Product category: Electronics Manufacturing Machinery and Materials
News Release from: Tecan | Subject: Stencils and squeegees
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 30 October 2006
Stencils and squeegees
bring lead-free success
A combination of proven design features have been brought together to ensure lead-free printing success through the adoption of stencils and squeegees from Tecan
Related stories
The highway code of stencils
Guide offers the electronics industry a comprehensive reference source of how to achieve the best possible printed results from all types of stencils
Finishes adapt components' surface properties
Gold-based finishes are designed to provide optimum durability, reliability and/or solderabiilty dependent on the application
The company manufactures polished nickel squeegee blades which offer superior handling of lead-free solder pastes which characteristically are higher in tin content and therefore less dense than traditional leaded pastes. In addition to promoting effective paste roll, the highly polished blades ensure reduced paste hang-up on the blades themselves at the end of the print stroke - this significantly aids paste conditioning.
Improved paste roll characteristics also extend the printing life of the solder paste.
A further defining feature of the Tecan squeegee blades is their reactive mobile edge.
The mobile edge allows the blade to flex locally to overcome uneven substrate conditions such as proud via holes, thicker pads or poor quality silk screening to deliver clean consistent printed results.
Further reading
Screening cans suit automatic assembly
Standard RFI screening cans can be supplied on pick-and-place tape reels for the convenience of small, medium and high-volume OEMs and CEMs
Single source solution for EMC enclosures
Tecan has a division dedicated to the provision of EMC enclosures which is set up to offer advice and assistance, from initial concept through to volume manufacture
This provides significantly better and more accurately defined deposits, increased process control and improved product quality.
Stencil design is crucial to ensuring repeatable lead-free printing success.
By combining its extensive industry knowledge and experience with the in-house flexibility to manufacture stencils in all formats, technologies and thicknesses Tecan can optimise any lead-free SMT printing line.
Its multi level stencils deliver appropriate thickness paste deposits for all components on the PCB, eliminating the need for expensive rework.
Whatever the stencil choice a proprietary surface finish known as paste roll activation (PRA) is incorporated into all lead-free stencils including precision laser, laser-formed and electroform variants.
PRA is an effective micro-fine pattern created on the squeegee side of the stencil which has been designed to significantly improve paste roll.
The PRA wave pattern assists in activating and 'conditioning' the paste to improve its rheology.
This paste conditioning also extends the printing life of the paste.
Effective paste roll is an important pre-requisite for successful solder paste printing and the PRA pattern delivers a better aperture filling capability than non-PRA stencils and is proven to be particularly beneficial for fine pitch applications.
Completing its lead-free print optimisation offering, the company recognises the appropriate aperture reduction required for lead-free applications.
Aperture sizes are enhanced using its bespoke CAD system library to ensure whatever the component type or pad finish, lead-free paste deposits are entirely appropriate to individual requirements.
Its range of colour coded squeegee blade holders also provide the necessary segregation for companies using both lead-free and leaded processes to ensure there is no cross-contamination within the production environment.
• Tecan: contact details and other news
• Email this news to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Related Business News
Board: Druggists Must Fill Prescriptions
Druggists who believe 'morning-after' birth control pills are tantamount to abortion can't stand in the way of a patient's right to the drugs, state regulators have decided.
Sec Aide: Risk In Credit-default Swaps
The Securities and Exchange Commission is raising the possibility that an increasingly popular type of financial instrument may be used to engage in insider trading -- but there may be questions about the SEC's jurisdiction over the products.
Company Profile for Intelligentz Corporation
Intelligentz provides not only a cutting edge RFID solution, but the software to make it work. Dedication makes us strive to exceed all of your expectations.
Tcdi(r) Announces Staff Additions
Tcdiâ® , a market leader in Litigation Technology, today announces the addition of five new employees.
Rocket City (RCAU) Announces Issuance of Stock Dividend
Rocket City Automotive Group , board of directors announced today that RCAU will be paying a ten percent stock dividend on Monday, May 28, 2007 to all shareholders of record on April 20, 2007.
