- This looks great! I've ordered stencils and do 3D printing... kicking myself for not thinking of it.
On the other hand, it gave me a great idea. What if you could 3D print the solder paste right onto the PCB using a tool that swaps out the hot end?
by throwa356262
1 subcomments
- Cheap 3d printers are not terribly accurate, and the hot filament moves a bit (e.g. elephant foot). This method might not work well if your board is large or has very small components.
Also, even after ironing the surface will not be fully flat and some paste can end up in the space between the lines and go wasted.
A cheap low-power laser cutter is about the same price as a very cheap printer, which may be a better option if you can dial in the accuracy needed.
- For those of us without the cash/apartment space for a PNP, has anyone experimented with a stencil system for populating passives? Is that even a thing?
My PCB project's population time is currently 11 hours the last time I did it, from blank to tested, for one unit. The largest amount of time spent is on the resistors and capacitors - over 200 of them.
- Good stencils are like $10 if you order them with the PCB, so I honestly don't get the appeal this time. Unless it is aimed at people who make their own PCBs (?)
by londons_explore
1 subcomments
- For this to work, your bed needs to be entirely flat.
A 0.1mm hump will ruin everything, even if it's okay for most 3d prints.
- I mean, why not laser cut a mylar sheet? That's an existing method and works well for 0603 footprints and similar, and is also quicker.
by pasquinelli
1 subcomments
- stench ill
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