Nolan’s Notes: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
LPKF on Stencils and Depaneling
February 11, 2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Stephan Schmidt and Mirela Orlowski of LPKF Laser & Electronics North America discuss laser technology in cutting stencils and depaneling circuit boards as a factor in shrinking component sizes and why few people in the industry realize how much of an impact the stencil can have on the manufacturing line.
Nolan Johnson: There’s a lot happening right now with smaller components, smaller step sizes between pads, smaller features on the boards, tight tolerances, as well as interfacing between the component and the board with the solder paste. What’s your perspective on the challenges as an equipment manufacturer?
Stephan Schmidt: We have an impact on two sides of the assembly world. One side is the equipment for the depaneling of PCBs because this product is at the forefront of high miniaturization. It’s used for challenging components and circuit boards that can’t be done with the traditional technologies, such as routers and pizza cutters or manual depaneling situations. If you have small components that need high tolerances, that is not possible anymore with traditional mechanical separation methods.
We also have some impact on the stencil manufacturing side, where we manufacture laser systems to cut SMT solder paste stencils. The importance of the quality of those stencils is higher now than it ever was in the past. With the tolerances in PCBs being what they are, it can only be reasonably affected by the buyer of the circuit board, and it is important that the quality of the stencil not add any negative impact.
Especially with SMT components getting smaller and smaller, we need to get the solder paste in the right spot to avoid any shorts or bridges. Having an accurate stencil goes a long way. Some manufacturers that we’ve worked with in the past have looked into this carefully and understood how important the role a relatively inexpensive item, such as a regular solder paste stencil, has in their manufacturing yield.
Once they looked into this and understood how important those things were, they decided that only stencils with a certain quality can be used, and it made a big difference in the manufacturing process. They recognize that buying a stencil that’s made on a high-quality machine versus one that is 20 years old and out of calibration makes a huge difference for them. It doesn’t come down to saving $10 on the cost of the stencil; it’s about saving thousands of dollars in the manufacturing process by buying a quality tool that is reliable for manufacturing.
To read this entire interview, which appeared in the February 2020 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
06/26/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsMicro components have redefined what is possible in PCB design. With package sizes like 01005 and 0201 becoming more common in high-density layouts, designers are now expected to pack more performance into smaller spaces than ever before. While these advancements support miniaturization and functionality, they introduce new assembly challenges, particularly with traditional solder mask and legend application processes.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
06/25/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileTin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typically measuring a few micrometers in diameter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or compressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys.