PCB assembly fixtures (also known as PCB assembly tooling) are used to support and protect the printed circuit boards and electronic components during the PCB assembly process. PCB assembly fixtures are usually made with a heavy-duty (Electro-Static Discharge) ESD composite material such as Durostone® or Ricocel. These materials exhibit good machinability and are able to withstand the high temperatures and the chemicals associated with soldering applications.
We use both Durostone® and Ricocel to manufacture PCB assembly fixtures. We also use high Tg FR4 and even stainless steel for prototype applications to reduce manufacturing cost and lead time. High Tg FR4 is the fiber glass heat resistance, moisture resistance and chemical resistance material that is used to fabricate printed circuit boards. We use industrial CNC machines to mill the Durostone®, Ricocel and High Tg FR4 materials. We use infrared lasers to make stainless steel SMT fixtures.
Surface mount carriers are extremely versatile. They can be used to support, protect and transport PCBs of different shapes and sizes including flex and rigid-flex PCBs through the SMT process. Surface mount carriers can significantly decrease setup time and improve handling.
Stainless steel fixtures can be used during the printing and placement process. They should not be used during the reflow process.
STAINLESS STEEL | High Tg FR4 | Durostone® / Ricocel | |
---|---|---|---|
Printing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Placing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Reflowing | No | Yes | Yes |
Wave soldering is still widely used in printed circuit board manufacturing for soldering through-hole components. Wave solder pallets are used during wave soldering to mask SMT components (ground planes, gold fingers and mounting holes) while exposing the circuit board to the wave only where solder is required. Our wave solder pallets are custom designed to meet your project requirements.
High Tg FR4 | Durostone® / Ricocel | |
---|---|---|
Printing | Yes | Yes |
Pick & Place | Yes | Yes |
Oven | Yes | Yes |
Selective soldering is the preferred method of soldering through-hole components on a mixed technology assembly. Selective solder fixtures are used during selective soldering to protect SMT components and to shield thermally sensitive parts from the heat and solder.
High Tg FR4 | Durostone® / Ricocel | |
---|---|---|
Printing | Yes | Yes |
Pick & Place | Yes | Yes |
Oven | Yes | Yes |
Press Fit Fixtures are used to provide your printed circuit boards the necessary support during the insertion of connectors.
Press fit fixtures protect the PCBs and the connectors.
Stencils Unlimited offers cost effective design and manufacturing tooling services. Whether you just need a simple surface mount carrier or a complex custom fixture, we will create the right tool for your project. Simply give us a call or send us an email. We are here to help.
(800) 348-9250
support@stencilsunlimited.com
The data needed to complete a tooling project varies but in general we are going to need the following: