Comparing Vision‐aided Stencil Printers

Surface Mount Technology relies on the use of screen or stencil printers for solder paste application. Many systems now incorporate complex vision systems to provide improved accuracy during printing. These systems advertise sub‐mil precision (x1|+3o<0·001 in.) but none provides a method to quantify this precision. With the advent of fine pitch pads [pad pitch ≤0·025 in.), accurate characterisation of the printing machine's capabilities is imperative for a successful manufacturing process. This paper will present a quantitative method with supporting experimental data, for analysing the printing capabilities of the stencilling machine.