We offer two options for solder paste stencils
eC-Registration compatible solder paste stencils and custom solder paste stencils. Both are laser-cut from 100 or 130 micron stainless steel.
Stencils can be ordered together with a PCB ( panel) in our Calculate and Order interface, or with our Stencil order module.
Stencils Ordered Together with the Boards
eC-Registration Compatible Stencil
The stencils that fit our eC-stencil-mate and eC-stencil-fix are called eC-Registration Compatible Stencils and are produced with special tooling holes according to the unique eC-registration-system. The eC-Registration System is a simple pin registration system offering high accuracy and an ease of use.
To accommodate the tooling holes required on the PCB to fit the eC-Registration System, the PCBs need a border and must be ordered in a panel. For single circuits, we make a 1-up panel for you.
Custom Stencil
A custom stencil is made from your paste layer. You can define online the borders you require on each side (minimum 20 mm).
Do not select eC registration compatible. Add your job to basket, and upload your data. If you supplied a paste layer with the PCB we will use that to make the stencil. Otherwise we will build a paste layer from the surface-mount pads.
Stencils Ordered Separately.
Stencils require Solder Paste Data to produce them
Customer Supplies the Solder Paste Data
The best situation is where the designer stays in control of the Solder Paste data required to manufacture the stencil.
By doing so, the designer has full control of the shape and size of the solder paste openings, they can decide the what to do with fiducials, test points (in the copper data) and special shaped components etc…
Having full control has other advantages such as it allows the designer to use techniques like Pin In Paste (PIP) soldering or other soldering technique that needs special adaptations of the stencil.
- The designer creates the Solder Paste data in the CAD system used for making the board layout. Any CAD system on the market today has this functionality. The Solder Paste data file (Gerber) will then be added to the rest of the PCB layout data to be uploaded in the Eurocircuits online customer account.
- Our eC-smart tool Solder Paste Editor can be used to edit existing solder paste data.
You can find detailed information on how to use our tool in our Layer Editor User Guide.
Eurocircuits creates the Solder Paste data
If no Solder Paste data is supplied but a Stencil is ordered then Eurocircuits will create the Solder Paste data based on the available PCB layout data, using a combination of the copper layout and the overlaying soldermask.
We use the FLASHED pads from the copper layer that are totally free of soldermask and are not drilled. In addition, we class resin filled Vias as not drilled, this is because after plating they are a copper pad on the outer layer.
Of course our simple rule to create this data and the actual stencil relies totally on the quality of the data supplied. For example, if the copper layer pads are drawn or presented as contours, then it is next to impossible to perform this function.
If the design contains Soldermask Defined Pads, then the creation of Solder Paste data by us is not advisable as we will lack the information to do so properly.
However, if you are have concerns about the correct creation of the Solder Paste data, you can always launch your order to include a Pre-Production Approval stop, this will allow you to review all the data before your order goes into production.
Read all about our the Pre-Production Approval (PPA) functionality here.
Or watch this 4 minute video in which we explain how it works:
Or watch this 3 minute video in which we explain the process.