SMT stencils in PCB production
The SMT stencil plays a central role in the production of PCBs. With the help of the stencil, the solder paste is applied to the PCB blank during printing. Therefore, the process is one of the first and most important steps in PCB production. Errors in paste printing are one of the main causes of unreliable or defective solder joints on electronic assemblies. Consequently, reliability, accuracy and quality of the stencil are immensely important for the later manufacturing process.
SMT stencil production with laser technology
The laser can be used to implement a wide variety of designs and material thicknesses of SMT stencils. Thereby, the laser fully meets any requirements for the stencil. In particular, the slightly conical openings in the direction of the PCB, which the laser makes possible due to the process, ensure optimal release behavior of the paste. In terms of performance, the laser is also convincing, because 20,000 apertures per hour can be easily achieved with LPKF laser systems.
Advantages of SMT stencil production with LPKF laser machines
In terms of the process, the laser offers a further advantage: due to its conical, i.e. tapering towards the substrate, the laser can also incorporate corresponding conical apertures into the stencil. This type of aperture offers significantly optimized paste release behavior and consequently better control of the paste during printing.