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On this week's episode we talk about something that at first glance might seem mundane, but is actually one of the most important steps and literally the foundation of pcb assembly: past printing. In fact, approximately 65% of all assembly defects come from this process. Chris breaks down all of the components that are a part of the often misunderstood process and provides some design tips on how to make it go smoother.

Show notes:

-Chris will be speaking at the upcoming virtual Altium Live conference. This year's event is free! https://www.altium.com/summit/

-We discuss what paste printing is and why it's so important.

Solder paste

-What is paste, what is it used for, and what are the different types of paste that can be used?

-Clean vs no clean paste

-Metal whiskering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)

Jet printing vs stencil printing

-What is the difference between jet printing and stencil printing and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

-https://www.worthingtonassembly.com/blog/2015/4/9/visit-to-mycronic-to-learn-about-the-my600-jet-printer

Process

-What does the stencil printing process look like?

Stencils

-How are stencils made and what are they made of?

-http://www.stentech.com/Products/stencils

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gEcJvpinco

-https://nanoslic.com/nanoslic-coating-system/

Design tips:

-Use appropriately sized parts.

-Always avoid gang masking

-Tips to avoid via-in-pad issues

-Don't assume we'll use your data. Just leave it 1:1

-Be specific if you want paste on test points or battery contacts

-https://www.photostencil.com/technical-papers.php

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