-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
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.
Suggested Items
Indium Experts to Present on High-Temperature, Lead-Free Solder Paste and High Reliability Liquid Metal Alloys Poster at ECTC
05/16/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Research Associate Kyle Aserian will deliver a presentation at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) on May 31, in Denver, Colorado.
Indium Experts to Present at Electronics in Harsh Environments SMTA Conference
05/13/2024 | Indium Corporationndium Corporation Technical Manager for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Karthik Vijay, will deliver a technical presentation and Indium Corporation Senior Technologist, Dr. Ronald Lasky, will deliver both a workshop and technical presentation at the Electronics in Harsh Environments SMTA Conference on May 14-16 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—The Pre-Manufacturing Process
05/08/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsI have been working with Nolan Johnson on a podcast series about designing PCBs for the reality of manufacturing. By sharing lessons learned over a long career in the PCB industry, we hope to shorten learning curves and help designers produce better boards with less hassle and rework. Episode 2 deals with the electronic pre-manufacturing process. Moving from CAD (computer-aided design) to CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) is a key step in PCB manufacturing. CAM turns digital designs into instructions that machines can use to actually build the PCB.
AIM Solder Signs Shinil Fl Ltd. as New Distributor for Korea
05/08/2024 | AIM SolderAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with Shinil Fl Ltd., a prominent supplier of technological solutions in the SMT and semiconductor sectors.
Indium Corporation to Showcase HIA Materials at ECTC
05/07/2024 | Indium CorporationAs an industry leader in innovative materials solutions for semiconductor packaging and assembly, Indium Corporation® will feature its advanced products designed to meet the evolving challenges of heterogeneous integration and assembly (HIA) and fine-pitch system-in-package (SiP) applications at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), May 28‒31, in Denver, Colorado.