Press release: High-end down to the last detail

Solder paste printing is a critical process in electronics production. The smallest errors or
inaccuracies can lead to considerable functional impairments and have a massive impact
the quality of the devices. If you want to fulfil the highest quality requirements
no compromises when choosing the SMD stencil.

The production of electronic devices is becoming increasingly complex. The trend
towards ever smaller end devices. Highly miniaturised fine-pitch assembly and extremely high
densities on the PCB are the result and require maximum precision, especially in the printing process.
printing process. ‘Many EMS and OEM service providers underestimate the importance of the printing
importance of the printing process,’ says Thomas Schulte-Brinker, Managing Director of BECKTRONIC GmbH. The
renowned and experienced manufacturer of SMD stencils from the Westerwald region offers a broad
product portfolio of laser-cut precision stencils. BECKTRONIC is particularly in demand
special requirements that require particularly close support and advice in order to achieve the perfect
perfect product and printing result.

Precision in the μm range

When manufacturing the right SMD stencils, it's all about maximum precision in the
thousandths of a millimetre, both in terms of the stencil layout and the sheet thickness. ‘We
consider the stencil as part of the overall electronics production system and not as an isolated product,’
continues Schulte-Brinker. BECKTRONIC has therefore been focussing for years on proactive customer
customer advice on the entire process sequence associated with the stencil.
This sharpens the focus on the decisive parameters in stencil production, which can be optimised to perfection in close cooperation with the customer.
optimised to perfection in close cooperation with the customer. These include, for example, the
sheet thickness, the shape, opening size and positioning accuracy of the pads or the selection of the
suitable material. In more than 30 years of company history, the company has accumulated a very broad
of experience and a wealth of expertise, which is passed on to customers in a targeted manner.
passed on to customers.

Numerous sources of error in the printing process

However, it is not only the production of stencils, but also the correct use and handling of precision
stencils in the printing process is crucial and harbours a wealth of potential sources of error.
sources of error. In over 90% of cases, the stencil itself is not the source of the error. Instead, the analysis should
Instead, the analysis should focus on the printing process itself and each individual step.
Printing errors occur, for example, when separating the stencil from the PCB, incorrectly
solder paste or poor quality circuit boards. External conditions such as
temperature and humidity can also have a negative impact on the printing process. High-end suppliers
like BECKTRONIC ultimately set themselves apart by taking all these factors into account in every onboarding and
consulting process and do not regard any printing process as a standardised operation.
as a standardised operation. In an exchange, the experts from the Westerwald usually only need a picture
of the faulty print result to identify the source of the error. The personal consultation
personalised advice via the short official channels ultimately ensures rapid rectification, high-quality and
reproducible processes and satisfied electronics manufacturers.

Quality assurance through seamless tracking

To ensure its own quality standards, BECKTRONIC relies on maximum traceability of its own processes.
maximum traceability of its own processes. Test protocols and written documentation for each individual
each individual step in the value chain are saved fully automatically and stored with the orders.
stored with the orders. In this way, adjustments to the template can also be made extremely quickly
template extremely quickly if the customer's requirements change. All in all, it is the
attention to detail in every single aspect of PCB printing is what makes the SMD stencil a game changer for top-quality electronic products.
game changer for electronic products of the highest quality.