What are PCB Stencils?
PCB Stencils are made from thin material, .003 to .006 thickness. They are made from flexible circuit or steel material. Holes are cut with the use of a CNC Laser Cutter in the exact location where the pads are placed on manufactured PCB boards. The stencil process is done in the latter stage of PCB manufacture after the initial board is produced and just before components are placed on each pad. PCB stencils save much time over hand soldering pads. This is accomplished by placing the stencil directly over the pads, swiping solder paste over the stencil which flows through the laser cut holes onto all the pads. Please see our step-by-step instructions for flexible circuit material stencil application which is presented in detail on our Tutorial Page.
