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FINE LINE Adds Electroformed Laser-cut Stencils
June 6, 2008 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. FINE LINE STENCIL, a division of FCT Assembly, announced ElectroLaser electroformed laser-cut stencils, made using a hybrid technology with laser-cut apertures and electroformed nickel surfaces.
ElectroLaser stencil print studies from the company show that the base material of nearly pure electroformed nickel resulted in significant improvements to aperture wall smoothness, which can promote better paste release in printing applications. The print studies report enhanced printed deposits similar to electroformed stencils.
Pure nickel material cannot be cut on any laser system. The company uses a combination of pure nickel and the new LPKF Multicut laser system, recently acquired for stencil formation, to offer the hybrid processing. Compared to industry-standard stainless steel, pure-nickel laser-cut stencils are said to provide lower surface roughness. FINE LINE states that this becomes a crucial element as aperture surface area ratios fall below 0.55.
ElectroLaser stencils improve fine-pitch print consistency for reportedly better manufacturing yields. Apertures have smooth walls, combined with trapezoidal formation, to offer the best paste release characteristics. Other benefits include a more durable surface hardness when compared to stainless steel, nickel-plated, or Slic stencils.
ElectroLaser stencils have a thickness tolerance of ±8% of material thickness selected, and are suitable for applications with surface area ratios down to 0.55. Featuring a positional accuracy of ±0.008% and an aperture dimensional tolerance of ±8 µm, standard material thicknesses include 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, and 0.006". Additional thicknesses are available upon request.
For more information, visit www.finelinestencil.com.