use a small mallet or similar tool to apply a downward force on the rivet tool. You do not need to apply large amounts of force, just enough to deform the copper. The rivet should not be 'loose' after striking, if the rivet is loose try striking it again a bit harder.
Applying too much force can damage the printed traces and the FR1 underneath.
Repeat this step for all rivets so they are flat, secure, and making good contact with the traces.
The rivet tools have been designed to flatten the rivets and prevent damage to the traces. If the rivets did not connect the top and bottom layer, then too little or too much force was used to deform them.
Spend a few minutes with a multimeter to ensure the connection has been made. If they haven't you can always touch them up with a bit of flux and solder wire.
