Frequently asked questions, abbreviated to FAQ, are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular product line.
Here you will find some commonly asked questions that we receive for our many products. We hope they help you with questions you may have. If not, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service representatives or technical directors for more information.
We ship the job within 24 hours. We accommodate faster turn around when needed.
We recommend IPC standard edits.
Fine grain, PHD, nickel, stainless steel, brass and copper. If you have another material you are interested in for your stencil, please ask us.
We require a paste or copper layer, but we prefer to have as much info as possible, such as the silk, mask and drill layers, to ensure the stencil is accurate to your needs
Yes, it is possible to do Step (on squeegee side) and Recess (on board side) on the same stencil. It depends on the thickness of the stencil, step and recess areas, as well as step and recess depth. Also, it is possible to have multi-step (different thicknesses) on the same stencil.
We could go down to 0.0005" (0.5 mil) for stencil foil 12" x 12".
Note: Thickness range for Electroform stencil: 0.0005" to 0.008" with 0.0003" increments.
We can etch a wide range of metals including brass and copper.
Note: Other metals include stainless steel, Invar, beryllium copper, nickel silver, etc.
In most cases, no. We need to oversize each component to the extents of the silk outline to ensure the template clears the component when placed on the board. The reference designators need to be a minimum of 0.100" in order to infill with ink and be legible.
This will depend on how dense the board is. In order for each component to have its own cutout, there needs to a be a minimum of 0.030" between components during the template design phase in order to hold a thick enough web for each component. Groups of components that are less than 0.030" will be cut out as a group instead of individual components.
The ESD material comes in sheets that are 32x24". This is large enough for most applications. If we need to create larger templates, we can cut multiple pieces that have "dovetail" designs on the ends, which allow them to piece together like a puzzle.
Depending on the complexity of the board, it could take up to 24 hours to be engineered. Generally, templates are shipped next day. In some cases, this may take longer depending on the complexity, quantity and size ordered. Each customer will be notified if we need longer than 24 hours to ship. Our laser is capable of cutting most plastic materials up to a thickness of 0.5". Custom orders are always reviewed to see if we can meet customer requirements.
