Print Head Technology in SMT Printing The print head is the part of a stencil printer that turns paste into a deposit. It carries the squeegee, applies the force and moves across the stencil, and the way it does those three things sets the fill of the aperture and the…

PCB Soldermask Data: What the Numbers Say Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains PCB…

PCB Soldermask Plan: Laying It Out First Buyers and engineers often focus on the finished product and forget the production line behind it. In practice, most field failures can be traced back to process decisions made during assembly. Understanding PCB soldermask plan gives you a practical advantage when you choose…

Ionic Contamination: Preparation, Placement and Process Control Ionic contamination is the residue of the soldering process that remains on the board in the form of dissolved salts and flux activators. It is conductive once it absorbs moisture, and it is the raw material for leakage currents and for electrochemical migration…

PCB Soldermask Standards: Agreeing the Rules Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB soldermask standards from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering applying standards…

Surface Insulation Resistance Test On Assemblies Surface insulation resistance is a measure of how well a surface resists the flow of leakage current between two conductors. On an assembled board it is affected by the flux residue left behind, by the cleanliness of the process and by the humidity of…

Solder Paste Inspection Guide Solder paste inspection measures the deposit on every pad before a component is placed. It measures a process that has no other in line check, and it does so at the point where a correction is still cheap, which is why the data is more valuable…

Stencil Cleaning Methods Compared A stencil collects paste on both faces during a print run. The underside picks up paste that is squeezed under the foil and the apertures collect paste on their walls, and both of them change the deposit. Stencil cleaning is therefore a continuous process rather than…

PCB Soldermask Limits: Where the Edges Are Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains PCB…

PCB Soldermask Training: Teaching the Team Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB soldermask training from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering training for…