Latest / Hardware Startups with Fexingo: Devices, Robotics, and Manufacturing Tech Companies
How Hardware Startups Use Stencil Design for Perfect Solder Paste Deposition
In episode 72 of Hardware Startups with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the unsung hero of surface-mount assembly: the stencil. They explain how a laser-cut stainless steel sheet—typically 0.004 to 0.006 inches thick—determines whether your boards work first time or fail in the field. Lucas breaks down aperture area ratio rules (must be above 0.66 for good transfer), while Luna shares a cautionary tale about a startup that spec'd a 0.005-inch stencil for 0201 components and saw 30% tombstoning. They cover electropolishing, nano-coatings, and step stencils, and why a $200 stencil can…
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