Do I need to mask off the areas surrounding the StencilQuik™ stencil while I am applying the solder paste, and if I do, what is the best material and method for that?
There are two things to look at when determining if you need to mask off areas surrounding the StencilQuik™ stencils. One item is the squeegee (See BEST Marketplace section for different sizes). If the squeegee size matches the StencilQuik™ stencil size, it should be fairly easy to apply the solder paste without the need to mask surrounding areas. The other item of concern is manual dexterity of the technician performing the rework process. If the technician has poor manual dexterity, it may be necessary to mask off the surrounding areas. If it does become necessary to mask the surrounding areas, we have found that polyimide tape (See Kapton™ tape in the BEST Marketplace section) works well for this. That way if some solder paste ends up outside the dimensions of the StencilQuik™ stencil, it can be lifted up out of the rework area along with the tape after the paste application is complete.
Related Questions
- If the solder mask is damaged or missing in the area of the board where the StencilQuik™ stencil will be applied, do I have to repair the mask underneath the part?
- Should I change the design of my StencilQuik™ stencil if the board I am using has solder mask defined pads instead of non-solder mask defined pads?
- After the StencilQuik™ is adhered to the board, the solder paste printed and reflowed, what does the cross section look like?
