Brads Electronic Projects Forum

Over the last few years I have used custom made PCB stencils and they make it so easy to solder your own PCB boards, especially
when you have a PCB with small SMD components.

Here are a few good links I have used and would recommend. If you have any then please share

smtstencil: (Offer an A4 sheet with two designs).
http://www.smtstencil.co.uk/

hobbytronics: (Offer an A4 sheet with two designs but they do sell cheap single component stencil)
http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/pcb-stenc ... rd=stencil

A co-worker used this service to get an inexpensive solderpaste stencil and was pleased with it:
https://www.pololu.com/product/446

I've used smtstencil before which worked out quite well however since I am in Australia the costs add up a bit especially if I made a mistake in the pcb design the first time around.

These days I have been using solder paste in a syringe and squeezing out little blobs onto the SMT pads which seems to do a good job for prototyping.

I've just started the quote process for a new board at work using Imagineering (pcbnet.com) to have them both make and assemble the board. We've never had the same house do both before, and we've never had Imagineering do the assembly. Apparently they don't use solderpaste stencils at all, but instead spray it on kind of like ink jet, under software control, eliminating that part of the tool-up cost.

Thats a great idea!

we have all sorts of equipment that works on an x-y axis such as 3d printers, 2d printers, cnc routers, laser cutters etc... so why not do the same sort of thing for helping to assemble PCB's.

Well done to who ever thought of that