Yes, StencilMate™ stencils can have the dimensions customized for any application. Currently, there are only two thicknesses available, 0.008" (0.20mm) and 0.004" (0.10mm). Once the StencilMate™ thickness has been selected, any outside dimensions or aperture patterns can be applied. We can accept .dxf, .dwg or technical data sheets in any format for designing the right apertures for the part. We can accept .dwg, .dxf or cut out sections of the board GERBER files for the board.

No, there are no additional fees associated with ordering custom StencilMate™ stencil designs. Depending on the design, there may be a requirement for a minimum order.

StencilMate™ stencils will not be affected at all by a warped area of the board or part. Since the StencilMate™ stencil is flexible, it will conform to all areas. This will ensure that the paste print will be uniform and consistent every time.

The StencilMate™ stencils are designed for single use only. If a StencilMate™ stencil was used correctly, there are only two reasons to repeat the rework process… either the wrong part was placed or it was mis-oriented.

No, StencilMate™ stencils have not been UL approved. Both the polyimide material and the acrylic adhesive have been UL approved. However the two materials in combination have not been UL approved. Contact Stencils Unlimited if your application calls for the use of UL approved components only.

There are two things to look at when determining if you need to mask off areas surrounding the StencilMate™ stencils. One item is the squeegee (See Stencils Unlimited Marketplace section for different sizes). If the squeegee size matches the StencilMate™ 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 Stencils Unlimited Marketplace section) works well for this. That way if some solder paste ends up outside the dimensions of the StencilMate™ stencil, it can be lifted up out of the rework area along with the tape after the paste application is complete.

Alcohol and other similar solvents may attack the adhesive of the StencilMate™ stencil and cause it to lose its adhesive characteristics. This is generally not a concern after the device has been replaced and reflowed because it has already served its purpose and adhesion to the laminate surface is no longer required.

See a sample cross section below.

Use the proper cleaning solution based on flux chemistry you are using. We recommend a water soluble chemistry followed by simple DI water for cleaning.